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

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

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

14 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?

15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

22 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.

23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

MEMORY VERSE: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace.

—Ephesians 2:13-14

CENTRAL THOUGHT: In a time of oppression by Israel’s enemies, fear and turmoil was on every hand. The Lord appeared to Gideon, encouraging him of His presence, promising victory, and comforting him with peace; so much so that Gideon built an altar and called it Jehovah-Shalom.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Judges 6:11 “Angel of the Lord”: the same as “the angel of his presence” as in Isaiah 63:9. In verse 13 Gideon addresses him as “Lord,” which meant “sir” or “one in control.” Verses 14, 16 and 23 say simply, “The Lord,” meaning “Yahweh,” which makes us know it was the Lord Jesus Christ in the angelic form by which He visited Old Testament people.

Judges 6:15 “My family is poor in Manasseh”: Gideon’s father Joash was the head of the family which descended from Abiezer, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh. They were located in the half tribe of Manasseh, beyond Jordan. Gideon was saying that his tribe had been greatly reduced by the Midianites.

Judges 6:19 “Made ready a kid”: It was customary for the desert Arabs to supply their guests with milk and raisins, figs or dates, as an appetizer; then to prepare a kid, goat or sheep by simmering half of it in broth and cutting the other half into kabobs. They served the meat and broth with some bread, roasted the kabobs and put them in a basket for their guests to take with them on their journey the next day.

Judges 6:23 “Thou shalt not die”: When God discovered Himself to man and man did not curiously pry into forbidden things, God spared his life.

LESSON BACKGROUND

The coalition of Midianites, Amalekites and Ishmaelites had the Israelites on the run, hiding in dens and caves while they plundered their flocks and herds, pillaged their harvests, and set up their camps on Israelite land. They came like grasshoppers and consumed everything in their path. In a desperate but courageous attempt to provide food for his starving family, Gideon stomped out a bit of wheat (probably gathered at night in danger of his life) in a deserted wine press.

In response to the desperate cry of His people, God sent a prophet, unnamed in this account, who reminded them of God’s past deliverances and promises and their disobedience in serving the Amorite (Canaanite) gods.

This provides the backdrop for the events that take place in chapter six. The rest of the story is the wonderful drama of Gideon tearing down the altar of Baal and building an altar to God, calling together an army, experiencing a miraculous sign from God, and following God’s directions in paring down the army to the size God could use. God mightily used Gideon to deliver Israel from their enemies.

This lesson focuses on the Divine visit and what it meant to Gideon. We can also receive much comfort and instruction from this revelation of Jehovah Shalom.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. The Angel of the Lord: He was actually ___________.
2. Mighty Man of Valor: Contrast how Gideon felt and how God saw him.
3. Moment of Truth: What was Gideon’s reaction when he discovered the true identity of his guest?
4. Comfort: How did God assure Gideon?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

Can you picture the turmoil and desperation Israel suffered these seven horrible years? Midian’s occupation brought fear, poverty, starvation, death, and hopelessness. Imagine being a child growing up in these conditions. Think of families—young couples hoping to marry; young mothers expecting children; fathers trying to feed their children, sick and elderly ones dying everywhere. They needed the first prophet’s message of judgment. Now they needed— peace.

Gideon personally needed peace. He was churning inwardly with confusion, which he revealed by the questions with which he pelted the angel as soon as he saw him. Why, why, why? Where is God? Where are the miracles? How can God be with us? With me?

Gideon was frustrated by the idolatry within his own house. But how could he make a difference? Would he survive an attempt at reformation? He needed direction. Inspiration. Assurance. Peace.

How can I appease God? What can I do? I’ll give a gift. We don’t have much… Gideon hurried to put together a tasty meal for the stranger. No doubt as the angel touched the bread and fire leaped out his heart quaked. I am going to die.

“Peace be unto thee.” His vision cleared. God was with him. He had answered his plea for a sign. He looked at the ashes on the rock and leaped to pile up stones. “The Lord is my peace.” He could do it. He could go and save his people. There would be an end to the turmoil. They could live securely in their homes again.

What about you and me? Is there turmoil around you? In your heart? In your home? Do you need a visit from Jehovah Shalom? Thank God, again we see the fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). He creates peace. He made peace through the blood of His cross (Colossians 1:20).

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

Modern wars are won by power of force. But once the war is over, troops must be deployed to maintain the peace that has been secured. These peacekeeping forces are equally as important as the troops that initially fought the battle. Their presence in the war-torn region acts as a shield to ward off any uprisings and to subdue any insurgents that may still be lurking about.

Spiritually speaking, we live amid constant conflict. We live where spiritual battles are fought daily. Yet we serve a God of power and a Prince of Peace. His power subdues all foreign invaders and his presence sustains our peace.

The peace experienced by a Christian is not an external thing. It is the power of the Spirit of Christ within us. That presence, though invisible to the naked eye, is clearly seen by the eye of faith. When God gives peace, He gives Himself—His presence. He doesn’t just bring peace to us, He is our peace.

The presence of His Spirit is the force-field that repels any would-be invaders and subdues any lingering insurgents who would dare trouble our spirit and disrupt our rest.

True peace is not merely cessation of the turmoil around us. It is the cessation of the turmoil within—a hushing of our fears by the presence of the One who loves us and gave Himself for us.

As a child in fear runs into the arms of his father for comfort, so we run into the arms of our dear Savior. And the power of His presence soothes all fears and brings peace to the troubled soul.

—Bro. Darrell Johnson