Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

Gideona character study by Jeff S. SmithIntroductionThe book of Judges has long been known as a concise example of the way in which man and the world atlarge seek God, receive His blessing, and then summarily express ingratitude by pursuing the intoxicantof excess and iniquity from the world. The reign of Gideon, the fifth of the judges, displays one suchperiod in the cycle and teaches us today how to break it.DiscussionI. Background on the Judges PeriodA. Vital Historical Link1. the judges period is the link between the expeditionary leadership of Moses and Joshua and theroyal leadership of Saul and the subsequent monarchs2. in this time, Israel becomes more of a nation than the loose confederation of a dozen tribeswhich she had been3. it was written some time after its events during the reign of the kings (cf. 17:6, 18:1, 21:25)B. Who Were The Judges?1. their title is misleading for they were less jurists than martial princes2. they were led by the Spirit in the decisions they made and the battles they entered3. the judges were deliverers, snatching Israel from oppression and submissionC. Five Part Cycle of Sin1. all is well with the people and God is viewed as unnecessary; luxury and security breedcomplacency and excess2. since man leaves God out of his life, God obliges and exits as well; abandoned to her ownways, Israel is attacked and subdued by Moab, Ammon, Philistia and Midian3. having plummeted from wealth to poverty, she admits her error and turns back to God, askingforgiveness4. each time, God does forgive Israel and anoints a judge to deliver her, making it clear that He istruly her deliverer and not the judge5. all returns to normal for Israel; wealth and prosperity are renewed; the resurgent generationgrows old and passes and is replaced by a generation that does not know suffering or sacrifice and soturns to luxury, excess and sin and ultimately turns God outII. Cycle Illustrated in Gideon’s ReignA. Prosperity Crumbles Into Poverty1. for the fourth time already, Israel had been delivered from an oppressor by a judge2. Deborah this time (Judges 4:23-24, 5:31)B. Abandoned to Wallow in Excess1. the very next verse shows that forty years of freedom made Israel lax (Judges 6:1-4)a. Midian ruled Israel for seven years and stole away her richesb. the children of Israel were forced to live in caves and animal densc. her food was destroyed or stolen and nothing was leftd. God’s nation was desolated because she would not seek her Father2. eventually, she reaches such a depth of servitude that she does something about itC. Repentance1. we see and hear her cries (Judges 6:6-10)2. Jehovah is a God of love and loyalty to his subjects3. He stands ready to receive them back and is always ready with a sermon of repentance andcorrection when the people are prepared to hear it and act upon itCharacter Studies! 47