Judges 6:11-13 - The angel of the Lord came

6:11,12

We are now introduced to Gideon. Gideon is seen as something of a hero, and in some ways he is, but he is also a deeply conflicted character. At the outset he is presented as very timid. He does then carry out heroic acts, but he ends up in idolatry. Gideon is the son of Joash. Gideon was threshing wheat, and doing so in secret because of the oppression of the Midianites. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”. Now this did not fit with the current state of Gideon at all. But this is what he, and indeed all Israel, would be if they trusted in the Lord.

6:13

Gideon, understandably, questions the Lord, focusing on the Lord being with them, or rather it seemed as if the Lord was definitely not with them. They were currently oppressed by the Midianites, they had heard of the wonders God did in the past, but in the present day they saw nothing. It seemed as if the Lord had abandoned them. The reason for this was that the people had no love for the Lord, they were only concerned for their material well-being. We can be the same, but the Lord is concerned for our spiritual well being, from which material well being follows.