There was no ending to the prophet’s message to Israel (Judg 6:8-10). No special song, prayer, or altar call. Just silence. Like the ending of the Book of Jonah, we’re left to wonder what God’s people would do with His indictment.
If God was going to act, it would be according to His grace and faithfulness, not as a reaction to Israel’s works. God’s works are always in accordance with His eternal will, not man’s response. A believer’s works are always a response to grace, not a requirement to receive grace. The unsaved man’s works are always according to his sinful nature.

I. The Scene (Judg 6:11). A wine press was built at the bottom of a hill; a hole dug 2-3 feet into the ground and lined with stone or pitch. As grapes were crushed under foot, the juice would run into a separate basin to be collected.
A threshing floor was built at the top of a hill and was the place grain was beat so the wind could carry away the chaff and the heavier kernel would fall to the ground.
Gideon is introduced threshing grain in a winepress. Chaff blowing in the wind from a hilltop would be easily seen by the Midianites for miles around. Gideon was willing to choke on the chaff in that hole that day rather than starve the next. The Angel of the Lord watched as Gideon secretly worked.

II. The Angel (Judg 6:11). Jesus is the eternal Second Person of the Godhead; fully God from eternity (Is 9:6; Mic 5:2; Jn 1:1, 3; 3:13, 31; 8:58). Most people, at best, see Him foreshadowed in the Old Testament (Gen 3:15; Is 53) and not active until His birth, when the fully Divine took upon Himself full humanity without ever compromising either nature (Ps 40:6-8; Phil 2:5-8; Heb 10:5). The Son was as active in the world as the Father and the Spirit (Jn 1:1-3).
Jesus was physically active and present in human history long before He took upon Himself human flesh. He revealed Himself as the Angel of the Lord, identified as YHWH, spoke as YHWH, and worked as YHWH (Gen 16:7-14; 21:17-18; 22:11-18; 31:11-13; Ex 3:2; 14:19; 23:20; Judg 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-22; 13:3-22; 2 Sam 24:16; 2 King 19:5-7, 35; 1 Chron 21:1-27; Zech 1:12; 3:1; 12:8).
Jesus’ greatest work, however, required Him to take upon Himself human flesh so that He might die for Adam’s race, bearing the penalty of our sin. His death revealed His glory and grace (Jn 1:17; 1 Tim 2:5; Tit 2:11).
The Hebrew word for angel (malak), like the Greek (angelos), simply means messenger. Jesus, the Messenger from Heaven, watched Gideon.

III. The Man (Judg 6:12). The Angel addresses Gideon with a promise: The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor! An extremely humorous greeting for a man hiding in a hole in the ground. It also shows Gideon didn’t choose himself for what was about to happen. In fact, Gideon had a hard time believing God would choose him for anything.
Gideon’s weakness is confronted by God’s power. God offered the man nothing more than His presence; He was all Gideon needed.
The phrase mighty man of valor (or warrior) is like Paul’s command to the Corinthians: Be a man or literally, be brave (1 Cor 16:13). Bravery or courage has nothing to do with facing your fears. The word courage means decisively doing what is morally right in the face of danger. The prophet Daniel, standing up to the king by refusing to eat unclean food offered to idols, is an example of courage (Dan 1:8-21).
Manliness is wrapped up in the Old Testament phrase be strong and courageous (Deut 31:7-8, 23; Josh 1:2-9; 2 Sam 10:12-13; 1 Chron 22:11-13; 2 Chron 32:7-8). Paul calls every believer to be spiritually “manly”, to know what God says and then bravely believe it and act upon it (1 Cor 16:13). When we know what God has said, there’s no room for questions, hesitation, or compromise. God calls us to a life of faith in Him, and He is all we need to live for Him and to serve Him.