Judges 6:12

My Notes

What Does Judges 6:12 Mean?

"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour." The angel greets Gideon with an identity declaration: mighty man of valor. At the moment of this greeting, Gideon is hiding. He's threshing wheat in a winepress — underground, out of sight — because he's terrified of the Midianites. The mighty man of valor is hiding from his enemies. God calls him what he will become, not what he currently is.

Gideon's response — essentially, "If God is with us, why is everything terrible?" — reveals his disconnect between theology and experience. He knows the stories of God's power but doesn't see evidence of it in his present circumstances. The angel doesn't answer his question. He gives him an assignment instead.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What name is God calling you that doesn't match your current circumstances?
• 2.How does God's habit of naming people by their future (not their present) challenge your self-image?
• 3.What 'winepress' are you hiding in — and what would it look like to leave?
• 4.When have you asked 'Where is God?' and received a commission instead of an explanation?

Devotional

Mighty man of valor. God says this to a man hiding in a winepress. Threshing wheat underground because he's too scared to do it in the open. The Midianites have terrorized Israel for seven years, and Gideon is in a hole, trying to feed his family without being seen.

And God calls him a warrior.

This is how God names people. Not according to what they're doing but according to what they're becoming. Gideon is a scared farmer in a winepress. God sees a commander who will defeat an army with three hundred men and some torches. The name comes before the evidence. The identity precedes the performance.

Gideon's response is honest and relatable: "If the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" It's the question of every person who knows God's stories but doesn't see God's power in their own life. You've heard about the Red Sea. You've read about the walls of Jericho. But your winepress is full of fear and your enemy is on the horizon. Where's the God of the stories?

The angel doesn't answer the question. He gives an assignment: "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel." The answer to "where is God?" isn't a theological explanation. It's a commission. You want to see God move? Get out of the winepress. The mighty man of valor has to leave the hiding place before the valor can show up.

God is calling you something you don't feel. A name that doesn't match your circumstances. An identity that sounds absurd given where you're sitting right now. And the invitation is the same: go in this thy might. Get up. The name will catch up with your obedience.

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture