Here is an amazing paradox. Gideon must have assurance of Yahwehs promise {Judges 6} (v. 16), but, when the assurance comes, it terrifies rather than fortifies him (Oh no, Lord Yahweh, for I have seen the Angel of Yahweh face to face! [v. 22]. He must have assurance but there is a problem with the assurance. This assurance does not settle but alarms him. We western Christians do not understand Gideons agony (v. 22). Such talk is strange to us. We long to reach our warm hand through the print of our Bible page, pat Gideons shoulder, & soothe him with Dont worry, brother Gideon, Gods not really scary like that - if only you had a New Testament... A pained, perplexed look would come over Gideon as if he had just heard a theological ignoramus. And so he did. This sort of talk (v. 22) is strange to us, because we have no real sense of the terror & awesomeness of God, for we think intimacy with God is an inalienable right rather than an indescribable gift. There is nothing amazing about grace as long as there is nothing fearful about holiness. But, thankfully, Gideon knew better. Nothing is more assuring than Gods I will be with you; nothing is more overwhelming than the fact that it is God who says it. It is only God who can speak peace to the trembling (vv. 23-24) (Dale Ralph Davis, Judges: Such a Great Salvation, 96-97).
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 00:44:44 +0000
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