Let God Rule, Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-25 or 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26a; The Adult Sunday School Lesson for 7-24-11

ATTENTION:  Please note that this is The Adult Sunday School Lesson, Let God Rule, on Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-25 or 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26a for the 7-24-11 International Sunday School Lesson.  You will find the 7-17-11 lesson, Use God’s Strength directly beneath this message and on the right side.

Attention # 2:  If you are reading this anywhere besides http://theadultsundayschool.blogspot.com/ you are reading it at a location that has taken this content without permission.  Please visit my blog!

Jed

Let God Rule

Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-25

or

Judges 7:2-4, 13-15; 8:22-26a

International Sunday School Lesson

July 24, 2011

Commentary

By

Jed Greenough

I have to say this week’s scripture has me baffled and I almost once again thought about saying that The Adult Sunday School blog is on vacation this week!

The selection of these particular verses out of these two chapters if you read the chapters in their entirety don’t really do much of a job in telling you what Gideon was like, what the people were facing or how they overcame with God’s help.

I finally have given up coming away with too much useful for you from the selection and my advice to you is to look at Judges Chapters 6-9.  This might be the best way for you to glean something and bring it to class.

I did come away with the fact that God can use any of us to accomplish His goals.  In Gideon’s own words found in Judges 6:15 Gideon’s clan was the weakest in Manasseh and Gideon himself the least in his own family.  But as I said, God can do with whomever He wishes whatever it is that He sets out to do and He tells Gideon it will be like the Midianites were but one man.

The next thing I found was that though we might want our heroes to be flawless they are just men with insecurities like all men.  Gideon couldn’t just accept at face value who he was talking to.  No, he needed a sign and the angel of the Lord gave him one by miraculously burning up an offering that Gideon had presented, disappearing and later speaking to him twice more evidently without appearing.

Did I mention Gideon was insecure?  Despite all he had just witnessed and experienced when told by the Lord to demolish an alter and build one to Him, Gideon did it in secret under the cover of darkness because he was afraid.

I don’t think insecure quite covers it with Gideon!  Two more tests of God were requested to prove in Gideon’s mind that this really was God’s will for him to save Israel from the Midianites.  To cap it off God seems to head off a request for another sign when He reduces Gideon’s force from 22,000 to 300.  This sign came through the dream and its interpretation which Gideon over hears.  This seems to have finally done it and Gideon accomplishes the rest of his mission with zeal.

This brings us to that part of the scripture from today that finds the Israelites so grateful that they wish to make Gideon and his heirs after him their king.  I will go out on a limb here and say though Gideon says, “The LORD will rule over you.” I think he still led them and was simply honoring God by the statement.  The scripture says that “during Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.”  Also after his death one of Gideon’s many sons Abimelech said, “Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s (Gideon) sons rule over you, or just one man?”  So yeah, I think he was their king.

This man, seemingly just an ordinary man with insecurities just like us still had a faith that earns a place in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews unfortunately you can’t ensure that your faith is passed on. This son, Abimelech, didn’t carry on the faith any more than did the rest of Israel. 

For Discussion:

1.      Discuss some of the qualities that God displays versus those of Gideon.

2.      Discuss 8:27

3.      Discuss 7:2 with reference to your own church.  Has there been boasting instead of glorifying God?

4.      Who else within the scriptures reminds you of Gideon?

5.      Discuss Gideon in light of scriptural guidance for Christian leaders.

6.      I mention Gideon’s insecurity, but identify the point where based on evidence found within the scriptures his faith matured to the point he merits mention in Hebrews 11.

7-31-11:   Return to Obedience (Return to God’s Ways) Judges 10:10-18 or Judges 10:10-18; 11:4-6, 32-33

8-07-11:   Walk in God’s Path Judges 13:1-8, 24-25

8-14-11:   Making a Choice (Choosing a Community) Ruth 1:8-18

8-21-11:   Empowering the Needy Ruth 2:8-18

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved