Judges 6: Gideon: From Fearful Farmer to Fearless Fighter

The Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’ Shalom in St. Louis, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Judges 6.

Gideon was not a warrior, but a farmer. We encounter him in this chapter secretly processing grain to hide it from the Midianites. God then calls the reluctant Gideon to confront the false gods worshiped by even his own family. Through miraculous signs and wonders, God patiently coaxed Gideon out of doubt and prepared him for a mighty battle that would help save the Israelites from their enemies.

The Book of Judges tells the story of Israel's descent into chaos and idolatry, and the subsequent rise of a series of judges, or redeemers, who deliver them from their enemies. The judges are flawed heroes, but they are also instruments of God's deliverance. The book ends with the Israelites in a state of moral and spiritual decay, but it also offers hope for a better future.