My Name Is Gideon...
The Lord is with you, mighty warrior...
Dear Faithful Servants of the Most High,
I am Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, and I share with you the story of my life, not as a tale of my own deeds, but as a testament to the unfailing power and guidance of our God, who delivered Israel from the hand of Midian through the most unlikely means.
My story begins in a time of great distress for Israel, for the Midianites oppressed us severely for seven years, as they destroyed our harvests and left us impoverished and hiding (Judges 6:1-6). It was in this context of desperation and fear that the Lord found me threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
The angel of the Lord appeared to me and said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior" (Judges 6:12). I questioned his greeting, for I saw myself as the least in my father's house, which was the weakest in Manasseh. Yet, he tasked me with a mighty endeavor: “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” (Judges 6:14). My doubts persisted, and I asked for a sign that it was indeed the Lord speaking to me. Graciously, God confirmed His message through a sign by consuming the offering I presented with fire (Judges 6:21).