Welcome to Wednesday in the Pastor’s Workshop! I’m glad we can be together in God’s Word today.
This week we are starting a new series called, “Ready to Reopen?” It’s a question everyone is asking. We’re guided in our answer by the story of Gideon from Judges 6 and 7.
This week we’re focusing on the first part of Gideon’s awakening and adventure. Our text for this Sunday is Judges 6:1-16. Our message is entitled, “Ready to Reopen?: Recover Your Confidence”.
Yesterday as we traced through this passage we saw there were two major components to recovering confidence. The first was remembering our covenant with God. In this text, the phrase, “The Lord is with you” is repeated several times. It reminds Gideon and us we are not alone. We are in a relationship with a God who delivers from oppression.
The second significant step in recovering confidence was recalling our commission from God. What we learned from Gideon’s story was that in the freedom God was bringing, Gideon and we have a part to play. The angel greeted Gideon with the welcome, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” And then later is the conversation said, “Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel…” Gideon had a role and responsibility in what God was working. So do we.
On Wednesday we look at the context of the text. We look at the world into which the Word was spoken. We ask, “How does this background knowledge both broaden our understanding of the Scripture and sharpen our message for Sunday?”
Judges 6:1-6 describes the setting.
6 The Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 The hand of Midian prevailed over Israel; and because of Midian, the Israelites provided for themselves hiding places in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites put in seed, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the east would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the land, as far as the neighborhood of Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel, and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they and their livestock would come up, and they would even bring their tents, as thick as locusts; neither they nor their camels could be counted; so they wasted the land as they came in. 6 Thus Israel was greatly impoverished because of Midian; and the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help.
It was a time of tribal warfare in the life of Israel. Even though the Israelites had gone in and occupied the “Promised Land” there were other tribes who either lived on that land, or were neighbors of that land, who did not want or welcome their presence.
The picture is one of great oppression. Phrases like: “The hand …prevailed over”, “hiding places”, “come up against”, “destroy … and leave no sustenance”, “thick as locusts”, “wasted the land” and “greatly impoverished” leave little to doubt about the suffering of the people.
Moreover in their occupation of the new land, the Israelites made the mistake of acclimating to the surrounding culture of their new neighbors. Verse 10 tips us off to this critical mis-step, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not pay reverence to the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not given heed to my voice.” This verse gives us insight into what verse 1 was referring to when it said the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight.
As I look at this Scripture there are some obvious parallels between Israel’s predicament and our own pandemic. There is a sense of deep suffering that has gone on for a full season (“seven years” In the Scripture). During the oppression, we have “sheltered” in hiding. With the suffering has come “great impoverishment”. There have been detrimental consequences economically, educationally, and emotionally. When we tried to Reopen too early, in May and June, there was a rising and resurgence of the virus.
I am not one who believes this pandemic was in any way a “judgment of God”. Verses one and ten have those overtones as the “cause” for Israel’s hardship. I would not advocate that connection as part of our understanding for our current circumstances. In Jesus Christ, we have come to know God as a forgiving and delivering God, rather than a punishing God.
All this being said, the parallels between the Scripture and our situation are striking. In noting that correlation we also can understand how important the guidance of the Scripture is to lead not only Gideon and Israel but also us as believers and as a church through these days.
I invite you to think about these parallels. And find even more on your own!
And as you do that, I’ll do the same. And I look forward to being with you again tomorrow as we “put it all together” In the Pastor’s Workshop.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the light the Scripture shines on the situations of our lives. Through the stories of the Bible, we gain greater insights into the story of our lives with You. Help us to be good learners and faithful “livers” of Your Good News in Jesus Christ. In his name, we pray. Amen