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I fear the church is afflicted with an improper view of those who are powerfully used in God’s kingdom. Many believe that those so used are uncommon people with extraordinary gifts and exceptional courage. Young people may dream of heroic acts, but few believe themselves capable of doing such because they do not see in themselves the qualities they associate with heroes. Because few achieve public acclaim for extraordinary acts, we conclude that courage and heroism are beyond our reach. In truth, however, heroes rarely enjoy extraordinary gifts or remain untouched by fear in the face of danger. Even those recognized as heroes usually are rather ordinary people who overcome their fear in difficult situations in order to carry out their duty.
This is certainly the case in God’s kingdom. For instance, Gideon is listed as one of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, yet the record of his life in Judges 6–8 makes it clear that the Lord uses quite ordinary men for extraordinary exploits.
When we first meet Gideon he is doing the best he can to live in a hostile environment. Hiding from plundering Midianites, he is threshing grain in a winepress. Ordinarily this would be done in the open so that any breeze could separate the chaff from the wheat. But Gideon, like the rest of the population, has been forced into hiding. Thus, it is somewhat incongruous to us to read God’s greeting to him under these circumstances: “ ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’ ” (Judg. 6:12). Is this sarcasm designed to point out Gideon’s weakness or a prophetic word about Gideon’s future?
Scripture emphasizes Gideon’s ordinary existence. He possesses no particular gifts for doing great exploits. He comes from a rather obscure family, of which he is the youngest son (6:15). Even after God has met with him and assured him that he is the man for the job, Gideon insists that God give him some visible assurance. The fact that Gideon is not naturally endowed with great faith is stressed in the Scriptures, not only by his insistence upon God’s reassurance but also by his demand that God give him a sign that He will keep His word and use him to defeat the Midianites. Nor is Gideon possessed of great natural courage. When God instructs him to approach the Midianite camp under cover of darkness, Gideon accepts God’s suggestion that he take his servant with him because he is afraid to do it alone (7:9–11).
Do not think that just because you are ordinary or experience fear that you are unable to accomplish great things for God’s kingdom. Just as Shamgar teaches us that the kingdom is built by the faithful use of the ordinary tools of our labor (he attacked the Philistines with an ox goad, a pointed stick, Judg. 3:31), so God is pleased to use ordinary people, so that all the glory may be His. The victory of God’s kingdom depends not on man’s ability but God’s faithfulness.
Judges 6–8 also teaches us that God equips ordinary men for extraordinary work. God equips us by reminding us of His presence for blessing and empowerment. He also equips us by clearly delineating what He wants us to do (Judg. 6:14). In the same way, our greater Joshua commissions His church for the task of discipling the nations (Matt. 28:18–20).
Like Gideon, we may question God’s presence to bless as we observe the church’s impotence resulting from her disobedience (Judg. 6:13). To overcome those fears, God renews His promise to give success to those who believe and obey Him (Judg. 6:16). Once Gideon receives his commission, God restores him to true fellowship with Him in true worship. God also accepts the sacrifice of the innocent substitute in our behalf and restores us to fellowship. In the process, He reforms our worship and makes it distinct from that of compromised Christian culture (Judg. 6:21, 23–24).
The next phase of God’s equipping of Gideon involves developing faithfulness at home. Before we tear down the idols of God’s enemies, we must pull down the idols of our own lives, families, and churches. In so doing, God tries our faith and improves our skills in doing battle. Gideon learned that professing believers who tolerate false religion will not tolerate true religion. Judgment must begin with the house of God.
Finally, when all of the preparations have been made and deliverance is about to be granted, God equips Gideon by removing all grounds for self-confidence. In reducing his force from thirty-two thousand to three hundred, God makes it clear that His servant must trust Him and His word. Until we are ready to do God’s work His way, we are not ready to enjoy God’s great work in our midst. God will have the glory, and He will not share it with another.
God blessed Israel with an extraordinary victory through an ordinary man. Gideon, in spite of his weaknesses, was given the boldness to tear down the idols of his home and village, and to surround a vastly superior force with what appeared to be one terribly inferior. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4).
Your name may never be recorded in the history books. Few Christian heroes receive that attention. However, your labors are not in vain in the Lord.