As we have been considering the life and times of Gideon, I’m sure we have all shared the experience of meeting ourselves in his story. As we discovered last Lord’s Day, Gideon, the one chosen by God to deliver his people from the oppression of the Midianites, was very much like the nation he was to save. He was, as the narrative of chapters 6 and 7 of the Book of Judges will make clear, a sinner for sure. Gideon’s weaknesses are particularly revealed in his reply to “the angel of the Lord” who summons him into the service of the Covenant people. The “angel,” who is Yahweh Himself, provides Gideon with the magnificent promise that “the Lord is with you” (6:12), and further guarantees that by means of the power of God he will “defeat Midian as one man” (6:16). Verse 13, however, reveals Gideon’s verbal response to this divine Word of assurance:

“Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

We could rephrase Gideon’s questions this way: ‘Where were you, Lord, when the Midianites came and destroyed our land, flocks, homes, and crops? Do You not care about Your people? Why have You permitted these awful things to happen to us? Are You unable to help us? Are You unaware of our suffering? Why have You abandoned us?’

I would imagine that we have all raised such questions heavenward, if not openly, at least in our hearts. Gideon is wrestling with something that we all deal with at one time or another. Theologians and philosophers call it ‘the problem of evil.’ Why would our good, and gracious, and great God allow such terrible things to occur in the lives of His own redeemed people? This is Gideon’s essential question, and it is the very one that often haunts us today.

On Sunday we will explore this interesting and informative interchange between Gideon and the Lord that we discover in Judges 6:13-24. As always, let’s prepare for worship by spending some time reading and meditating on our sermon passage, and then by praying that the Lord will open our eyes and hearts to the wonder and glory of His Holy Word.