Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications

Prerequisites to be Used by God - 4

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2003-11-16

Synopsis: In this fourth message of the series, John Weaver continues examining the life of Gideon from Judges 6 to identify prerequisites for being used by God. He reviews previous points—character, discernment, divine calling, and humility—and adds two final prerequisites: a sacrificial and worshipful attitude, and biblical action. Gideon’s generous offering despite poverty demonstrates sacrificial worship, while his immediate obedience in tearing down Baal’s altar shows biblical action. Weaver emphasizes that God uses individuals who are willing to put away false gods, obey promptly, and worship in spirit and truth.

[John Weaver] Alright, if you would open your Bibles this morning to the book of Judges chapter 6. Judges chapter 6.

[John Weaver] Now, for those of you who are visiting with us today, let me just point out the fact you're getting the fourth message in a series that I started four weeks ago entitled, Prerequisites to be Used of God. I had preached several months ago on Judges chapter 6 and 7 on the life of Gideon. And then I was simply rereading the passage and saw some other truths that I wanted to bring out. So today we're going to be reading from Judges chapter six, beginning with verse eleven. And I will take a few moments to review before we get started. Judges six, verse eleven. And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak, which was an ophra that pertained in the Joash, the Abiezarite, and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, O my lord, if the Lord be with us, why bid all this befall on us?

[John Weaver] Whereby all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us from the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites, have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?

[John Weaver] Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am least in my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

[John Weaver] And Gideon went in and made ready a kid and eleven cakes of an ephah flower, and flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Take the flesh and the eleven cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the eleven cakes. And there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the eleven cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight, and when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

[John Weaver] And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah Shalom, and to this day it is yet an ophrah of the Abiezarites. And it came to pass that same night that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it, and build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove, shalt thou cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him. And so it was, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night."

[John Weaver] As we have been looking at this passage, I want to remind you of one simple truth. God uses men. He does not use committees. He does not use corporations. He uses men. All you have to do is read Hebrews chapter 11 for confirmation of this fact. And certainly when God uses men, there are certain prerequisites that must be in the man. God always searches for men whose hearts are right toward him. According to 2 Chronicles 16 and verse 9, he found such a man in Gideon. I want to remind you the very first message I brought demonstrating the prerequisites that must be in us for God to use us was this, that Gideon was a man of character. In fact, I pointed out numerous things about character in that study, but then I dealt specifically with Gideon. I pointed out that he was a hard worker, that he was an honest man, that he was wise and innovative. He was a man that was not easily discouraged, and yet he was a man of faith as well.

[John Weaver] Here was a man who had real, genuine character. If there's one thing that I would like for you to remember based upon that first message, it is this. God may use us on credit the first years of our life. After that, he'll use us on character. And if we don't have any character, we might as well forget ever being used of God. God uses men of character. The second thing I've pointed out is that God uses men of discernment and understanding. If you look down in Judges 6, once the angel of the Lord said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And by the way, I pointed out that the word valor not only refers to strength in a military sense, but it also refers to virtue. That's where we got that he was a man of character. But once he said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor, Gideon said in verse 13, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?

[John Weaver] And where be all these miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us in the hands of the Midianites.

[John Weaver] Now, I pointed out the fact that in this passage, Gideon was not whining. He was not complaining. He was not murmuring, but he was properly and accurately assessing and evaluating the situation that he and both he and the nation were in. And he was telling the truth. In fact, God had delivered them into the hands of the Midianites, and certainly they were being oppressed and persecuted as they really were.

[John Weaver] So here was a man who was not willing to sugarcoat and to whitewash. He was literally calling everything as it really, genuinely was. And so God is going to use men who are men of understanding and men of discernment in doing this. getting at the same time was acknowledging his sin, the sin of his people, and the sin of the nation. The third thing I pointed out about the man that God uses is he must be a man that is called and sin of God.

[John Weaver] And so the Bible tells us very clearly that the Lord looked upon him, verse 14, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee? So If God is to use us, we must be called and sent by God. As I pointed out, that whenever God calls a man and sends a man, he always equips that man and there is always the promised presence of God. And then last week I spent the entirety of the week, the entirety of the message on this next point, that Gideon was a man of humility. When he says, Have not I sent thee? In verse 15, he said of him, Oh, my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?

[John Weaver] Behold, my family's poor Manasseh, and I'm the least of my father's house. So Gideon said, look, I am nothing. I have nothing. There is nothing that I can offer you except myself. And so here was a man who was not only properly discerning and understanding the reality of the situation. Here was a man who properly also assessed his own gifts. As Romans chapter 12 teaches us that we're to think soberly. According as God has dealt to every man, the measure of faith. We're not to think above ourselves that which we have. And certainly God tells us that he has given us a gift, but we're to properly assess that gift and not think of ourselves in a prideful and arrogant manner. And then I dealt with humility and what it really was and what it meant.

[John Weaver] And let me point out this just simply for a reminder. God not only does not use proud, arrogant, haughty men, but the truth is God actually fights against those men. The Bible says that God resisted the proud, but he giveth grace to the humble. That's why the Bible says, Humble yourselves unto the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.

[John Weaver] Now, if you didn't hear the message last week, I encourage you to do so, simply because most people do not know what humility is. And I pointed out, that walking around with your head down and looking at the ground is not humility, it's poor posture. OK? Moses was the meekest man on earth. And by the way, let me add this, humility is not being a foot mat. Humility is not letting people wipe their feet all over you. In Numbers chapter 12 and verse 3, Moses is called the meekest man on earth.

[John Weaver] Let me just tell you this. I read this years ago. I thought it was hilarious, but it just shows you the misunderstanding people have of meekness. But someone had written on a bathroom wall, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, which is a scripture from Matthew 5. But someone had come after them and written down under it, if that's all right. Now you talk about a bad misunderstanding of humility and meekness. Do you know what Moses, the meekest man on earth, did? Moses, the meekest man on earth, got on his knees and said, Lord, I pray that a new thing will happen. I pray that the earth will open up and these rebels against you will go down alive into hell. Now that was meekness. You know what meekness is? Meekness and humility and reality go together. Meekness is disciplined strength under God. Disciplined strength is just like the horse. I've got a horse that probably weighs 1,400 pounds. He is a humongous horse. And once you put a bridle on him, he's now disciplined.

[John Weaver] I can control 1400 pounds like that. But without that bit in his mouth, I can't control anything. When I, Lord, say, take my yoke upon you, he is saying, you submit to my discipline. And so meekness is disciplined strength under God. Meekness means that we know when to move and how to move and how to act. And we always act biblically and scripturally.

[John Weaver] Now, Gideon was a man of humility. Let's start today by looking at verses 17 and 19. And I want you to see the fifth point that Gideon was a man that had a sacrificial and worshipful attitude. Look in verse 17. And he said unto him, if now I have found grace in my sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee and bring forth my presence and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

[John Weaver] And Gideon went in and made ready a kid, and eleven cakes of an ephah flower, the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it." Now I've pointed out also in time past that this is indeed a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. But notice now he's coming with a sacrificial gift. Gideon asked for a sign in verse 17. He said, if now I have found grace in my sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.

[John Weaver] Now, he realized that it is now the Lord. Originally, he just addressed the angel in a respectful manner, that is, Lord, boss, sovereign. But now he acknowledges that once indeed, it is indeed Christ himself.

[John Weaver] Now, when he asked for a sign, Let me point out that this was not an act of unbelief. It was indeed an act of faith. If you would pause and contemplate for a moment on one simple truth, if after seven years of intense persecution, where everything that you had had been taken from you, where you had been driven to mountains and dens and caves of the earth, according to Judges 6, verses 1-2, If after seven years of intense persecution, if a stranger simply appeared to you and promised deliverance through you, my question is, would you not want to make sure that the one who was talking to you was indeed the Lord? Wouldn't you want to make sure that, hey, this is God and this is the Word of God? So Gideon then asked for a sign. Now, I want you to understand that this sign was in line with biblical truth because Gideon seeks this sign in reference to a meal. He says, now, if it's really you that's talking to me, Lord, you wait until I prepare a meal and I'll bring this meal to you.

[John Weaver] You've got to understand the mentality of the Middle East, especially in Bible times. A meal was only eaten with family and friends. This was considered part of the culture of the Middle East. And basically, it involves everyone over there. Even the Arabs, who basically are Islamic. Did you realize that the Arabs have a general rule? And that rule is this, if they feed you, if they extend hospitality to you, then they must protect you. Why? because they've shared a meal with you.

[John Weaver] So here's the biblical concept. He said, look, if you're really the Lord and you're going to use me, then you wait and let me share this meal with you. You see, biblical times to share salt and a meal meant then that you entered into a covenant of communion with an individual. So Gideon would know for sure that not only God was promising him deliverance, but that God was indeed restoring fellowship to his people if God would have a meal with him. Now, I want you to remember that Gideon said, look back in your Bibles to verse 15, he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewithal shall I say this?

[John Weaver] For behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. So Gideon was a poor man. His family was poor. Remember, go back in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to Judges chapter 6 and look at verse 3. And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up and the Amalekites and the children of the East, even they came up against them. And they had camped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou comest to Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came up as grasshoppers for multitude.

[John Weaver] For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it." So practically everything had been taken away. So Gideon acknowledges truthfully that he's a poor man and his family is poor. But I want you to note something. While Gideon is a poor man and while his family is considered poor, Gideon is certainly not a stingy, selfish, grudging individual. He shares and prepares a sacrificial meal of bread, broth, and meat. Now I want you to consider for a moment how difficult it was to procure meal at that particular time or flour. What was Gideon doing?

[John Weaver] You remember, he was beating out wheat with a stick. I've already pointed that out how this was how poor people did it. And it was hard, meticulous work. He had been beating out this wheat with a stick. And so what Gideon brought our Lord was exceeding exceedingly generous. Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 19, and Gideon went in and made ready a kid and eleven cakes of an ephah, a flower.

[John Weaver] Now, you may not know how much an ephah is, so hold Judges chapter six and look in your Bibles very quickly to Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Here you are going to read about an Omer. Look at Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. An omer, according to the Bible, was the portion of manna for one person per day. Exodus 16, verse 16, this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man according to the number of your persons, take you every man for them which are in your tents. So each man got an omer. Now look in your Bibles to verse 36 of Exodus chapter 16. The Bible says now an omer is a tenth part of an ephah. So it takes ten omers to make an ephah. An ephah, basically speaking, according to our unit of measuring, an ephah was basically speaking twenty-two and a half pounds of flour. Now you can make a lot of biscuits with twenty-two and a half pounds of flour.

[John Weaver] So what did he do? He brings an ephah of flour. Moreover, note what else he did in Judges chapter 6 and verse 19. He made ready a kid of the goats.

[John Weaver] Now, undoubtedly, this had to be a tremendously sacrificial meal on Gideon's behalf, because most of the animals had been confiscated, had been stolen by the Midianites and the Amalekites. Somehow, Gideon and his prudence had been able to save at least, we know, one kid of the goats. Maybe he had some more. He did have a bullock. We know that for a fact. But he takes twenty two and a half pounds of flour. And he takes a kid of the goats. And he makes a meal and he brings it to our Lord. Now, one has to wonder already. Since Gideon has acknowledged that he is poor and his family is poor, how could Gideon afford to be so generous? Twenty two and a half pounds of flour. Let me ask you. How long do you think it would take you with a stick to beat out 22 and a half pounds of flour if you're beating out heads of wheat? Take a long time. So how in the world could Gideon afford to be so generous?

[John Weaver] And undoubtedly, after giving 22 and a half pounds of flour and this kid, undoubtedly he and his family may have had to have done without for some time afterwards. But he was willing to do this. that the Lord might be honored.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you something that I have found out. I've discovered not only biblically, but practically speaking. It is usually poor people. Who really give sacrificially? It's not usually the rich. I'm not saying that rich people never sacrifice. But you know, it's really not much of a sacrifice. When you have plenty. But when you have practically nothing. And you give. That's really giving sacrificially. Look what our Lord said.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 41. Our Lord observed the same principle. Mark 12. Notice verse 41.

[John Weaver] I'm in Matthew. No wonder I couldn't get it right. Mark 12. Notice if you would please there with verse 41. The Word of God says, And Jesus sat over against the treasury and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury, and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they which have cast into the treasury. For all they did cast in out of their abundance, but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living."

[John Weaver] Do you see the difference? Here's a man that has a million bucks, and he comes by and he casts $50,000 in the play. What's $50,000 to a millionaire? But here's a widow woman who came by. And she cast in two mites. Let's say equal to a penny today. And our Lord said the widow woman cast in more than all the rich. Why? Because she cast in everything that she had. It was her living.

[John Weaver] Now, if you'll look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, Let me show you how this concept is enlarged upon in giving under the Apostle Paul. Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. He's taking up an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. And in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1, he says, Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit, that is, we want you to know the grace of God bestowed upon the churches of Macedonia.

[John Weaver] How then a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, now watch, and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, gay and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves. praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Now go back to verse two, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded under the riches of their liberality.

[John Weaver] Here they were poor, and yet they were giving. And they were sacrificial. Do you realize that when the heart is right? It doesn't really matter how little one has, there will always be a gracious and generous spirit. Let me give you two illustrations. Years ago, I was preaching in St. Petersburg, Florida. My aunt and uncle were members of the church in which I was preaching. In fact, that week I spent with them. And so while I was at church one night, a widow lady came up to me and asked me if I would have supper with her the next night. And I said, well, I would be happy to, but I just really don't even know. I said, my aunt is keeping a schedule of where I'm supposed to eat.

[John Weaver] I said, but let me check with her. And so I went to see my aunt. I said, where am I eating tomorrow night? Well, she said, you're eating with us. We're having steak and we're having this and that. She said, why? I said, because this lady over here asked me to eat at her house. And you know, if there was a conflict, I wasn't going to say yes. She said, oh, she said, please eat at her house. She said, I'll fix you steak for breakfast. Just please eat at her house. I said, well, you don't have to beg me to eat at your house. I said, why? Well, she said, she's a widow woman. She has nothing. She's poor. And all the speakers that come here, most of them will never, ever go to her house because they don't impose upon her. I turned around, I went back, I said, ma'am, would you like me to eat with you tomorrow night?

[John Weaver] She said, oh, I would. I said, I'd be pleased to come to your house. And she set the time. I went to her house for supper. You know what that little woman fed me? I had. One fried egg, a tablespoon of applesauce and a piece of bread. She didn't even have that. She just ate a little bit of applesauce. Let me tell you, I've never in my life had a meal that I appreciated more than that one. Did I have enough? No.

[John Weaver] Would I rather have something else? Yes. But that little woman wanted to give to me and wanted to share what she had. Before I left, I made sure she had some money for some groceries. And when I went back and talked to that pastor, I made sure that he knew that she needed some help. But here was a woman who had nothing. And she was going to feed me.

[John Weaver] while she did without herself. My wife and I also were invited to go to another city in Florida and there I was to preach. And the man that invited me there to preach was a multi-millionaire. And at this particular time in our lives, Alice and I were in dire straits and we needed some help. We really did. And a pastor friend Knew this man well, and he said, oh, brother Weaver said, I know this man said, oh, he'll help you. He'll do something for you.

[John Weaver] And I mean, and you just count on it. I said, well, that'll be wonderful if it happens. So we went down and we were able to stay with our daughter, who at that time lived at Tampa. And we went to some other little town to preach. And I preached that morning and I preached that night. And when I came back into the area, my pastor friend came to me and said, Well, what did the brother do for you? I said, well, he took us out to lunch. He said, what? I said, he took us out to lunch.

[John Weaver] He said he didn't try to offer to help you in any way. I said, no. He didn't offer to give you a gift. No. And he was very visibly upset. And then I said, look, don't be upset. You know what I've discovered in my life? I said, rich people very seldom help other folks. That doesn't mean they don't, but they very seldom do. I found that most of my life, the people that have helped me have been poor or what you and I would call moderate. Why rich people are rich is usually because they keep what they have.

[John Weaver] They're not willing to sacrifice. They're not willing to give. Has it ever occurred to you, I don't know if you've thought about this or not, but has it ever occurred to you that faithful, consistent giving, no matter the amount, is usually the way the work of God is supported? Very seldom is the work of God supported by one or two large gifts. Has that ever entered your mind? Gideon was poor, and yet he was willing to sacrifice and give what he could to honor the Lord. Now, let me point out that Gideon offered to the Lord bread, broth, and meat.

[John Weaver] Now, without me going into that, in Leviticus 7, v. 15-34, you will find that this was what was involved in a peace offering. So Gideon then was actually fulfilling part of the Mosaic law in offering a peace offering, and the unhewed rock there was the altar. In fact, God said in Exodus chapter 20, if you build me an altar of rock, you cannot lift a tool upon it. If you lift a tool upon it, then it's defiled. And so when Gideon came out, he put that meat and that bread on the rock, and he poured the broth out as unto the Lord, and then the Lord touched it, and instantly fire came up from the rock and the meal was consumed. Now, what in the world was Gideon's response?

[John Weaver] Look, if you would, please. Verse 20, And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon the rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Now here's his response. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of Yahweh, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God, for because I have seen an angel of Yahweh face to face.

[John Weaver] In other words, he thought he was going to die. Let me ask you, why would that be Gideon's response? Why would he be so awestruck? So terrified, so to speak? Let me tell you why. Because Gideon had a biblical concept of God's holiness, majesty, and greatness. You and I, so many times, are so flippant with God and the things of God. And we do not have the concept of the awesomeness of God.

[John Weaver] Do you remember Isaiah chapter 6? Isaiah said, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord high and lifted up, and His train also filled the temple. And there are seraphim flying around with six wings. With twain they covered their face, with twain they covered their feet, and with twain they did fly, and they ceased not saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. When Isaiah saw the Lord in his vision, guess what he did?

[John Weaver] He cried out in verse 5, Woe is me. I'm a man of unclean lips. And I dwell amidst a people of unclean lips. Woe is me, for mine eyes have seen the Lord of hosts." In other words, he understood the greatness and the majesty and the holiness of God, and he thought that he, too, would die. Do you remember the Apostle John in Revelation 1 and verse 17?

[John Weaver] He heard the voice and he turned behind him to look. And he saw the one standing there with the golden girdle, his face like the sun. And what did John say? I fell at his feet as one dead. You know why? Because he had an understanding of God's holiness and God's majesty and God's greatness. I'll tell you something, folks. It would do us well to go back through the Bible and to go over every attribute of God that is taught and given us in the Bible. If you and I really do not know who God is, we cannot have a proper comprehension and a proper understanding of His greatness and His majesty and His sovereignty. But look what God did.

[John Weaver] In verse 23, the Lord said unto him, Yahweh, Jehovah said unto him, Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die. He says, you're not going to die. Had Gideon been going to die, God would have never accepted the meal. He would have never entered in communion with him. Gideon knew that, but then all of a sudden it dawned on him how great and glorious and majestic God really was. So God then speaks in consolation to Gideon. He said, fear not, you're going to die.

[John Weaver] Now, in all probability, what Gideon Sacrificed was a large percentage of that which his family had to live on. What's that mean? It means now Gideon is put in the position where he has to trust the Lord for deliverance, because if God does not come through with deliverance, then he may be starving and his family as well. At this point, Gideon worships. Look in verse 24. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah's Shalom.

[John Weaver] Unto this day it is yet an ophrah of the Abiezarites. Now just like God gave Phinehas, in Numbers 25 and verse 12, his covenant of peace, likewise God gives Gideon a covenant of peace. And so Gideon then built an altar and worshiped. Now the altar is not one for sacrifice, but the altar rather is one of a memorial and a witness to the revelation of God to Gideon. You will find that in the Bible, whenever God peculiarly and particularly revealed Himself to someone, their God was peculiarly and particularly worshipped. Remember God revealed Himself to Abraham In Genesis chapter 22 and verse 14, and Abraham built an altar and called it Jehovah Jireh. God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus chapter 17 verse 15. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah Nissi. So likewise, Gideon builds an altar and calls it Jehovah Shalom. That is, the Lord is our peace. He had promised peace. And Gideon is expecting God to give back which he has promised, and so Gideon bows and worships. Let me tell you one of the saddest truths in our day.

[John Weaver] Most Christians, even most preachers, do not even know how to worship, or what worship is. or what acceptable worship is. Most Christians think that if they attend a sermon, hear a preacher, flip a quarter in the plate, sing a song or two, go home, go about their business, then they worship God. That's the furthest thing from the truth. You could sit in any church building in this nation. You could sit in it 24 hours a day and never worship God.

[John Weaver] It is true that music has a part. It is true that preaching has a part. But it is true that you must worship God in spirit and in truth. And if you don't, there is no acceptable worship. unto God. So Gideon worshipped. Not only sacrificial giving, but worship. As prayer can be made without ceasing, likewise a worshipful attitude may also be constantly maintained. The Bible says in Psalm 15 verse 23, Whosoever offereth praise glorify me. So we may praise God daily. We may praise God hourly. We may recognize His greatness and worship him as such. So Gideon then had a sacrificial and a worshipful attitude.

[John Weaver] He was willing to give. He was willing to worship.

[John Weaver] Now here's the sixth and final thing that I want to share with you about Gideon. That is, Gideon was a man of biblical action. Look in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father John Bullen, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it." Now, I have used this phrase, Gideon was a man of biblical action, to cover a multitude of truths. Gideon was a man that it could be said of him much like it was said of John the Baptist. You remember when the Pharisees sent men to John the Baptist to ask who he was? In John 1 verse 23, John answered and said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. Make straight the way of the Lord.

[John Weaver] In other words, you straighten things out and you bring things into conformity unto the word of God. Now, let it be pointed out, first of all, and let it be duly noted that the same day that God spoke to Gideon, that night, he moved. Now, I don't know what time of day it was that God spoke to Gideon. Could have been morning. Could have been dinner time. Could have been afternoon. I don't know. But that very day that God spoke, that same night, Gideon moved. He was not wasting any time.

[John Weaver] He understood the principle that our Lord enunciated in Luke chapter 2 and verse 49 when he said, wish you not that I should be about my father's business. So Gideon knew that the father's business required immediate attention. And so he immediately went to work on the Lord's business. By the way, I hope you understand there's an important principle here. And that principle is simply this. The Lord and his work is to have precedence over everything else. Just like the Lord comes first in our lives, his work is to come first in our lives. Gideon stopped what he was doing. He was threshing wheat. He stopped what he was doing and took care of the Lord's business. So we need to learn, first of all, if we're going to be men of biblical action, we must obey God and we must obey God immediately. Secondly, let me point out, There were things in Gideon's life and the life of his family that had to be dealt with. What were they? Well, look in verse 25.

[John Weaver] It came to pass that night that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. So Gideon's family had an image of Baal and an image of the grove. Now, the word Baal everybody recognizes as the false god. Baal means Lord, and I've taught in times past on Baalism, and it is indeed a statist concept and a statist idolatry. But the female counterpart to Baal is Asherah, or the Asherim. Now, every time you see the word grove in the Bible, with the exception of Genesis 21 and verse 33, it refers to Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of sex. Now, Baal and Asherah were the two main Canaanite deities. Okay? When you read the word grove in the Bible, it's not talking about a grove of trees. Except in Genesis 21 verse 33. Sixteen times the word grove is used in our Bibles And each of those 16 times, it is the word Asherah or Asherim, plural.

[John Weaver] Usually the Asherah or the Asherim was a wood carving of this false goddess of sex. For instance, hold Judges chapter 6, but look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 21. Let me just show you very quickly several verses. Deuteronomy chapter 16. Notice verse 21. Deuteronomy 16, verse 21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord by God, which thou shalt make thee. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees. Now, the grove of the trees is not simply putting out maples and pecans and jasmine trees. The grove that is being planted is the Asherah, which deals with the sex goddess of Canaan. Look in your Bibles to 1 Kings, chapter 15. Notice verse 13. 1 Kings, chapter 15 and verse 13.

[John Weaver] Here it is stated again. Here King Asa, of course, removes his mother. The Bible said in also America, His mother, even her, he removed from being queen. Why? Because she had made an idol in her grove, or an idol of a grove, and Asa destroyed her idol and burned it in the book Kidron. The grove was the Asherah. Look in chapter 16, verse 33. 1 Kings 16, verse 33. Here's Ahab. And Ahab made a grove. Not a planting of trees, but he made an Asherah. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. And then if you look in 2 Kings 21 and verse 7. 2 Kings 21 and verse 7. Here is Manasseh. Manasseh was the most wicked king in the southern tribes. He was the most wicked king of Judah. And he set agrave an image of the grove that he had made in the house, that is in the temple. of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, in this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name forever."

[John Weaver] So Manasseh, as wicked as he was, put an image of a wicked Canaanite sex goddess in the temple. So, God called upon Gideon to make things right, first of all, in his life, and in the life of his family. He said, Gideon, you want to be used to deliver your people from the many nights? Well, I'll tell you what you need to do. You better get over there and take down the altar of Baal, and you better tear down this grove, this image that is Canaanite's goddess. You better make things right in your own home, in your own house first. Listen to me. Please listen. God will never use us to rebuke others unless we're willing to be rebuked ourselves. God will never use us to rebuke others unless we're willing to be rebuked ourselves. God will never use us to call others to repentance unless we're willing to be called to repentance ourselves. How in the world can we tell other people to set their houses in order if our house is not in order?

[John Weaver] May I just simply quote 1 Peter 3 and verse 7? I want you to listen to this. Listen. Likewise, you husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife as the weaker vessel, as being heirs together to the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered. Did you hear what he just said? He is saying If you are not right with your wife, husbands and wife, if you're not right with your husbands, your prayers are hindered. Things are not right in your own home. Things are not right in your own family. Things are not right in your own life. How can God use you to straighten out someone else when you're not willing to be straightened out yourself? What does he say? You make things right in your own family.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that one of the qualifications for a pastor? And one of the qualifications for a deacon, found in 1 Timothy chapter 3, is one that ruleth well his own house.

[John Weaver] Now, I don't believe that requirement means that every individual in that house must be saved. I will point this out. It would be certainly helpful if it was. But what God is saying is that the house must be under the control of the head of that house. Why do I say that God is not requiring that every individual in that house be saved? Because only God can save. There is no pastor. There is no deacon. There is no one else that can save. Only God can save.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you something, folks. I can elicit 40 professions from each of my children. But unless God saves them, they're not saved, no matter how many professions they make. But I'll tell you why. I must have my house in subjection. I must have them under control. I must be able to rule my house. And that's exactly what God is saying. To get him. Get him.

[John Weaver] You want me to use you? Well, you get things right in your own house first. You've got some sins that need to be dealt with. You've got an altar of Baal. You've got an altar to Asherah. Tear it down. Get rid of it. Years ago, my wife will probably remember this, but my aunt and uncle went to Hawaii and they brought us back a gift. It was a wooden carved salt and pepper shaker of the Tiki gods in Hawaii. I thank my aunt for that gift, and I put it on my table, and I looked at that, and I looked at that, and I thought, I sure don't want that in my house. And I know the tiki gods are nothing, but I didn't even want it in my house. So as quickly as my aunt, you know, got gone and fine, I just took them and threw them in the trash. I appreciate the gift. But I didn't want any false gods around me.

[John Weaver] Now, the point is this, folks. If God is going to use us, we must have things right in our lives. In our families, in our houses, here's a third truth, and this third truth is connected with the first two. That when fellowship is restored. When fellowship is restored, Reformation has to and does begin immediately. What did God do? God came to Gideon that day and that night Gideon started moving. Do you realize it is useless to talk about a relationship with God while we are continuing in sin and rebellion and disobedience?

[John Weaver] What did our Lord say in Luke 6 and verse 46? He asked a question. Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" Remember the word Lord means boss, owner, master, sovereign? The Lord said, why are you calling me Lord if you're not obeying me? If I'm really your boss, if I'm really your sovereign, if I'm really your master, you will obey me.

[John Weaver] So when someone then begins to talk about a relationship with God, when their life is an absolute rebellion, And there's known sin and wickedness and disobedience in their lives. They're blowing smoke in the breeze. If there is a relationship, and if that relationship is right, there will be reformation immediately. It may not be a perfect reformation. It may not be a total and complete reformation. But I will assure you one thing, you will begin and you will begin changing and bringing your life into conformity to the Word of God.

[John Weaver] It will be a sure, progressive and biblical change. Here is the fourth truth. It should also be perfectly clear that the change that is produced in our lives will be an announcement and acknowledgement of the fact that we are now on God's side. In other words, it will be a public confession of faith. You remember, once again, I don't have to ask that you turn there, but in Matthew 12, verse 30, our Lord said it like this.

[John Weaver] He that is not with me is what? Against me. And he that gathers not what? Scatters abroad. So when we begin to bring our lives in conformity to the Word of God, we are acknowledging the fact that we are on God's side. Our change from disobedience to obedience Our change from rebellion to submission, our change from defiance to humility, demonstrates the fact that we've sided with the one true and living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Let me put it another way. Let me put it extremely plainly. Whoever will serve the Lord must abolish the altar of Baal. Whoever is going to serve God must get rid of all the false gods in his life. The altar of Baal and the altar of Jehovah cannot coexist side by side. Now listen, if you are going to build the altar to Jehovah, what did Gideon have to do first? Tear down the altar of Baal. You cannot have the altar of Jehovah unless you're willing to tear down the altar to Baal.

[John Weaver] Do you remember Isaiah 1, verses 16 and 17? God tells us there that we are to cease to do evil and learn to do good. You can't learn to do good until you cease to do evil. In Amos 5, verse 15, He says, hate the evil and love the good. You can't love the good until you hate the evil. Make our change. We've got to understand that we're coming out publicly, that we're on God's side. You see, God does not approve of syncretism. God will not be worshipped at the altar of syncretism. Syncretism is when you try to merge paganism and Christianity. It's when you try to have the altar of Baal and the altar of Jehovah side by side. It will not work. It cannot work. They're mutually exclusive. Either Jesus Christ is Lord, or Baal is Lord, but you cannot have both as Lord. And if you're going to worship Jesus Christ, you must tear down the altar to Baal. It's just that simple. You're saying, in the war on humanism, I'm coming out on God's side.

[John Weaver] It is true that Gideon did what he did by night. But he still did it, in obedience to God. Let me put this another way. Baal may be tolerant, but one true and living God is not. You know what God said in Isaiah 42, in verse 8? He said, I am the Lord, beside me there is none other, and my glory will I not share with another. God, the one true and living God, is the most intolerant being you'll ever get hooked up with. When Israel came into the land, you know what he told them to do?

[John Weaver] You tear down their altars. You destroy them. Why? Because Baal and God cannot coexist together. And in this, there can be no halting between two opinions. You know one of the saddest verses in the Bible? It's found in 1 Kings 18 and verse 21 when Elijah was on Mount Carmel facing the prophets of Baal. You remember what he asked? He asked, how long haunt ye between two opinions? He said, if Baal be God, then worship him. If Jehovah be God, then worship him. He said, don't go around limping, trying to syncretize them and get them together. No, if Baal's God, you go worship Baal. But if he's not God, you worship Jehovah and kick Baal out. It's that simple.

[John Weaver] A fifth truth is also evident in this passage. And that's this. And it goes right in line previously, if we're really, truly desirous of deliverance, we'll be willing to get rid of the false gods in our lives. It's not just Baal, but any and all false gods. Let me ask that you turn very quickly in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Jacob is coming back into the land. He's going back to Bethel. Genesis 35.

[John Weaver] Notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 2. Look what he tells us. In fact, let's read verse 1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there, and make there an altar to God that appeared unto thee, when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto all his household, and all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments, and let us arise And go up to Bethel, and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my

[John Weaver] distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods that were in their hand, and all their earrings that were in their ears. And Jacob hid them under an oak, which was by Shechem." Do you realize when he's going back to make sure everything was exactly the way God ordered and ordained, he said, you put away your false gods. He's talking to everybody that was with him. And they put them away.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua 24. Joshua 24. You see, the problem is this. A lot of people may not have one main false god as Baal. Well, they have a lot of little strange gods around them. God says they need to be gotten rid of. Look in Joshua chapter 24, beginning there in verse 23. Joshua tells the people, Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. Put away the strange gods from among you. You'll find the same thing in 1 Samuel chapter 7, 2 Chronicles chapter 14, and 2 Chronicles chapter 33. Every time. put away the strange gods. We better put away every false idea, every wrong impression, every wicked concept that we have concerning the One True and the Living God, and worship Him as He is fully revealed in the Word of God. Now if you look back in Judges chapter 6, there's one last final truth that I want to emphasize.

[John Weaver] Here's the sixth one. And this is found in several verses in chapter 6. One of the verses that you'll find it is in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him. Over and over, the Lord said unto him. Or the Lord said unto Gideon. Please understand this, folks. When we act upon the Word of God, when we act upon the authority of God, we are bound to succeed and we are always bound to have His blessings and His presence. We will never, ever be left holding the bag by obeying God. We will never, ever, ever suffer loss by obedience. When we act in the authority of God, in obedience to the word of God, we have to understand that where His word is, there He is, in the totality of His person and in the totality of His power. God used Gideon. Let me tell you, folks, once again, this ought to be a tremendous encouragement. We're never, ever going to get all the people in this land together.

[John Weaver] We're not even going to get all the Christians together. But God has never used a majority anyhow. He's always used a minority. God took Gideon and 300 men and delivered the nation of Israel from under the bondage they were in with the Midianites. Do you realize there's enough people in this room for God to use? We just have to make ourselves usable and present ourselves. Now, if God uses us, that's wonderful. If He doesn't, that's wonderful as well.

[John Weaver] He chooses whomever He pleases. And He uses whomever He pleases. But if we expect God to use us, we must be men of character, men of discernment, men who are called in sin of God, men of humility, men of sacrificial and worshipful attitudes, and men of biblical action. God will not use any other kind except to their destruction and their condemnation. If we want God to deliver our nation We must be willing to say, as Isaiah, here am I, Lord, send me.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something. I don't want you to have the wrong idea. I want to be honest with you. We cry many times, oh, to be used of God. And we want to be used of God. But when we talk about being used of God, usually in our mind, we're considering All the blessings and all the benefits that God bestows upon us. But you remember, in Isaiah 6, when Isaiah said, Here, my Lord, send me. The Lord said, All right, Isaiah, I'm going to send you. Then it dawned on Isaiah, You know, I might better ask, How long? And then he said, How long, O Lord? And God answered, until the land be uninhabited and the land be desolate. What? Oh, Isaiah, I'm going to use you. I'm going to send you. But your ministry is going to be a ministry of condemnation.

[John Weaver] They won't listen to you. They won't hear you. And the ultimate end of your ministry as I want to judge the people for their disobedience and their rebellion. Isn't that amazing? God gave Isaiah ministry. God used him. But it's a ministry of condemnation and not a ministry of reconciliation. When we say here, my Lord, send me. It's up to God as to whether or not he uses you And what kind of ministry he uses you in. But once you say, hear my sin me. It's you go. Until you can't go. Until the ministry is over. But God can use a small minority. To deliver his people. And if we're willing to be used by God, God can use us. and bring us back to Himself as a people and as a nation. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You would help us. Lord, we acknowledge that we need Thee. We acknowledge, Lord, that we want Thee and we want to be used of Thee. Lord, it's totally in Your hands as to whomever you use and to whatever purpose you use us for. But Lord, use us for thy honor and thy glory. We give ourselves unto thee this day. And ask, Father, that you be worshiped in spirit and in truth. And that your name would be magnified. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.

Prerequisites to be Used by God - 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	122039505
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 189: Prerequisites to be Used by God — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	87

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Alright, if you would open your Bibles this morning to the book of Judges chapter 6. Judges chapter 6.

Review of Previous Prerequisites

Weaver recaps the first four prerequisites: Gideon was a man of character, discernment, called and sent by God, and humility.

Alright, if you would open your Bibles this morning to the book of Judges chapter 6. Judges chapter 6. Now, for those of you who are visiting with us today, let me just point out the fact you're getting the fourth message in a series that I started four weeks ago entitled, Prerequisites to be Used of God. I had preached several months ago on Judges chapter 6 and 7 on the life of Gideon. And then I was simply rereading the passage and saw some other truths that I wanted to bring out. So today we're going to be reading from Judges chapter six, beginning with verse eleven. And I will take a few moments to review before we get started. Judges six, verse eleven. And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak, which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?

And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: and build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

As we have been looking at this passage, I want to remind you of one simple truth. God uses men. He does not use committees. He does not use corporations. He uses men. All you have to do is read Hebrews chapter 11 for confirmation of this fact. And certainly when God uses men, there are certain prerequisites that must be in the man. God always searches for men whose hearts are right toward him. According to 2 Chronicles 16 and verse 9, he found such a man in Gideon. I want to remind you the very first message I brought demonstrating the prerequisites that must be in us for God to use us was this, that Gideon was a man of character. In fact, I pointed out numerous things about character in that study, but then I dealt specifically with Gideon. I pointed out that he was a hard worker, that he was an honest man, that he was wise and innovative. He was a man that was not easily discouraged, and yet he was a man of faith as well.

Here was a man who had real, genuine character. If there's one thing that I would like for you to remember based upon that first message, it is this. God may use us on credit the first years of our life. After that, he'll use us on character. And if we don't have any character, we might as well forget ever being used of God. God uses men of character. The second thing I've pointed out is that God uses men of discernment and understanding. If you look down in Judges 6, once the angel of the Lord said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And by the way, I pointed out that the word valor not only refers to strength in a military sense, but it also refers to virtue. That's where we got that he was a man of character. But once he said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor, Gideon said in verse 13, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?

And where be all these miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. Now, I pointed out the fact that in this passage, Gideon was not whining. He was not complaining. He was not murmuring, but he was properly and accurately assessing and evaluating the situation that he and the nation were in. And he was telling the truth. In fact, God had delivered them into the hands of the Midianites, and certainly they were being oppressed and persecuted as they really were.

So here was a man who was not willing to sugarcoat and to whitewash. He was literally calling everything as it really, genuinely was. And so God is going to use men who are men of understanding and men of discernment. Gideon at the same time was acknowledging his sin, the sin of his people, and the sin of the nation. The third thing I pointed out about the man that God uses is he must be a man that is called and sent of God. And so the Bible tells us very clearly that the Lord looked upon him, verse 14, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? So if God is to use us, we must be called and sent by God. As I pointed out, whenever God calls a man and sends a man, he always equips that man and there is always the promised presence of God. And then last week I spent the entirety of the message on this next point, that Gideon was a man of humility. When he says, Have not I sent thee? In verse 15, he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?

Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. So Gideon said, look, I am nothing. I have nothing. There is nothing that I can offer you except myself. And so here was a man who was not only properly discerning and understanding the reality of the situation, here was a man who properly also assessed his own gifts. As Romans chapter 12 teaches us that we're to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. We're not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. And certainly God tells us that he has given us a gift, but we're to properly assess that gift and not think of ourselves in a prideful and arrogant manner. And then I dealt with humility and what it really was and what it meant.

Sacrificial and Worshipful Attitude

Gideon, though poor, prepared a generous meal for the Lord, demonstrating sacrificial giving and a heart of worship.

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. Now I've pointed out also in time past that this is indeed a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. But notice now he's coming with a sacrificial gift. Gideon asked for a sign in verse 17. He said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Now, he realized that it is now the Lord. Originally, he just addressed the angel in a respectful manner, that is, Lord, boss, sovereign. But now he acknowledges that it is indeed Christ himself. Now, when he asked for a sign, let me point out that this was not an act of unbelief. It was indeed an act of faith. If you would pause and contemplate for a moment on one simple truth, if after seven years of intense persecution, where everything that you had had been taken from you, where you had been driven to mountains and dens and caves of the earth, according to Judges 6, verses 1-2, if after seven years of intense persecution, if a stranger simply appeared to you and promised deliverance through you, my question is, would you not want to make sure that the one who was talking to you was indeed the Lord? Wouldn't you want to make sure that, hey, this is God and this is the Word of God? So Gideon then asked for a sign. Now, I want you to understand that this sign was in line with biblical truth because Gideon seeks this sign in reference to a meal. He says, now, if it's really you that's talking to me, Lord, you wait until I prepare a meal and I'll bring this meal to you.

You've got to understand the mentality of the Middle East, especially in Bible times. A meal was only eaten with family and friends. This was considered part of the culture of the Middle East. And basically, it involves everyone over there. Even the Arabs, who basically are Islamic, did you realize that the Arabs have a general rule? And that rule is this, if they feed you, if they extend hospitality to you, then they must protect you. Why? Because they've shared a meal with you.

So here's the biblical concept. He said, look, if you're really the Lord and you're going to use me, then you wait and let me share this meal with you. You see, in biblical times to share salt and a meal meant that you entered into a covenant of communion with an individual. So Gideon would know for sure that not only was God promising him deliverance, but that God was indeed restoring fellowship to his people if God would have a meal with him. Now, I want you to remember that Gideon said, look back in your Bibles to verse 15, he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? For behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. So Gideon was a poor man. His family was poor. Remember, go back in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to Judges chapter 6 and look at verse 3. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude.

For both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. So practically everything had been taken away. So Gideon acknowledges truthfully that he's a poor man and his family is poor. But I want you to note something. While Gideon is a poor man and while his family is considered poor, Gideon is certainly not a stingy, selfish, grudging individual. He shares and prepares a sacrificial meal of bread, broth, and meat. Now I want you to consider for a moment how difficult it was to procure meal at that particular time or flour. What was Gideon doing?

You remember, he was beating out wheat with a stick. I've already pointed that out how this was how poor people did it. And it was hard, meticulous work. He had been beating out this wheat with a stick. And so what Gideon brought our Lord was exceedingly generous. Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 19, And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour.

Now, you may not know how much an ephah is, so hold Judges chapter six and look in your Bibles very quickly to Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Here you are going to read about an omer. Look at Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. An omer, according to the Bible, was the portion of manna for one person per day. Exodus 16, verse 16, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. So each man got an omer. Now look in your Bibles to verse 36 of Exodus chapter 16. The Bible says, Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah. So it takes ten omers to make an ephah. An ephah, basically speaking, according to our unit of measuring, was basically twenty-two and a half pounds of flour. Now you can make a lot of biscuits with twenty-two and a half pounds of flour.

So what did he do? He brings an ephah of flour. Moreover, note what else he did in Judges chapter 6 and verse 19. He made ready a kid of the goats.

Now, undoubtedly, this had to be a tremendously sacrificial meal on Gideon's behalf, because most of the animals had been confiscated, had been stolen by the Midianites and the Amalekites. Somehow, Gideon in his prudence had been able to save at least, we know, one kid of the goats. Maybe he had some more. He did have a bullock. We know that for a fact. But he takes twenty-two and a half pounds of flour, and he takes a kid of the goats, and he makes a meal and he brings it to our Lord. Now, one has to wonder already. Since Gideon has acknowledged that he is poor and his family is poor, how could Gideon afford to be so generous? Twenty-two and a half pounds of flour. Let me ask you. How long do you think it would take you with a stick to beat out 22 and a half pounds of flour if you're beating out heads of wheat? Take a long time. So how in the world could Gideon afford to be so generous?

The Nature of True Sacrifice

Weaver illustrates that sacrificial giving often comes from the poor, citing the widow’s mite and the Macedonian churches.

Now, let me tell you something that I have found out. I've discovered not only biblically, but practically speaking, it is usually poor people who really give sacrificially. It's not usually the rich. I'm not saying that rich people never sacrifice. But you know, it's really not much of a sacrifice when you have plenty. But when you have practically nothing and you give, that's really giving sacrificially. Look what our Lord said.

Turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 41. Our Lord observed the same principle. Mark 12. Notice verse 41.

I'm in Matthew. No wonder I couldn't get it right. Mark 12. Notice if you would please there with verse 41. The Word of God says, And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Do you see the difference? Here's a man that has a million bucks, and he comes by and he casts $50,000 in the plate. What's $50,000 to a millionaire? But here's a widow woman who came by, and she cast in two mites. Let's say equal to a penny today. And our Lord said the widow woman cast in more than all the rich. Why? Because she cast in everything that she had. It was her living.

Now, if you'll look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, let me show you how this concept is enlarged upon in giving under the Apostle Paul. Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. He's taking up an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. And in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1, he says, Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia; How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Now go back to verse two, how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

Here they were poor, and yet they were giving. And they were sacrificial. Do you realize that when the heart is right, it doesn't really matter how little one has, there will always be a gracious and generous spirit. Let me give you two illustrations. Years ago, I was preaching in St. Petersburg, Florida. My aunt and uncle were members of the church in which I was preaching. In fact, that week I spent with them. And so while I was at church one night, a widow lady came up to me and asked me if I would have supper with her the next night. And I said, well, I would be happy to, but I just really don't even know. I said, my aunt is keeping a schedule of where I'm supposed to eat.

I said, but let me check with her. And so I went to see my aunt. I said, where am I eating tomorrow night? Well, she said, you're eating with us. We're having steak and we're having this and that. She said, why? I said, because this lady over here asked me to eat at her house. And you know, if there was a conflict, I wasn't going to say yes. She said, oh, she said, please eat at her house. She said, I'll fix you steak for breakfast. Just please eat at her house. I said, well, you don't have to beg me to eat at your house. I said, why? Well, she said, she's a widow woman. She has nothing. She's poor. And all the speakers that come here, most of them will never, ever go to her house because they don't want to impose upon her. I turned around, I went back, I said, ma'am, would you like me to eat with you tomorrow night?

Gideon’s Worship and God’s Peace

After the miraculous consumption of the offering, Gideon built an altar called Jehovah-shalom, acknowledging God’s peace.

Look, if you would, please. Verse 20, And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Now here's his response. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.

In other words, he thought he was going to die. Let me ask you, why would that be Gideon's response? Why would he be so awestruck, so terrified, so to speak? Let me tell you why. Because Gideon had a biblical concept of God's holiness, majesty, and greatness. You and I, so many times, are so flippant with God and the things of God. And we do not have the concept of the awesomeness of God.

Do you remember Isaiah chapter 6? Isaiah said, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. When Isaiah saw the Lord in his vision, guess what he did? He cried out in verse 5, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. In other words, he understood the greatness and the majesty and the holiness of God, and he thought that he, too, would die. Do you remember the Apostle John in Revelation 1 and verse 17?

He heard the voice and he turned behind him to look. And he saw the one standing there with the golden girdle, his face like the sun. And what did John say? I fell at his feet as dead. You know why? Because he had an understanding of God's holiness and God's majesty and God's greatness. I'll tell you something, folks. It would do us well to go back through the Bible and to go over every attribute of God that is taught and given us in the Bible. If you and I really do not know who God is, we cannot have a proper comprehension and a proper understanding of His greatness and His majesty and His sovereignty. But look what God did.

In verse 23, the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. He says, you're not going to die. Had Gideon been going to die, God would have never accepted the meal. He would have never entered into communion with him. Gideon knew that, but then all of a sudden it dawned on him how great and glorious and majestic God really was. So God then speaks in consolation to Gideon. He said, fear not, thou shalt not die.

Now, in all probability, what Gideon sacrificed was a large percentage of that which his family had to live on. What's that mean? It means now Gideon is put in the position where he has to trust the Lord for deliverance, because if God does not come through with deliverance, then he may be starving and his family as well. At this point, Gideon worships. Look in verse 24. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom. Unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Now just like God gave Phinehas, in Numbers 25 and verse 12, his covenant of peace, likewise God gives Gideon a covenant of peace. And so Gideon then built an altar and worshiped. Now the altar is not one for sacrifice, but the altar rather is one of a memorial and a witness to the revelation of God to Gideon. You will find that in the Bible, whenever God peculiarly and particularly revealed Himself to someone, there God was peculiarly and particularly worshipped. Remember God revealed Himself to Abraham in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 14, and Abraham built an altar and called it Jehovah-jireh. God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus chapter 17 verse 15. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi. So likewise, Gideon builds an altar and calls it Jehovah-shalom. That is, the Lord is our peace. He had promised peace. And Gideon is expecting God to give back which he has promised, and so Gideon bows and worships. Let me tell you one of the saddest truths in our day.

Biblical Action: Immediate Obedience

Gideon acted the same night God spoke, tearing down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole, showing prompt obedience.

Now here's the sixth and final thing that I want to share with you about Gideon. That is, Gideon was a man of biblical action. Look in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. Now, I have used this phrase, Gideon was a man of biblical action, to cover a multitude of truths. Gideon was a man that it could be said of him much like it was said of John the Baptist. You remember when the Pharisees sent men to John the Baptist to ask who he was? In John 1 verse 23, John answered and said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.

In other words, you straighten things out and you bring things into conformity unto the word of God. Now, let it be pointed out, first of all, and let it be duly noted that the same day that God spoke to Gideon, that night, he moved. Now, I don't know what time of day it was that God spoke to Gideon. Could have been morning. Could have been dinner time. Could have been afternoon. I don't know. But that very day that God spoke, that same night, Gideon moved. He was not wasting any time.

He understood the principle that our Lord enunciated in Luke chapter 2 and verse 49 when he said, wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? So Gideon knew that the Father's business required immediate attention. And so he immediately went to work on the Lord's business. By the way, I hope you understand there's an important principle here. And that principle is simply this. The Lord and his work is to have precedence over everything else. Just like the Lord comes first in our lives, his work is to come first in our lives. Gideon stopped what he was doing. He was threshing wheat. He stopped what he was doing and took care of the Lord's business. So we need to learn, first of all, if we're going to be men of biblical action, we must obey God and we must obey God immediately. Secondly, let me point out, there were things in Gideon's life and the life of his family that had to be dealt with. What were they? Well, look in verse 25.

It came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. So Gideon's family had an image of Baal and an image of the grove. Now, the word Baal everybody recognizes as the false god. Baal means Lord, and I've taught in times past on Baalism, and it is indeed a statist concept and a statist idolatry. But the female counterpart to Baal is Asherah, or the Asherim. Now, every time you see the word grove in the Bible, with the exception of Genesis 21 and verse 33, it refers to Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of sex. Now, Baal and Asherah were the two main Canaanite deities. Okay? When you read the word grove in the Bible, it's not talking about a grove of trees, except in Genesis 21 verse 33. Sixteen times the word grove is used in our Bibles, and each of those 16 times, it is the word Asherah or Asherim, plural.

Putting Away False Gods

Weaver stresses that God’s people must remove all idols and false gods from their lives, as seen in Jacob’s and Joshua’s commands.

Do you remember Isaiah 1, verses 16 and 17? God tells us there that we are to cease to do evil and learn to do good. You can't learn to do good until you cease to do evil. In Amos 5, verse 15, He says, hate the evil and love the good. You can't love the good until you hate the evil. Make our change. We've got to understand that we're coming out publicly, that we're on God's side. You see, God does not approve of syncretism. God will not be worshipped at the altar of syncretism. Syncretism is when you try to merge paganism and Christianity. It's when you try to have the altar of Baal and the altar of Jehovah side by side. It will not work. It cannot work. They're mutually exclusive. Either Jesus Christ is Lord, or Baal is Lord, but you cannot have both as Lord. And if you're going to worship Jesus Christ, you must tear down the altar to Baal. It's just that simple. You're saying, in the war on humanism, I'm coming out on God's side.

It is true that Gideon did what he did by night. But he still did it, in obedience to God. Let me put this another way. Baal may be tolerant, but the one true and living God is not. You know what God said in Isaiah 42, in verse 8? He said, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. God, the one true and living God, is the most intolerant being you'll ever get hooked up with. When Israel came into the land, you know what he told them to do?

You tear down their altars. You destroy them. Why? Because Baal and God cannot coexist together. And in this, there can be no halting between two opinions. You know one of the saddest verses in the Bible? It's found in 1 Kings 18 and verse 21 when Elijah was on Mount Carmel facing the prophets of Baal. You remember what he asked? He asked, How long halt ye between two opinions? He said, if Baal be God, then worship him. If Jehovah be God, then worship him. He said, don't go around limping, trying to syncretize them and get them together. No, if Baal's God, you go worship Baal. But if he's not God, you worship Jehovah and kick Baal out. It's that simple.

A fifth truth is also evident in this passage. And that's this. And it goes right in line previously, if we're really, truly desirous of deliverance, we'll be willing to get rid of the false gods in our lives. It's not just Baal, but any and all false gods. Let me ask that you turn very quickly in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Jacob is coming back into the land. He's going back to Bethel. Genesis 35.

Notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 2. Look what he tells us. In fact, let's read verse 1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Do you realize when he's going back to make sure everything was exactly the way God ordered and ordained, he said, you put away your false gods. He's talking to everybody that was with him. And they put them away.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua 24. Joshua 24. You see, the problem is this. A lot of people may not have one main false god as Baal. Well, they have a lot of little strange gods around them. God says they need to be gotten rid of. Look in Joshua chapter 24, beginning there in verse 23. Joshua tells the people, Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. Put away the strange gods from among you. You'll find the same thing in 1 Samuel chapter 7, 2 Chronicles chapter 14, and 2 Chronicles chapter 33. Every time, put away the strange gods. We better put away every false idea, every wrong impression, every wicked concept that we have concerning the One True and the Living God, and worship Him as He is fully revealed in the Word of God. Now if you look back in Judges chapter 6, there's one last final truth that I want to emphasize.

Here's the sixth one. And this is found in several verses in chapter 6. One of the verses that you'll find it is in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him. Over and over, the Lord said unto him, or the Lord said unto Gideon. Please understand this, folks. When we act upon the Word of God, when we act upon the authority of God, we are bound to succeed and we are always bound to have His blessings and His presence. We will never, ever be left holding the bag by obeying God. We will never, ever, ever suffer loss by obedience. When we act in the authority of God, in obedience to the word of God, we have to understand that where His word is, there He is, in the totality of His person and in the totality of His power. God used Gideon. Let me tell you, folks, once again, this ought to be a tremendous encouragement. We're never, ever going to get all the people in this land together.

Acting on God’s Authority

Obedience to God’s word ensures His presence and blessing; God uses a willing minority to accomplish His purposes.

We're not even going to get all the Christians together. But God has never used a majority anyhow. He's always used a minority. God took Gideon and 300 men and delivered the nation of Israel from under the bondage they were in with the Midianites. Do you realize there's enough people in this room for God to use? We just have to make ourselves usable and present ourselves. Now, if God uses us, that's wonderful. If He doesn't, that's wonderful as well.

He chooses whomever He pleases. And He uses whomever He pleases. But if we expect God to use us, we must be men of character, men of discernment, men who are called and sent of God, men of humility, men of sacrificial and worshipful attitudes, and men of biblical action. God will not use any other kind except to their destruction and their condemnation. If we want God to deliver our nation, we must be willing to say, as Isaiah, Here am I; send me.

The Cost of Being Used by God

Weaver warns that being used by God may involve a ministry of condemnation, as with Isaiah, and requires total surrender.

Now let me tell you something. I don't want you to have the wrong idea. I want to be honest with you. We cry many times, oh, to be used of God. And we want to be used of God. But when we talk about being used of God, usually in our mind, we're considering all the blessings and all the benefits that God bestows upon us. But you remember, in Isaiah 6, when Isaiah said, Here am I; send me. The Lord said, All right, Isaiah, I'm going to send you. Then it dawned on Isaiah, You know, I might better ask, How long? And then he said, How long, O Lord? And God answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. What? Oh, Isaiah, I'm going to use you. I'm going to send you. But your ministry is going to be a ministry of condemnation.

They won't listen to you. They won't hear you. And the ultimate end of your ministry is I want to judge the people for their disobedience and their rebellion. Isn't that amazing? God gave Isaiah a ministry. God used him. But it's a ministry of condemnation and not a ministry of reconciliation. When we say, Here am I; send me, it's up to God as to whether or not he uses you and what kind of ministry he uses you in. But once you say, Here am I; send me, it's you go until you can't go, until the ministry is over. But God can use a small minority to deliver his people. And if we're willing to be used by God, God can use us and bring us back to Himself as a people and as a nation. Let's pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Sacrificial Giving

Summary: True worship involves sacrificial giving, as demonstrated by Gideon’s generous offering despite his poverty.

Evidence: Gideon prepared an ephah of flour and a kid, a costly meal, to honor the Lord (Judges 6:19).

Worship in Spirit and Truth

Summary: Acceptable worship requires a proper understanding of God’s holiness and a heart attitude of reverence.

Evidence: Gideon’s fear and awe after seeing the angel reflect a biblical concept of God’s majesty (Judges 6:22-23).

Immediate Obedience

Summary: God expects prompt action when He commands; Gideon obeyed the same night he received instruction.

Evidence: Judges 6:25 states, 'it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him,' and Gideon acted.

Removal of Idolatry

Summary: Before God can use someone, they must remove all false gods and idols from their lives and homes.

Evidence: God commanded Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole (Judges 6:25).

Public Confession of Faith

Summary: Obedience to God is a public declaration that one is on God’s side, rejecting syncretism.

Evidence: Gideon’s actions, though done at night, demonstrated his allegiance to Jehovah over Baal.

God’s Use of a Minority

Summary: God often works through a faithful few rather than the majority, as seen with Gideon’s 300 men.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'God has never used a majority anyhow. He's always used a minority.'

Key Arguments

Sacrificial giving is a mark of true worship

Summary: Gideon’s offering, though costly, demonstrated his heart for God; the poor often give more sacrificially than the rich.

Evidence: Weaver contrasts the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-44) and the Macedonian churches (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) with the rich who give from abundance.

A proper view of God’s holiness leads to reverent worship

Summary: Gideon’s fear of death upon seeing the angel reflects a biblical understanding of God’s majesty, unlike modern flippancy.

Evidence: Weaver cites Isaiah 6:5 and Revelation 1:17 as examples of awe before God’s holiness.

Obedience must be immediate and complete

Summary: Gideon’s prompt action the same night shows that God’s work requires precedence and urgency.

Evidence: Weaver references Luke 2:49 ('I must be about my Father's business') to emphasize immediate obedience.

Personal reformation precedes public ministry

Summary: God required Gideon to first remove idols from his own family before delivering Israel, illustrating that one must set their own house in order.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Peter 3:7 and 1 Timothy 3 to show that hindered prayers and leadership qualifications depend on a well-ordered home.

Syncretism is incompatible with true worship

Summary: Baal and Jehovah cannot coexist; God demands exclusive allegiance and the destruction of all false gods.

Evidence: Weaver references Isaiah 42:8 and 1 Kings 18:21 to argue that God is intolerant of rivals.

Obedience to God’s word guarantees His presence and success

Summary: When we act on God’s authority, we are bound to succeed because His word carries His power.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'When we act upon the Word of God... we are bound to succeed and we are always bound to have His blessings and His presence.'

Scripture References

Judges 6:11-27

Context: The primary passage studied, detailing Gideon’s call, offering, and destruction of Baal’s altar.

Hebrews 11

Context: Cited as confirmation that God uses men, not committees or corporations.

2 Chronicles 16:9

Context: God searches for men whose hearts are right toward Him, as He found in Gideon.

Romans 12:3

Context: We are to think soberly about our gifts, not more highly than we ought, as Gideon did.

Numbers 12:3

Context: Moses was the meekest man on earth, illustrating true humility as disciplined strength under God.

Exodus 16:16, 36

Context: Defines an omer as one-tenth of an ephah, showing the large quantity of flour Gideon offered.

Mark 12:41-44

Context: The widow’s mite illustrates that sacrificial giving is measured by what one has, not the amount.

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

Context: The Macedonian churches gave out of deep poverty, exemplifying sacrificial liberality.

Leviticus 7:15-34

Context: The elements of Gideon’s offering correspond to a peace offering under Mosaic law.

Exodus 20:25

Context: God commanded that altars of stone not be built with tools, which Gideon observed by using an unhewn rock.

Isaiah 6:1-5

Context: Isaiah’s vision of God’s holiness caused him to cry out in fear, similar to Gideon’s reaction.

Revelation 1:17

Context: John fell as dead when he saw the glorified Christ, showing the proper response to God’s majesty.

Numbers 25:12

Context: God gave Phinehas a covenant of peace, just as He gave Gideon peace.

Genesis 22:14

Context: Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh after God provided a ram, paralleling Gideon’s naming of the altar.

Exodus 17:15

Context: Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi, another example of naming altars after divine revelation.

Psalm 50:23

Context: Offering praise glorifies God, indicating that a worshipful attitude can be maintained continually.

John 1:23

Context: John the Baptist’s ministry was to make straight the way of the Lord, similar to Gideon’s reforming action.

Luke 2:49

Context: Jesus said He must be about His Father’s business, illustrating the urgency of God’s work.

Deuteronomy 16:21

Context: The command not to plant a grove (Asherah) near God’s altar shows the prohibition of idolatry.

1 Kings 15:13; 16:33; 2 Kings 21:7

Context: Examples of kings who made or removed Asherah poles, illustrating the ongoing struggle with idolatry.

Historical References

Midianite oppression

Context: The Midianites and Amalekites destroyed Israel’s crops and livestock, forcing Israelites into hiding (Judges 6:1-6).

Baal and Asherah worship

Context: Baal and Asherah were the chief Canaanite deities; Asherah was a goddess of sex, often represented by a wooden pole.

Manasseh’s idolatry

Context: King Manasseh placed an Asherah image in the temple, provoking God’s anger (2 Kings 21:7).

Elijah on Mount Carmel

Context: Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and called Israel to choose between God and Baal (1 Kings 18).

Important Quotes

God uses men. He does not use committees. He does not use corporations. He uses men.

Significance: Establishes the foundational premise that God works through individuals, not institutions.

God may use us on credit the first years of our life. After that, he'll use us on character.

Significance: Emphasizes that sustained usefulness to God depends on proven character.

God not only does not use proud, arrogant, haughty men, but the truth is God actually fights against those men.

Significance: Highlights the necessity of humility, as God actively opposes the proud.

Meekness is disciplined strength under God.

Significance: Defines biblical meekness as strength controlled by submission to God.

It is usually poor people who really give sacrificially. It's not usually the rich.

Significance: Observes that sacrificial giving is measured by proportion, not amount.

Most Christians, even most preachers, do not even know how to worship, or what worship is, or what acceptable worship is.

Significance: Laments the widespread ignorance of true worship in spirit and truth.

God will never use us to rebuke others unless we're willing to be rebuked ourselves.

Significance: Stresses that personal reformation must precede public ministry.

Either Jesus Christ is Lord, or Baal is Lord, but you cannot have both as Lord.

Significance: Asserts the exclusivity of Christ’s lordship and the impossibility of syncretism.

Discussion Questions

In what ways does Gideon’s sacrificial offering challenge our own giving, especially when we feel we have little to give?

Context: Gideon gave an ephah of flour and a kid despite his poverty (Judges 6:19).

How does a proper understanding of God’s holiness affect our worship and daily lives?

Context: Gideon feared death when he realized he had seen the angel of the Lord (Judges 6:22-23).

What are some modern-day 'altars of Baal' or 'Asherah poles' that Christians might need to tear down in their own lives?

Context: God commanded Gideon to destroy his father’s idols before delivering Israel (Judges 6:25).

Why is immediate obedience important, and what hinders us from obeying God promptly?

Context: Gideon acted the same night God spoke to him (Judges 6:25).

How can we cultivate a worshipful attitude that goes beyond Sunday services?

Context: Weaver stated that a worshipful attitude may be constantly maintained, citing Psalm 50:23.

What does it mean to be 'on God’s side' publicly, and what might that cost us?

Context: Gideon’s actions, though done at night, were a public confession against Baal worship.

How should we respond if God calls us to a ministry that seems to bear little visible fruit, like Isaiah’s?

Context: Isaiah’s ministry was one of condemnation, yet he was still used by God (Isaiah 6:8-11).

Applications

Examine your giving for sacrificial worship

Summary: Evaluate whether your giving to God reflects a heart of worship and sacrifice, not just convenience.

Evidence: Gideon gave a costly meal from his poverty; the widow gave all she had (Mark 12:44).

Cultivate a reverent fear of God

Summary: Study God’s attributes to develop a proper awe and reverence that transforms your worship.

Evidence: Gideon and Isaiah both responded with fear when confronted with God’s holiness.

Remove idols from your life and home

Summary: Identify and eliminate anything that competes with God’s exclusive place in your heart and family.

Evidence: God commanded Gideon to tear down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole before using him.

Obey God’s commands immediately

Summary: When you sense God’s leading through His Word, act promptly without delay.

Evidence: Gideon obeyed the same night he received instruction (Judges 6:25).

Set your own house in order first

Summary: Before seeking to minister to others, ensure your family relationships and home life honor God.

Evidence: Weaver cited 1 Peter 3:7 and 1 Timothy 3 about the necessity of a well-ordered home.

Publicly align yourself with God

Summary: Let your obedience be a clear testimony that you are on God’s side, rejecting syncretism.

Evidence: Gideon’s destruction of idols was a public act of allegiance to Jehovah.

Surrender to God’s will regardless of outcome

Summary: Be willing to be used by God even if the ministry is difficult or seemingly unfruitful.

Evidence: Isaiah’s call led to a ministry of condemnation, yet he still said, 'Here am I; send me.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:37:29Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T16:23:21Z

Clean Transcript

Prerequisites to be Used by God - 4

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Alright, if you would open your Bibles this morning to the book of Judges chapter 6. Judges chapter 6.
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Now, for those of you who are visiting with us today, let me just point out the fact you're getting the fourth message in a series that I started four weeks ago entitled, Prerequisites to be Used of God. I had preached several months ago on Judges chapter 6 and 7 on the life of Gideon. And then I was simply rereading the passage and saw some other truths that I wanted to bring out. So today we're going to be reading from Judges chapter six, beginning with verse eleven. And I will take a few moments to review before we get started. Judges six, verse eleven. And there came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak, which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
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And where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?
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Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
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And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
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And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: and build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
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As we have been looking at this passage, I want to remind you of one simple truth. God uses men. He does not use committees. He does not use corporations. He uses men. All you have to do is read Hebrews chapter 11 for confirmation of this fact. And certainly when God uses men, there are certain prerequisites that must be in the man. God always searches for men whose hearts are right toward him. According to 2 Chronicles 16 and verse 9, he found such a man in Gideon. I want to remind you the very first message I brought demonstrating the prerequisites that must be in us for God to use us was this, that Gideon was a man of character. In fact, I pointed out numerous things about character in that study, but then I dealt specifically with Gideon. I pointed out that he was a hard worker, that he was an honest man, that he was wise and innovative. He was a man that was not easily discouraged, and yet he was a man of faith as well.
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Here was a man who had real, genuine character. If there's one thing that I would like for you to remember based upon that first message, it is this. God may use us on credit the first years of our life. After that, he'll use us on character. And if we don't have any character, we might as well forget ever being used of God. God uses men of character. The second thing I've pointed out is that God uses men of discernment and understanding. If you look down in Judges 6, once the angel of the Lord said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. And by the way, I pointed out that the word valor not only refers to strength in a military sense, but it also refers to virtue. That's where we got that he was a man of character. But once he said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor, Gideon said in verse 13, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
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And where be all these miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
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Now, I pointed out the fact that in this passage, Gideon was not whining. He was not complaining. He was not murmuring, but he was properly and accurately assessing and evaluating the situation that he and the nation were in. And he was telling the truth. In fact, God had delivered them into the hands of the Midianites, and certainly they were being oppressed and persecuted as they really were.
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So here was a man who was not willing to sugarcoat and to whitewash. He was literally calling everything as it really, genuinely was. And so God is going to use men who are men of understanding and men of discernment. Gideon at the same time was acknowledging his sin, the sin of his people, and the sin of the nation. The third thing I pointed out about the man that God uses is he must be a man that is called and sent of God.
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And so the Bible tells us very clearly that the Lord looked upon him, verse 14, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? So if God is to use us, we must be called and sent by God. As I pointed out, whenever God calls a man and sends a man, he always equips that man and there is always the promised presence of God. And then last week I spent the entirety of the message on this next point, that Gideon was a man of humility. When he says, Have not I sent thee? In verse 15, he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?
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Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. So Gideon said, look, I am nothing. I have nothing. There is nothing that I can offer you except myself. And so here was a man who was not only properly discerning and understanding the reality of the situation, here was a man who properly also assessed his own gifts. As Romans chapter 12 teaches us that we're to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. We're not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. And certainly God tells us that he has given us a gift, but we're to properly assess that gift and not think of ourselves in a prideful and arrogant manner. And then I dealt with humility and what it really was and what it meant.
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And let me point out this just simply for a reminder. God not only does not use proud, arrogant, haughty men, but the truth is God actually fights against those men. The Bible says that God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. That's why the Bible says, Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.
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Now, if you didn't hear the message last week, I encourage you to do so, simply because most people do not know what humility is. And I pointed out that walking around with your head down and looking at the ground is not humility, it's poor posture. OK? Moses was the meekest man on earth. And by the way, let me add this, humility is not being a doormat. Humility is not letting people wipe their feet all over you. In Numbers chapter 12 and verse 3, Moses is called the meekest man on earth.
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Let me just tell you this. I read this years ago. I thought it was hilarious, but it just shows you the misunderstanding people have of meekness. But someone had written on a bathroom wall, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, which is a scripture from Matthew 5. But someone had come after them and written down under it, if that's all right. Now you talk about a bad misunderstanding of humility and meekness. Do you know what Moses, the meekest man on earth, did? Moses, the meekest man on earth, got on his knees and said, Lord, I pray that a new thing will happen. I pray that the earth will open up and these rebels against you will go down alive into hell. Now that was meekness. You know what meekness is? Meekness and humility and reality go together. Meekness is disciplined strength under God. Disciplined strength is just like the horse. I've got a horse that probably weighs 1,400 pounds. He is a humongous horse. And once you put a bridle on him, he's now disciplined.
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I can control 1400 pounds like that. But without that bit in his mouth, I can't control anything. When our Lord says, take my yoke upon you, he is saying, you submit to my discipline. And so meekness is disciplined strength under God. Meekness means that we know when to move and how to move and how to act. And we always act biblically and scripturally.
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Now, Gideon was a man of humility. Let's start today by looking at verses 17 and 19. And I want you to see the fifth point that Gideon was a man that had a sacrificial and worshipful attitude. Look in verse 17. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me. Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
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And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. Now I've pointed out also in time past that this is indeed a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. But notice now he's coming with a sacrificial gift. Gideon asked for a sign in verse 17. He said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.
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Now, he realized that it is now the Lord. Originally, he just addressed the angel in a respectful manner, that is, Lord, boss, sovereign. But now he acknowledges that it is indeed Christ himself.
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Now, when he asked for a sign, let me point out that this was not an act of unbelief. It was indeed an act of faith. If you would pause and contemplate for a moment on one simple truth, if after seven years of intense persecution, where everything that you had had been taken from you, where you had been driven to mountains and dens and caves of the earth, according to Judges 6, verses 1-2, if after seven years of intense persecution, if a stranger simply appeared to you and promised deliverance through you, my question is, would you not want to make sure that the one who was talking to you was indeed the Lord? Wouldn't you want to make sure that, hey, this is God and this is the Word of God? So Gideon then asked for a sign. Now, I want you to understand that this sign was in line with biblical truth because Gideon seeks this sign in reference to a meal. He says, now, if it's really you that's talking to me, Lord, you wait until I prepare a meal and I'll bring this meal to you.
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You've got to understand the mentality of the Middle East, especially in Bible times. A meal was only eaten with family and friends. This was considered part of the culture of the Middle East. And basically, it involves everyone over there. Even the Arabs, who basically are Islamic, did you realize that the Arabs have a general rule? And that rule is this, if they feed you, if they extend hospitality to you, then they must protect you. Why? Because they've shared a meal with you.
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So here's the biblical concept. He said, look, if you're really the Lord and you're going to use me, then you wait and let me share this meal with you. You see, in biblical times to share salt and a meal meant that you entered into a covenant of communion with an individual. So Gideon would know for sure that not only was God promising him deliverance, but that God was indeed restoring fellowship to his people if God would have a meal with him. Now, I want you to remember that Gideon said, look back in your Bibles to verse 15, he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel?
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For behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. So Gideon was a poor man. His family was poor. Remember, go back in your Bibles, if you would, very quickly to Judges chapter 6 and look at verse 3. And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; and they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude.
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For both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. So practically everything had been taken away. So Gideon acknowledges truthfully that he's a poor man and his family is poor. But I want you to note something. While Gideon is a poor man and while his family is considered poor, Gideon is certainly not a stingy, selfish, grudging individual. He shares and prepares a sacrificial meal of bread, broth, and meat. Now I want you to consider for a moment how difficult it was to procure meal at that particular time or flour. What was Gideon doing?
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You remember, he was beating out wheat with a stick. I've already pointed that out how this was how poor people did it. And it was hard, meticulous work. He had been beating out this wheat with a stick. And so what Gideon brought our Lord was exceedingly generous. Note, if you would, the Bible says in verse 19, And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour.
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Now, you may not know how much an ephah is, so hold Judges chapter six and look in your Bibles very quickly to Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. Here you are going to read about an omer. Look at Exodus chapter 16 and verse 16. An omer, according to the Bible, was the portion of manna for one person per day. Exodus 16, verse 16, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. So each man got an omer. Now look in your Bibles to verse 36 of Exodus chapter 16. The Bible says, Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah. So it takes ten omers to make an ephah. An ephah, basically speaking, according to our unit of measuring, was basically twenty-two and a half pounds of flour. Now you can make a lot of biscuits with twenty-two and a half pounds of flour.
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So what did he do? He brings an ephah of flour. Moreover, note what else he did in Judges chapter 6 and verse 19. He made ready a kid of the goats.
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Now, undoubtedly, this had to be a tremendously sacrificial meal on Gideon's behalf, because most of the animals had been confiscated, had been stolen by the Midianites and the Amalekites. Somehow, Gideon in his prudence had been able to save at least, we know, one kid of the goats. Maybe he had some more. He did have a bullock. We know that for a fact. But he takes twenty-two and a half pounds of flour, and he takes a kid of the goats, and he makes a meal and he brings it to our Lord. Now, one has to wonder already. Since Gideon has acknowledged that he is poor and his family is poor, how could Gideon afford to be so generous? Twenty-two and a half pounds of flour. Let me ask you. How long do you think it would take you with a stick to beat out 22 and a half pounds of flour if you're beating out heads of wheat? Take a long time. So how in the world could Gideon afford to be so generous?
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And undoubtedly, after giving 22 and a half pounds of flour and this kid, undoubtedly he and his family may have had to have done without for some time afterwards. But he was willing to do this, that the Lord might be honored.
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Now, let me tell you something that I have found out. I've discovered not only biblically, but practically speaking, it is usually poor people who really give sacrificially. It's not usually the rich. I'm not saying that rich people never sacrifice. But you know, it's really not much of a sacrifice when you have plenty. But when you have practically nothing and you give, that's really giving sacrificially. Look what our Lord said.
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Turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 41. Our Lord observed the same principle. Mark 12. Notice verse 41.
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I'm in Matthew. No wonder I couldn't get it right. Mark 12. Notice if you would please there with verse 41. The Word of God says, And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: for all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
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Do you see the difference? Here's a man that has a million bucks, and he comes by and he casts $50,000 in the plate. What's $50,000 to a millionaire? But here's a widow woman who came by, and she cast in two mites. Let's say equal to a penny today. And our Lord said the widow woman cast in more than all the rich. Why? Because she cast in everything that she had. It was her living.
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Now, if you'll look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, let me show you how this concept is enlarged upon in giving under the Apostle Paul. Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. He's taking up an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. And in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1, he says, Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
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How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Now go back to verse two, how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
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Here they were poor, and yet they were giving. And they were sacrificial. Do you realize that when the heart is right, it doesn't really matter how little one has, there will always be a gracious and generous spirit. Let me give you two illustrations. Years ago, I was preaching in St. Petersburg, Florida. My aunt and uncle were members of the church in which I was preaching. In fact, that week I spent with them. And so while I was at church one night, a widow lady came up to me and asked me if I would have supper with her the next night. And I said, well, I would be happy to, but I just really don't even know. I said, my aunt is keeping a schedule of where I'm supposed to eat.
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I said, but let me check with her. And so I went to see my aunt. I said, where am I eating tomorrow night? Well, she said, you're eating with us. We're having steak and we're having this and that. She said, why? I said, because this lady over here asked me to eat at her house. And you know, if there was a conflict, I wasn't going to say yes. She said, oh, she said, please eat at her house. She said, I'll fix you steak for breakfast. Just please eat at her house. I said, well, you don't have to beg me to eat at your house. I said, why? Well, she said, she's a widow woman. She has nothing. She's poor. And all the speakers that come here, most of them will never, ever go to her house because they don't want to impose upon her. I turned around, I went back, I said, ma'am, would you like me to eat with you tomorrow night?
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She said, oh, I would. I said, I'd be pleased to come to your house. And she set the time. I went to her house for supper. You know what that little woman fed me? I had one fried egg, a tablespoon of applesauce and a piece of bread. She didn't even have that. She just ate a little bit of applesauce. Let me tell you, I've never in my life had a meal that I appreciated more than that one. Did I have enough? No.
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Would I rather have something else? Yes. But that little woman wanted to give to me and wanted to share what she had. Before I left, I made sure she had some money for some groceries. And when I went back and talked to that pastor, I made sure that he knew that she needed some help. But here was a woman who had nothing, and she was going to feed me.
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while she did without herself. My wife and I also were invited to go to another city in Florida and there I was to preach. And the man that invited me there to preach was a multi-millionaire. And at this particular time in our lives, Alice and I were in dire straits and we needed some help. We really did. And a pastor friend knew this man well, and he said, oh, Brother Weaver, he said, I know this man. He said, oh, he'll help you. He'll do something for you.
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And I mean, and you just count on it. I said, well, that'll be wonderful if it happens. So we went down and we were able to stay with our daughter, who at that time lived in Tampa. And we went to some other little town to preach. And I preached that morning and I preached that night. And when I came back into the area, my pastor friend came to me and said, Well, what did the brother do for you? I said, well, he took us out to lunch. He said, what? I said, he took us out to lunch.
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He said he didn't try to offer to help you in any way. I said, no. He didn't offer to give you a gift. No. And he was very visibly upset. And then I said, look, don't be upset. You know what I've discovered in my life? I said, rich people very seldom help other folks. That doesn't mean they don't, but they very seldom do. I found that most of my life, the people that have helped me have been poor or what you and I would call moderate. Why rich people are rich is usually because they keep what they have.
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They're not willing to sacrifice. They're not willing to give. Has it ever occurred to you, I don't know if you've thought about this or not, but has it ever occurred to you that faithful, consistent giving, no matter the amount, is usually the way the work of God is supported? Very seldom is the work of God supported by one or two large gifts. Has that ever entered your mind? Gideon was poor, and yet he was willing to sacrifice and give what he could to honor the Lord. Now, let me point out that Gideon offered to the Lord bread, broth, and meat.
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Now, without me going into that, in Leviticus 7, verses 15-34, you will find that this was what was involved in a peace offering. So Gideon then was actually fulfilling part of the Mosaic law in offering a peace offering, and the unhewed rock there was the altar. In fact, God said in Exodus chapter 20, if you build me an altar of rock, you cannot lift a tool upon it. If you lift a tool upon it, then it's defiled. And so when Gideon came out, he put that meat and that bread on the rock, and he poured the broth out as unto the Lord, and then the Lord touched it, and instantly fire came up from the rock and the meal was consumed. Now, what in the world was Gideon's response?
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Look, if you would, please. Verse 20, And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Now here's his response. And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
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In other words, he thought he was going to die. Let me ask you, why would that be Gideon's response? Why would he be so awestruck, so terrified, so to speak? Let me tell you why. Because Gideon had a biblical concept of God's holiness, majesty, and greatness. You and I, so many times, are so flippant with God and the things of God. And we do not have the concept of the awesomeness of God.
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Do you remember Isaiah chapter 6? Isaiah said, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. When Isaiah saw the Lord in his vision, guess what he did?
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He cried out in verse 5, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. In other words, he understood the greatness and the majesty and the holiness of God, and he thought that he, too, would die. Do you remember the Apostle John in Revelation 1 and verse 17?
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He heard the voice and he turned behind him to look. And he saw the one standing there with the golden girdle, his face like the sun. And what did John say? I fell at his feet as dead. You know why? Because he had an understanding of God's holiness and God's majesty and God's greatness. I'll tell you something, folks. It would do us well to go back through the Bible and to go over every attribute of God that is taught and given us in the Bible. If you and I really do not know who God is, we cannot have a proper comprehension and a proper understanding of His greatness and His majesty and His sovereignty. But look what God did.
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In verse 23, the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. He says, you're not going to die. Had Gideon been going to die, God would have never accepted the meal. He would have never entered into communion with him. Gideon knew that, but then all of a sudden it dawned on him how great and glorious and majestic God really was. So God then speaks in consolation to Gideon. He said, fear not, thou shalt not die.
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Now, in all probability, what Gideon sacrificed was a large percentage of that which his family had to live on. What's that mean? It means now Gideon is put in the position where he has to trust the Lord for deliverance, because if God does not come through with deliverance, then he may be starving and his family as well. At this point, Gideon worships. Look in verse 24. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom.
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Unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Now just like God gave Phinehas, in Numbers 25 and verse 12, his covenant of peace, likewise God gives Gideon a covenant of peace. And so Gideon then built an altar and worshiped. Now the altar is not one for sacrifice, but the altar rather is one of a memorial and a witness to the revelation of God to Gideon. You will find that in the Bible, whenever God peculiarly and particularly revealed Himself to someone, there God was peculiarly and particularly worshipped. Remember God revealed Himself to Abraham in Genesis chapter 22 and verse 14, and Abraham built an altar and called it Jehovah-jireh. God revealed himself to Moses in Exodus chapter 17 verse 15. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi. So likewise, Gideon builds an altar and calls it Jehovah-shalom. That is, the Lord is our peace. He had promised peace. And Gideon is expecting God to give back which he has promised, and so Gideon bows and worships. Let me tell you one of the saddest truths in our day.
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Most Christians, even most preachers, do not even know how to worship, or what worship is, or what acceptable worship is. Most Christians think that if they attend a sermon, hear a preacher, flip a quarter in the plate, sing a song or two, go home, go about their business, then they worship God. That's the furthest thing from the truth. You could sit in any church building in this nation. You could sit in it 24 hours a day and never worship God.
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It is true that music has a part. It is true that preaching has a part. But it is true that you must worship God in spirit and in truth. And if you don't, there is no acceptable worship unto God. So Gideon worshipped. Not only sacrificial giving, but worship. As prayer can be made without ceasing, likewise a worshipful attitude may also be constantly maintained. The Bible says in Psalm 50 verse 23, Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me. So we may praise God daily. We may praise God hourly. We may recognize His greatness and worship him as such. So Gideon then had a sacrificial and a worshipful attitude.
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He was willing to give. He was willing to worship.
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Now here's the sixth and final thing that I want to share with you about Gideon. That is, Gideon was a man of biblical action. Look in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. Now, I have used this phrase, Gideon was a man of biblical action, to cover a multitude of truths. Gideon was a man that it could be said of him much like it was said of John the Baptist. You remember when the Pharisees sent men to John the Baptist to ask who he was? In John 1 verse 23, John answered and said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord.
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In other words, you straighten things out and you bring things into conformity unto the word of God. Now, let it be pointed out, first of all, and let it be duly noted that the same day that God spoke to Gideon, that night, he moved. Now, I don't know what time of day it was that God spoke to Gideon. Could have been morning. Could have been dinner time. Could have been afternoon. I don't know. But that very day that God spoke, that same night, Gideon moved. He was not wasting any time.
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He understood the principle that our Lord enunciated in Luke chapter 2 and verse 49 when he said, wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? So Gideon knew that the Father's business required immediate attention. And so he immediately went to work on the Lord's business. By the way, I hope you understand there's an important principle here. And that principle is simply this. The Lord and his work is to have precedence over everything else. Just like the Lord comes first in our lives, his work is to come first in our lives. Gideon stopped what he was doing. He was threshing wheat. He stopped what he was doing and took care of the Lord's business. So we need to learn, first of all, if we're going to be men of biblical action, we must obey God and we must obey God immediately. Secondly, let me point out, there were things in Gideon's life and the life of his family that had to be dealt with. What were they? Well, look in verse 25.
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It came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. So Gideon's family had an image of Baal and an image of the grove. Now, the word Baal everybody recognizes as the false god. Baal means Lord, and I've taught in times past on Baalism, and it is indeed a statist concept and a statist idolatry. But the female counterpart to Baal is Asherah, or the Asherim. Now, every time you see the word grove in the Bible, with the exception of Genesis 21 and verse 33, it refers to Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of sex. Now, Baal and Asherah were the two main Canaanite deities. Okay? When you read the word grove in the Bible, it's not talking about a grove of trees, except in Genesis 21 verse 33. Sixteen times the word grove is used in our Bibles, and each of those 16 times, it is the word Asherah or Asherim, plural.
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Usually the Asherah or the Asherim was a wood carving of this false goddess of sex. For instance, hold Judges chapter 6, but look in your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 16 and verse 21. Let me just show you very quickly several verses. Deuteronomy chapter 16. Notice verse 21. Deuteronomy 16, verse 21. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees. Now, the grove of the trees is not simply putting out maples and pecans and jasmine trees. The grove that is being planted is the Asherah, which deals with the sex goddess of Canaan. Look in your Bibles to 1 Kings, chapter 15. Notice verse 13. 1 Kings, chapter 15 and verse 13.
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Here it is stated again. Here King Asa, of course, removes his mother. The Bible said, And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it at the brook Kidron. The grove was the Asherah. Look in chapter 16, verse 33. 1 Kings 16, verse 33. Here's Ahab. And Ahab made a grove; not a planting of trees, but he made an Asherah. And Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him. And then if you look in 2 Kings 21 and verse 7. 2 Kings 21 and verse 7. Here is Manasseh. Manasseh was the most wicked king in the southern tribes. He was the most wicked king of Judah. And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, that is in the temple, of which the Lord said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever.
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So Manasseh, as wicked as he was, put an image of a wicked Canaanite sex goddess in the temple. So, God called upon Gideon to make things right, first of all, in his life, and in the life of his family. He said, Gideon, you want to be used to deliver your people from the Midianites? Well, I'll tell you what you need to do. You better get over there and take down the altar of Baal, and you better tear down this grove, this image that is Canaanite's goddess. You better make things right in your own home, in your own house first. Listen to me. Please listen. God will never use us to rebuke others unless we're willing to be rebuked ourselves. God will never use us to call others to repentance unless we're willing to be called to repentance ourselves. How in the world can we tell other people to set their houses in order if our house is not in order?
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May I just simply quote 1 Peter 3 and verse 7? I want you to listen to this. Listen. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Did you hear what he just said? He is saying, if you are not right with your wife, husbands, and wife, if you're not right with your husbands, your prayers are hindered. Things are not right in your own home. Things are not right in your own family. Things are not right in your own life. How can God use you to straighten out someone else when you're not willing to be straightened out yourself? What does he say? You make things right in your own family.
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Do you realize that one of the qualifications for a pastor, and one of the qualifications for a deacon, found in 1 Timothy chapter 3, is one that ruleth well his own house?
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Now, I don't believe that requirement means that every individual in that house must be saved. I will point this out. It would be certainly helpful if it was. But what God is saying is that the house must be under the control of the head of that house. Why do I say that God is not requiring that every individual in that house be saved? Because only God can save. There is no pastor. There is no deacon. There is no one else that can save. Only God can save.
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And let me tell you something, folks. I can elicit 40 professions from each of my children. But unless God saves them, they're not saved, no matter how many professions they make. But I'll tell you why. I must have my house in subjection. I must have them under control. I must be able to rule my house. And that's exactly what God is saying to Gideon.
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You want me to use you? Well, you get things right in your own house first. You've got some sins that need to be dealt with. You've got an altar of Baal. You've got an altar to Asherah. Tear it down. Get rid of it. Years ago, my wife will probably remember this, but my aunt and uncle went to Hawaii and they brought us back a gift. It was a wooden carved salt and pepper shaker of the Tiki gods in Hawaii. I thank my aunt for that gift, and I put it on my table, and I looked at that, and I looked at that, and I thought, I sure don't want that in my house. And I know the tiki gods are nothing, but I didn't even want it in my house. So as quickly as my aunt, you know, got gone and fine, I just took them and threw them in the trash. I appreciate the gift. But I didn't want any false gods around me.
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Now, the point is this, folks. If God is going to use us, we must have things right in our lives, in our families, in our houses. Here's a third truth, and this third truth is connected with the first two. That when fellowship is restored, reformation has to and does begin immediately. What did God do? God came to Gideon that day and that night Gideon started moving. Do you realize it is useless to talk about a relationship with God while we are continuing in sin and rebellion and disobedience?
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What did our Lord say in Luke 6 and verse 46? He asked a question. And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Remember the word Lord means boss, owner, master, sovereign? The Lord said, why are you calling me Lord if you're not obeying me? If I'm really your boss, if I'm really your sovereign, if I'm really your master, you will obey me.
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So when someone then begins to talk about a relationship with God, when their life is in absolute rebellion, and there's known sin and wickedness and disobedience in their lives, they're blowing smoke in the breeze. If there is a relationship, and if that relationship is right, there will be reformation immediately. It may not be a perfect reformation. It may not be a total and complete reformation. But I will assure you one thing, you will begin and you will begin changing and bringing your life into conformity to the Word of God.
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It will be a sure, progressive and biblical change. Here is the fourth truth. It should also be perfectly clear that the change that is produced in our lives will be an announcement and acknowledgement of the fact that we are now on God's side. In other words, it will be a public confession of faith. You remember, once again, I don't have to ask that you turn there, but in Matthew 12, verse 30, our Lord said it like this.
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He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. So when we begin to bring our lives in conformity to the Word of God, we are acknowledging the fact that we are on God's side. Our change from disobedience to obedience, our change from rebellion to submission, our change from defiance to humility, demonstrates the fact that we've sided with the one true and living God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ.
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Let me put it another way. Let me put it extremely plainly. Whoever will serve the Lord must abolish the altar of Baal. Whoever is going to serve God must get rid of all the false gods in his life. The altar of Baal and the altar of Jehovah cannot coexist side by side. Now listen, if you are going to build the altar to Jehovah, what did Gideon have to do first? Tear down the altar of Baal. You cannot have the altar of Jehovah unless you're willing to tear down the altar to Baal.
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Do you remember Isaiah 1, verses 16 and 17? God tells us there that we are to cease to do evil and learn to do good. You can't learn to do good until you cease to do evil. In Amos 5, verse 15, He says, hate the evil and love the good. You can't love the good until you hate the evil. Make our change. We've got to understand that we're coming out publicly, that we're on God's side. You see, God does not approve of syncretism. God will not be worshipped at the altar of syncretism. Syncretism is when you try to merge paganism and Christianity. It's when you try to have the altar of Baal and the altar of Jehovah side by side. It will not work. It cannot work. They're mutually exclusive. Either Jesus Christ is Lord, or Baal is Lord, but you cannot have both as Lord. And if you're going to worship Jesus Christ, you must tear down the altar to Baal. It's just that simple. You're saying, in the war on humanism, I'm coming out on God's side.
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It is true that Gideon did what he did by night. But he still did it, in obedience to God. Let me put this another way. Baal may be tolerant, but the one true and living God is not. You know what God said in Isaiah 42, in verse 8? He said, I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. God, the one true and living God, is the most intolerant being you'll ever get hooked up with. When Israel came into the land, you know what he told them to do?
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You tear down their altars. You destroy them. Why? Because Baal and God cannot coexist together. And in this, there can be no halting between two opinions. You know one of the saddest verses in the Bible? It's found in 1 Kings 18 and verse 21 when Elijah was on Mount Carmel facing the prophets of Baal. You remember what he asked? He asked, How long halt ye between two opinions? He said, if Baal be God, then worship him. If Jehovah be God, then worship him. He said, don't go around limping, trying to syncretize them and get them together. No, if Baal's God, you go worship Baal. But if he's not God, you worship Jehovah and kick Baal out. It's that simple.
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A fifth truth is also evident in this passage. And that's this. And it goes right in line previously, if we're really, truly desirous of deliverance, we'll be willing to get rid of the false gods in our lives. It's not just Baal, but any and all false gods. Let me ask that you turn very quickly in your Bibles to Genesis 35. Jacob is coming back into the land. He's going back to Bethel. Genesis 35.
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Notice, if you would please, beginning there with verse 2. Look what he tells us. In fact, let's read verse 1. And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: and let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my
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distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. Do you realize when he's going back to make sure everything was exactly the way God ordered and ordained, he said, you put away your false gods. He's talking to everybody that was with him. And they put them away.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Joshua 24. Joshua 24. You see, the problem is this. A lot of people may not have one main false god as Baal. Well, they have a lot of little strange gods around them. God says they need to be gotten rid of. Look in Joshua chapter 24, beginning there in verse 23. Joshua tells the people, Now therefore put away, said he, the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the Lord God of Israel. And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey. Put away the strange gods from among you. You'll find the same thing in 1 Samuel chapter 7, 2 Chronicles chapter 14, and 2 Chronicles chapter 33. Every time, put away the strange gods. We better put away every false idea, every wrong impression, every wicked concept that we have concerning the One True and the Living God, and worship Him as He is fully revealed in the Word of God. Now if you look back in Judges chapter 6, there's one last final truth that I want to emphasize.
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Here's the sixth one. And this is found in several verses in chapter 6. One of the verses that you'll find it is in verse 25. And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him. Over and over, the Lord said unto him, or the Lord said unto Gideon. Please understand this, folks. When we act upon the Word of God, when we act upon the authority of God, we are bound to succeed and we are always bound to have His blessings and His presence. We will never, ever be left holding the bag by obeying God. We will never, ever, ever suffer loss by obedience. When we act in the authority of God, in obedience to the word of God, we have to understand that where His word is, there He is, in the totality of His person and in the totality of His power. God used Gideon. Let me tell you, folks, once again, this ought to be a tremendous encouragement. We're never, ever going to get all the people in this land together.
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We're not even going to get all the Christians together. But God has never used a majority anyhow. He's always used a minority. God took Gideon and 300 men and delivered the nation of Israel from under the bondage they were in with the Midianites. Do you realize there's enough people in this room for God to use? We just have to make ourselves usable and present ourselves. Now, if God uses us, that's wonderful. If He doesn't, that's wonderful as well.
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He chooses whomever He pleases. And He uses whomever He pleases. But if we expect God to use us, we must be men of character, men of discernment, men who are called and sent of God, men of humility, men of sacrificial and worshipful attitudes, and men of biblical action. God will not use any other kind except to their destruction and their condemnation. If we want God to deliver our nation, we must be willing to say, as Isaiah, Here am I; send me.
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Now let me tell you something. I don't want you to have the wrong idea. I want to be honest with you. We cry many times, oh, to be used of God. And we want to be used of God. But when we talk about being used of God, usually in our mind, we're considering all the blessings and all the benefits that God bestows upon us. But you remember, in Isaiah 6, when Isaiah said, Here am I; send me. The Lord said, All right, Isaiah, I'm going to send you. Then it dawned on Isaiah, You know, I might better ask, How long? And then he said, How long, O Lord? And God answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate. What? Oh, Isaiah, I'm going to use you. I'm going to send you. But your ministry is going to be a ministry of condemnation.
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They won't listen to you. They won't hear you. And the ultimate end of your ministry is I want to judge the people for their disobedience and their rebellion. Isn't that amazing? God gave Isaiah a ministry. God used him. But it's a ministry of condemnation and not a ministry of reconciliation. When we say, Here am I; send me, it's up to God as to whether or not he uses you and what kind of ministry he uses you in. But once you say, Here am I; send me, it's you go until you can't go, until the ministry is over. But God can use a small minority to deliver his people. And if we're willing to be used by God, God can use us and bring us back to Himself as a people and as a nation. Let's pray.
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Father, we ask in the name of Jesus Christ that You would help us. Lord, we acknowledge that we need Thee. We acknowledge, Lord, that we want Thee and we want to be used of Thee. Lord, it's totally in Your hands as to whomever you use and to whatever purpose you use us for. But Lord, use us for thy honor and thy glory. We give ourselves unto thee this day. And ask, Father, that you be worshiped in spirit and in truth. And that your name would be magnified. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T03:37:29Z

Prerequisites to be Used by God - 4

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

In this fourth message of the series, John Weaver continues examining the life of Gideon from Judges 6 to identify prerequisites for being used by God. He reviews previous points—character, discernment, divine calling, and humility—and adds two final prerequisites: a sacrificial and worshipful attitude, and biblical action. Gideon’s generous offering despite poverty demonstrates sacrificial worship, while his immediate obedience in tearing down Baal’s altar shows biblical action. Weaver emphasizes that God uses individuals who are willing to put away false gods, obey promptly, and worship in spirit and truth.

Opening

Alright, if you would open your Bibles this morning to the book of Judges chapter 6. Judges chapter 6.

Review of Previous Prerequisites

Weaver recaps the first four prerequisites: Gideon was a man of character, discernment, called and sent by God, and humility.

Sacrificial and Worshipful Attitude

Gideon, though poor, prepared a generous meal for the Lord, demonstrating sacrificial giving and a heart of worship.

And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. Now I've pointed out also in time past that this is indeed a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ in the Old Testament. But notice now he's coming with a sacrificial gift. Gideon asked for a sign in verse 17. He said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.

So what did he do? He brings an ephah of flour. Moreover, note what else he did in Judges chapter 6 and verse 19. He made ready a kid of the goats.

The Nature of True Sacrifice

Weaver illustrates that sacrificial giving often comes from the poor, citing the widow’s mite and the Macedonian churches.

Turn in your Bibles to the book of Mark chapter 12. Mark chapter 12. Notice if you would please beginning there with verse 41. Our Lord observed the same principle. Mark 12. Notice verse 41.

Gideon’s Worship and God’s Peace

After the miraculous consumption of the offering, Gideon built an altar called Jehovah-shalom, acknowledging God’s peace.

Biblical Action: Immediate Obedience

Gideon acted the same night God spoke, tearing down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole, showing prompt obedience.

Putting Away False Gods

Weaver stresses that God’s people must remove all idols and false gods from their lives, as seen in Jacob’s and Joshua’s commands.

Acting on God’s Authority

Obedience to God’s word ensures His presence and blessing; God uses a willing minority to accomplish His purposes.

The Cost of Being Used by God

Weaver warns that being used by God may involve a ministry of condemnation, as with Isaiah, and requires total surrender.

Prerequisites to be Used by God - 4

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	122039505
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Revelation Themes and Eschatological Applications
Genre	Sermon
Date	2003-11-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 189: Prerequisites to be Used by God — Chapter 4
Source Timed Segments	87

Lecture Guide

Outline

Review of Previous Prerequisites: Weaver recaps the first four prerequisites: Gideon was a man of character, discernment, called and sent by God, and humility.
Sacrificial and Worshipful Attitude: Gideon, though poor, prepared a generous meal for the Lord, demonstrating sacrificial giving and a heart of worship.
The Nature of True Sacrifice: Weaver illustrates that sacrificial giving often comes from the poor, citing the widow’s mite and the Macedonian churches.
Gideon’s Worship and God’s Peace: After the miraculous consumption of the offering, Gideon built an altar called Jehovah-shalom, acknowledging God’s peace.
Biblical Action: Immediate Obedience: Gideon acted the same night God spoke, tearing down Baal’s altar and the Asherah pole, showing prompt obedience.
Putting Away False Gods: Weaver stresses that God’s people must remove all idols and false gods from their lives, as seen in Jacob’s and Joshua’s commands.
Acting on God’s Authority: Obedience to God’s word ensures His presence and blessing; God uses a willing minority to accomplish His purposes.
The Cost of Being Used by God: Weaver warns that being used by God may involve a ministry of condemnation, as with Isaiah, and requires total surrender.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Sacrificial giving is a mark of true worship

Gideon’s offering, though costly, demonstrated his heart for God; the poor often give more sacrificially than the rich.

Weaver contrasts the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-44) and the Macedonian churches (2 Corinthians 8:1-5) with the rich who give from abundance.

A proper view of God’s holiness leads to reverent worship

Gideon’s fear of death upon seeing the angel reflects a biblical understanding of God’s majesty, unlike modern flippancy.

Weaver cites Isaiah 6:5 and Revelation 1:17 as examples of awe before God’s holiness.

Obedience must be immediate and complete

Gideon’s prompt action the same night shows that God’s work requires precedence and urgency.

Weaver references Luke 2:49 ('I must be about my Father's business') to emphasize immediate obedience.

Personal reformation precedes public ministry

God required Gideon to first remove idols from his own family before delivering Israel, illustrating that one must set their own house in order.

Weaver cites 1 Peter 3:7 and 1 Timothy 3 to show that hindered prayers and leadership qualifications depend on a well-ordered home.

Syncretism is incompatible with true worship

Baal and Jehovah cannot coexist; God demands exclusive allegiance and the destruction of all false gods.

Weaver references Isaiah 42:8 and 1 Kings 18:21 to argue that God is intolerant of rivals.

Obedience to God’s word guarantees His presence and success

When we act on God’s authority, we are bound to succeed because His word carries His power.

Weaver states, 'When we act upon the Word of God... we are bound to succeed and we are always bound to have His blessings and His presence.'

Scripture References

Judges 6:11-27: The primary passage studied, detailing Gideon’s call, offering, and destruction of Baal’s altar.
Hebrews 11: Cited as confirmation that God uses men, not committees or corporations.
2 Chronicles 16:9: God searches for men whose hearts are right toward Him, as He found in Gideon.
Romans 12:3: We are to think soberly about our gifts, not more highly than we ought, as Gideon did.
Numbers 12:3: Moses was the meekest man on earth, illustrating true humility as disciplined strength under God.
Exodus 16:16, 36: Defines an omer as one-tenth of an ephah, showing the large quantity of flour Gideon offered.
Mark 12:41-44: The widow’s mite illustrates that sacrificial giving is measured by what one has, not the amount.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5: The Macedonian churches gave out of deep poverty, exemplifying sacrificial liberality.
Leviticus 7:15-34: The elements of Gideon’s offering correspond to a peace offering under Mosaic law.
Exodus 20:25: God commanded that altars of stone not be built with tools, which Gideon observed by using an unhewn rock.
Isaiah 6:1-5: Isaiah’s vision of God’s holiness caused him to cry out in fear, similar to Gideon’s reaction.
Revelation 1:17: John fell as dead when he saw the glorified Christ, showing the proper response to God’s majesty.
Numbers 25:12: God gave Phinehas a covenant of peace, just as He gave Gideon peace.
Genesis 22:14: Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh after God provided a ram, paralleling Gideon’s naming of the altar.
Exodus 17:15: Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-nissi, another example of naming altars after divine revelation.
Psalm 50:23: Offering praise glorifies God, indicating that a worshipful attitude can be maintained continually.
John 1:23: John the Baptist’s ministry was to make straight the way of the Lord, similar to Gideon’s reforming action.
Luke 2:49: Jesus said He must be about His Father’s business, illustrating the urgency of God’s work.
Deuteronomy 16:21: The command not to plant a grove (Asherah) near God’s altar shows the prohibition of idolatry.
1 Kings 15:13; 16:33; 2 Kings 21:7: Examples of kings who made or removed Asherah poles, illustrating the ongoing struggle with idolatry.

Historical References

Midianite oppression: The Midianites and Amalekites destroyed Israel’s crops and livestock, forcing Israelites into hiding (Judges 6:1-6).
Baal and Asherah worship: Baal and Asherah were the chief Canaanite deities; Asherah was a goddess of sex, often represented by a wooden pole.
Manasseh’s idolatry: King Manasseh placed an Asherah image in the temple, provoking God’s anger (2 Kings 21:7).
Elijah on Mount Carmel: Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal and called Israel to choose between God and Baal (1 Kings 18).

Important Quotes

God uses men. He does not use committees. He does not use corporations. He uses men.

Establishes the foundational premise that God works through individuals, not institutions.

God may use us on credit the first years of our life. After that, he'll use us on character.

Emphasizes that sustained usefulness to God depends on proven character.

God not only does not use proud, arrogant, haughty men, but the truth is God actually fights against those men.

Highlights the necessity of humility, as God actively opposes the proud.

Meekness is disciplined strength under God.

Defines biblical meekness as strength controlled by submission to God.

It is usually poor people who really give sacrificially. It's not usually the rich.

Observes that sacrificial giving is measured by proportion, not amount.

Most Christians, even most preachers, do not even know how to worship, or what worship is, or what acceptable worship is.

Laments the widespread ignorance of true worship in spirit and truth.

God will never use us to rebuke others unless we're willing to be rebuked ourselves.

Stresses that personal reformation must precede public ministry.

Either Jesus Christ is Lord, or Baal is Lord, but you cannot have both as Lord.

Asserts the exclusivity of Christ’s lordship and the impossibility of syncretism.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways does Gideon’s sacrificial offering challenge our own giving, especially when we feel we have little to give?

[Context]

Gideon gave an ephah of flour and a kid despite his poverty (Judges 6:19).

[Question]

How does a proper understanding of God’s holiness affect our worship and daily lives?

[Context]

Gideon feared death when he realized he had seen the angel of the Lord (Judges 6:22-23).

[Question]

What are some modern-day 'altars of Baal' or 'Asherah poles' that Christians might need to tear down in their own lives?

[Context]

God commanded Gideon to destroy his father’s idols before delivering Israel (Judges 6:25).

[Question]

Why is immediate obedience important, and what hinders us from obeying God promptly?

[Context]

Gideon acted the same night God spoke to him (Judges 6:25).

[Question]

How can we cultivate a worshipful attitude that goes beyond Sunday services?

[Context]

Weaver stated that a worshipful attitude may be constantly maintained, citing Psalm 50:23.

[Question]

What does it mean to be 'on God’s side' publicly, and what might that cost us?

[Context]

Gideon’s actions, though done at night, were a public confession against Baal worship.

[Question]

How should we respond if God calls us to a ministry that seems to bear little visible fruit, like Isaiah’s?

[Context]

Isaiah’s ministry was one of condemnation, yet he was still used by God (Isaiah 6:8-11).

Applications

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