Gideon Is Called and Confirmed

6:1 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord turned them over to Midian for seven years. 6:2 The Midianites overwhelmed Israel. Because of Midian the Israelites made shelters for themselves in the hills, as well as caves and strongholds. 6:3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east would attack them. 6:4 They invaded the land and devoured its crops all the way to Gaza. They left nothing for the Israelites to eat, and they took away the sheep, oxen, and donkeys. 6:5 When they invaded with their cattle and tents, they were as thick as locusts. Neither they nor their camels could be counted. They came to devour the land. 6:6 Israel was so severely weakened by Midian that the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help. 6:7 When the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help because of Midian, 6:8 he sent a prophet to the Israelites. He said to them, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I brought you up from Egypt and took you out of that place of slavery. 6:9 I rescued you from Egypt’s power and from the power of all who oppressed you. I drove them out before you and gave their land to you. 6:10 I said to you, “I am the Lord your God! Do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living!” But you have disobeyed me.’” Gideon Meets Some Visitors 6:11 The Lord’s angelic messenger came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah owned by Joash the Abiezrite. He arrived while Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress so he could hide it from the Midianites. 6:12 The Lord’s messenger appeared and said to him, “The Lord is with you, courageous warrior!” 6:13 Gideon said to him, “Pardon me, but if the Lord is with us, why has such disaster overtaken us? Where are all his miraculous deeds our ancestors told us about? They said, ‘Did the Lord not bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.” 6:14 Then the Lord himself turned to him and said, “You have the strength. Deliver Israel from the power of the Midianites! Have I not sent you?” 6:15 Gideon said to him, “But Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Just look! My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my family.” 6:16 The Lord said to him, “Ah, but I will be with you! You will strike down the whole Midianite army.” 6:17 Gideon said to him, “If you really are pleased with me, then give me a sign as proof that it is really you speaking with me. 6:18 Do not leave this place until I come back with a gift and present it to you.” The Lord said, “I will stay here until you come back.” 6:19 Gideon went and prepared a young goat, along with unleavened bread made from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. He brought the food to him under the oak tree and presented it to him. 6:20 God’s messenger said to him, “Put the meat and unleavened bread on this rock, and pour out the broth.” Gideon did as instructed. 6:21 The Lord’s messenger touched the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of his staff. Fire flared up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread. The Lord’s messenger then disappeared. 6:22 When Gideon realized that it was the Lord’s messenger, he said, “Oh no! Master, Lord! I have seen the Lord’s messenger face to face!” 6:23 The Lord said to him, “You are safe! Do not be afraid! You are not going to die!” 6:24 Gideon built an altar for the Lord there, and named it “The Lord is on friendly terms with me.” To this day it is still there in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 6:25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take the bull from your father’s herd, as well as a second bull, one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole. 6:26 Then build an altar for the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold according to the proper pattern. Take the second bull and offer it as a burnt sacrifice on the wood from the Asherah pole that you cut down.” 6:27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did just as the Lord had told him. He was too afraid of his father’s family and the men of the city to do it in broad daylight, so he waited until nighttime. 6:28 When the men of the city got up the next morning, they saw the Baal altar pulled down, the nearby Asherah pole cut down, and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. 6:29 They said to one another, “Who did this?” They investigated the matter thoroughly and concluded that Gideon son of Joash had done it. 6:30 The men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, so we can execute him! He pulled down the Baal altar and cut down the nearby Asherah pole.” 6:31 But Joash said to all those who confronted him, “Must you fight Baal’s battles? Must you rescue him? Whoever takes up his cause will die by morning! If he really is a god, let him fight his own battles! After all, it was his altar that was pulled down.” 6:32 That very day Gideon’s father named him Jerub-Baal, because he had said, “Let Baal fight with him, for it was his altar that was pulled down.” 6:33 All the Midianites, Amalekites, and the people from the east assembled. They crossed the Jordan River and camped in the Jezreel Valley. 6:34 The Lord’s spirit took control of Gideon. He blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. 6:35 He sent messengers throughout Manasseh and summoned them to follow him as well. He also sent messengers throughout Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet him. 6:36 Gideon said to God, “If you really intend to use me to deliver Israel, as you promised, then give me a sign as proof. 6:37 Look, I am putting a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece, and the ground around it is dry, then I will be sure that you will use me to deliver Israel, as you promised.” 6:38 The Lord did as he asked. When he got up the next morning, he squeezed the fleece, and enough dew dripped from it to fill a bowl. 6:39 Gideon said to God, “Please do not get angry at me, when I ask for just one more sign. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time make only the fleece dry, while the ground around it is covered with dew.” 6:40 That night God did as he asked. Only the fleece was dry and the ground around it was covered with dew.

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Israel sinned against the LORD, so he handed them over to Midian. After severe oppression, Israel cried out. The LORD sent a prophet to remind them of his saving acts and their disobedience. Then the LORD called Gideon, a fearful man from a weak family, and promised to be with him. Gideon asked for a sign, received it, and learned he would not die after seeing the LORD’s messenger. The LORD then told him to tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole and build an altar to the LORD. Gideon obeyed, though he did it at night because he was afraid. When the Midianites gathered again, the Spirit of the LORD empowered Gideon, and God gave him two confirming fleece signs.

This chapter shows that Israel’s trouble was not only military. It was mainly spiritual, because the LORD was disciplining his people for covenant unfaithfulness and idolatry. The prophet made that clear by recalling the exodus and the command not to serve the gods of the land.

Gideon was not strong in himself. He was hiding grain from the Midianites. He knew his clan was weak and that he was the least in his family. But the LORD called him anyway and said, “I will be with you.” That promise was the key.

Before Gideon could fight Midian, he had to deal with idolatry at home. The LORD commanded him to tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole, then build an altar to the LORD. Gideon obeyed. That act showed that deliverance begins with loyalty to the LORD, not with military success.

The signs with the offering and the fleece were not a general rule for guidance. They were gracious confirmations for Gideon in this moment. The chapter’s main message is that God can call the weak, confront false gods, and give his people peace by his own presence.

• The LORD disciplines Israel for covenant unfaithfulness.
• Crying out to the LORD does not erase the need for repentance.
• God calls Gideon while he is fearful and hidden.
• The LORD’s promise, “I will be with you,” is the ground of Gideon’s task.
• Gideon must first tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole before leading Israel in battle.
• Idols cannot save; Baal is shown to be powerless.
• The Spirit of the LORD empowers Gideon for the work ahead.
• The fleece signs were special confirmations, not a normal pattern for decision-making.

• Warning: Idolatry brings covenant discipline.
• Warning: Do not trust human strength apart from the LORD.
• Warning: Do not treat Gideon’s fleece as a standing method for guidance.
• Promise: The LORD says, “I will be with you.”
• Promise: Gideon will strike down the Midianite army.
• Command: Do not worship the gods of the land.
• Command: Tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole.
• Command: Build an altar to the LORD according to the proper pattern.

God was preserving Israel by exposing their sin and then raising up a deliverer from weakness. Gideon’s calling shows that the LORD saves by his presence and power, not by human greatness. The passage prepares the way for the rest of Judges by showing that deliverance must begin with loyalty to the LORD and the removal of idols.

When God corrects his people, the right response is repentance, not despair. Weakness does not keep someone from serving the LORD if he truly calls and promises to be with them. Real reform begins by removing idols first. We should trust God’s clear word rather than demanding signs like Gideon did.

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