Gideon Has To Be Sure
Artwork: Harry Lisgo
Gideon was one of the best leaders and ‘strategists’*(look this word up) in the Bible.
He was brave, an inspiration to his men in battle and very successful.
However, when the angel of God first met with Gideon, he was hiding like a coward, in a wine press, from the Midianites.
He was threshing his wheat in the wine press, so his enemies couldn’t steal it.
An angel said to him these words, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty man of valour!’
This is clearly not how he saw himself. But God saw his potential, in other words, God saw what he could become one day with his help.
After listening to the angel, Gideon believed that God’s plan was for him to save his people from the Midianites, but he still questioned whether or not this was really God’s plan?
What kind of person do YOU see when you look into a mirror?
What kind of person do you think GOD sees when you look into the mirror?
What does Gideon use to confirm that God is indeed speaking?
Do you remember any other stories in the bible where angels appear to people?
Write down their names and the names of the angel if possible.
What do you think an angel looks like?
Draw one.
Just an extra thought:
Do you think that Gideon might have been thinking to himself, “ I’m off the hook here, if this fleece test doesn’t work!”
Perhaps he was hoping that it would fail then he would have been absolved of the need to obey God.
Do you think we can sometimes try to wriggle out of our responsibilities and duties to God sometimes?
15 Gideon has to be sure: Judges 6.36-40
(to the tune of ‘Twinkle Twinkle’)
There you are Gideon,
your fleece is wet with dew.
And the ground is dry,
Yes, God is calling you.
“But Please God,
can you turn it all around?
Let the fleece be nice and dry,
with dew upon the ground”
There you are Gideon,
this time the ground’s wet through.
And the fleece is dry,
Yes, God IS calling you!
© words Sheila Hamil 2011
But God didn’t let him off the hook, did he?