The Need for Preparation

Whether gardening, baking a cake, launching a satellite into orbit or doing surgery, an amount of preparation is required.  Before Jesus came to earth God sent John the Baptist to prepare the way for Him.  Jesus also sent disciples before Him into towns to prepare for Him, and the upper room was prepared by the disciples before Jesus observed the Passover with His disciples.  Preparation is a necessary part of our physical and spiritual lives.

A great example of this is seen in Gideon being called to deliver God's people from the oppressive rule of the Midianites.  Most familiar with the biblical account know Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress when an angel revealed God's call upon his life.  What is not often mentioned is prior to Gideon's personal call a prophet spoke to Israel in Judges 6:7-10:  "And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried out to the LORD because of the Midianites,⁸ that the LORD sent a prophet to the children of Israel, who said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of bondage;⁹ and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land.¹⁰ Also I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell." But you have not obeyed My voice.'"  The message from God spoken by the unnamed prophet was given before the Angel of the LORD came to Gideon and should not be ignored.

After Gideon was urged to go in his might and deliver Israel, he presented an offering received by God.  That night God told Gideon to destroy his father's altar to Baal, cut down the grove and sacrifice a bull owned by his father as an offering to the LORD.  Gideon did so, much to the dismay of the local idolators who demanded his execution.  Judges 6:33-35 says, "Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. ³⁴ But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.³⁵ And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them."  This all occurred before Gideon laid out a fleece in faith to ensure he was not being presumptuous to lead God's people to victory over Midian.

The progression is insightful:  God spoke generally to the nation, God called Gideon, in faith Gideon obeyed God, then Gideon was filled with the Holy Spirit.  This word of God prepared Gideon to receive a call, faith in God quickened Him to obey, and then the Holy Spirit came upon Him in power for service.  We can reverse this order and start "laying fleeces" before God to discern His will before we have listened to His word or obeyed Him!  The Holy Spirit can come upon people in an instant because God is sovereign and does gloriously as He pleases.  Yet even as repentance precedes forgiveness and being born again precedes being baptised with water or receiving communion worthily, so submission to God in faith and obedience precedes the baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Being filled to overflowing with the presence of God is a free gift according to God's promise, and the life of Gideon shows how preparation is at times required.

There is no formula to receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit as the book of Acts clearly demonstrates, but one thing is certain:  God prepared every soul to receive the Holy Spirit and operate in the gifts of the Spirit according to His will, and the promise of the Father is for us and as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39).  The life of Gideon shows us even in the midst of oppression God is moving and speaking; when we are filled with questions God is pleased to call and direct people in His service.  When nothing good seems to be happening, be sure God is preparing.  Those who prepare their hearts to seek the LORD and obey Him are the ones He will fill with the Holy Spirit.

We might think victory is simply given at our asking, but these scriptures reveal we are led into it by the Holy Spirit.  In one sense failure prepares us to enter into victory.  This is affirmed in 2 Corinthians 2:14:  "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."  The victory over the Midianites was most unorthodox and showed it was God who graciously gave His people the victory of their enemies, and this is true with us as well.  Do not lose heart in the midst of oppression, believer, for the LORD hears our cries and will always lead us in triumph in Christ--whether it is like Stephen who was stoned to death or David who stood on the neck of the deceased giant.  Praise the LORD for preparing us and accomplishing His will through us!