Wendy Reid

Q1. Why does Gideon divided into three companies? What is the strategy with the trumpets, the empty jars, and the torches? (7:16-20) What was the result of this strategy? Why did this strategy work? (7:21-22) Gideon diveded into three companies in order to seem to be much more that they were. Trumpets - Because one trumpet normally sounded an attack, 300 would mean that they had a huge army. Used to deceive the Midianites. Empty Jars - To hide the light and then to make a great noise, used as a fear tactic Torches - When the Midianites "saw" what they believed to be a huge army, they paniced. God was with Gideon, he had planned everything, down to the last detail.

What inspires Gideon to blow the battle horn and summon an army against the Midianites. What does Gideon have in common with other judges and leaders of his era? (Hint: see Deuteronomy 34:9; Judges 3:10; 11:9; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Samuel 11:6.) The Spirit of the Lord fell upon him. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As in all the above scriptures, all were anoited with the Spirit, all were leaders after the Spirit was with them.

What kind of leader has Gideon's father Joash been up to this point? (6:25b) How does Gideon's action affect his father? (6:30-31) Shouldn't Gideon have considered the impact on his father? How should this have affected Gideon's action? In what sense is Joash a follower of Yahweh now? I don't think that we can judge Joash, he was confused and not stable in his ways, but then who of us are at all times, until the Holy Spirit convicts and changes us. Gideon puts his dad on the spot, he now has to choose whom he will serve. No, he was obeying the Lord God. Had Gideon considered his father, maybe he would not have obeyed God. Because he made the choice to go with his son, thereby noe serving Yahweh.

Q3. Can a person be a "disobedient disciple"? Doesn't that represent an oxymoron? Did Gideon have a choice here? Do we have choices? Yes we can be. I love the Lord with all my heart, but I also have a free will and sometimes I am dissobedient. Maybe, but we all have free will. Yes he did Yes we do.

Q2. How are we to obey the commandment to "Honor your father and your mother" in the kind of situation Gideon finds himself? What justification does Gideon have for his action? (Matthew 10:37). We have to obey God first, Gideon was not dishonoring his father as his father was not serving God at that time. We are to love God more that anything in our lives. He is ALWAYS to be put first

QUOTE (Pastor Ralph @ Jan 17 2003, 08:54 AM) Q1. Why does God tell Gideon to tear down the Baal altar and Asherah pole? (6:25) What positive thing is he to do in their place? (6:26) What risks are involved in this action. Why does Gideon do this at night? Is the night mission a sign of weakness or faith? (6:27) To tear down past sins. To build an alter to The Lord God His father and the men of the community. His weakness was strengthed by God stregthening his faith.

The sword of Gidean. To reaffirm to Gideon, that the Lord will, through Gideons had, defeat the Midianites ans save Israel.

Only God knows the real answer on this one, but isn't is exciting that only the lappers were exactly the number that God had ordained to defeat the Midianites.

We cannot always "hear" that it is God's directions. We need to try and understand things we before we generally do them. Our Spirits will beome deaf to God's voice. By asking people we trust to pray with us about certain matters that we need confirnmation on. To ask God ro reaffirm His will for us as His ways our not our ways.

The Israelites would have thought that they alone defaeted the Midianites if they had had a large army. So that God could prove who He is and to show that He alone could save the Israelites. I believe that Gideon had some doubts about what the soldiers were saying when he was shrinking the army, they must have thought that he was mad, but Gidean was learning to trust God more and more.

When we are unsure of what to do or when we really need confirmation that what we "heard" is correct. To demand is not showing respect. in fact we come over as imature and spoilt. We may become arrogant in our demanding and that could get us into trouble.

Giseon put out the fleece to obtain a clear answer from God and to reaffirm thae answer given the first time. This was a huge task God had put before him and needed to know that this was indeed from God. I think that Gideon did believe, maybe he was a bit unsure, but he did believe. Gideon humbly asked God as he required the proof for himself, not to see if God could perform miracles.

God would be with him, to help and guide, to strike the Midianites. ( Wow what a self image booster) Yes Matthew 28 16-20 "the great commission" "Forgive me for ever doubting you. You have said that you will be with me always, even to the end of the age. You will never leave me or forsake me. Help me to trust in your promises more, every day of my life."

God saw Gideon as a Mighty Warrior. Gideon saw himself as - the least in his family. Gods- In life we take many knocks that change our self image. Gods image of us NEVER changes and what he started in us, he will bring to completion.

Gideon thinks that God has abandoned him , and that God is unwilling to help Israel ou of their misery. No Gideon's assesment is wrong. It was Israel who disobeyed God. God is a just God and could not allow them to continue in sin We tend to blame God when things go wrong in our own life. When we do this we are being disobedient, for God says we are to trust in Him. By recognising that maybe its something we have done, or maybe God is testing us , to make us stronger. To recognise that God IS with us and just to trust Him.

Hi I'M Wendy, from South Africa. I have been running a bible study group for about 8 years now. I really look forward to this bible study, the first I have ever done on the net. I will cherish the replies and the learning from others. God bless you all!!!!

They did not listen to the Lord God. "you shall have no other gods befor Me" The Israelites put the Amorite gods before the Lord God. We put many 'things' before God, TV, family,church etc.