GIDEON

Columnist and author Ann Landers once described how our attitudes toward our dads evolve as we grow:

Child’s Age – Attitude Toward Dad

4 years: My daddy can do anything.

7 years: My dad knows a lot, a whole lot.

8 years: Wow… Dad doesn't quite know everything, does he?

12 years: Well, of course Dad wouldn't know anything about that.

14 years: Pops? Hopelessly old-fashioned.

21 years: Oh, he’s living in the past. What’d you expect?

25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but pretty clueless.

30 years: Well, it might not help, but we could ask Dad what he thinks.

35 years: Let’s slow down a bit and get Dad's opinion before we do anything.

50 years: I wonder what Dad would’ve thought about that. He was pretty smart.

60 years: My dad knew absolutely everything!

65 years: I'd give anything if Dad were still here so I could talk this over with him. I really miss him.

Theology Professor Calvin Miller once said: “The reason that the earth is so poor is that her real treasure lies in heaven, while all her treasure maps are of the earth.”

This is because God truly sees us as His children.

In South Africa’s Pilanesberg Park, young male elephants—without the guidance of mature males—became aggressive and destructive. Eventually, older bull elephants were introduced. They quickly brought stability and order, assuming their roles as fathers and disciplinarians.

What was your dad’s wound from his dad? And how was grandpa hurt by his father? Many of us are shaped by generations of father wounds.

“Many men with father wounds become the best fathers. They have a deep conviction to protect the next generation from what wounded them.” Author Richard Rohr

God sends an angel to the home of Joash, from the clan of Abiezer, to speak with Joash’s son, Gideon:

Judges 6:12–16

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”

Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?”

He said to Him, “O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”

But the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”

But first, God required Gideon and Joash to separate themselves from idolatry before stepping into their calling.

Judges 6:25–27

Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take the second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.”

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

One of the few remaining altars of Baal still stands today—a reminder of the very thing Gideon was called to tear down.

This action was bold, loud, and disruptive. People noticed right away.

Judges 6:28–31

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.

They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash did this thing.”

Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.”

But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.”

After this turning point, God began to move Gideon into leadership and victory—because God knew what was coming.

Judges 6:33–34 (NLT)

Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east formed an alliance against Israel and crossed the Jordan, camping in the valley of Jezreel.

Then the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with power. He blew a ram’s horn as a call to arms, and the men of the clan of Abiezer came to him.