Gideon's Calling 4th Judge - Judges 6 b

"Judges 6:11 "And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that partained unto Joash the Abi-exrite: and his son was Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites."

It is a beautiful picture. An angel sitting under an oak tree.

Gideon seems to have been working away until the angel made himself visible to him. Then Gideon turned to talk. The angel addressed Gideon in what must have seemed an unusual way to Gideon.

v12 "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."

Gideon's response was appropriate, I think. He asked the angel to wait while he prepared some food. The angel agreed and Gideon soon returned with a small feast of kid, unleavened bread and broth. The method by which the angel received it was to consume it by fire.

There was some give and take before this meal though. Gideon wanted to know why they were in such trouble if the LORD was with them. The angel got right to the point of the visit. We also leave in this verse that it is the LORD who talked with Gideon.

v14 "And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites; have not I sent thee?"

Finally, upon seeing the food consumed, Gideon is fully convinced that he has received a visit from heaven.

v22 "And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD GOD for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face."

Apparently, Gideon thought he was going to die because of seeing the angel or the LORD. The
words of Jesus himself ring out: v23 "...Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die."

Gideon's first act was to tear down Baal and build and altar. It did not make the neighborhood happy and they complained to Gideon's father. His father told the neighbors to let Baal defend himself if he was really a god. I thought that was pretty funny.

We next find the Midianites getting ready for battle v33 and Gideon blowing the trumpet and also raising a grand assembly. v35.

Then just to make sure the LORD was with him Gideon did the fleece test which many of us are familiar with. We'd say 'Lord, if you want me to do this or that, give me so-and-so sign.' That is what Gideon did. He put out a fleece of wool, first he wanted only the wool to be wet with dew and it happened, second he wanted the fleece to be dry and everything around it wet and it was. He had his answer.

Next Gideon prepares for battle.

Psalms 34:7 "The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them."

keywords: Bible Study, Old Testament, Judges, Gideon, Israel, Milton Southerland, fleece