Alice Blazier

When God ask us to do something, we have a choice. But if we are to please God we must obey. Scripture says in the new testament that He would rather have obedience than sacrifice. The same applies to gideon-We are to honor our father and mother,but not to the point of disobeying God. Gideons justification was that God told him to destroy the altar and pole of Baal that was his fathers. Gideon obeyed God.

God told the children of Israel no to worship the idols in the land they were living. They disobeyed. God came to Gideon and told him to tear his fathers altar and ashersh pole down that was there for Baal. Gideon risk his life to do as God said. Scripture says he went at night to do this because he was afraid. The night mission could have been a sign to some as a weakness, butI don't be;ieve the time is as important as the fact that Gideon obeyed God and did this act by faith.

God ask them not to worship the gods of the amorites in whose land they lived. They did not listen. the commandment "Thou shalt have no other Gods before thee" meant nothing to them. They turned a deaf ear to Gods promises and commandments. We as christians today if we are not careful will often times have material gods that are more important to us than the one true living God. Just as the Israelites did not keep their priorities straight if we don't keep a close realationship with our Heavenly Father we are guilty of having other gods.

: Gideon was like a lot of us today, we ask God for answers or relief from troubles, but the troubles keep coming. We then say God if you are with us as your promises say, then why don't you do something. we fail to realize that sometimes our problems have been caused by our own ways. I say sometimes this is true. In Gideons case chapter 1:6 says AGAIN the israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. How many times those words were used about the Israelites and probably also about us. God is more concerned about our character than he is our comfort. Sometimes He gets our attention and lets us know we have missed the mark. In Gideons case, and in other O. T. times after the Israelites troubles God would then again give them rest. Then the cycle would start again, Rest, Evil, Punishment, Rest.