Fear and Doubt

The calling of Gideon appears to be a mix up. Israel had strayed from God, and God allowed the Midianites to defeat and oppress Israel. God wants Gideon to lead Israel into battle agains the Midianites. In , the angel of the Lord referred to Gideon as a might man of valor or a mighty warrior. It's got to be a mix up. The angel of the Lord got his wires crosses. The angel is talking to the wrong guy. Gideon is no mighty warrior. Gideon is the Barney Fife of the Judges. Gideon is from the weakest clan. Gideon is the least in his family. The MSG translations refers to Gideon as the runt of the litter.

There's got to be a mix up. Gideon is no mighty warrior. Gideon is no hero. Gideon is weak. Gideon is insignificant.

But there's no mix up. Gideon is the man that God has for the job. God's strength can overcome any human weakness.

(NKJV) And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In our passage today, we are going to continue to see the struggles of Gideon. God has two mission for Gideon. In these missions, we are going to see fear and doubt from Gideon.

Read ,

1. Gideon’s Fear

Illustration: James Bush (Fear of Snakes)

Theological: The first mission that God has for Gideon is tear down the altars of Baal in his village and build an altar for the proper worship of God. The real problem in Israel had nothing to do the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. The real problem had to do with their worship of false gods. So the first mission of Gideon is to tear the false altar and build a new altar for the proper worship of God.

To his credit, Gideon does God asked him to do. But Gideon did it at night. Why? He was afraid. ( v. 27) Gideon feared what the people might think of him. Gideon feared what the people might do to him. His fears were realized. The people wanted Gideon to pay for what he had done. The people wanted Gideon dead.

It's a mixed bag with Gideon. He acted on what the Lord wanted him to do. But he also acted in fear.

Application: Let's pause in the story of Gideon to look at how this applies to our lives. When God wants us to do something, what fears do we have. Maybe, our fears are the same as Gideon. We fear what people will think. We fear that people may treat us differently. Or perhaps we have different fears that Gideon. What about the fear of failure? What about the fear of disappointing someone or disappointing God? What about the fear of rejection or the fear of criticism?

To his credit, Gideon acted despite his fears. But how often do our fears paralyze us? How often do our fears immobilize us? To often, we don't act because of our fears. To often, we don't do what God wants us to do because of fear.

Before we move on, let me share some verses that will help encourage and hopefully our fears about serving God.

NLT But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

(NLT) We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear …

(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2. Gideon’s Doubt

Theological: The second mission for Gideon involved the Midianites who had been oppressing Israel for the last seven years. Every year at harvest time, the Midianites along with the Amelekites and armies from the East would come to Israel to destroy their crops.

Gideon sounds the alarm and calls for an army. We learn in chapter 7 that Gideon's army consists of 32,000 soldiers. The armies of the Midianites and Amelekites consist of 135,000 soldiers. Gideon and his army are outnumbered and outgunned. And Gideon, the Barney Fife of the Judges, has doubts.

So Gideon pots out the fleece. Look at verse 36. Notice the word "if." That one tiny word shows the doubt Gideon had. If the fleece is wet from dew and the ground is dry, then God is it. Gideon didn't just put out the fleece once. He did it twice. The second time, Gideon changed the conditions. If the fleece is dry and ground is wet, then the Lord is in this. The Barney Fife of the Judges has doubts. This is not the firs time.

When the Angel of the Lord first showed up, look at Gideon's doubts. (v. 13) Where are the miracles? We have heard about all the miracles God did for Israel in Egypt and crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. Where are the miracles now?

The fleece was not the first sign that Gideon asked for. In verse 17, Gideon wanted a sign to confirm what the Lord said. Gideon had doubts. This whole chapter, Gideon is questioning God, asking for signs.

God's Word was not sufficient for Gideon. One commentator put it like this: Gideon is not content to simply trust the Lord and take Him at His Word. Gideon wants some kind of tangible proof that he can see with his own eyes that this is God's will. In other words, Gideon is not willing to walk by faith; he wants to walk by sight to.

Gideon is filled with doubt not faith.

Application: What kinds of doubts do we have about serving God. What if I don't know what to say? What if I say the wrong thing? What if I don't have the right answer? What if I mess things up? We have doubts about ourselves. But we also have doubts about God. Is God really going to come through? Is God going to do what He says He is going to do? Can God really use me????

The root of our doubt is the same as Gideon. We don't take God at His Word. His Word is not sufficient. We will believe when we see it. (Doubting Thomas)

(NIV) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Sometimes, we have to walk just by faith and the seeing will come later.

2 Corinthians (NKJV) For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Illustration: Doubt

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