Week of March 29

The truism says that the journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. We will quickly recognize that Israel fell into subjection to her enemies, not because the enemies were more powerful, but because the nation, step by step, had distanced itself from the Lord (6:1). This sometimes proves to be the case in our own spiritual lives. It often is not the godless enemy outside our door that overtakes us, but the adversary within our own hearts—willful rebellion! Our focal passage today provides us with an example of how to take the first step back to God when we have wandered far from Him.

Broken covenant. Israel had broken its covenant with the Lord, so God “gave them” into the hand of Midian as His discipline. This seems like a bang-bang statement—they sinned and God immediately punished them—but the reality was that Israel had been lapsing into idolatry for quite some time (cf. Exodus 34:6; God is “slow to anger”). The nation had a thin veneer of Yahwistic worship—the worship of the one true God—but they were thoroughly paganized in their everyday lives (cf. 6:13). We would say that they were “many steps down the road to ruin.” 

Exclusive commitment. Note well that pagan gods were thought to be tolerant of the worship of another deity, but this is never the case with the Lord God. God will not share His rightful role with any other god (cf. Exodus 20:1-5; Deuteronomy 6:10-15). We may even say that the so-called god named “Tolerance” is the Baal of our day. So, where do we first begin to demonstrate mighty faith? It may come as a surprise to you, but the beginning point for commitment resides in our homes!

Start with our family worship. Gideon’s first significant action was taken at home among his own family (6:25). The faithlessness ran deep within his clan because his father, the head of their kinfolk, espoused the Baal cult. His influence had spread throughout the community. The standard had been set by Moses: no altars to Baal and no Asherahs (Exodus 34:12-13; Deuteronomy 7:5; Judges 2:2). Asherah was the wife of El and Baal in Ugaritic literature. An “Asherah” was a symbol of the goddess, a sacred tree, or a carved pole set up beside an altar to Baal (EBC). The standard had long since been broken by Gideon’s day. Gideon begins to overcome Midian when he first is overwhelmed by worship of the Lord.

Eliminate any hindrance to our exclusive commitment to God. Gideon takes a prime bullock from his father’s herd, probably one used in pagan worship, and sets out to tear down the pagan Baal altar (6:25). The bull was seven-years old, meaning that it was full grown, and strong enough to tear down such a significant altar. It also meant that the bull was of the highest quality, a prize, and it was worthy of sacrifice to the Lord. Furthermore, he was to chop down the Asherah pole that was typically a carved wooden image with exaggerated sexual features (NAC). Friends, sin is ugly and offensive. I can only imagine the sadness that Gideon must have felt in his soul as he slowly began to recognize the depths to which he and his family had fallen in their rebellion. These verses paint a portrait that help us to sense the dysfunction that sin causes within a family. So, if you are like me, you are ready for the solution. Well, the text already states it in verses 22-23. God visited Gideon (cf. John 1:14!).

We must not overlook the overwhelming significance of the words, “The LORD said to him . . .” God speaks to us in our rebellion and His words are “Peace be to you” and “do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” All of this is to say that God accepts Gideon, who then receives God’s commission. We are beloved children in Christ, and this means that He has accepted us, cleanses us, and commissions us to serve Him with all our beings.

Our family came to know a precious woman of faith. During the time we served as pastor of a church in Midland, she was a girls’ coach at one of the two high schools there. The coach approached our daughter one day and asked her what size shoe she wore. Lauren answered her, then turned to me with a puzzled look. I began to laugh out loud. Lauren wanted to know what I thought to be so funny. I told her something like, “Basketball season is upcoming, and you’ve just been made aware that you are going to be playing on her team.”

Here is a spiritual challenge. In Ashlock speak, “Selection meant fresh direction!” God has chosen you and me, in Christ, to embark on a journey, so we need to begin that walk of faith where it will count for generations to come—our homes (Galatians 2:20)!

1. Cleaning out an attic can be quite a chore. The process is made easier if there is a friend to help. Cleaning out our hearts is also quite a chore but, thankfully, we have a Friend to help us (1 John 2:9). Answer God’s call to holiness (spiritual cleanliness).

2. For Families: Spring cleaning is always a good time to do some assessment of our homes, our families, and our individual lives. Take a walk through your home, looking and listening for anything that serves as a barrier to your families’ devotion to Christ.

Video games, movies, music, books, magazines, habits, attitudes, any number of categories of inspection might present themselves. Ask your children if they know of anything that goes on in your house that does not bring glory to God. Make sure you listen well and do away with those things. Ask God to make your home clean before Him.

Renew your family’s commitment to holiness, and spend the next weeks, leading up to Easter, in a season of reverent anticipation. He is risen! “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”

May your paths be straight,
Larry C. Ashlock