This chapter is about the pathway to geniune peace among the saints. The prayer for every assembly should be Yehovah Shalom -- YHWH bring peace.

The sword was devouring God's people; there was civil war in Isra'el. The Lord wants us to use our sword, but not against each other: against the real enemy.

In this passage God starts to raise up a deliverer named Gideon. The angel said, "YHWH is with thee, thou mighty man of valour". Gideon is not what we would picture as a mighty man of valour, hiding in the winepress, but it is the LORD with him that makes him a mighty man of valour. It is the same for us: God has always used weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise.

Gideon is concerned about all of his brethren, not just himself. He asks essentially, "If Yehovah is with me, then why are all of my brethren suffering?"

The Lord has promised, "I will build my church...", do we believe that? Some of us need a lot of encouragement, so we can relate to Gideon, and be encouraged to see how the Lord provided the encouragement that Gideon needed.



Going on to the next portion in verses 25-31:


The LORD instructs Gideon to throw down the altar of Baal. This next section is all about removing the idolatry before blessing could come. If we want to see revival, we have to ask what's hindering it. What idols are in our hearts and houses that need to be cut down? What's causing God's discipline and disfavour among us?

Yoash confronts the people with the logic of their complaint: What kind of God is Baal if he cannot even defend himself against my son?

Anything you look to, to satisfy you, more than the Lord Jesus, is an idol.