And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. (Judges 6:13)
Gideon was not only a man of valor and means but a thinking man. It is apparent that he had been reflecting on the inability of the Israelites to defend their country, and trying to formulate plans to drive the invaders out. No doubt that is why the heavenly messenger chose to open the conversation with the words, “The Lord is with thee,” as if to say, “God is with you in your brave projects, Gideon.”“If God is with us,” Gideon asks ironically, “why am I forced to beat out a little wheat in a wine press, when I should be threshing an abundant harvest in the fields?”
Where be all his miracles?
The Exodus from Egypt was always the glorious starting point in a recital of God’s mighty works in behalf of the Israelites. “At that time,” Gideon says, “God was with us, but apparently He is not now, or the same miracles would be wrought to help us.” Gideon recognized that the sins of the people had caused God’s presence to leave the nation, but his faith did not seem to grasp the truth that when the people cry out to God, He gladly returns to held them.
It was difficult for Gideon to reconcile painful circumstances with the messenger’s statement of God’s presence. His faith was weak. He wanted to see miracles without launching out by faith. The angel tried to build up his faith by assurances of God’s presence. Similarly today many give a false interpretation to events in their lives. “The Lord hath forsaken us,” Gideon declared, “and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” The fact is that neither of these statements was entirely true. God had not forsaken His people, but they had forsaken Him. Furthermore, Israel’s own weakness, resulting from their willful departure from the source of their strength, had delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. It is true that God did not work a miracle to keep the Midianites away, but God is limited in the extent to which He can interfere in the affairs of men. He never coerces the will, and when men choose a course contrary to His plan, He does not prevent the natural consequences of such a course. Men have no right in such circumstances to blame God for not intervening in their behalf. On the other hand, when men choose to work with God, He is again able to work in their behalf and accomplish great things for them.