Heroes: Gideon
Judges 6,7
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out— what did God do in and through you (Phil 2:13)? Celebrate those together!
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Read:
Review: Remind the group of the focus of this series:
o This series takes us through the lives and lessons of selected people from Biblical history
o We looked at David , Esther, Daniel and Abigail. This week we looked at a “reluctant hero”: Gideon.
The Grand Tour:
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Ask for a volunteer to give an overview of the story. Discuss the following questions:
o God’s judgement (7 years under Midianite occupation) and God’s mercy (Gideon’s victory) work together here— what do you think changed in those 7 years?
o Why did God choose a person who was SO not heroic in his understanding of himself?
Read 6:12-16. Discuss this passage.
o The theme here is clearly, “God will be with you”. Who are some other Bible characters whose call to ministry started with that statement?
o Gideon did not connect the “God will be with you” to “Victory” at all in the beginning— what was getting in the way?
o The angel said, “Go in the strength you have”. That echoes other places where God called people just to start with what they had (Ex 4:1-5, Luke 9:1-6; 9:59-60).
Read 7:1-2. Discuss these questions
o Even with all his initial group of men, the odds were clearly against them (unless you were an optimist on caffeine!). Why was it so vital to this mission that God’s people, Israel, acknowledge that it was the Lord Who saved them?
o God said, “Israel would boast against Me…”. Why would this be a boast AGAINST God in this situation?
o Read John 3:1-2, Mark 16:15-19, 2 Cor 4:7-12. Why is it SO important that God’s power, not ours, be evident as we pursue His purposes— it’s good that the world walks away thinking, “Christians are really nice, courageous, helpful people…!”, right? What’s missing there?
Read 7:4-7. Discuss the following questions
o Why send home those who were afraid? Doesn’t the “testing of our faith develop perseverance…”? What was God doing here?
o 300 is a ridiculous number of troops against 100,000. What are other places in the Bible where ridiculous odds are the canvas on which God displays HIs glory?
Read 7:9-15. Discuss the following questions
o Identify all the ways in this story that God helped Gideon along the way with confirmations that “I am with you”. What changed between Gideon’s first tests (and retests) of God’s Word (6:19-23, 6:36-40), and this last confirmation (7:13,14)— what had changed in Gideon/ the enemy to tip him over the edge to call his troops to action?
o Scott made the comment that “God’s greatest power is only experienced by those who obey Him when the odds are stacked against them”. What does that mean, and how do you see that principle through Scripture/ your own lives?
Respond:
o Gideon’s response to the dream of victory was that He “bowed down and worshipped.” What are some things that are happening in our lives right now that cause us to do that? Share it and take these things to the Lord in prayer.
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