Public vs Private

Day two hundred ten

It's been a long week and my family is showing it.  There's been a little more complaining , a little more grouchiness, and a lot more tiredness.  We will get through it, it's just the enduring part that's rough.  My prayer this morning was focused on my family and our need to work through the tiredness and to remember all the blessings we have.  We need to get reconnected and laugh and have some fun. I asked the Lord to bless us with those opportunities and to hold us up a little longer.  I have no doubt that He will come through for us, He always does!

 Judges 6:33-40

After the very public test of destroying the altar of Baal and the grove of trees, there came a time of private testing for Gideon. This second test was not instigated by God, but by Gideon. He had demonstrated great bravery in his public testing, but he shows a lack of faith in this time of private testing. Sometimes it is easier to put on a public face and appear to be one person when we are someone totally different in private. 

Sometimes we feel like we need to be brave for others, when inside we are still feeling doubt and fear. There have been times in history when a President or military leader has rallied the troops to war, but inside they question what they are doing. As I read these verses in Judges 6,  I wondered if that was the case with Gideon.

When Gideon destroyed the altar to Baal, it was a step of great faith. But in these verses, removed from the public eye, we will see that Gideon is still afraid and unsure. Although his family and those living in his village have witnessed his courage in public; God will witness his fear in private.

Public
As the scene opens, we see a Gideon energized and excited from his recent victory, calling Israel to prepare for war. This is the Gideon the Lord saw when He first called Gideon for the task of delivering God’s people (v 12). 

It is harvest time in Israel (v 11) and the crops are being gathered. For the past seven years (v 1), the Midianites and their allies have used Israel as their own private pantry. They would come in and take the harvest for themselves, leaving the people of Israel destitute and broken (vv 3-7). This is what is taking place in verse 33. The invaders were significant in number. Judges 7:12 gives us some idea of the size of this vast army. According to Judges 8:10 their army numbered around 135,000 men.

When the enemy comes, Gideon has the courage to do what no man has done in over seven years. Until that moment, the war trumpets of Israel had been silent. No one in the land had possessed the courage to pick up that trumpet and call the people to war. Gideon appears ready for the task he has been assigned. He places his hand on the trumpet, lifts it to his lips and calls Israel to gather for battle (v 34). When Gideon sounds the war trumpet the people begin to rally around him. Judges 7:3 tells us that Gideon now has an army of 32,000 men.

Private
It is the word 'if' in verse 36 that leads me to believe that Gideon has some doubts concerning what the Lord is calling him to do.  God had already told Gideon repeatedly what He wanted him to do (vv 12, 14, 16) and He has shown him signs. But Gideon seems to have difficulty  simply trusting the Lord and taking Him at his word. He wants some kind of tangible proof that he can see with his own eyes that this is God’s will. In other words, Gideon is not willing to walk by faith alone; he wants to walk by sight too.

Gideon comes up with a test to determine God’s will. In verse 37, he places a piece of sheepskin on the ground and asks the Lord to make the fleece wet and the ground around it dry. God does exactly what Gideon asks him to do (v 38).

However, this does not satisfy Gideon. So, even though he was able to wring a bowl full of water from the fleece, he is still not convinced. The next night he asks God to reverse the conditions of the test. Make the ground wet and the fleece dry. God does this too (vv 39-40).  Apparently, this satisfies Gideon because he does not question God’s call again.
 
I am not condemning Gideon for his choice to seek a sign.  There have been times in my life when I have sought a sign from God, although it was nothing quite as impressive as the fleece test.  Over the years I have learned that you are never really sure when you ask for a sign that it really came from God.  Instead, I have leaned on what I have learned from the scriptures about how God guides His people:

Through His Spirit – John 16:13; D&C 8:3 
Through His word – Psalm 119:105; Alma 37:44
Through His peace – Col. 3:15; Mosiah 4:3
Through the desires He gives us – Proverbs 11:23; D&C 11:8
Through the godly counsel of His people – Pro. 11:14; Amos 3:7

We know that something truly comes from God when ALL of these areas are in agreement.  This is the only sure way I know that God is the one guiding me.  When we know that it is truly God leading us it gives us the confidence to be the same person publicly that we are privately. 

Take a minute to think about what could be accomplished for God in this world if every believer simply did what God wanted him or her to do with confidence.  Far more would be accomplished than we could ever imagine!  We just need to learn to take Him at His word and step out in faith!