Judges 6

She did know she was going to do this.

But I would really encourage you over this week or later on, or if I start droning on and going on too long, look through and read Judges 6 and 7.

Okay, so Judges 6, verse 6.

The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites.

Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves, and strongholds.

It's about having a relationship with God.

It's not just talking to the thin air, but it's about understanding God is with us.

And we see in Judges 6, verses 12 and 16, both times it says here, verse 12 says, The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

And to do that, we're going to look at the story of Gideon.

Okay, so open your Bibles again if you have them to Judges 6.

We're going to go through the story of Gideon.

And so what is happening here in this part of the Bible? If you haven't read much of the Bible, we are in the Old Testament that tells the story of God's people, Israel, and what happens to them and how we see God's character and how he deals with them.

Yeah.

But Gideon in Judges 6 was in the winepress hiding while the Midianites were oppressing Israel.

And Israel was in a bad way.

And I always thought that Israel's biggest problem is the Midianites.

Let's turn to Judges chapter 6.

Okay, the background story of this Judges, we see that the children of Israel, Judges 6, verse 1, it says, "...the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years." And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel because of the Midianites, the children of Israel, made for themselves the dens, caves, and strongholds which are in the mountains.

So it was whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up, also Amalekites and the people of the east would come up against them.

Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza and leave no sustenance for Israel." neither sheep, nor ox, nor donkey.

Let me give you some examples to explain what sons of means or how it is used in Hebrew.

There are, in Judges 6, verse 3, there are people referred to who are people of the East in the English versions.

But in Hebrew, it says they are sons of the East.

You see, because that's what characterizes them.

Amen.

Would you please open your Bibles to Judges chapter 6? We left off last week in the middle of this chapter, Judges 6.

When we closed the book last week, we saw God's old covenant people were in a bad place.

Ancient Israel had turned away from God again, so God had given them into the hands of their enemies again.

Gideon was slow to accept that call from God, but the end of last week's passage, he seemed to be on board.

Gideon was worshiping the God who called him.

You see that in verse 24 of Judges 6.

Verse 24 says, Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord is Peace.

Welcome to another message from the teaching team at Elevation Church Australia.

Well, if you have your Bibles, let's go to Judges 6, verse 12, where we're going to start today.

A big happy Father's Day to all the fathers, the men, women, and singles.

We honour that you're here today.

I also honor all my family, honor my kids, and I apologize, failing you in many ways, but I always want to point to my God.

Who is the one that can hold you in his hands? Let's go.

Judges 6 verse 12.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, the Lord is with you.