Gideon was one of the great “men of faith” of the Old Testament (Hebrews 11:32). Gideon was later very faithful in serving God, but when He first approached Gideon, Gideon was quick to accuse God: “Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, 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, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites’” (Judges 6:13). Why did Gideon make this accusation?
Israel was having a hard time. The Midianites, Arabian nomads, along with their allies, continually destroyed their crops (Judges 6:2-6). When God sent His angel to announce that God would raise him up to deliver Israel, Gideon charged God with wrong on the basis of how Midian had been able to treat Israel.
It’s very easy to neglect your own difficulties and sins, and instead see yourself as entirely justified, and then charge someone else with wrong. Gideon certainly did this. On the basis of his narrow perspective, and not taking into account the sin of Israel, he charged God with forsaking His people; in reality, the opposite was true (Judges 6:7-10). How often do we see God being charged with wrong when the problem tends to lay more with those charging God with the wrong? How often do we hear of people asking how God could allow a tsunami, hurricane, fire, or an illness, and people never speak of chance or the presence of sin? People are always quick to charge God with wrongs, but never thank Him for blessings. Are you guilty?
Kyle Campbell
