Gideon encounters Jesus

February 19, 2025

By Editorial Team

And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-Shalom.

Judges 6:23,24

Jesus appeared to people even during the Old Testament times. In the Book of Judges, Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites. And everybody was in hiding. The vast Midianite army, would come in at harvest time ravage the crops, plunder the produce, take the harvest and go. One of those days, Gideon was threshing wheat in hiding, in a closed compound. In that compound was a large terebinth tree and Jesus comes and sits under the tree and starts talking to Gideon. “The Lord is with you, mighty man of valour.” Gideon thinks it is some man of God etc and replies, Where are all the miracles Sir? We are in deep problems, and God is not with us.

And Jesus replies, Go in this might of yours and save Israel. Is there a situation in your life which is really big, tall task, gargantuan, impossible, or even very tough to accomplish. The word for you today is, Go in this might of yours and accomplish it. Gideon says, I am the least and my family is not a famous one, we are just normal people. Then the Lord replies, “Surely I will be with you, and you’ll defeat the Midianites as one man.”

Gideon senses that this could be the LORD himself and says, Sir please wait till I bring an offering. Jesus is unhurried and says, I’ll wait here. I wonder if it took, say an hour or more, to kill a calf, prepare the offering. Jesus was waiting, such a beautiful tender picture. He wants to convince this fearful child fully of his intent and then only return to Heaven. What a shepherd, what a loving God!

Then Gideon brings the offering - some curry, roast mutton pieces and tandoori rotis etc. Jesus tells him to put the offering on the rock. He touches it with the tip of his staff, fire rises and consumes the food and Lord vanishes.

Then Gideon senses that the Angel/Person who he met is God. And starts shivering. The Holy Spirit then whispers to him, “Peace (Shalom) be unto you, Fear not, you will not die.”

He then builds an altar and calls the LORD who appeared unto him, Jehovah-Shalom. This is another name for Jesus. He is the Prince of Peace.

Lot of people don’t understand the meaning of Shalom. Strong’s concordance [7965] tells us it is from the root word, Shalam [Strong’s 7999], means Safety in mind, body and estate., It has also a sense of completion, cause to complete.

Shalom has tones of health, prosperity, welfare etc. It is also a salutation. In fact your common Muslim greeting, Salaam-aaleikum (Arabic) and Shalom Aleichem (Hebrew) both mean Peace be unto you. Also gives us Salaam in Hindi. Of course, the meanings are totally different.

Solomon, is Shlomo in Hebrew, which is Peaceful (from Shalom)! Remember, God told David, I will give you a son, and there will be Peace in his time, so that he can build the Temple.

Jesus appears after Resurrection into a room full of fearful disciples, and says Shalom. Today I don’t know what situation is making you fearful. Lord Jesus says to you Shalom. It’s a sense of victory over those very situations that are threatening to drown you or kill you or intimidate you. Christ has come to help you!

Gideon still doubts and puts a few tests of fleece. Once convinced, he gathers an army, of about 30,000 people. God says these are too many, because you will say, your own Army defeated Midian. So, God reduces them to 300 men who lapped the water with their tongues.

Gideon is still fearful, how can 300 folks kill ten thousands? So the Holy Spirit tells him to go with Purah your servant to the enemy camp tonight. Here he overhears a Midianite soldier telling another of his dream, “I saw a loaf of barley bread, tumbling into our camp and it overturns the tent and it collapses.” Then his companion answers, it is none other than Gideon a man of Israel and God has given us into his hand.

Now strengthened, he starts the battle and wins it. Read Judges Chapters 6,7,8 for full details.

Go take Purah: Is there a situation where you are fearful, challenged. Maybe you need to take someone along, a friend, colleague, or a driver, or servant to accomplish that task. It could be an office project, a family task, a household chore, dusting, mopping, or whatever. Why are you trying to do it solo? Two are better than one. Maybe just a driver to go there, as it happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Just ask for help and go accomplish what you need to.

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