Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?
Judges 6:13 NKJV
The story of Gideon, the fifth in the series of twelve judges in the book of the same name, is one of those that has always captured my attention. It should be noted that the Hebrew word for “judge” expresses a slightly different idea from that of a magistrate or someone who administers justice. In fact, it refers to a hero or a charismatic leader, called by God to free the people of Israel from adverse situations and external enemies. Of the twelve judges, Gideon is the first warrior hero. He belonged to the tribe of Manasseh, to the clan of Abiezer, son of Joash of Ophrah, a town a few kilometers east of Samaria. In his day, the country was periodically raided by the Midianites, together with the Amalekites and other eastern peoples, and the people were increasingly reduced to misery. Every time they appeared out of the desert, the Israelites took refuge in the ravines and caves of the mountains, terrified and almost paralyzed by fear. The Book of Judges attributes the oppression to Israel's guilt of having abandoned their God (6:1), who does not remain indifferent but intervenes at the cry of his people.
The Lord enters the scene, going to call a completely insignificant young man with no power at all. Gideon is threshing, he can't help it and to survive he must overcome his fear of being discovered by the oppressors. He does so by not going to the threshing floor, where he would have been easily seen, but secretly to the winepress (the cellar of the vineyard). He is in this ravine when the angel of the Lord appears to him under an oak tree in the field and greets him, calling him “mighty man of valor”. Is he looking at Gideon or someone else? The young man is not surprised by the divine presence, on the contrary he responds by raising his complaints, first about why the people are living in that condition and then about the choice that has fallen on him. He finally has the opportunity to let off steam, to give voice to his lamentation towards those who still speak of God or in His name. When situations are adverse, when conditions are terrible, when dawn doesn't wait for sunset and vice versa, God finds no space in our thoughts or expectations. And so we ask ourselves: “Where is he? Where has he gone?”. The angel's prompt and direct answer is somewhat upsetting: “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (6:14).
Instead of whining about what life has in store for us, instead of blaming the One who rules everything for what is happening, let's become aware of our possibilities and take action. Let's rewind the tape, because the causes are most likely elsewhere. Whatever the origin of the “evil”, what we have to do now is to face it, having full confidence in our abilities and counting on divine assistance, because the Eternal is with us, always and in any case. When you think of Gideon, try to put yourself in his shoes at that moment. The strength you are using to thresh, you can use to face any problem. Not only will your action save you, but it will be the trigger to save the people. And if God is with you, who will be against you? Come out of the straitjacket, leave the field of Ofrah. In the eyes of the Lord you too are “mighty and valiant”. Doubts will not be lacking. Hesitancy will accompany you. The rest of the story says that Gideon asks for repeated signs to be certain of what he has heard. He does not doubt God's word, but he wants to be sure that that word is addressed to him. Shrewd, fearful, considerate ... for me someone who doesn't want to do things his own way. Let's do the same.
Weekly Bible Reading Plan #08
February 17, Leviticus 21-22; Matthew 28
February 18, Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22
February 19, Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45
February 20, Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2
February 21, Numbers 1-2; Mark 3:1-19
February 22, Numbers 3-4; Mark 3:20-35
February 23, Numbers 5-6; Mark 4:1-20
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