Gideon: Want to be a Hero?
Jack Klumpenhower
4/10/2008

I want to make a difference in the world, don’t you? I dream of being a hero, perhaps a guy like Gideon—inspiring, blowing a trumpet, fighting the bad guys for God. Don’t we all?

God called Gideon to save his people, the Israelites, from a horde of thugs called the Midianites. “They arrived on droves of camels too numerous to count. And they stayed until the land was stripped bare” (Judges 6:5). The Midianites were strong. Gideon was weak.

A weak hero

God’s first words to Gideon were, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you” (Judges 6:12), and then, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel” (Judges 6:14). All that talk of might and strength must have sounded to Gideon like God had the wrong guy. He responded sensibly, “How can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” (Judges 6:15).

But God made Gideon—get this—weaker yet! Gideon raised an army of 32,000 men, and God said that was too many: “If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength” (Judges 7:2). So God had Gideon send home all who were scared. From those left, he chose just 300 men who cupped water in their hands when they drank.

At this point, those of us who want to be God’s heroes run into difficulty. Weakness is no fun. So we’d like to think God was actually strengthening Gideon’s army by winnowing out cowards, or that drinking from the hands marked a better soldier—perhaps a watchful one. But the Bible gives no hint that God’s purpose was anything other than what he said it was. He wanted Gideon’s army weak and humble. All their strength came from God.

A fearful hero

Gideon was also fearful and uncertain. God first said to tear down pagan worship sites. Gideon did it, “but he did it at night because he was afraid” (Judges 6:27). Then Gideon skeptically tested God’s promises, convincing God to make a wool fleece wet with dew on a dry morning, then dry on a dewy morning (see Judges 6:36-40).

When Gideon still doubted, God came and said, “If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged” (Judges 7:10-11). Only after hearing about an enemy soldier’s foreboding dream did Gideon attack and save Israel.

Again, we would prefer to be heroes who never flinch or worry. So we tend to view Gideon’s anxiety as a spiritual flaw. But the Bible does not suggest God was upset. Rather, Gideon knew he was weak, and his fear forced him to connect with God. He prayed. He listened intently. All his confidence came from God.

God’s heroes

This teaches would-be heroes like you and me that God tends to use people who set aside their strength, become weak, and shamelessly cry to him. Gideon isn’t even the chief example. God’s ultimate salvation comes through Jesus, who humbled himself all the way to death. I forget sometimes that Jesus didn’t go to the cross calmly and unafraid. He wrestled with God over it: “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me” (Luke 22:42). His heroism arose from pleading tears and from sweat that fell like blood.

God’s work goes on. He calls new heroes every day to follow his old way of changing the world.

Do you feel weak? Has anything in your workplace or home or church recently proven you to be, in some regard, a failure? It’s happened to me, and it isn’t fun. Or are you fearful? Have you seen things God might have you do but turned away rather than risk embarrassment or discomfort? This happens to me all the time.

Do you want to be a hero? The world’s standards for heroes have told me many times that I simply don’t measure up. But I know that God shapes his champions from unlikely clay. I want to be one of those heroes. Don’t you?

This is the tenth in a series of articles about heroes of the Bible. Next time: Samson.

Jack Klumpenhower is a writer and communications consultant living in Colorado. He has authored Bible study lessons and a family devotional guide.