Key Verses: Judges 6:15-16, "'But Lord,' Gideon asked, 'how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.' The Lord answered, 'I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.'"
Two hundred years had passed since the victories of Joshua in the land of Canaan. Many changes had taken place-most of them weren't good. The Promised Land was occupied by many enemies, and the Israelites were spending much of their time hiding in fear. During this time of oppression, God called out leaders known as "judges," or deliverers to rescue his people.
This was the time of a man named Gideon. God called on him to deliver the Hebrew people from a group of nomadic fighters known as the Midianites. God saw a mighty warrior in Gideon. Gideon, however, saw himself as a weakling. He told God he was the weakest person from the weakest family in the weakest tribe in all of Israel. God showed Gideon-through a series of signs-that he'd be the one God would use. Gideon was finally convinced.
When it came time for the big fight with the Midianites, Gideon felt pretty good about his army of 32,000-until God whittled the number down to just 300 men. Then God led Gideon and his tiny army to victory, and the people were delivered from their enemy.
Gideon was an unlikely hero-an average person who didn't think very highly of himself. His life was changed when the God of the ages touched him with the power of encouragement. God saw Gideon's potential and understood he was a person who'd always know that his ability to lead was a gift from God.
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