Call To War
In chapter 6 of the book of Judges, we are introduced to the story of Gideon. The Midianites had been marauding Israel to the point where Israelites were coming up with ways of hiding their food stocks. As many people are already familiar, God called Gideon to wage war on them in order to put a stop to it. For a longer form discussion about the back and forth between God and Gideon to convince him to act, you can check out another post I’ve written.
Today’s post is not going to be focused so much on the often mentioned fleece as with an altar he named that may seem out of context at first, but actually demonstrates an understanding from which we can learn an important lesson.
Gideon has been called to war. The angel sent by God has told him it is his responsibility to save Israel, violently.
And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
Judges 6:16
God of Peace
With that command to make war in mind, Gideon asked to present the messenger a gift. He brought a meal as offering.
So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them.
Judges 6:19
What he would witnessed convinced him that he was in the presence of the angel of God.
And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
Judges 6:20-22
The messenger, who had come with tidings of war, was confirmed as being from God. Gideon was terrified. This is a common response to believing oneself to be in the presence of God. Throughout the scriptures (both Old and New Testament), there are accounts of people finding themselves in the presence of God or his angels. They often tremble. Most fall down. Some are even described as falling down as if dead (Revelation 1:17). He was then comforted of his fear.
But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:23-24
Gideon built an altar to the God who sent him a call to war and named it “The Lord Is Peace”.
Fear Of God
When God’s angel had come to Gideon with a message of war, his mind was not on war. His mind was rightfully on the glory of the God who sent the message. Peace was not a matter of getting along with man first, for him. Instead, it was with being right with God. The greatest threat to man is not disunity with other men but being at enmity with God.
This greater threat was what Jesus warned men to be concerned about during his earthly ministry as well.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 10:28
Reconciliation
The next time you are tempted to cave to social pressures and not stand firm against wickedness with the excuse of “keeping the peace”, remember that it’s not peace with the wicked that we should value. Every person must answer to God, who’s wrath goes out against evil.
Thankfully, he is a God of Peace as well and he is reconciling men to himself through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Rather than worry so much about getting along with those who reject Christ, we can receive peace with God! This will put us at odds with those who reject him but that doesn’t make us any less peacemakers.
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Luke 12:51-53
At any point, sinners can be brought into unity with both God and his redeemed by the blood of Christ. This is the peace that lasts.
