Perhaps, some of you remember the film The Runaway Bride, where Julia Robert’s character achieves tabloid status for leaving a long trail of grimacing grooms standing alone at the altar. In Samson, we have the story of a runaway bridegroom. As we saw in Judges 14, Samson became infatuated with a gorgeous young Philistine girl and he insisted upon marrying her. But during the wedding feast, when his bride-to-be manipulated him into revealing the answer to his infamous riddle and humiliated him by causing him lose his bet to his groomsmen, he was so infuriated that he left her at the altar while he spit, sputtered, and stomped all the way back to his daddy’s house.

            Since Samson never consummated the marriage through sexual relations, they were technically not married. And with no indication that he would ever return to claim his bride, the girl’s father saved her from an embarrassing situation by giving her to one of Samson’s Philistine groomsmen; and even more scandalously, it was his best man. Samson’s broken relationship seems to end of a satisfactory note, but unfortunately, the story doesn’t end there.

Playing with Fire (1-8)

            Some time later, after Samson’s rage had ratcheted down a few notches, he found his mind constantly thinking about his voluptuous vixen and visualizing the honeymoon that had never happened. To make matters worse, the spring wheat harvest had just started, which meant that he was suffering a severe case of “spring-fever”, and all of his sensual urges were bubbling up within him. So, in the pursuit of passion, Samson swallowed his pride and decided to go back to Timnah and try to recover his marriage.

            On his way to his bride’s father’s house, he grabbed a young goat to give to her as a gift, a sort of peace offering. Maybe he was thinking that if he gave her a goat that she would say, “Oh thanks Honey, no hard feelings. Let’s get back together right now!” (This sounds like something you would hear in a Taylor Swift song. Seriously guys, if you do something stupid and need to make amends with your wife, leave the goat on the farm! A dozen roses and a box of chocolates would do just fine!)

            When Samson showed up at the doorstep demanding to spend the night with his wife, he got the shock of his life. The girl’s father broke the bad news by saying, “Well, ugh, well, umm, I gave her to your best man. I don’t mean to “get your goat” but I thought you hated her and I didn’t think you were coming back. What was I supposed to do?” When the old man saw Samson’s eyes blazing, he tried to put out the fire by offering him his younger daughter, whom he tries to pawn off as being even more attractive than her sister. (One has to wonder what kind depraved father says things like this about his daughters!) But Samson would not have any of this because the older daughter was the one who was “right in his eyes.”

            Instead of understanding the situation or taking responsibility for his own actions, he shifts the blame to the Philistines and vows to take revenge on them. He feels like he is morally justified to do them harm because they harmed him. He figured that if the Philistines could take his woman, who would bear his seed, that he would take the fruit of the Philistine’s field. So, he conjures up a “clever” weapon of mass destruction to obliterate their national food supply. He caught 300 foxes, tied their tails together, attached torches to them, and set them loose to spread fire through the Philistine’s grain fields and olive groves, wiping out their entire harvest.

            Samson thought that he had outfoxed the Philistines once and for all, but they eventually found out that Samson was the arsonist responsible for the inferno and they decided to fight fire with fire. They captured Samson’s former fiancé and her father and burned them to death.

            The vicious cycle of violence continues as Samson vows revenge on every man who was responsible for burning his bride and then he promises to quit. So, he tracked down each man, beat him into a bloody pulp with his bare hands, and ran for his hideout in the Judean hills.

The Thrill on Jawbone Hill (9-17)

            After the Philistines discovered that some of their men had been slaughtered by Samson, they gathered their army and marched against the tribe of Judah at the Israelite town of Lehi. When the men of Judah inquired why the Philistines had marshaled their troops, they told them that they were seeking revenge against Samson. Rather than calling on Samson to lead them in fighting for their independence, they act like complete cowards. They proceed to his hideout to remind him that the Philistines need to be treated with respect and accused him of jeopardizing their safety. Then they inform him of their intention to hand him over to the Philistines. (Can you imagine that, an army sacrificing one of their own comrades to placate the enemy? So much for the policy “no man left behind!”)

            Instead of quarreling with his own people, Samson had another idea. He made them swear that they would only bind him, not kill him. They bound his hands with new ropes and marched him into the hands of the enemy. As Samson approached the Philistine’s, they started whooping and hollering at the anticipation of revenge.

            But like the episode with the roaring lion pouncing on Samson, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him again and empowered him with supernatural strength. He snapped the rugged ropes like wet noodles, grabbed a jaw-bone from a decaying donkey carcass (compromising his Nazarite vow again) and used it as a form of brass-knuckles and struck down 1000 Philistines.

            As he surveyed the quiet carnage, in triumph, he threw his blood-stained weapon onto the sand. Typical to his narcissistic nature, he began heaping the dead Philistine corpses into a mound and composed a little song to immortalize his achievement. His vain victory tune went like this: “With a donkey’s jawbone, heaps upon heaps; with a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men.” Samson also memorializes his conquest by renaming the location Ramath-Lehi, which is a catchy Hebrew phrase that means “Jawbone Hill.” (In Samson’s memory, I have composed my own little ditty: “Samson found his thrill on Jawbone Hill. After all he’d done and seen, and killed the Philistine. He piled the bodies high for all to see, say’n when I die, I hope you’ll remember me.”)

A Thirst for Glory (18-20)

            When Samson finished piling the bodies, he sat down in the sand to rest his weary body. That is when he realized that killing Philistines and singing songs parches the throat. He was extremely thirsty and there was no water in sight. Faced the possibility of perishing in the desert, for the first time in his life, he cries out to God for help. He prayed for water lest he die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised Philistines

            At first glance, we may applaud Samson for such a pious prayer and that he finally acknowledged God’s presence in his life, but when we look under the surface, we can’t help but notice that his plea is purely self-serving. He doesn’t even address God by his name; instead, he employs the “impersonal” pronoun “you.” There is no gratitude for God’s providential provision of a lethal weapon. There is no thanksgiving to God’s Spirit for endowing him with supernatural strength or overcoming the enemy. There is no recognition of God’s grace in his life. He is not interested in giving God any glory; he is only concerned with protecting his own glory.

            The last thing that we would ever expect is that God would answer the prayer of such a wicked and wayward man. We would never predict that God would save such a selfish and conceited person. But sure enough, as Samson lay sulking in the sand, a seam in the rock miraculously spit open and began gushing clean water. The water spared his life and he went on to judge Israel for twenty years.

            Wow, what a story! In our remaining time, I would like for us to reflect on some of the modern spiritual applications we can take away from this episode in Samson’s life.

1.) Take responsibility for your actions!

            Remember back at the beginning of the story! After leaving his bride at the altar, Samson arrogantly expected to return and pick up right where he left off. But when he found out that his fiancé had been given to another man, he failed to take any responsibility for his actions. Instead, he played the victim card.

            Do you know anyone who does this today? It is epidemic in our modern society, isn’t it? I know many people who go through life complaining about everything, yet they are unwilling to admit they are the primary creators of their own misery. It is easy to say, “It’s my parent’s fault! It’s my spouse’s fault! It’s the government’s fault! It’s the system’s fault.” It is hard to say, “Yeah, I admit it; I’m part of the problem.” Allow me to get a little personal for a moment: When you make foolish mistakes or unsound decisions, are you apt to own them or blame someone else?

2.) Stop the cycle of revenge!

            Did you notice the cycles of revenge in this story? Samson was mad at the Philistine’s for taking his bride, so he burned their fields–they burned the girl and her father—he pummeled them and ran—they marched against Judah—and Samson crushed them with a jawbone.

            This illustrates the modern cliché that “Violence breeds violence!” and “Hurt people hurt people!” And so often, the violence doesn’t stop until someone ends up dead. Whether it is bullying on the bus, an argument with another parent, or spreading rumors at work, when would you resort to violence? Do you ever find yourself seeking revenge against someone who has hurt you? Do you live by the philosophy of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” or do you live by Jesus’ words that “if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other one to him also.” (Matt. 5:39) May the cycle of violence stop with you!

3.) Don’t ever be content to conform to the world’s standards!

            One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this story is how the men of Judah were willing to sell out one of their own countrymen to maintain the comfort of their lives. They were disgracefully happy to hand Samson over to the enemy to avoid upsetting the equilibrium. They were content to remain slaves and conform to the Philistine’s standards rather than joining Samson in the fight for freedom.

            Oh, how many Christians are willing to sell out Jesus Christ to maintain the comfort of their lives? How many Sunday morning pew sitters would rather sacrifice God’s moral mandates than upset the equilibrium with someone in their family or community. How many so-called Christ followers have simply accommodated the world’s standards instead of standing on the truth of God’s Word? Like the men of Judah, every day the world tries to force us to adopt its ungodly values. What are going to do? Whatever you do, don’t ever be content to conform to the world’s standard.

4.) Be amazed by God’s incredible grace!

            Samson is one of the most overconfident selfish self-centered self-seeking egotistical proud arrogant conceited bigheaded. He disrespected his own family and showed no concern for his nation. He was flippant with his vows to God and ignored God’s plan for his life. The only person he cared about was himself. He, of all people, did not deserve God’s grace! And yet, we must be amazed to see that God never gave up on him. God continued to endow him with supernatural strength and enabled him to accomplish amazing feats. He even answers Samson’s selfish prayer and provided water to save his life.

            Like Samson, we are all guilty of being self-centered, conceited, arrogant, and egotistical. We have all been disrespectful to someone sometime. We have all broken vows we have made to God. And we have all ignored God’s plan at some point in our lives. But God continues to extend his grace to us. Through the death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ, he has provided atonement for our sins to save us from hell. He offers us forgiveness and redemption for all of our sins. We don’t deserve his goodness, but he gives it to us anyway. Have you truly embraced God’s grace?

            “The ego lusts for satisfaction. It has a prideful ferocious appetite for its version of ‘truth’. It is the most challenging aspect to conquer; the cause for most spiritual turmoil.” This insightful observation about the human ego and appetite was authored by former mobster T.F. Hodge in his book From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with “The Divine Presence.”

            It is true—because of the sinful nature that exists within us, we all possess egos that lust for satisfaction. We all have aptitudes for our own versions of the truth. It is, indeed, difficult to conquer and it is the origin of most of our spiritual chaos. And dare I say, “In some ways, we all possess appetites that, if not controlled, lead to destruction.” We see this in the life of Samson as told in Judges 14.

An Appetite for Sensuality (1-4)

            Throughout the ages, many parents have disapproved of their child’s choice of a spouse. There are a whole host of reasons for this—parents usually know their own child’s character flaws and they are often able to pick up on weaknesses in the person their child has chosen to marry. Parents, who have gained wisdom and experience with age, are often able to foresee marital challenges that their kids can’t see—like selfish motivations, variances in values, and potential personality conflicts. Yes, many parents have agonized over their child’s selection of a mate. (After all, not everyone can be as lucky as my in-laws!!)

            Well, this is exactly what happened to Samson and his parents. After an angelic pre-natal visit and a miraculous birth, Samson eventually grew through adolescence into adulthood. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him and his hair grew long from his Nazarite vow. God blessed him with strength and motivated him toward fulfilling his divine destiny of delivering Israel from the Philistines, who had cruelly oppressed them for forty years. So, from time to time, he would leave his hometown of Zorah and make the six mile journey west to the Philistine town of Timnah to provoke the enemy.

            On one of Samson’s trips to Timnah, he happened to notice a breathtakingly beautiful young Philistine woman. Captivated by her good looks and overcome with sensual desire, he wanted to do more than just lay his eyes upon her. In his mind, this was love at first sight.

            It is not surprising that when he returned home to tell his parents that he had met the girl of his dreams, they were not impressed. They immediately recognized that this was nothing more than an impulsive infatuation, but Samson refused to listen to their counsel. He completely disrespected them by demanding that they go to Timnah and arrange the marriage with the woman’s family. (The usual custom was for the parents to choose a suitable spouse from their own people and arrange it with the future in-laws.)

            No doubt, Samson’s parents remembered the angel’s promise that their son would deliver them from the Philistines. Can you imagine the horror they felt when he told them that he wanted to marry one? They quickly protested his demand on the basis that she was from the uncircumcised Philistines, which meant that she was outside the covenant community and worshipped false idols rather than the one true God. As they pointed out, there were many eligible girls among their own clan who shared their faith, but Samson was blind and stubborn. He was dominated by his own sensual appetites and he refused to listen to advice. Little did he know that his appetites would eventually lead to his own destruction.

            Samson’s life represents a microcosm of the whole nation Israel. His blindness, stubbornness, and willingness to settle down with the enemy mirrors what Israel had done as a nation. They sacrificed God’s plan on the altar of temporal pleasure; they exchanged doing what was right in God’s eyes for what was right in their own eyes.

            This scene teaches us some important spiritual lessons. It warns us against the folly of allowing our sensual appetites to control our decisions. Like Samson, so many people today are consumed by their illicit lusts. They see something they want and they have to have it. This is why problems like pornography addiction, hook-ups, adultery, and sexual assault are so common in our culture.   

            Another spiritual lesson we learn from this scene is the importance of listening to godly counsel, especially from our parents. One of God’s great blessings is how he surrounds us with people to show us our blind spots and guide us toward good decisions. But many people become so proud and stubborn that they refuse to listen to anyone around them; instead, they have an appetite for destruction!

            This scene also highlights the importance of marrying within the faith. I know many young Christians who have disregarded their parent’s advice and foolishly married someone who did not share their faith in Jesus Christ or their spiritual values, and it almost always drags the Christian away from God. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers…” (2 Cor. 6:14) Young people, one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you is to marry someone who truly loves Jesus!

            One of the saddest aspects of this scene is how Samson allowed his personal desires and ambitions to get in the way of God’s divine plan for his life. Likewise, how many of us have allowed our personal desires, ambitions, and agendas to sidetrack us from God’s perfect plan for our lives?

An Appetite for Sweet Things (4-9)

            When Samson’s parents realized that they couldn’t change his mind, they relented and made the trip to Timnah to meet the young woman and her family. On their way there, Samson separated from his parents and went near the vineyards of Timnah. This detail shows his lack of judgment in regard to temptation. As a Nazarite, he was forbidden to drink wine or eat the fruit of the vine (grapes), but he put himself in a dangerous situation where he could have easily compromised his vows.

            But as it turned out, Samson found a different danger in the vineyards—a roaring lion poised to pounce on him. In that moment, the Spirit of the Lord endowed him with supernatural strength which enabled him to rip the lion apart with his bare hands. This event foreshadows the future where Samson will use his bare hands to destroy the Philistines. It also highlights God’s grace in Samson’s life, that even though his conduct was compromising his faith, the Spirit of the Lord was still upon him. This was true for the nation of Israel too.

            It is peculiar that Samson never told his parents about the encounter with the lion. He did not want them to know that he touched a dead animal because that was a breach of one of his Nazarite vows. In God’s sight, both literally and spiritually, he had blood on his hands.

            After all of the arrangements were made for his wedding, Samson shows a further disregard for the dangers of temptation by returning to the lion’s remains. Perhaps he was just curious about the carcass or maybe he wanted to relive his incredible triumph, but he was undoubtedly surprised to discover a hive of honey bees inhabiting the lion’s body.  And once again, his appetite for sweet things overtakes him and he violates his vow to God by touching the carcass and gorging himself on honey. Then, he adds insult to injury by giving some honey to his parents. Had they known where his sticky fingers had been, they never would have taken it.

            Once again, we see Samson putting himself in compromising positions and then succumbing to his sensual urges. Just like the sweet-looking Philistine woman, he refuses to turn away from the honey. In both cases, he shows a blatant disregard to the commitments he made to God. And yet, God is still gracious toward Samson!

            Do you see what God is teaching us in this scene? Don’t put yourself in compromising positions, especially in areas where you know that your appetites are strong! Do whatever you need to do to protect the vows and commitments you have made to God! If you are vulnerable to sexual temptation, remove yourself from situations where you will be enticed! If you have a gambling problem, don’t rationalize a trip to the casino. If you have an alcohol problem, don’t meet your friends at the bar. If you are prone to overeat, by all means, don’t go to a buffet!

An Appetite for Glory (10-20)

            When the wedding had finally been arranged and it was time for the festivities to begin, Samson prepared a feast at the bride’s parent’s house. This was one of those old-fashioned seven day feasts that served as both a rehearsal dinner and stag party. Samson did not have any groomsmen of his own, so thirty Philistine men were given to him as attendants. As Samson and his groomsmen engaged in gluttonous and drunken revelry (which was another breach of his Nazarite vow), he reveals a new disastrous appetite: an appetite for glory. He tries to prove his superior intellect over the Philistines by proposes a wager and a riddle.  He bet them thirty sets of clothing (one for each of them) that they could not solve his riddle. They agreed to the bet before they realized that Samson would pose the impossible puzzle: “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet.”

            Well, the riddle made a clever rhyme, but it was completely unfair because no one else know about the honey from the lion’s carcass. After three days of failing to figure it out, the groomsmen resorted to a sly trick of their own. They blackmailed Samson’s fiancé into finding out the answer; they threatened to burn her and her family to death if she didn’t get the answer. Left with no choice, she conjures up a manipulative and passionately plea for him to share the answer with her. On the last day of the feast, her tears of trickery finally wore Samson down until he revealed the answer to the riddle. She told the groomsmen and they answered the riddle and demanded their reward. Samson, the sweet-tooth, got sweet-talked by his Philistine bride!

            Samson was so enraged by this that he went down to the Philistine town of Ashkelon, struck down thirty men, and stole their clothes. When he returned to the wedding feast, he threw the clothes at the feet of his groomsmen, sulked liked a spoiled schoolboy, and stomped all the way back to his father’s house. And since he did not consummate his marriage, the bride’s father gave her away to one of the groomsmen at the feast. Samson’s appetite for glory backfired on him and led to further destruction.

            Once again, this story shows us that if we don’t keep our appetites in check, they will lead to destruction. When we allow our personal pursuits to take priority over our commitments to God, we experience divine adversity. When we compromise our relationship with God to feed our momentary urges, our lives become riddled with complications.

            Do you see the chain reaction in Samson’s life? If had not ventured alone into Philistine territory, he never would have lusted after the Philistine woman. If he had listened to his parent’s advice not to marry her, he never would have been tempted to touch the honey and taste the wine and break his commitments to God. Had he never gone through with the wedding feast, he wouldn’t have been in the position to boast a riddle or be humiliated by the Philistines.

            Have you ever traced a string of ungodly decisions back through your own life? Like Samson, I bet that you will be able to see how they are linked together? Do you have an appetite for destruction?

            But do you know what the most amazing part of this story is? That even in the midst of Samson’s moral mistakes, willful sins, and utter spiritual failures, God shed his grace on him. Even though Samson made foolish decisions and broke his vows to God, God never gave up on him. God could have removed his Spirit from him, but he didn’t. God still had a divine destiny for him.

            Like Samson and the nation of Israel, none of us deserves God’s grace either, but he gives it to us anyway. God gave us his son Jesus Christ—and through his death and resurrection, he gives us forgiveness for all of our mistakes, sins, and failures. Amid all of our appetites for destruction, I am so glad the God has a hunger for redemption!

I was born to be famous
But I can’t act, dance or sing
And I’m also quite shy
So I probably couldn’t bring
A room to a standstill
Or a crowd on their feet
But I was born to be famous
I don’t admit defeat.

            This little poem epitomizes the mindset of many young Americans today. We live in culture that endorses self-expression, fanaticizes fame, and celebrates celebrity status. We live in a time when everyone thinks that it’s their God given right to be famous. It used to be that you had to have actual talent to become famous, but now all you need is a little bit of make-up and a smart phone. Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift have proven that!

            Every year, television talent shows like American Idol showcase a whole host of narcissistic contestants who, despite their overwhelmingly clear lack of talent, think that they are a star. They are legends in their own minds, but nobody else’s. We have people posting ridiculous clips on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube in vain attempts to be noticed by someone. They may not say these exact words, but doing all screaming, “Look at me! Discover me! I’m somebody!”

            How about you? Do you ever feel the need to be noticed? Do you ever display a deep desire to become somebody? Or could you be content to be a nobody?  

Ibzan, Elon, Abdon: Nobody’s for God (8-15)

            This dichotomy of “somebodies and nobodies” brings us to today’s biblical text. Judges 12:8-15 documents the lives of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon, who led Israel successfully and successively for 25 years. I would be willing to bet that most of you have never heard of these men before. Compared to other biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul, etc, these men are easily classified as “nobodies.” They are even obscure in the Book of Judges. Most people have at least heard about Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah, but not these guys. They did not make it into the great “Hall of Fame of Faith” recorded in Hebrews 11.

            Like the unsung heroes Tola and Jair in Judges 10:1-5, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon are considered “minor judges” because the author presents them with minimal biographical information and no narrative. Matter-of-factly, this section reads like a series of bad obituaries—it gives their name, place of birth, length of rule, death, location of burial, but not much else.

            So, why would God inspire the author of Judges to record such brief and seemingly insignificant accounts? Because he wants to teach his readers something about his value system! God doesn’t just like to use the “somebodies” of society; he also like to use the “nobodies!”

            The two most important words in this whole passage are found at the beginning of verse 8 where it says “after him.” This phrase deliberately highlights the contrast between the tragic tale of Jephthah’s civil war and this 25 year period of civility. Although Jephthah liberated the Israel from Ammonite oppression, his 6 year reign ended with 42,000 Ephraimites slain along the fords of the Jordan River. (It’s amazing how far a nation can fall in just six years of ungodly leadership.) But God used the “nobodies” Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon to restore stability and peace to a nation that had been decimated by civil war.

            There are two details in the text that show us that they stabilized the nation. First, verse 9 tells us that Ibzan had the ideal family of thirty sons, for whom he secured thirty daughters-in-law, but he was doubly blessed with the addition of thirty daughters. In contrast to Jephthah, who sacrificed his only daughter, Izban capitalized on the political opportunity his family afforded him by having them all marry outside the clan. These marriages cemented clan alliances, healed strained relationships, and built a community with strong foundations. (Block 389).

            Second, verse 14 tells us that Abdon had the ideal Israelite family consisting of 70 descendants. Forty of these were immediate sons, but the narrator looks to the future by noting that Abdon also had 30 grandsons. As in the days of Jair (10:4), the fact that each of these men rode his own donkey (a symbol of peace) is a sign of the tranquility of the times.

            Izban, Elon, and Abdon did not have the prophetic insight of Deborah, the oral eloquence of Gideon, or the military might of Jephthah, but it is astounding to consider how God used these three “nobodies” to lead Israel through a period of peace and prosperity for 25 years. These so-called “minor judges” show us that you don’t have to be famous to be effective!

            Most of you have never heard the name Benjamin Wooster before. He was born in Waterbury, CT on October 29, 1762, and as a teenager, he fought in the American Revolutionary War under General George Washington. After the war, he went on to study at Yale University and was ordained as a minister in the congregational church. On July 24, 1805, Wooster became the pastor of the Congregational Church in Fairfield, Vermont.

            On the morning of September 11, 1814, he heard the news about the British attack on Plattsburgh (War of 1812) and quickly took it upon himself to raise a militia of men from Fairfield and defend his country once again. As he was leaving his flock in mid-service, they begged him to preach one more time because they feared that they would not see him again. Not dissuaded, he tenderly kissed his teary-eyed wife and clinging children and set out immediately. Rev. Wooster and his Fairfield flock fought alongside the United States Army against the British force of 14,000 soldiers.

            After the British were unexpectedly defeated, Rev. Wooster returned to his Fairfield parish and continued to preach until his death on February 18, 1840. During his 35 year tenure, he preached over 6,000 sermons throughout Franklin County and brought nearly 500 people into the church.     

            After the Franklin Meeting House was constructed in 1827, it was the Rev. Benjamin Wooster who preached the inaugural and dedication sermon. It is amazing for me to consider this historical link: Every Sunday I get to preach from the same pulpit that this great American hero preached from almost 200 years ago!

            As I mentioned to you before, I would guess that most of you have never heard the name Benjamin Wooster before. He is a “nobody” in the annals of American history, but he is proof that you don’t have to be famous to be effective. He was an amazing American patriot and an exceptional clergyman. His faithfulness did not gain him any fame or prominence, but God used him to bless countless lives throughout Franklin County Vermont.

            Have you learned that you don’t have to be famous to be effective? Are you striving to become “somebody” or are you willing to be a “nobody” for Jesus? Can you be content with who God made you to be? Perhaps you are not the smartest, strongest, or most talented person in the world. Perhaps you have thought to yourself, “I’m not very good at anything; I’m not well known; God could never use me.” God can and will use you just the way you are! You don’t have to be somebody! God would prefer to have an untalented but humble person rather than a talented arrogant person. Are you willing to lead a life like Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Rev. Benjamin Wooster—a life of unnoticed faithfulness and uncelebrated service?

            Back in 1966, John Lennon made his infamous remark that “the Beatles are more popular than Jesus Christ.” That may have been true, but do you see where that got him? It is amazing that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was willing to leave all the glory of heaven to come to earth and be a “nobody” for us! It is absolutely astounding that Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, resisted using his divine power and allowed himself to be treated like a “nobody” when the people mocked him, spit on him, scourged him, and shouted “Crucify! Crucify!” It is immensely astonishing that Jesus Christ did not defend himself against false accusations and permitted wicked men to nail his hands and feet to a cross! Jesus Christ freely gave up being a “somebody” so that he could be a “nobody” and offer us forgiveness for our sins and the hope of eternal life!

            As I conclude this sermon about “Somebodies and Nobodies,” hear the words of Emily Dickinson’s satirical poem “I’m Nobody”:

I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!

How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!

            The term “civil war” is one of the greatest paradoxes in the English language. It is one of the most chilling tragedies in ancient or modern society! It is one of the most hideous displays of human depravity! Brother against brother! Family fighting family! Countrymen killing countrymen! Civil war is not just a period in the 1860’s that we read about in our American history textbooks—it is tearing our world apart today—Somalia, Nigeria, Uganda, Sudan, Libya, Ukraine, Syria, ISIS in Iraq. And if you think that modern America is immune to civil war, you haven’t followed the news from Ferguson, Missouri or seen the TMZ video of Baltimore Raven’s running back Ray Rice put a fist in his fiancés face, knocking her unconscious on an elevator floor.      

            Civil war is always the consequence of human sinfulness! The Bible shows us that—

for what we’ve got here in Judges 12:1-7 is failure to communicate! What we’ve got here in this text is a bloody civil war!

Jephthah’s Bad Deal: A Recap

            There is no doubt that Jephthah was dealt a bad hand in his early life. As we learned last Sunday, he was the bastard son of a prostitute mother and his half-brother’s made sure to cut him out of the family inheritance by driving him away from his hometown of Gilead. Like many young men who experience rejection from their family, Jephthah found acceptance in the company of a gang. He and his of band of thugs dwelt in the land of Tob, where he gained a reputation of being a mighty warrior.

            When Israel faced oppression from the Ammonites, the elders of Gilead went looking for him to help them. (How many of you know people like this? One minute, they don’t want anything to do with you, but when they need something, they come a’calling.) They begged him to fight for them, and in exchange, they would make him their ruler.

            Well, Jephthah made a good deal with Gilead, but he made a bad deal with God. Remember, his vow? In exchange for victory, he promised God that he would sacrifice the first thing that came out of his house as a burnt offering upon his return. He may have had a lot of brawn, but he definitely didn’t have any brains! Disastrously, his only child, his precious young daughter came dancing out of the house to greet him. Little did she know that her tambourines of triumph would soon turn into a tune of tragedy! Two months later, Jephthah fulfilled his vow and sacrificed his virgin daughter on the altar.

Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim (1-7)

            Jephthah never got to celebrate his victory over the Ammonites. Before the smell of his daughter’s burnt flesh cleared the air and before the tears of regret fell from his face, another problem rose on the horizon. The men of Ephraim showed up at his doorstep wondering why they weren’t invited to the battle against the Ammonites. Just as they had done with Gideon before, instead of being grateful for Jephthah’s deliverance, they complained against him and threatened to burn his house down. Isn’t that ironic? They threatened to burn the house of a man who just burned his household. What we’ve got here is failure to communicate!

            Immediately, Jephthah defends himself by asserting that the people of Gilead had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and then he fabricates a story that he called for Ephraim but they did not come. There is no evidence that he actually called for Ephraim’s help, but he shifts the blame back to them by proclaiming “When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?” (3)

            With weapons in their hands and smug looks on their faces, the Ephraimites verbally assaulted Jephthah and the men of Gilead by calling them “fugitives (or renegades) from Ephraim and Manassah.” This was a type of racial slur meant to degrade Gilead as a subpar subset of the two tribes. The fact that they used the term “fugitive” was surely intended to touch a sore spot with Jephthah, alluding to his painful experience as an outcast from his Gileadite countrymen. (Block 383) What we’ve got here is failure to communicate again! With Jephthah’s ego severely wounded by Ephraim’s words, every ounce of machismo in this mighty warrior was ready to explode, and he rallied his troops and declared civil war.

            Jephthah sent a battalion of soldiers to capture the fords of the Jordan to prevent any Ephraimites from escaping. Whenever an Ephraimite fugitive approached the Gileadites guarding the fords, the latter would inquire whether or not he was an Ephraimite, Understandably, to save their own lives the Ephraimites would deny their tribal identity.

The Gileadites, however, devised some clever counterintelligence to expose them: Suspicious persons were commanded to say the word “shibboleth,” knowing full well that the Ephraimite pronunciation of the word sounded like “shibboleth.” By this method, they captured and killed every Ephraimite who tried to cross the river. (Block 384)

            Indeed, what we’ve got here is failure to communicate. What we’ve got here brothers fighting brothers! What we’ve got here is Israelite killing Israelite! What we’ve got here is God’s people annihilating God’s people! What we’ve got here is a bloody civil war with 42,000 Ephraimite casualties, which almost brought the tribe to the brink of extinction.

            With the ground cascaded with the blood of civil war, the narrator concludes the story by telling us that Jephthah led Israel for six years, died, and was buried in his hometown of Gilead. He doesn’t rule nearly as long as the preceding judges of Israel, and notice that the narrator omits the refrain “and the land had rest for a period of years.”

            As the Israelites continued to do what was right in their own eyes, the spiritual and social fabric of their nation was tearing apart. They were becoming less and less like God’s covenant people and were resembled their Canaanite neighbors more and more.

            There are many lessons that we could take away from this story, but I just want to focus on one today. Do you see the downward progression from ego to argument, argument to insult, insult to conflict, and conflict to annihilation? Civil war and the denigration of civilization takes on many forms. It does not begin with swords or guns; it begins in here, in our hearts and souls!

            How do you respond when your ego is wounded or your pride is challenged? What do you do when you don’t get your own way? How do you react to unfair criticism or false accusations? Do you forgive or do you fight back? Are you apt to start or get caught up in an argument? Do you ever reduce yourself to lobbing verbal insults or piercing people with your tongue? And at what point would you allow an argument to turn violent?

            Are you involved in any civil wars? How is your relationship with your parents, spouse, and kids? Are you in a conflict with someone else in your family or at your workplace? Are you harboring some hostility in your heart or withholding forgiveness from someone who has hurt you? Civil war is always the result of human sinfulness!

            Well, I started this sermon with a song; allow me to conclude it with another song. Larry Norman, the father of Christian rock music, sang about the many expressions of American civil war in his ballad “The Great American Novel.” After being told not to mention politics or religion, he sang this song to President Jimmy Carter and 1,000 guests on the White House lawn on September 9, 1979:

I was born and raised an orphan in a land that once was free
In a land that poured its love out on the moon;
and I grew up in the shadows of your silos filled with grain,
but you never helped to fill my empty spoon.

And when I was ten you murdered law with courtroom politics,
And you learned to make a lie sound just like truth;
But I know you better now and I don’t fall for all your tricks,
And you’ve lost the one advantage of my youth.

You kill a black man at midnight just for talking to your daughter,
Then you make his wife your mistress and you leave her without water;
And the sheet you wear upon your face is the sheet your children sleep on,
At every meal you say a prayer; you don’t believe but still you keep on.

You are far across the ocean but the war is not your own,
And while you’re winning theirs, you’re gonna lose the one at home;
Do you really think the only way to bring about the peace
Is to sacrifice your children and kill all your enemies?

The politicians all make speeches while the news men all take note,
And they exaggerate the issues as they shove them down our throats;
Is it really up to them whether this country sinks or floats?
Well I wonder who would lead us if none of us would vote.

Well my phone is tapped and my lips are chapped from whispering through the fence,
You know every move I make, or is that just coincidence?
Well you try to make my way of life a little less like jail,
If I promise to make tapes and slides and send them through the mail.

And your money says in God we trust,
But it’s against the law to pray in school;
You say we beat the Russians to the moon,
And I say you starved your children to do it.

You say all men are equal, all men are brothers,
Then why are the rich more equal than others?
Don’t ask me for the answer, I’ve only got one:
That a man leaves his darkness when he follows the Son.

A song for the unsung heroes who rose in the country’s need,
When the life of the land was threatened by the slaver’s cruel greed,
For the men who came from the cornfield, who came from the plough and the flail,
Who rallied round when they heard the sound of the mighty man of the rail.

They laid them down in the valleys, they laid them down in the wood,
And the world looked on at the work they did, and whispered, “It is good.”
They fought their way on the hillside, they fought their way in the glen,
And God looked down on their sinews brown, and said, “I have made them men.”

They went to the blue lines gladly, and the blue lines took them in,
And the men who saw their muskets’ fire thought not of their dusky skin.
The gray lines rose and melted beneath their scathing showers,
And they said, “‘T is true, they have force to do, these old slave boys of ours.”

Ah, Wagner saw their glory, and Pillow knew their blood,
That poured on a nation’s altar, a sacrificial flood.
Port Hudson heard their war-cry that smote its smoke-filled air,
And the old free fires of their savage sires again were kindled there.

They laid them down where the rivers the greening valleys gem.
And the song of the thund’rous cannon was their sole requiem,
And the great smoke wreath that mingled its hue with the dusky cloud,
Was the flag that furled o’er a saddened world, and the sheet that made their shroud.

Oh, Mighty God of the Battles Who held them in Thy hand,
Who gave them strength through the whole day’s length, to fight for their native land,
They are lying dead on the hillsides, they are lying dead on the plain,
And we have not fire to smite the lyre and sing them one brief strain.

Give, Thou, some seer the power to sing them in their might,
The men who feared the master’s whip, but did not fear the fight;
That he may tell of their virtues as minstrels did of old,
Till the pride of face and the hate of race grow obsolete and cold.

A song for the unsung heroes who stood the awful test,
When the humblest host that the land could boast went forth to meet the best;
A song for the unsung heroes who fell on the bloody sod,
Who fought their way from night to day and struggled up to God.

            Most of you have probably never heard the name Paul Laurence Dunbar, but he is one of the all-time greatest African-American poets. This poem, The Unsung Heroes, was his way of paying tribute to his father Joshua Dunbar and many other forgotten blacks who fought for the union army during the Civil War.

            It is ironic that Dunbar would himself become an unsung hero to countless young African-Americans throughout the 20^th century. Dunbar rose from being the only black student in his Dayton, Ohio high school and working as an elevator operator to befriending Wilbur and Orville Wright (the famous Wright brothers) and becoming one of America’s most prolific black poets. Dunbar’s name is seldom mentioned among the likes of Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, or Carl Sandburg, but his poems were just as good. Maybe he would have achieved similar fame had he not contacted tuberculosis and died at the tender age of 33. But instead, it appears that God’s will for the life of Paul Laurence Dunbar was to leave a legacy of an unsung hero.

            The definition of an unsung hero is a person who does great deeds but receives little recognition for them. American history is filled with people just like the Dunbars, who overcame unbelievable adversity and went on to make incredible contributions to society. Likewise, the Bible is filled with many unsung heroes, people whose names we don’t remember (and sometimes can’t pronounce), but whom God used to accomplish amazing feats for his kingdom. In Judges 10:1-5, we meet two of these unsung heroes: Tola and Jair.

Tola and Jair: Unsung Heroes

            After Abimelech’s bloody and repugnant rule, Israel was in complete disarray. The fabric of their nation, which had once been so strong under the leadership of Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, had frayed under the leadership of Gideon and Abimelech. Instead of being God’s unified covenant people, they had become a group of loosely affiliated tribes who looked out for their own interests rather than the nation. (Doesn’t that bear a eerie resemblance to modern America?) Their constant sin and idolatry led them right to the brink of anarchy and civil war. At the end of the Abimelech story in Judges 9, we are left wondering what will happen to Israel. That is why it is so surprising to read about Tola and Jair, two unsung heroes who come out of nowhere and bring stability to the nation for the next 45 years.

            After the long narratives about Ehud, Deborah, and Gideon, the stories of Tola and Jair, these so-called minor judges, are told with remarkable brevity. We learn that Tola was the son of Puah and the grandson of Dodo, none of whom are mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. We learn that he is from the tribe of Issachar, which on its own doesn’t bear any significance. We learn that he lived in the town of Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim, an obscure rural location that is still unknown to this day. And then we learn that he judged Israel for 23 years, died, and was buried in Shamir.

            After Tola there arose another unsung hero named Jair. All that we know about him was that he was from Gilead, he had 30 sons, each of who rode on a donkey and managed a city. This detail provides a picture of Jair’s rule instituting peace and prosperity. He judged Israel for 22 years, died, and was buried in Kamon.

            Even though we don’t know much about these men’s history or background, the narrator of Judges tells us just enough about them to help us realize that they are unsung heroes. After Abimelech’s brought chaos to Israel, both Tola and Jair arose from obscurity to restore stability to the nation. Even though their names aren’t immediately recognized, they led Israel through back to back periods of peace and prosperity for 45 years. We haven’t even had a period of peace like that in American history.

            When I read this passage, I am thankful for the many unsung heroes that God has placed in my life—people whom God brought out of obscurity and has used to restore peace and prosperity to my life. I would like to tell you about two of them!

            Paul Sykes and Mark Withrow were both in their mid-forties and were faithful members of the church I stumbled into when I was a teenager. Paul had been a burned out left over hippie from the early 1970’s when he put his faith in Jesus Christ. When I knew him he had been drug free for a long time, he was a faithful husband, a loving father, and he worked midnight shift as a maintenance/cleaning man for McDonald’s. Mark had been raised in the church and married a wonderful Christian woman, but because of biological complications, they couldn’t fulfill their dream of becoming parents. Mark worked as a school bus driver.

            Neither or these men had come from wealthy backgrounds or prestigious places. They didn’t possess any advanced educational degrees or amazing abilities (although on one occasion, Paul did make 100 free throws in a row without missing). They had modest homes and enjoyed simple pleasures. And by the world’s standards, they did not even have successful occupations. But these two unsung heroes taught me how to be a disciple of Jesus—they taught me how to be a man of integrity—they taught me how to treat a woman—they taught me how to read the Bible—they taught me how to pray—and they taught me how to sacrifice for the benefit of others. These men served as unsung heroes by instilling peace and prosperity to my life. Their names will never be recorded in the great annals of American history, but when we get to heaven I believe their names will be right at the top of the Lamb’s Book of Life!

            How about you? Has God placed any unsung heroes in your life? Has he ever given you someone who has helped you through a turbulent time or brought peace and prosperity to your chaos? Moreover, are you an unsung hero for anyone? Has God placed you in someone’s life to help them through some difficulty or hardship? Are you willing to serve and bless without seeking any recognition? Will you do great deeds even if there is no promise of notoriety?

            As I conclude, I would just like to make one more observation from this text. In verse 1 it says “there arose to save.” Like the other judges, Tola and Jair were saviors or deliverers. But unlike the stories of the other judges, there is no foreign enemy, no corrupt king, nor any cruel commander mentioned? Who did Tola and Jair rise to deliver Israel from? Chapter nine already gave us the answer—they saved Israel from itself. Because of their sin and idolatry, God’s people needed a leader to save them from their own recklessness and strife. Had God, in his amazing grace and providence, not risen up these two unsung heroes, the people of Israel would have destroyed each other. Although he is not explicitly mentioned in this passage, God is the real unsung hero of the story!

            And do you know what? The same thing is true for us today. We need an unsung hero to arise and save us from ourselves! We need a leader who can save us from our own recklessness and strife! We need a savior who can deliver us from our sin and idolatry! Thank God Almighty for giving us the greatest unsung hero of all—his own son Jesus Christ, who did the greatest deed when he sacrificed his life on the cross. We could never give him the full recognition he deserves for paying the penalty for our sins and giving us the hope of eternal life.

            We should be thankful for all of the unsung heroes in the Bible and in our lives, but we must always remember that Jesus is the greatest unsung hero of all!

            Have you ever noticed how children often repeat the sins of their parents? Some of you remember the old 1980’s television commercial where a father confronts his teenage son about using drugs and asks, “Where did you get this? Who taught you how to do this stuff?” and the boy shouts back at his father, “I learned it from watching you dad! I learned it from watching you!” And then a narrator utters the chilling slogan, “Parents who use drugs have children who use drugs.”

            It is true—parents who are drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals, fornicators, adulterers, liars and so on…often have children who follow in their footsteps. Fathers who are bullies and abusers often have sons who are bullies and abusers. Mothers who engage in promiscuous behavior often have daughters who engage in promiscuous behavior. We even have slogans to describe this phenomenon of parental influence—“like father like son”, “monkey see monkey do” and “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

            In last week’s Country Courier there was a headline that read “Like Father, Like Son, Like Brother.” The article told the story of a 22 year old man who rolled over his car in Fairfax. He was driving with a suspended license and his blood alcohol level was found to be more than three times the legal limit. Soon after authorities arrived on the scene, the young man’s father and brother showed up. The authorities suspected that the father and brother had both been drinking as well. All three men failed sobriety tests were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. It was the brother’s second arrest for DUI in the past two weeks.

            Have you ever stopped to think about how your parent’s sins have influenced you? Have you ever thought about how your sins affect your kids? This is one of the reasons why so many families get trapped in generational poverty and criminal activity.

            Not only do we see this trend throughout our society, but we also see it throughout the Bible—especially in Judges 9. The seeds of sin that were sown by Gideon bloomed into a harvest of anarchy in his son Abimelech. Last week we learned that Gideon was not the King of Israel, but he acted like it. He took on the power, authority, wealth, ego, vengeance, and immorality of a Canaanite king. He broke God’s law by marrying many wives, having a concubine, and fathering 70 sons. After everything God had done for him and through him, Gideon led the people back into idolatry.

            In today’s story, we see Gideon’s son Abimelech, whose name literally means “my father is king”, follow in his father’s footsteps by living the life of a king, but he dives into even deeper duplicity and becomes a son of anarchy.

Sons Slaughtered on the Stone (1-6)

            After Gideon died, Abimelech immediately began to devise a sinister plan to become the king of Israel. As an illegitimate son, born out of wedlock to his father’s concubine, he knew that he didn’t have any chance of rising to power with 70 half-brothers outranking him in the social order. So he went to Shechem to conspire with his maternal relatives. It is easy to detect his diabolical deceit as he enlists his relatives to approach the leaders of Shechem and ask, “Which is better for you, that all 70 of the sons of Jerubbal (Gideon) rule you, or that one rule over you? Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” (2) He pulls out the old “blood is thicker than water” line to get them on his side.

            Abimelech’s political posturing paid off! His relatives not only succeeded in gaining Shechem’s support, but they also secured 70 pieces of silver from their pagan shrine. He used that money to hire a gang of thugs who went to his father’s house in Ophrah and murdered his 70 brothers. One by one they were slaughtered on a stone that was meant for animal sacrifices.

            With his half-brothers out of the way, the power hungry Abimelech got exactly what he wanted; he was coroneted king by the aristocracy of Shechem. This horrific event shows that Gideon sons paid the penalty for him massacring the men of Penuel. It also shows that Abimelech was the apple that didn’t fall far from the tree!

The Thorn Bush that Wants to Rule the Forest (7-21)

            Speaking of trees, upon seeing the treachery of Abimelech, his youngest brother Jotham escaped, ascended Mt. Gerizim, and cried for justice from the mountaintop. He began his speech with a fable about trees (which symbolize the people of Israel and of Shechem in particular) seeking a king. One by one, the most likely candidates for royalty—the olive tree, fig tree, and grapevine—turn down the offer. Their main concern is to yield their fruit and benefit the people.

            Finally the trees turn in desperation to the thorn bush, which is clearly unqualified to rule the forest. The thorn bush agrees, but emphasizes that the trees must take refuge in its shade, which is absurd because the thorn bush is incapable of casting a shadow. This offer of power has obviously gone to the thorn bush’s head, for it then warns that if the trees do not follow through, it will destroy the grandest trees of all—the cedars of Lebenon—with fire. (Chisholm 314)

            Jotham’s fable rebukes Abimelech for his arrogance, lack of qualifications, inability to provide protection, thirst for power, and destructive potential. It also highlights Shechems’ stupidity for believing that a thorn bush could provide shade for the rest of the forest.

            After he concludes his fable, Jotham pronounces a curse on Abimelech and the people of Shechem, hoping that God would avenge the sons of Gideon, by causing them to destroy each other. When he finished speaking, he ran away and hid from his brother.

A Curse Torches a Tower and Cracks a Skull (22-57)

            Abimelech enjoyed his reign of glory in Israel for three years, but Jotham’s curse would soon come to pass. God, in his divine sovereignty and providence, sent an evil spirit to stir up hostility between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. The spirit incited a series of events where Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem deal treacherously with each other. The men of Shechem ambushed Abimelech’s men and stole from them. When Abimelech found out about this, he sent his men down from the mountains to attack Shechem. He eventually captured the city and massacred all of its citizens.

            When the leaders of Shechem, the same ones who had originally financed Abimelech’s cruel campaign to become king, saw that their defenses were failing, they ran into the Tower of Shechem. They thought that they would find safety in the stronghold, but Abimelech and his men cut down brushwood, laid it against the tower, and set it on fire—about 1000 men and women were burned alive in the torched tower. And so, Jotham’s prophetic fable came to pass—the bramble set the whole forest on fire!

            Hot off his victory over Shechem, Abimelech sought to extend his power by marching against the neighboring city of Thebez. He easily penetrated the city gate, forcing the city’s inhabitants to flee for safety in its strong tower. Hoping to duplicate the scene at Shechem, Abimelech attacked the tower and tried to burn it down. Just as the flames started to rise through the smoke, an unnamed woman on top of the tower picked-up an upper millstone and dropped it on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. With his brains bashed in on the ground, he retained consciousness just long enough to command his armor bearer to strike him with a sword, thus avoiding the embarrassment of bearing a legacy that he was killed by a woman. Fitting to his character, he breathed his last breath in the agony of arrogance. Seeing their leader slain, Abimelech’s men abandon the siege of the tower and returned to their homes.

            Now that we have heard the story Abimelech, the son of anarchy, I would like for us to reflect on some the key spiritual lessons that are embedded in this narrative.

1.) Generational Sin

            First, this story reveals the reality of generational sin. As I mentioned before, in Abimelech, we see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He repeated the sins of his father Gideon and fell even further away from God. You know your parent’s sins! If you find yourself following in their footsteps, change direction before it is too late! If you see yourself developing similar habits and patterns, follow a different path! May the cycles of sin that have plagued your family history end with you!

            Likewise, I hope you know that you are the single greatest influence in your children’s lives. The seeds of our own sin often bloom in the lives of our children. They hear your words, they see your actions, and they pick up on your attitudes! The best thing you can do for your kids is to repent from your own sins, ask for forgiveness, and pray for Jesus to help you follow him and set a good example for your kids.

2.) The Corrupting Influence of Power

            Second, this story shows us the corrupting influence of power. Think about what Abimelech had to do to gain power—he manipulated his mother’s family, connived with the leaders of Shechem, and hired hit-men to murder his own brothers. Then he massacred the people of Shechem and burned the leaders to maintain his power.

            Not much has changed since the days of Judges. There are still many people today who thirst for power and will do anything to get it. Politics and power are dirty games to play. I don’t know many people who rise to the top of anything without stepping on someone else along the way.  God is never pleased with this path!

            Contrarily, think about the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. He willingly gave up the power and glory of heaven to come to earth. He refused to use his divine power to deliver himself from the cross. He allowed himself to be stepped on by wicked men so he could deliver us from our sins. Consider this before you pursue power!

3.) God’s Retributive Justice (56-57)

            Third, this story clearly highlights the irony of God’s retributive justice. It is really interesting that after Abimelech had his brothers murdered on a stone that he himself would be mortally wounded by a stone. Just as he wielded the sword to kill others, he would be cut down by the sword. So, the old cliché is true—“Those who live by the sword, die by the sword.” Or in this case—“Those who live by the stone die by the stone.” Notice the epilogue of this story in verses 56-57—God is the one who made sure that Abimelech and Shechem experienced the same evil as they had dealt to others.

            We must always remember that our evil actions have a boomerang effect. If you lie or cheat, expect to be deceived and cheated! If you treat people cruelly, expect to be treated cruelly. Sin has a way of coming back to bite us in the…behind! God is a God of justice!

4.) God’s Sovereignty and Providence (23-24)

            Fourth and finally, this story showcases God’s sovereignty and providence over human affairs. We may ask the question, “Where was God when Abimelech murdered his 70 brothers and the people of Shechem.” He was right there! Why did he permit this to happen? Because his plan was much larger than the individual—he was trying to teach the nation of Israel what would happen if they continued to persist in their idolatry and try to govern themselves independently. He wanted them to get a taste of what life would be like without his intervention—it would degenerate into complete anarchy. But thankfully, God intervened on behalf of the nation when he sent the evil spirit to cause dissension between Abimelech and Shechem and orchestrated the immediate end of Abimelech’s reign.

            When things happen to us that we don’t understand, we have to trust in God’s sovereignty and providence. He is all-powerful and good, and he is often doing things that are much bigger and far beyond our capacity to understand. As with Israel in this story, God often allows us to endure evil, pain, and suffering because he is either saving us from a worse consequences or he is accomplishing a greater plan. He allowed his own son to face evil, pain, and suffering because he was saving us from the consequences of hell and securing our place in heaven.

            Most of you have heard the expression “to live like a king.” It means to live a comfortable life with all of the luxuries you desire—power, authority, wealth, pleasure, and most of all, glory! Few people ever truly achieve the life of a king, but that certainly doesn’t stop many people from trying. And God’s servant, Gideon, was no exception!

            As we have discovered over the past few weeks, God transformed Gideon from the coward of the county into a fearless warrior. Gideon implemented God’s brilliant battle plan of terrifying the Midianites with 300 torches and trumpets at night and watching the army turn their swords on each other, and then he enlisted the help of the northern tribes of Israel to hunt down the remnants of the Midianite army. After he proved his might by executing the kings of Midian, the people of Israel pressured him to become their king and establish a royal dynasty.

            In what appears to be a noble and godly gesture in Judges 8:23, Gideon refuses the people’s monarchical requests and gave the dramatic theological declaration “the Lord will reign over you.” When we read this statement in isolation, it evokes the response, “Wow! What humility! What character! What moral and political resolve to turn down the opportunity to live the life of a king.”

            But when we examine the story a more closely, we realize that Gideon had some major character flaws. It is always sad when our heroes have holes in their holiness. The fact is that he was already living like a king and he would continue to do so until his death. Why would he need the position of king when he already had the lifestyle? I wish Gideon’s story ended on a triumphal note, but it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at his life as a king!

The Diplomacy of a King (1-3)

            After Gideon called on the tribe of Ephraim to help him and his 300 men finish off the Midianite army, they crossed back over the Jordan River with the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, in their hands. Instead of being grateful to Gideon, they began to bombard him with complaints because he had not called on them to join the battle sooner.

            In his response, he acts like a king by employing the diplomacy of a politician. He comes across as humble, but really, he is using slick words and stretches the truth to pacify Ephraim’s anger to keep them on his side. He uses a rhetorical question to minimize his and his own tribe’s accomplishments and inflates Ephraim’s role in the battle.

            But it is interesting that Gideon doesn’t even mention God in the exchange.  He failed to say anything about his own divine call or his divine empowerment from God’s spirit, and he conveniently forgot to say anything about God’s desire to defeat the Midianites with minimal force. He should have told the men of Ephraim that he did not call on them because that was not what God wanted, but instead, he used this opportunity to promote his own political posture. Gideon’s guile was quite effective, but it shows a serious flaw in his moral character.

            This scene causes us to question some of the motivations in our own hearts. First, like the men of Ephraim, I wonder how many of us complain when our personal role is minimized rather than simply rejoice in the accomplishments of others. Are we more interested in our own personal agendas or in God’s plan?

            Second, like Gideon, I wonder how many of us use smooth speech or exaggerate the truth to get what we want from people. Do you ever manipulate facts or avoid sharing important details to achieve your desires? Do you ever shy away from using God’s name in a conversation because you are afraid of how others will respond?  

The Requests of a King (4-9)

            After the anger of Ephraim subsided, Gideon and his 300 men continued to chase Zebah and Zalumma, the two kings of Midian. As they entered the neighboring towns of Succoth and Peniel exhausted from pursuit, Gideon requested food for himself and his hungry men. Even though Gideon was not a king and did not have the authority to demand provisions, he certainly expected these Israelite towns to show hospitality and provide for them. But in both cases, his requests were rejected by the town leaders. The narrator does not give us a clear reason for this. It is implied that they perhaps questioned Gideon’s authority or doubted his ability. Maybe they felt that Gideon’s mission wasn’t necessary. We simply do not know for sure.

            But we do know that Gideon acted like a king when he responded to the denial of his demands: he was absolutely furious—or dare I say, “He was royally ripped!” He threw diplomacy to the wind and threatened the town of Succoth by promising to return and thrash them with thorns and thistles. He promised Peniel that he would return and tear down their tower, which represented the town’s primary defense. These dual threats reveal that Gideon developed the expectations and assumed the authority of a king.

            This scene helps us evaluate our own authority and expectations. Consider these questions in your heart, “Do I expect people to grant my requests and meet my demands? Do I expect people to conform to my goals and automatically share their resources with me? Do I ever feel that I have authority over others? Do I ever say things like, “I’m entitled to…” or “I deserve…” Am I apt to throw a fit or threaten someone when I don’t get what I want? Do I ever expect to be treated like a king?” Like Gideon, our conduct reveals our true character!

The Vengeance of a King (10-21)

            Even though Gideon did not get the provisions he wanted from Succoth or Peniel, he pressed on by an unsuspecting route and ambushed Zebah and Zalumma and their force of 15,000 troops, which was what was left of their army of 135,000. He captured the kings, annihilated the entire army, and returned by the pass of Heres to seek his vengeance.

            As Gideon approached Succoth, he took matters into his own hands again by seizing a young official from the town and forced him to write down the names of all 77 town officials. And he fulfilled his promise by teaching them a lesson of retribution. Even though he had no authority to do so, he whipped each of them with switches made from desert thorns.

            When Gideon arrived at Peniel to make good on his promise to tear down their tower, his rage went beyond his threat and he massacred all the men of that city. His behavior could have been justified if Peniel had been a Midianite city, but these were fellow Israelites, his own people! As he poured out his vengeance, he was acting like a king completely out of control, no longer bound by the rules of civility, national loyalty, or obedience to God. (Block, 293)

            Furthermore, in Gideon’s confrontation with Zebah and Zalmunna, he mocks them by asking, “What kind of men did you kill at Mt. Tabor?” They respond by saying, “Men like you; men with a princely appearance.” This is another ironic hint by the narrator to show that Gideon is acting like a king. Then we learn that the murdered men were none other than Gideon’s biological brothers, thus revealing the reason why Gideon was so hell-bent on tracking down these kings. He was acting outside of God’s will by pursuing a personal vendetta.

            Gideon’s statement, “As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared them, I would spare you” sounds pious, but it doubtful that he meant it. The oath to the Lord was undoubtedly meant to impress his captives, but it was an empty exploitation of the divine name and a violation of the Third Commandment (Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.) He invoked God’s name to sanctify his vengence. Even though Gideon was not a king, he sure was acting like it!

            This is even more apparent when Gideon tells his young son Jether to do his dirty work for him by killing the Midianite kings. His purpose in this is to humiliate the kings by death at the hands of a child. But when Jether is too scarred, Gideon executes them himself. He may have proved his manhood, but he also proved his disregard for the Lord’s commands. (Block 293)

            This scene compels us to think about our own vendettas and attitudes of vengeance. When someone doesn’t give you what you want, how do you react? When someone hurts you with their words or actions, how do you respond—with anger and bitterness or mercy and forgiveness? When you experience injustice, do you take matters into your own hands or do you trust God to deal with it? Most of our vendettas aren’t as violent or bloody as Gideon’s, but they are just as destructive to our souls!

The Ego of a King (22-28)

            Now that Gideon had finished off the Midianite army and executed their kings, the people of Israel actively campaigned for him to be their king. This request shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the agent of salvation. They gave all of the glory to Gideon rather than God.

            At first, it appears that Gideon flat out rejects their request for him to be king; after all, he even gives them a theological reason—“only the Lord should rule over you.” But it is curious that he doesn’tt correct the people’s mistaken interpretation who delivered them. Their praise stroked his ego and he took the glory for himself rather than deflecting it to God.

            This is confirmed in his subsequent conduct of requesting that his soldiers give him a gold earring from their share of the plunder. By requesting such a gift and demanding this symbolic gesture of submission, he once again takes on the conduct of a king. And the amount of gold that he receives takes on the character of a royal treasure—1700 shekels of gold amounts to 43 pounds. This is indeed a treasure fit for a king! (Block 300)

            Gideon also assumed a king’s role by crafting an ephod (a priestly robe) from the gold and erecting it in his hometown of Ophrah. This image memorialized Gideon, not God. And the people prostituted themselves in worship before it as they had with the idols of Baal. Gideon’s kingly ego led to idolatry and became a snare to him and his family.

            This scene serves as a warning for us to keep our egos in check. When we demand the submission of others, we raise ourselves as objects of worship. When we take the credit for what for something God has done or fail to deflect the glory to God, we tread on dangerous ground. When we allow the praise of people to go to our heads, we become a snare to ourselves and the people around us. When we try to memorialize ourselves or our families, we walk a very thin line of idolatry! In a culture of rampant idolatry, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we are not kings and that the world doesn’t revolve around us.

The Escapades of a King (29-35)

            Well, despite Gideon’s failures, it appears that his story ends on a positive note. The land of Israel had peace for 40 years, Gideon experienced the blessing of having seventy sons, he lived a good long life in his hometown, and he was buried with his ancestors. But under the surface, trouble was brewing. Gideon enjoyed the escapades of a king by marrying many wives, having a little concubine at his side, and named the son he fathered through his concubine Abimelech, which means, “My father is king.” How ironic is that? His kinglike accumulation of many wives and gold was in direct violation to God’s law (Deut. 17:17) Therefore, it doesn’t surprise us that no sooner than Gideon died, the people of Israel forgot what the Lord had done for them, fell back into idolatry, and failed to show kindness to Gideon’s family.

            After God had been so gracious to Gideon—delivering him from a life of fear, calling him into his service as judge over Israel, clothing him with courage, supernaturally saving him from the hand of the Midianites, and showing him favor at every turn, it is so sad to hear how the story ends. But this is exactly what happens to Christians today who don’t maintain a close relationship with the Lord. When we allow falsehood, selfishness, anger, vengeance, ego, immorality, and idolatry to creep into our lives, our story doesn’t end well either! When we forget what Jesus Christ has done for us through his death and resurrection, it is easy to be confused about who is really the king.

            I pray that we will all learn from Gideon’s mistakes. Instead of striving to live like a king, let us live for the king!

            Some of you may remember the popular reality television show from a few years ago called “Fear Factor.” On the show, contestants would compete with one another in a variety of fear-evoking stunts for a cash prize. The stunts usually compelled contestants to face such common fears as heights, darkness, water, speed, or unpleasant creatures. As viewers watched they were forced to ask themselves if walking on a bed of broken glass barefoot, eating live cockroaches, or bobbing for apples in a 50 gallon tank of cow’s blood is worth $50,000. In addition to the cash prize, the winner enjoyed bragging rights when the show’s host declared the triumphant tagline, “Evidently, fear is not a factor for you!”

            Personally, I never watched the show; I was always too afraid! But even among the bravest (or dumbest) “Fear Factor” contestants, the truth is that everyone is afraid of something. Some people are scared of snakes, spiders, and hornets. Other people are terrified of needles, clowns, or public speaking. What do you fear?

            Fear is a major factor throughout the Book of Judges, especially in the Gideon story. As we learned last week, Gideon was the coward of the county. He was fearful of the Midianites who raided the Israelite crops and forced them to flee to the mountains. He was also afraid to obey God’s call to be judge over Israel and he tried everything he could to back out of leading the liberation of Israel from the hands of the mighty Midianites.

            But God was gracious to Gideon. He patiently helped him face his fears and forge ahead in a new life of faith. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and clothed him courage, he sounded his trumpet and mustered the troops from the northern tribes of Israel and prepared for battle in the Valley of Jezreel. Now God reverses Gideon’s fear and uses him to deliver the Israelites from cruel Midianite oppression. Let’s see how it happens!

An Army Too Large (1-8)

            The author of Judges introduces Gideon (in this episode) by his divinely appointed name Jerubbaal, which means “victory over Baal.” Oftentimes in the Bible when God changes someone’s name, it signifies a change in the person’s faith. The author does this here to call attention to the fact that Gideon is going into battle as a man of faith rather than fear and that he will win victory over the false god of the Midianites.

            It is rather ironic that Gideon and his troops were camped at the spring of Harod. The name Harod sounds similar to the Hebrew word “harad” which means “tremble or be terrified.” The very name hints at the emotional state of Gideon’s army which was terrified because they were infinitely inferior to the Midianite army. This location also foreshadows the method that God would employ to deliver the Midianites into Gideon’s hands.

            The fact that Gideon’s army is vastly outmanned and outgunned makes God’s next speech utterly shocking. Can you see confusion on Gideon’s face when God told him that his army was too big? Can you feel the bewilderment in Gideon’s bones as God told him to announce to his men, “Whoever is shaking with fear may turn around and leave Mount Gilead? Can you taste the sweat trickling down Gideon’s cheek as he watched two-thirds of his troops immediately walk away? (The army was reduced from 32,000 to 10,000 soldiers.) And further, can you hear the horror in Gideon’s heart when he heard God said, “Your army is still too large.” What a test of courage—what a test of faith!

            From there, God told Gideon to take his remaining men down to the water and that he would sift them even more. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink. Presumably, this would divide the soldiers who were dutifully alert from those who haphazardly plunged themselves into the water. Gideon watched with horror as only three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths and all the rest got down on their knees to drink. Then LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.”

            What would you do if you were in Gideon’s place? How would you respond to God’s unorthodox approach of amassing an army? Would you respond with fear or faith? Would you cower behind common sense or would you continue on in unconventional courage? Would you rely on your own wisdom or would you put your full trust in the Lord? Thankfully, Gideon put his trust in the Lord!

            The reason why God reduced the size of Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300 was so that the Israelites would not boast that they defeated the Midianites in their own strength. He wanted there to be no doubt about the supernatural source of their deliverance. He was trying to teach Gideon and the people of Israel the lesson: When you fear the Lord, you don’t have to fear anything else! So, Gideon and his 300 men gathered up some provisions, but notice that they didn’t garner any weapons. Instead, they collected as many trumpets as they could find. What were they going to do with these trumpets? We shall see!

Reassuring  Reluctance (9-18)

            That very evening, after darkness fell, the Lord told Gideon to march against the Midianite camp because he was going to deliver it into his hands. Now Gideon had come a long way toward overcoming his fear, but charging into the Midianite camp revealed a few lingering anxieties. So once again God intervened for Gideon by telling him to take his servant Purah and sneak to the outpost of the Midianite camp and listen to what the enemy was saying.

            If there was ever a time for Gideon to have cold feet, it was now. As the two men slowly approached [the glowing watch fires of hundreds of circling camps, they were confronted by the vast size of the enemy army in the evening dews and damps.] The allied forces of Midianites, Amalakites, and peoples of the East were like a swarm of locusts and their camels outnumbered the grains of sand on the seashore.

            But just as Gideon arrived, in God’s providential timing, he overheard one Midianite soldier relating a dream to a friend. In his dream, he saw a round loaf of barley bread roll right through the Midianite camp and overturn the entire tent. His comrade immediately interpreted the dream’s significance. The bread symbolized Gideon’s sword (military strength) and the toppling of the tent represented Midian’s collapse. Through the overhearing of this dream, God gave Gideon the exact reassurance that he needed.

            Gideon finally feared the Lord more than the enemy. As he reached the high point of his faith, he dropped to his knees and worshipped the Lord on the spot. He was now a full-fledged worshipper of the one true God and he was completely ready to put his faith into action. When he returned to his camp, he marshaled his troops and commanded them saying, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianites into your hands!” He fearlessly executed the battle plan that the Lord had given him. He divided the troops into three companies and armed them with trumpets and torches, which were places in earthenware jars to conceal the flames and protect them from the wind. On his cue, he instructed his men to follow his lead and do exactly what he did.

            God often does the same thing for us today! He gives us a divine word of assurance when we need it most! God’s providence is mysterious and work! Have you ever gone through a particularly confusing or challenging time in your life, and somehow you received the exact word that you needed to hear—maybe you just happened to turn to the perfect Bible verse, got a card in the mail, heard something on the radio, or had an encouraging conversation with a friend. How many of you have ever left church saying, “How did the preacher know? That sermon was just for me!” In this story, we learn that sometimes God even speaks to us through our enemies. Ponder that for a while!

A Night of Terror (19-25)

             When Gideon got to the edge of the enemy camp in the middle of the night, all three hundred troops blew their trumpets in unison, smashed the jars, revealed their flaming torches, and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” This shock and awe tactic gave the appearance of a fully armed military force and it caused utter terror in the Midianite camp. Evidently, fear was a factor for the Midianite soldiers that night. They frantically reached for their swords and fled their tents. Amid the panic of darkness, trumpet blasts, blazing torches, and enemy shouts, the Midianite soldiers began swinging their swords at anyone who came near them. Ironically, there wasn’t a single Israelite soldier inside their camp and the Midianites wound up slaughtering their own men.

            With the remnants of the Midianite army scattered and weakened, Gideon called out the northern tribes of Israel to pursue a mop-up operation to finish the mission. The tribe of Ephraim captured the important water sources and executed Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, and sent their heads back to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan River. With that, the war was over and Israel was liberated!

            And so, God proved his great power by delivering the nation of Israel through Gideon, the coward of the county and his band of three-hundred trumpeters. This scene shows us how God often uses weakness to overcome strength. Wasn’t this the case with our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus did not deliver us from our sins by the power of his hands; he saved us through the weakness of his hands as they were nailed to the cross.

            As I conclude, I would like focus on one of the key themes of the Gideon narrative. It is amazing how the role of fear is highlighted throughout this story. At the beginning, Gideon and the whole nation of Israel were afraid of the Midianites. Then Gideon is afraid to follow God’s call in his life. Then 22,000 Israelites soldiers walk away from battle because they were afraid. Then Gideon is afraid again and so God uses the providential dream to reassure him. And then, God ironically uses a fear factor to crush the Midianites and deliver his people.

            God is trying to teach us the same thing that he was trying to teach Gideon and the people of Israel: When we fear the Lord, we don’t have to fear anything else! At the beginning of this sermon I asked you what causes you fear and I mentioned a list of common phobias such as snakes or spiders. But what are you really afraid of? What are the real fears that that drive your life?

            Are you insecure because you are afraid of rejection? Do you overcompensate because you are afraid of failure? Are you a constant pushover because you are afraid of conflict? Do you always try to stay strong and positive because you fear weakness and pain? Do you rebel because you are afraid of God’s call in your life? Does your financial situation or job security ever cause you anxiety? Does your health ever cause you to worry? Are you afraid for a close friend or a family member? Do you fear death? Are you running from something in your past? Are you hiding from the future?

            Like Gideon, so many people in our world today are completely dominated by fear. But I have good news for you; you don’t have to be. When you fear the Lord, you don’t have to be afraid of anything else! When you place your faith in Jesus Christ, he will forgive you from all the sins of your past, he will take care of you in the present, and he will give you a glorious future in heaven! When you truly fear God, you don’t have to fear rejection, failure, conflict, pain, weakness, or death. Jesus faced all of those things for you when he hung on the cross! All you have to do is put your faith in him, follow him, and watch how he takes care of everything!

Everyone considered him the coward of the county

He’d never stood one single time to prove the county wrong
His mama named him Tommy but folks just called him yellow
But something always told me they were reading Tommy wrong

Kenny Roger’s “Coward of the County” is a classic country song. The song tells the story of a young man named Tommy, who was ten years old when his daddy “dies in prison.” Tommy and his uncle (portrayed by Rogers in the role of narrator) come to see him for the last time, and Tommy’s father makes him promise to walk away from trouble and not to fight when provoked. This earns Tommy a reputation as the “Coward of the County” because he never stands up for himself.

Years later, Tommy is in love with a girl named Becky. One day, while he is out working, the three “Gatlin boys” attack Becky. When Tommy returns home and finds Becky hurt, he is forced to choose between upholding his promise to his father and avenging the crime that is committed against the love of his life.

The song ends with Tommy going to the local bar where the Gatlin boys hang out. At first, it appears that he will cower again as he turns toward the door after the Gatlin boys laugh at him. However, as he locks the door, a deathly silence comes across the barroom. “Twenty years of crawlin’ were bottled up inside him” and he let them have it all. When Tommy left the barroom, not a Gatlin boy was standing. Tommy then addresses his dead father, saying that while he did his best to avoid trouble, “Sometimes you gotta fight when you’re a man.”

            Did you know that the Bible has its own version of the “Coward of the County.” His name is Gideon, the son of Joash, from the town of Ophrah, the coward of Manasseh county. He spent most of his early life living in fear, but God transforms him into a mighty warrior and uses him to deliver the Israelites from oppression.

The Cycle of Sin Continues (6:1-6)

Gideon’s story begins like the other judges of Israel, with the nation spinning through another cycle of sin. Deborah led Israel through 40 years of peace, but when she died, the people did evil in the eyes of the Lord again. So, God disciplined them by giving them into the hands of the Midianites for seven brutal years. The malicious Midianites forced the Israelites to abandon their homes and to literally “run for the hills.” The Israelites lived in caves, mountain clefts, and anything they could find to provide shelter. The Midianites were merciless when it came to raiding Israel’s crops. Like a swarm of locusts, they descended upon Israel during harvest season and devoured everything in sight. They stole as much food as they could and destroyed the rest. They slaughtered the livestock and left the land completely desolate. God used these seven years of misery to humble his people.

            When I was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, an old couple named Paul and Mary, lived  across the street from me. Paul was a miserable old curmudgeon who didn’t like anyone or anything, except his large vegetable garden and his long blacktopped driveway. Every summer, he spent countless hours manicuring his garden and maintaining his driveway. He had the only blacktopped driveway in our area, but he wouldn’t let me or my friends ride our bicycles on it.

             One August night when I was about 13 years old, six or seven of the neighborhood boys decided to camp out in the backyard. That night, we snuck into Paul’s garden, picked every vegetable, and smashed them on his beloved driveway. We whipped tomatoes and beans at each other; we threw the heads cabbage over our heads just to watch them shatter on the freshly sealed blacktop; and we gorged ourselves on his watermelons.

            When I went home in the morning, I surveyed the damage from the safety of my front porch. Paul’s driveway looked like a giant tossed salad. I watched Paul dash from his front door to the edge of the driveway, and I saw a look of devastation on his face.

            I’m not sure if God was using us as his instrument to humble Paul or not, but when I remember that look of horror in his eyes, I can understand how the Israelites felt about the Midianites! God still uses oppression and misery to humble his people today. Like the Israelites, he wants us to turn away from our sinful idols and return to him today!

An Incorrect Candidate (6:7-24)

After seven years of misery, the Israelites once again cried out to the Lord, and ironically, he raised up Gideon, the coward of the county. What an unlikely candidate! Gideon didn’t have the correct character or credentials to serve as judge of Israel. The text reveals four reasons why Gideon was the wrong choice. First, verses 11-12 reveal that he came from the wrong occupational background. He was a farmer—for he was found threshing wheat in a winepress. Now there is nothing inherently wrong or cowardly about farming, but we would expect someone with a military background to liberate Israel from oppression.

Secondly, Gideon had the wrong attitude. When the angel pronounced God’s calling upon Gideon, he told him that the Lord was with him. In verse 13, Gideon’s questions reveal his bad attitude toward God, “If the Lord is really with us, why has all of this happened? Sure, we have heard about his miracles in the past, but why isn’t he doing anything in the present?”

Many people today have this same attitude toward God! They blame him for the bad things that have happened to them rather than looking for his plan. It becomes all about them in the moment rather what God is doing in the big picture of their lives. Questions like these show a fundamental misunderstanding of God’s character. Like Gideon, questions like this show a fundamental self-centeredness in our own hearts. Do you ever find yourself having the wrong attitude toward God?

Thirdly, Gideon had the wrong family background. As he points out to the angel in verse 15, his family was from the weakest clan in Manasseh and he had the lowest status in his family. His family pedigree made him an unlikely candidate to save Israel.

Fourthly, Gideon had the wrong faith, or at least a lack of faith. As this encounter with the Lord’s angel was coming to an end, in verse 17 he demands a miracle to prove that this angel really was from God. This lack of faith should have disqualified Gideon from serving as Israel’s judge, but the Lord honored his request by consuming the meal of lamb meat and unleavened bread with fire from the rock.

Like Gideon, God chooses unlikely people to serve him today. People with the wrong occupational background! People from the wrong family! Even people with bad attitudes and fickle faith! When God chooses you, it doesn’t matter if it makes logical sense or not! When God calls you to do something, there is never a reason or excuse that is good enough to deny it. Are you one of God’s unlikely choices? If God chose the coward of the county to save his people from oppression, there is no telling what God might choose you for!

The Cost of Obedience (6:25-32)

After Gideon received his call from God, his first mission was to destroy his father’s idols which the people of his hometown worshipped. He was to tear down the altar that had been built for worshipping Baal, the Canaanite God of nature, and to cut down the Asherah poles that were erected to worship the Canaanite fertility goddess. He was also supposed to build a new altar to the Lord and sacrifice a bull with the wood from the Asherah pole.

Although Gideon expressed his cowardice again by doing it at night, he obeyed the Lord and accomplished the tasks that were appointed for him. When the people woke up the next morning, they were outraged when they saw that the idols had been destroyed. They immediately launched an investigation to find out who did this. When they discovered that it was Gideon, they demanded that he be executed. But Gideon’s father Joash interceded for his son by saying that Baal can take care of himself. Nonetheless, Gideon learned the cost of obedience to God!

            This scene reminds us that when we obey God today, it comes at a cost. When we act in obedience to God and do what is right, it usually costs us something. When we obey God by giving him 10% of our income, it cost us monetarily. When we make God our top priority in life, it may cost us a relationship with a family member or friend. When our boss pressures us to cut corners or do something unethical at work, it may cost us our jobs.

Like Gideon and many Christians throughout our world today, obedience may even threaten our life? Would you be willing to give up your life to be obedient to God? I’m so glad that our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to obey his father even to the point of death! We must always remember that the blessings of obedience always outweigh the cost!

Fear in the Fleece (6:33-40)

Gideon’s second mission was even more difficult and terrifying that the first. He was to round up the troops from the northern tribes of Israel and battle against the allied forces of the Midianites, Amalekites, and eastern peoples who were camped in the Valley of Jezreel. But before he went to war, fear and cowardess creep into his soul again. He tries to get out of his mission by testing God twice.

The first time, Gideon says that he would place a dry fleece (a wool coat) on the ground and if there was only dew on the fleece and not on the ground in the morning, he would know that this really is what God wanted him to do. When he woke up, the fleece was soaked but the ground was dry. So, he tried to get out of it again by saying that he would set out the fleece again the next night and if it was dry and the ground was wet, then he would know for sure that God wanted him to lead the Israelites into battle. Sure enough, in the morning, the ground was wet but the fleece was dry, and Gideon knew what he must do. He should have known that it is impossible to pull the wool over God’s eyes!

Have you ever tried to lay your fleece before the Lord? We may not have used a literal wool fleece, but I would bet that most of us have tried to manipulate God at some point in our lives. Have you ever tried to make a deal with him by saying, “If you really want me to do this, then show me a sign or give me a miracle?” We need to realize that God doesn’t make deals with us! He’s not interested in our fleece, he wants our faith!

Unfortunately, many people in the church have misinterpreted this episode as a model for discovering God’s will. Like Gideon, most of us already know what God wants us to do—the problem is that we are either afraid or we just don’t want to do it! As we learn in the story of Jesus’ temptation, we should “never put the Lord your God to the test!” (Luke 4:12)

Conclusion

Despite Gideon being the unqualified coward of the county, who, having the wrong background and a bad attitude toward God, resisted obedience and put the Lord to the test, God was gracious to him. The Spirit of the Lord clothed him and empowered him for the mission at hand! How will it all end? Come back next week for part 2!

            Until then, let me summarize what we have learned from the first part of Gideon’s story. Here are some arrows for your quiver as you battle against the world this week:

1. 1.      When we do evil in the eyes of the Lord, he uses oppression and hardship to lovingly convict us, humble us, and bring us back to him!
   2.      Instead of blaming God for the bad things that happen to us, look for how he uses suffering to accomplish his bigger plan for our lives!
   3.      God is likely to call and use unlikely people to accomplish his purposes! People just like you and me!
   4.      Obedience to God usually comes at a cost, but the blessings of obedience are always worth it!
   5.      God cannot and will not be manipulated! Don’t ever use a fleece to try to pull the wool over his eyes!

In 1907, Anna Jarvis, a Philadelphia schoolteacher, had an idea. She wanted to do something special to honor her mother, Ann Maria Reeves Jarvis. So, she solicited the help of hundreds of legislators and prominent businessmen to create a special day to honor mothers. The first Mother’s Day observance was a church service honoring Anna’s mother. Anna handed out her mother’s favorite flowers, white carnations, as they represent sweetness, purity, and patience. Anna’s hard work finally paid off in the year 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

Slowly and gradually the Mother’s Day became very popular and gift giving activity increased. All this commercialization of the Mother’s Day infuriated Anna as she believed that the day’s sentiment was being sacrificed at the expense of greed and profit.

Regardless of Jarvis’s worries, Mother’s Day has flourished in the United States and has spread to various countries of the world. Many countries celebrate Mother’s Day at various times during the year, but some such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, and Belgium also celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May.

            As we continue our series through the Book of Judges, today we come to fourth judge, Deborah, who was called “a mother of Israel.” Judges 4 tells us the story of how God used her to liberate the people of Israel from Jabin and Sisera, the king and commander of the Canaanites. Judges 5 records the song that Deborah composed and sang in response to the Lord’s deliverance. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of Hebrew poetry ever written.

Let us take a look at this wonderful woman that God used to lead his people! Let us take a look at Deborah—a mother in Israel! 

The Cycle of Sin Continues (4:1-3)

After Ehud assassinated Eglon, king of Moab, the Israelites experienced peace in the Promised Land for 80 years. Under Ehud’s leadership, the people stayed on the straight and narrow path. They worshipped the one true God and remained faithful to him. But after Ehud died, the Israelites continued in the cycle of sin that is so prevalent during the period of the judges. They did evil in the eyes of the Lord by turning their hearts toward idols. They forsook the Lord as the top priority in their lives.

Just as in the days before, God disciplined his people by allowing them to experience oppression at the hands of a foreign enemy. This time God sold them into the hands of Jabin, the king of the Canaanites, who reigned from the northern city of Hazor. The commander of Jabin’s army was Sisera, who cruelly oppressed the Israelites with his 900 chariots for 20 years.

            Every time we see this pattern of God disciplining his people for doing evil in his eyes, it should cause us to reflect on the condition of our own spiritual lives. If we continue to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, it will be only a matter of time until we experience his discipline. When we turn our backs on him and go our own way, he orchestrates the events of our lives so that we see our need for him. Just as the Lord rose up Jabin and Sisera to discipline the Israelites, he rises up all sorts of calamities and hardships to humble us and bring us back to him today.

            If you have been persisting in some cycle of sin, stop! If you are engaging in some evil endeavor, stop! If you have turned your heart away from the Lord, come back! Come back before you endure God’s discipline!           

Deborah: An Unlikely Leader (4:4-5; 5:7)

It took the Israelites 20 years to humble themselves before the Lord—20 years of oppression and misery, but eventually they cried out to the Lord for help. And as he had done so many times before, God heard the cries of his people, and he poured out his grace on them by raising up another judge to deliver them. This time he raised up a woman named Deborah!

When we read verse 4, we should be shocked. In a time and culture that was almost exclusively patriarchal, it is astonishing that God would raise up a woman to fulfill these unlikely roles. Notice first, she was a “prophetess.” This is an extremely rare role; the term is only found in the Bible 8 times. Like her male counterparts, she received and proclaimed God’s Word to the people. She served as God’s mouthpiece to deliver instruction to the nation of Israel.

Secondly, she was the wife of Lappidoth. This is a more traditional role for the time. The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Lappidoth or their marriage. Because of Deborah’s other roles, we can assume that her role as a wife would have been considerably different from the typical wife of the time.

Thirdly, she was “judging (or leading) Israel at the time.” This is the most remarkable role of all. During this period of Israelite history, the judge was the top position in the nation. She had final legislative, judicial, social, and military authority. She led the people and spent considerable time deciding cases in court, which she held under the palm tree that was named for her in the hill country of Ephraim. Long before Judge Judy draped herself in a judge’s robe or opened her big mouth on television, Deborah administered real justice in Israel!

Finally, in 5:7, Deborah sings that when village life in Israel ceased, she arose as a “mother of Israel.” When the life and livelihood of the people in the villages of Israel were being oppressed, she came to power and delivered her people. All of her roles (prophetess, wife, judge, and leader) are encompassed this term. As a mother fulfills many roles for her children, Deborah did all of these things for the children of Israel. We don’t know if Deborah had any biological children, but we do know that God called her to be a spiritual mother of the whole nation.

            Deborah’s unlikely leadership roles in Israel remind us that God is not limited by historical periods or cultural customs.  Even in this ancient patriarchal culture, if God wants a woman’s touch at the top of a nation, he can do it. I am so glad that he raises up spiritual mothers like Deborah to shepherd his people today.

            We should thank God for the spiritual mothers he has placed in our lives. Mothers who share God’s Word with us! Mothers who stand up for justice! Mothers who bring their children and grandchildren to church! Mothers who are willing to serve God in all sorts of roles! Who are your spiritual mothers? Praise God for spiritual mothers!

Deborah’s Courage, Barak’s Cowardice (4:6-10)

God revealed to Deborah that Barak was to gather 10,000 men from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun to prepare for battle against Sisera by the Kishon River near Mount Tabor. There the Lord would lead Sisera into a trap and give Barak and the Israelites victory. God chose the leader of his army, the place of the battle, and he also guaranteed the victory; all Barak had to do was trust the Lord.

But Barak’s faith was weak and he showed his cowardice when he said to Deborah, “If you go, I’ll go; but if you don’t go, I won’t go.” He was like a little a little boy walking into a dark room who says to his mother, “I’m scared, mommy! You go with me!” I love Deborah’s response, “Very well, I’ll go with you.” But she warned him that he would not receive the honor; for the Lord would take Sisera by the hands of a woman. This was her way of telling him, “No guts, no glory!” So, Deborah and Barak summoned the soldiers and gathered them for battle.

This scene should serve as a lesson for us today. How often does God call us to do something, yet we are reluctant to obey because we are afraid? How often does God reveal his plan for us, yet we are still paralyzed by fear? Even though God already guaranteed the victory, all Barak could think about was 900 iron chariots. When God calls you to do something, will you have the cowardice of Barack or the courage of Deborah?

Jael Kills Sisera (4:11-24; 5:24-31)

Now it was the family of Heber the Kenite who first warned Sisera that Barack was planning a revolt at Mount Tabor. Sisera’s 900 iron chariots made him cocky and arrogant. His forces hadn’t seriously been challenged in years, but he did not know that the Lord God of Israel has the power to turn mighty chariots into tinker toys. This God is the creator of heaven and earth and is all powerful.

As Sisera and his chariots rode toward the Israelite army, God sent fierce rains upon the land that made the Kishon River overflow and turned the battlefield into a sea of mud. The chariots were rendered immobile and the Israelites completely routed the Canaanite army. This unexpected rainstorm during the dry season would have messed with the Canaanite’s minds. Remember, the Canaanites worshipped Baal, the supposed God of storms. God proved his superiority and sovereignty over all other gods.

While Barak and his men were defeating the Canaanite army, the mighty warlord Sisera abandoned his chariot and ran for his life. He was probably heading for Hazor, but his strength began to give out and he sought refuge in the tents of Heber the Kenite, the one who had originally warned him about the Israelite revolt. Since the Kenites had been friendly toward Jabin, he assumed that this would be a safe place to rest.

As he approached the tents, Heber’s wife Jael came out to greet him. She immediately recognized who he was and why he was on the run. Like Deborah, she plays the part of a loving mother—she sweet talked him, got him some milk to drink, and prepared a soft place for him to sleep. Just as Sisera had no idea that God had planned to rout his army by sending a rainstorm, he had no idea that God had planned for a woman to take his life. He didn’t suspect any danger, so he rested in peace.

As Sisera slept, Jael picked up a long tent peg and a hammer and quietly knelt down by his head. She held the peg in one hand and the hammer in the other, set the peg up against Sisera’s temple, and drove it into the ground. In this culture it was the woman’s job to set up the tents, so she knew how to hammer a tent peg. In this way, God kept his promise that Sisera would fall by the hands of a woman. (How ironic, the mighty Sisera, I never would have pegged  him to die this way!)

When Barack arrived on the scene, Jael showed him what she had done. From there, the Israelites grew stronger and eventually the Lord used them to overthrow Jabin, king of Canaan. Under Deborah’s leadership, the land experienced peace for forty years.

            This scene betrays all of our expectations. We would expect God to raise up a powerful Israelite warrior to kill Sisera with a sword, not a housewife with a hammer. Even when Deborah tells Barak that Sisera would fall by the hands of a woman, we expect that it would be Deborah, not some obscure Kenite woman. This would be the equivalent of a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader taking out Osama Bin Labin instead of a Navy Seal.

But God often uses unexpected people to accomplish his plans. He likes to break our expectations to show his sovereignty over all things. That is really what the whole Book of Judges is about—a long list of unlikely heroes. No one would expect God to use disabled Ehud to deliver his people from Moab, but he did! No one would expect God to use Deborah to lead Israel, but he did! No one would expect God to use a housewife and a hammer to conquer the greatest military leader of the day, but he did!  Neither would anyone expect God to sacrifice his own Son to save us from our sins, but he did that too! God often uses unlikely people to accomplish his purposes. I wonder how he is going to use you?

As I conclude, I would like to leave you with three exhortations from today’s text:

1.) If you are sinking somewhere in the cycle of sin, repent before you incur God’s discipline!

2.) Praise God for our spiritual mothers! Deborah epitomizes what a spiritual mother is all about! She was a women of the Word—a woman of faith—a woman of justice—a woman of courage—a woman of service!

3.) When God calls you to do something, respond with faith instead of fear.

4.) Expect God to use unexpected people to accomplish his plans—people just like you!