Gideon
served as a judge in Israel before there was a king. Hebrews 11 introduces him
as a member of the Hall of Faith. God's call came as he was working to provide
for his family, practicing values that were upright and honorable. He became a hero
by defeating an entire army with just three hundred men because God was with
him.
After this decisive battle Gideon demonstrated
moments of moral failure. He failed to anchor Israel in faithfulness to God,
for after his death the nation soon returned to idol worship. Abimelech, Gideon’s
son whose mother was a concubine, had all but one of his half-brothers killed.
What's
clear about Gideon is that he could be a hero one day and a moral failure the
next. God's desire is that we develop and maintain values that reflect his
presence in our lives. Yet by God's grace and mercy, he can and will use us despite
our limitations and failures. Thank God for his unmerited favor that permits us
to choose and serve him.
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