Fearful Gideon and the Fleecing of Midian (Judges 6:33-7:25)

Whom do you fear? Do your fear the LORD? Or do you fear your enemies? Do you fear the people around you?

There are seven instances of fear in Judges 6-7. Four of them we heard last time:
v15 – how can I save Israel? (like Moses at the burning bush)
v17 – show me a sign! (like many…)
v22 – terrified that he has seen the angel of the LORD (like Manoah)
v27 – goes by night to do the work God called him to do (Nicodemus?!)

In our passage we get three more examples of fear – the two tests, and then in verse 10 – "f you are afraid…" (still!!)

And yet Gideon is held up in Hebrews 11 as a hero of faith! Why is he a hero of faith? Because he perfectly obeyed God?!! Uh – not even close!!

He is a hero of faith because when the moment came – in spite of all his weakness, fearfulness, and frailty, in spite of all the failings in everything else! – he did what God called him to do...