“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hands of Midian.” (Judges 6:13)
::
What is it about our great Bible heroes that they got by talking smack to the Lord and His angels?
Our mighty man of valor from the other day, the least in his family, of the smallest clan in his tribe, just popped his timid self from behind the winepress and went nose to nose with the angel of the Lord.
Just where are all our great God’s signs and wonders now? Huh?
How come He doesn’t do all the cool stuff for us that He did for our fathers when He rescued them from Egypt? Huh?
We need a little rescuing here.
Why did He ditch us?
What makes you think we believe God is still with us?
Huh?
::
I know he started with a respectful “sir,” but I still find it striking that Gideon stands in the presence of an angel, recognizes him as such, and doesn’t hesitate to blister him over God’s perceived failure to perform. (In Gideon’s defense, I should point out that soon after, he treats him more like God’s emissary and less like His whipping boy.)
Gideon is petrified of the Midianites and Amalekites.
Yet he is fearless about telling God He’s not coming through.
He’s made God into someone just about small enough to fit into that winepress Gideon was working in when the angel showed up.
::
God is not meeting Gideon’s expectations.
He has not provided and He has not rescued according to plan.
Turns out God is not who Gideon thought He was.
Or made Him out to be.
::
So easy it is to make that scoffing sound with my tongue as I read of Gideon’s unmet expectations.
Of course, He’s made God into something he thinks he can control. And when his wind-up God doesn’t totter along in the path he sent Him on, Gideon lashes out.
You’re not our father’s God! You have not come through!
Somewhere, behind me, that same tongue clicking sound startles me.
Have I made this same charge?
Accused God of not following my design?
::
I’m not so unlike our mighty man of valor here.
When God’s plan is not my plan, I suppose it’s His plan that’s off.
Couldn’t be mine.
When God’s true self is not the clay blob I’ve made Him to be, I suppose He’s the one acting up.
Couldn’t be me.
And when He doesn’t fit into the box I built for Him, I suppose it’s He who needs to make some adjustments.
Because it sure couldn’t be me.
::
“But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hands of Midian.” (Judges 6:13)
What is it about our great Bible heroes that they got by talking smack to the Lord and His angels?
Our mighty man of valor from the other day, the least in his family, of the smallest clan in his tribe, just popped his timid self from behind the winepress and went nose to nose with the angel of the Lord.
Just where are all our great God’s signs and wonders now? Huh?
How come He doesn’t do all the cool stuff for us that He did for our fathers when He rescued them from Egypt? Huh?
We need a little rescuing here.
Why did He ditch us?
What makes you think we believe God is still with us?
Huh?
:: (more…)
2009/04/29 | Categories: Gideon | Tags: angels, Expectations, Gideon, mighty man of valor | Leave A Comment »
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