TODAY IN THE WORD
The decorated war hero and controversial Army general George S. Patton knew more about bravery than most people can imagine. But he also knew plenty about fear. He said, “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.”

As we discussed at the beginning of our January 6 study, Gideon's accomplishments in battle empowered by the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Lord were quite remarkable. We'll study his bravery in more detail tomorrow, but today will show that Gideon was also considerably plagued by fear. The cause of his fear was not his own sin, but the wickedness of his family and his community. The Israelites had done evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The exact nature of that evil reveals itself through the discourse in today's passage. The Israelites had been oppressed by the Midianites and Amelekites and other people groups in the land they had come to occupy, but they had also grown quite comfortable worshiping the false gods. Gideon's initial fears may have been directed toward the invading foreigners, but his fears over destroying the Asherah pole and altar to Baal stemmed from his own family (v. 27).

Gideon did eventually obey—after several rounds of testing. He needed proof that the angel was of the Lord, which also frightened him (possibly because of the warning in Ex. 33:20). Then he needed proof not once but twice that Israel would be saved by his hand (vv. 36-39). Gideon's problem wasn't an unwillingness to obey, but rather a surplus of fear.

The wickedness of worshiping foreign gods had infested the Israelites, making them vulnerable both to the wrath of God and the oppression of foreign people. But the fear was compounded within their own ranks. All the evidence points to Gideon being a man of faith and obedience, but a community overrun with sin and spiritual infidelity had created an environment of fear for those who truly loved God.

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TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Does this description sound at all familiar in today's culture? When sinful practices abound and biblical beliefs are ridiculed, believers naturally feel threatened. On one hand, Gideon's story should encourage you to stand against the current of popular thought. But on the other hand, we must all recognize the warning that our sins are not only personal—they contribute to an atmosphere in which people are afraid to live righteously. Our sins weigh on the consciences of those around us. Remember that today.

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