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Showdown by Abidan Shah, PhD

Abidan Paul Shah
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SHOWDOWN by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction:  Last year, those of you who went with me to Greece may remember, one of the places that I really wanted to visit was Thermopylae, the site of the famous battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. This is where the alliance of several Greek city-states led by King Leonidas of Sparta and his 300 men (along with 700 Thespians and 400 Thebans) held off a massive Persian army at a narrow pass (15 meters wide = 50 feet) with a sheer cliff, which is no longer the case since the shoreline of the Gulf of Malis has retreated several miles away. In fact, where I am standing in the video, I would’ve been under water if it were 480 BC. In the end, the Spartans died, but their sacrifice served as a great source of inspiration to the other Greeks. A year later (479 BC), at the Battle of Platea, the Persians were finally defeated. The story of the battle, especially of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans, has been an inspiration throughout history of how a small band of well-trained, committed, and fearless men made their stand against a massive Persian army, and with it an ideology of oppression and subjugation. In today’s message, we’re going to look at another group of 300, but their stand was very different. To keep our Western theme, our message is titled “SHOWDOWN.” Main Point: When God gets ready for a showdown, he begins by anointing us with his Holy Spirit. He demonstrates his gospel before the watching world. Then, he chooses only those who fully trust him and are truly grateful. Fear is only ungratefulness in advance. Ungratefulness is only fear that has run its course.     

Judges 7        5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.”

Context: What a bizarre test or assessment to decide who would fight against the Midianites! Just to remind you from last weekend, this was no small showdown. Listen to Judges 6:33“Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.” According to Joshua 8:10, there were altogether 135,000 Midianites as well as Amalekites, along with the people of the East. Imagine such a massive movement of troops coming into the land. Also, there were numerous camels – Judges 7:12 “Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.” If you remember last weekend, these camels were very destructive. They were domestic animals which were being used in battle. Imagine them to be like tanks with archers sitting on them about 6-9 feet high. Can you imagine the fear that must have come over the people of Israel? In a time like this, you would think that God would want every able-bodied man from every corner of the land to come together and fight for him. In a time like this, you would think that God would want the best trainers to train the troops to fight with the sword and the shield, to fight in formation, to fight hand to hand, and to learn every battle strategy. In a time like this, you would think that God would want Gideon to study the terrain and find the best strategic advantage to defeat this massive movement of troops, like Leonidas. Instead, God dismisses 91% of the force! He even puts them through a bizarre test of lapping the water instead of drinking the water! What is God up to? Again, don’t forget to place the two filters: Christ and the Christian life. If this showdown was going to be won, it would by those who knew that God was the true fighter.

Application: Who is fighting your battles? Who is truly behind what is happening at our church? Are you saved?

With that said, let’s dive in and try to understand God’s strategy in the showdown:

1. Special anointing of the Holy Spirit:

Judges 6:34 “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon…”

Several times in Judges, it mentions the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the judges:

Something very interesting here in the Hebrew grammar: the Hebrew use of “labas” reads “The Spirit of Yahweh put on Gideon.” It is not that Gideon put on the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit put on Gideon. On the surface, it was Gideon, but underneath was the Holy Spirit.

Illustration: Imagine if I offended a trained boxer, and he challenges me to fight me. I’m panicking. I’m in the gym. I’m paying the best trainers to help me. Then, there’s a knock on the door, and there stands Mike Tyson. He says, “I’m going to fight for you.” I remind him that the boxer wants to fight me, not him. He says, “No problem. I’m going to wear you. Your opponent will only see you, but behind the surface its really my fist and my punch.” That’s what is meant here.

To the world, its only Gideon. They don’t see that you have offered yourself as piece of clothing to the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4        2 “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Application: Do you have the Holy Spirit? Is he clothing you?

2. Demonstration of the gospel before others:

Judges 6      36 So Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said— 37 look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” 40And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.

This is not your typically “put out a fleece” that Christians often do. This is not a sign for Gideon. He already has the Spirit. This is for the people around him. There is a lot of symbols and types in the book of Judges. In a sense, Gideon is the new Moses (Hugenberger). There are a lot of parallels between the two. 

First Sign for Moses – Exodus 4:2 So the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent. Remember, the serpent was the sign of Egypt. God’s people were not only slaves in Egypt, but they were also worshipping the gods of Egypt. Second Sign for Moses – Exodus 4:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand).” God will use the same rod to bring deliverance.

In fact, God gives another sign to Moses – Exodus 4        6 Furthermore the LORD said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. Again, first action is their sin problem, and the second action is their deliverance.

So also, there are 2 signs with Gideon: First is the problem in the land; Second is the problem with the people. The fleece of wool represents the myriads of camels across the land over the threshing floor of Israel. They have absorbed all the blessing of Israel. The threshing floor is Israel. We need God’s dew back on us. Deuteronomy 33      27 The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, “Destroy!’ 28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew.”

Application: We need to recognize what’s happening in America. We need to recognize that God is behind what is taking place, and only he can save us. Only he can send the dew of blessing upon our nation.

3. Rejection of the Fear mongers:

Judges 7      1 Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the well of Harod (Trembling, fear, anxiety), so that the camp of the Midianites was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley. 2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, “Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” (The word Gilead is related to the Arabic word “jal‘ad” which means strong/enduring, and even fearful. It is used for camels, especially the humps of the camels.) So, here they are by the stream of anxiety and facing the mount fearful that reminds them of the countless camels on the other side!

 3 “…And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, “This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. 7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” Unlike those who were on their knees, those lapping the water were all in. It was a sign of total submission to God.

Only those who are willing to trust him fully and are willing to give him glory are chosen to go with Gideon. Fear is only ungratefulness in advance. Ungratefulness is only fear that has run its course.

2 Timothy 1       6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Invitation: God is getting ready for a showdown. Which side are you on? Does the Holy Spirit have you? Can you see the demonstration of the gospel? Are you still walking in fear? Are you saved? 

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