We are now to contemplate Gideon called forth into action. He has
received his commission from Jehovah. His questions have been
answered, his fears hushed, his heart tranquilized, and he is enabled
to build an altar. All this had reference to his own personal
condition, to the state of his own soul, to the attitude of his own
heart as in the sight of God.
Thus it must ever be. We must all begin in this way, if we are ever to
be used of God to act on others. We must have to do with God in the
secret of our own souls, else we shall prove to be but sorry workmen
in the sequel. All who go forth in public work without this secret
training, are sure to prove flimsy and shallow. Self must be measured
in the divine presence. We must learn that nature is of no account in
the Lord's work. "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith
the Lord of hosts" (Zech. iv. 6).
It was not until Gideon had gone through somewhat of this holy
discipline in secret that he was led out into service. And let us
carefully note where he had to commence. "It came to pass the same
night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock,
even the second bullock, of seven years old"--for Jehovah knew how
many bullocks Joash had, and the age of each--"and throw down the
altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by
it. And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this
rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a
burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down."
Here we see that Gideon had to begin _at home_. He was called to
unfurl the standard of testimony in the very bosom of his family--in
the very centre of his father's house. This is intensely interesting,
and deeply practical. It teaches a lesson to which we should all bend
our ears and apply our hearts. Testimony must begin at home. It will
never do to rush forth into public work while our private and domestic
ways are anything but what they ought to be. It is useless to set
about throwing down the altar of Baal in public, while the selfsame
altar remains standing at home.
This is of the very first importance. We are all of us imperatively
called upon to show piety at home. Nothing is more sorrowful than to
meet with persons who, abroad amongst their fellow men or their fellow
Christians, are marked by a high tone of spirituality--a style of
speaking which would lead one to suppose them far beyond the ordinary
level of Christians, and yet when you come to close quarters with
them--when you become acquainted with their private life and ways,
their actual history from day to day, you find them very far indeed
from bearing testimony for Christ to those with whom they come in
contact. This is most deplorable. It dishonors the Lord Jesus, grieves
the Spirit, stumbles and repulses young believers, gives occasion to
the enemy to speak reproachfully, and to our brethren to speak
doubtfully of us.
Surely these things ought not to be. There ought to be a testimony
yielded at home. Those who see most of us should see most of Christ in
us. Those who know us best ought best to know that we are Christ's.
But alas! how often is it otherwise! How often the home circle is just
the place where the lovely traits of Christian character are least
exhibited! The wife or the husband, the parent or the child, the
brother or the sister, the master or the servant, the fellow-servant
or some other companion in daily life, is just the one in whose sight
we least display the beauteous fruits of divine life. It is in private
life that all our weak points come out--our oddities and
peculiarities, our silly tendencies and sinful tempers: instead of
which it ought to be in that very sphere that the grace of Jesus is
most faithfully manifested.
Christian reader, let us not turn away from the word of reproof, of
admonition, or exhortation. It may not be pleasant; but, we may rest
assured, it is salutary. It may not be agreeable to the flesh; but it
is wholesome to the soul. We are called, like Gideon, to begin at
home, if we would prove helpful to our brethren, or act effectively
against the common foe.
No doubt there are difficulties involved in this home testimony. It is
often very hard, for example, for a child to bear witness against the
worldliness of a parent, or of the whole family; but where there is
humility of mind and simple dependence upon God, He maintains and
carries us through marvelously. One thing is certain, there is nothing
like decision. "The first blow is half the battle," yea, the whole
battle is often gained by a single blow, when that blow is dealt in
full communion with the mind of Christ.
On the other hand, where there is weakness and vacillation--playing
fast and loose with the truth of God, trifling with divine principles
and one's own conscience, a looking at consequences and a weighing of
probable results--there the enemy is sure to have the upper hand, and
the testimony altogether fails. God acts with those who act for Him.
This is the grand secret of their success; but where the eye is not
single, there is no real progress, no divine result.
Here is where so many of us signally fail. We are not whole hearted,
not decided, not thoroughly out-and-out for Christ. Hence there is no
result for God, no action on others. We have no idea of what may be
accomplished by a single devoted heart, one earnest and energetic
soul. Such an one may be used to raise up a standard round which
thousands will flock who might never have had the courage or energy to
unfurl the standard themselves.
Look at Gideon. See how he wrought for God, and how God wrought with
him. "Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord
had said unto him; and so it was, because he feared his father's
household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day,
that he did it by night. And when the men of the city rose early in
the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove
was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon
the altar that was built. And they said one to another, Who hath done
this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the
son of Joash hath done this thing. Then the men of the city said unto
Joash, Bring out thy son that he may die; because he hath cast down
the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by
it."
This is what we may call striking at the very root of the matter. The
worship of Baal is completely overturned. This was no trifle. We have
little idea of what it cost the son of Joash to do this thing; but by
the grace of God he did it. True, it may have been with fear and
trembling, still he did it. He dealt one vigorous blow at the entire
system of Baal, and it crumbled into dust beneath his feet. No half
measures would have availed. It would have been of no possible use to
pick a stone here and there out of the idol's altar; the whole fabric
had to be overturned from its very foundation, and the idol itself
degraded in the very presence of its deluded worshipers. A bold
decisive stroke was needed, and that stroke was given by the hand of
Gideon the son of Joash, God's "mighty man of valor."
There is nothing, we repeat, like plain decision--bold, uncompromising
faithfulness for Christ, cost what it may. Had Gideon been less
decided, had his line of action been less thorough, his father Joash
would not have been so perfectly won over. It needed just such a
method of dealing with Baal to convince a rational person that the
worship of such a god was a sham and a falsehood. "And Joash said unto
all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? _will ye save
him?_ he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is
yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one
hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called him
Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown
down his altar."
This was very simple reasoning, "If he be a god, let him plead for
himself." Gideon's decided course had brought matters to a point. Baal
was either a reality or a most complete delusion. If the former, let
him plead for himself. If the latter, who would think of pleading for
him? Nothing could be simpler. Gideon's action was a complete success.
The worship of Baal was overturned; and the worship of Jehovah Elohim
set up instead.
Thus we see that the divine work in the soul of Gideon is making very
rapid but very real progress. He is conducted from strength to
strength. How little idea had he, when first the divine voice fell on
his ear, that, in so short a time, he would take so bold a step. If
any one had said to him then, "In a few hours you will overturn the
worship of Baal in the very midst of your father's house," he would
not have believed it. But the Lord led him along, step by step, gently
yet firmly; and as the heavenly light broke in upon his soul, his
confidence and courage grew.
Thus it is the Lord ever deals with His servants. He does not expect
them to run before they have learnt to walk; but where the heart is
true, and the purpose honest and firm, He graciously supplies the
needed strength, moment by moment. He causes mountains of difficulty
to remove, rolls away many a dark and heavy cloud, fortifies the
heart, and girds up the loins of the mind, so that the very feeblest
are armed with giant strength, and the coward heart filled with
wonder, love, and praise at the triumph of divine grace.
Having broken down Baal's altar, Gideon is now led to encounter
Midian's hosts. "Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the
children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and
pitched in the valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon
Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and Abi-ezer was gathered after him.
And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also was gathered
after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and
unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them."
In short there was a thorough awakening. The tide of spiritual energy
rose majestically, and bore hundreds and thousands upon its bosom. The
work which had begun in Gideon's heart was extending itself far and
wide, throughout the length and breadth of the land. The Spirit of the
Lord was displaying His mighty energy, and multitudes were stirred up
to gather round the standard which the hand of faith had unfurled.
But just at this point, it would seem that Gideon's faith needed fresh
confirmation. It may be his spirit was overawed when he saw the mighty
host of the uncircumcised mustering before him; and then, for a
moment, his courage failed, and his heart craved a fresh sign from the
Lord. "And Gideon said unto God, If Thou wilt save Israel by my hand,
_as Thou hast said_"--alas! the poor heart can place its unbelieving
"if" right in front of the word of God who cannot lie--"behold, I
will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the
fleece only, and if it be dry upon all the earth beside, _then shall I
know_ that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, _as Thou hast said_."
How marvelous! And yet we need not marvel if we know aught of our own
hearts. Anything for the poor human heart but the naked word of the
living God. A sign, a token, something that the eye can see. The word
of God is not enough for unbelieving nature.
But oh! the matchless grace of God! His unupbraiding love! His tender
considerateness! He graciously meets the weakness of His poor servant,
for "It was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the
fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, _a bowl full
of water_." What condescending grace! Instead of severely rebuking
Gideon's unbelieving "if," He graciously confirms his wavering faith
by superabounding evidence.
And yet all this sufficed not. Gideon seeks still further
confirmation. "And he said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot
against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me prove, I pray Thee,
but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece,
and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night:
for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew upon all the
ground." Such is the abounding grace and patience of the God with whom
we have to do. Forever adored be His holy Name! Who would not trust
Him, and love Him, and serve Him?