Spirit of a Champion: From Grass to Grace

This blog is not what it was two years ago when I started. Initially this was a place where we would laugh at the silly things that happened to me or my cohorts in the hollow pursuit of fun. Somewhere along the way poetry got involved. As I matured, so did my writing. The stories became a little bit more, “more.” I came across Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross and His amazing grace as to save a wretch like me and those of you who have walked with me all through can attest to the rather drastic change in tone and content this blog has experienced. There is a little more change looming. I hope it will better your reading and your lives. That is the idea after all. Thank you for walking along with me. More importantly, to God be the glory.

So no, no need for tears. Put away the violin. There will be no sad songs today. Just a heads up. The “Be a Boss” series we began last week will take a tangent. You can read the first article of that series (Be a Boss: Over your Life) here though. There’s something more “more” I have been itching to get out to you.

This is part one of the “Spirit of a Champion” series. Based on Judges 6-8.

Gideon

“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years He gave them into the hands of the Midianites.”

The Israelites, a lot like us, did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Again. Boy wasn’t God mad! So mad that He gave them into the hands of the Midianites. A people that oppressed the Israelites. And not oppressed ati kidogo. Oppressed proper! The Bible says that the Israelites were so oppressed that they prepared shelters for themselves in caves in the mountains. I suspect to hide from their oppressors. That when the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites (along with other peoples) invaded the produce and ruined everything; no living thing was spared, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. It is safe to say that things were bad. The Israelites were so impoverished they cried out to the LORD for help. Our LORD is a God of second chances so indeed He heard His people’s cries. Fast forward to verse 11 of chapter 6.

But Sir, I’m in form 1

The angel of the LORD appeared to a random bloke who was threshing wheat. The dude, so cowardly and fearful of his oppressors was threshing wheat in a winepress you know, just in case a ka Midianite was passing by and feeling oppresish. In an angelic voice (I imagine) he says to our random bloke, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” With you. Mighty warrior. Gideon could not believe his ears. “Are you talking to ME? Puhliiiiz! Get serious!” is what he would probably have said if this happened today. Our guy Gidi questions the angel asking that if God indeed was with them (the Israelites), why would He allow all that to happen to them. The dude becomes a little cocky asking the angel of the LORD where all the wonders of the LORD that their forefathers had told them about were. Yep, an angel appears to him and the guy shows him lip! The Bible continues that the LORD turned to him and actually commanded:

“Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

*Insert lighting flashes* Gidi speaks back:

“But LORD, how can I save Israel? I am the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

This man Gideon simply never knew when to stop. Like we said, our God is a God of second chances. He is understanding too. Better understanding of ourselves than ourselves. He answers Gidi:

“I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

So Gideon walks up to the Midianites, tens of thousands of them and proclaims victory over them, thunder booms across the sky from the heavens, they turn and flee as far as the Jordan and they all drown.

Midian 0, Gideon 300 yes?

No. The chap, being increasingly annoying, tests God. Verse 17 of chapter 6:

“If now I have found favour in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.”

I dunno, was Gidi just being difficult ama what? I would imagine that if God Almighty speaks to you, you would know right? Anyway, our ever-so-patient Father in Heaven proves Himself to mere mortal Gideon and later that night the LORD gave him a set of instructions. Which he did. Albeit at night because he was oh so scared of his family and the men of his town.

“A Sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”

Verse 34 details how the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon and he blew a trumpet, a call to arms. He sent messengers throughout his tribesmen rallying them to battle. Ladies and gentlemen, Gideon the Mighty Warrior is born. Think Leonidas, King of Sparta in the movie 300. Arrrrgghhhh yeah? Well, our man Gidi still finds time to test God yet again. And again after that for good measure. You know, just in case. But the LORD is patient with His people and He did all Gideon requested, understanding human folly. The LORD looked at Gideon’s army and He saw that they were too many. Knowing us, He knew that Israel would boast that her own strength saved her and not the LORD. So the LORD had Gideon shave down his numbers. Verse 3 of chapter 7, 22,000 men left leaving 10,000. Still too many men for the LORD’s victory. Verse 7, 300 of 10,000 men separated, Gideon sending away 9,700.

This was not a war of men but a war of God. 300 men was all he needed to defeat the entire Midianite army and its allies.

Verse 17, Gideon getting into his stride as a Mighty Warrior of the LORD:

“Watch me, he told them. Follow my lead.”

With Gideon following the lead of God who had sent him. Gideon organised his men and gave them instructions (verse 17 and 18) and on his command, blew the trumpets on their right hands, grasping their torches in their left hands and yelled, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” The LORD caused the Midianite men to turn towards each other with their swords and the army fled. Gideon sent messengers throughout the country, they heeded his call and chased the fleeing Midianite army and killed every last one. In the pursuit of the fleeing Midianites, some peoples would refuse (Chapter 8, verse 4-8) to help Gideon’s Army with food and water, going as far as to insult him and his army. Teren teren! Now Gideon, filled with the Spirit of the LORD and belief in his God-given purpose, did not have time to bicker with a few men who were probably jealous of his already great conquest.

“Then Gideon replied, ‘Just for that, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”

Ouch! Maybe a more painful death than many Midianites would experience for refusing to help the man of God on his mission.

From grass to grace

“The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us- you, your son and your grandson- because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”

Fast-forward to verse 28 of chapter 8:

“Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.”

The prayer of the Israelites was answered. The obedience of one man: the most unlikely of men. The “weakest” and the “least.” He was not prepared. He was doubtful. He was unsure. He was scared. Very scared. But he obeyed. Through his obedience, a nation was rescued from oppression. Through his obedience a nation’s prayer was answered.

What is God calling you to do that you have been putting off out of fear?

“Am I able to do this? Do I have the right skills? Do I know the right people? Is it possible? No one else has done it, why me? What will people think?”

Yes. Like the LORD answered to Gideon in verse 16 of chapter 6:

“I will be with you…”