Beginning of the End: How the Lord Called Gideon

 Suddenly the “Angel of the Lord” appeared and spoke to him with the words, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.”

“O my lord,” was his answer, “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? ... The Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

The Messenger of heaven replied, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”

Gideon wanted some sign that the one now speaking to him was the Covenant Angel, who had performed mighty miracles for Israel in the past. Hurrying to his tent, from what little he had Gideon prepared a kid and unleavened bread, which he brought out and set before Him. But the Angel told him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” Gideon did this, and then the sign he was looking for was given—with the staff in His hand, the Angel touched the meat and the unleavened bread, and a flame bursting from the rock consumed the sacrifice. Then the Angel vanished.

Gideon’s father, Joash, who had participated in the apostasy of Israel, had built a large altar to Baal at Ophrah. The Lord commanded Gideon to destroy this altar and to set up an altar to Jehovah over the rock where the offering had been consumed, and present a sacrifice to the Lord there. The work of offering sacrifices had been committed to the priests and restricted to the altar at Shiloh, but the One who had established the ritual service had power to change its requirements. Gideon must declare war on idolatry before going out to battle with the enemies of his people.

Gideon performed the work in secret, accomplishing everything in one night with the help of his servants. The men of Ophrah were very angry when they came the next morning to offer their worship to Baal. Joash, who had been told of the Angel’s visit, stood in defense of his son. “Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who will plead for him be put to death by morning!” If Baal could  not defend his own altar, how could he be trusted to protect his worshipers?

All thoughts of harming Gideon were put away. When he sounded the trumpet of war, the men of Ophrah were among the first to join him. Messengers were sent to his own tribe of Manasseh, and also to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and all answered the call.