Believe the Best
There he was, “threshing wheat in the winepress,” so that “he could hide from the Midianites.”
Threshing wheat in a winepress is wrong on many levels.
For one, it creates more work. When you thresh wheat, you are separating the husk from the grain. As you probably can imagine, when it comes to wheat threshing there are a lot of husks, which means a lot of waste to discard. Usually, the threshing occurs on a threshing floor, which is located on a windy spot (flat surface at higher elevation), so that the husk (not being heavy) can blow away and leave the grain separate and the spot easier to clean up.
In this case, the husks (waste) remained with the grain, because the winepress’s location—being more inconspicuous (dug in rock or in a vineyard at lower elevation) would not have a lot of wind. Therefore, the work is at least doubled. It takes longer to separate the wheat from the chaff, as well as clean the winepress, so that grapes can be crushed for making wine. I suspect that wheat husks don’t mix well with grapes and the processing of grapes to make wine.
And so, there he was, Gideon, hiding from the Midianites, and going out of his way—increasing his work—to avoid what could be more costly. In one sense, his pragmatism justifies his increased workload. He’s doing his best to provide for his livelihood because these Midianite marauders would raid and pillage the fruit of his labor anyway. However, in another sense, practicalities are not the principles to learn here.
The fact that Gideon was hiding reveals more about his faith than it does about his pragmatics and will to survive.
His quiet hiding revealed his trust in God.
Previously, God had made promises to His people (Deut. 28, Lev. 26). Promises that spelled out blessing through obedience and cursing through disobedience.
Gideon, therefore, is a microcosm of a greater macro reality. These ancient people of God were walking without faith, and as a result, they were facing God’s curse through the instrumentality of foreign nations.
Praise God, the story doesn’t end there. Praise God, He saw and acted upon what He knew Gideon could become.
“The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior.”[1]
When we step back from this, we’re not sure how powerful and prophetic is this statement truly. However, what we learn from Gideon is that this pronouncement couldn’t have been more misplaced given Gideon’s present circumstances and station in life.
Notice Gideon’s first response, “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.”
First, he questions their circumstances (blind to their disobedience), then he questions God’s covenant faithfulness (blind to God’s providential discipline), and then he questions God’s character (blind to God’s benevolent initiative). Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Gideon should have struck out right then and there.
In reality, though, he’s simply operating out of his present circumstantial experience—something every human can relate to intimately. We may call it emotionalism or pragmatism, but it’s often reality.
The bottom line, Gideon’s faith is weak, and his response reflects his actions—cowardice. However, it doesn’t end there. Thankfully!
The Lord doesn’t let him stay in his circumstances. Instead, in Judges 6:14, “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?”
God’s response is vastly different. Number one, He instructs Gideon to go in the strength he presently possesses. Second, He clarifies His call on Gideon’s life, namely, that he is not only called, but sent by God.
Well, Gideon still reveals his humanity and is indicative of all humanity. He responds in Judges 6:15, “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.” He doubts God’s commission (and therefore God’s sovereignty), as well as God’s ability to paradoxically use the weak to conquer the strong (and therefore God’s power). At this point, it’s obvious that Gideon is floundering in his faith.
Nevertheless, the Lord responds in Judges 6:16, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.”
The Lord’s response is a promise. He will be with Gideon. Incredible.
Jesus promised the same thing to His followers in Matthew 28:20 when He said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The same promise to Gideon was reconfirmed by our Lord to His followers.
How does this apply to us today?
- Gideon is just like us—doubting.
- Gideon has many present circumstantial reasons to not trust God—so do we.
- God knew what Gideon could become and called him to move from his present position with the knowledge of a future victory provided for by the Lord’s presence—and He still does today.
- Therefore, as leaders in ministry, we have the privilege of giving all those whom we serve the gift of believing the best, knowing that—as Christians and therefore possessors of God’s Spirit—their present presentation is not indicative of their future potential. To put it another way, God is still striking straight licks with crooked sticks, and we—as ministry leaders investing in the next generation—have the honor to do the same with those we are discipling and/or serving.
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[1] New American Standard Bible, v. Judges 6:12.
— April 7, 2022