Where are all the miracles? Judges 6:1-13
A long time ago a man named Gideon asked a question that every believer in God needs to answer at some time. The passage from the Bible noted above tells the story.
The nation of Israel had been overrun by the nation of Midian. An angel appeared to Gideon, and in his greeting to him, he said that God was with Gideon. Now Gideon didn’t know immediately that this was an angel, but no doubt he would have asked the same question anyway. Actually he asked two questions, but I want to focus on one. He combined the questions, so the one question by itself is: So if God is with us, then where are all His miracles?
The nation of Israel was fond of telling the stories of God’s great miracles of the past. So Gideon figured God should be doing the same thing then too.
And Christians today are fond of telling the stories of God’s great miracles of the past, but they generally don’t think they should expect Him to do the same today.
But Gideon asked the question of the angel, and what do you know? God used Gideon to do the very miracle that Gideon was concerned about. And later in the Bible, Gideon was heralded in the Book of Hebrews as a great man of faith
Was it just coincidental that an angel appears to a man who questions where God’s miracles are and God then uses this man to be the instrument of that very miracle? The Bible says that these things were written for our instruction (1Corinthians 10:11). And what would the instruction be here but that God’s people should expect miracles from God?
And not just miracles for the sake of miracles. The people needed help that only God could provide.
But go back to the first part of the question. What prompted Gideon’s question was the statement from the angel that God was with him.
Now this expression ‘God with us’ by itself can mean different things. For most Christians today, I believe they see the statement as one of location, answering the question, Where is God? Yes, God is everywhere, but Christians believe that God has come to live within them as well.
But the expression can be understood in another way as well. If someone promises to be with you, they mean that they can be counted on to support and help you, usually with a particular situation in mind.
In modern Western Christian usage, God’s presence is often spoken of but not His help, at least not in the sense of changing a situation but only in helping one to endure it.
At the end of this article, I have listed all the passages in the Bible relating to God being with someone. It’s a lot of passages, but you only need to look at them if you are unsure whether saying God is with us means that He is just right there beside us or that He is there to help us in what we need.
Now Israel had been under the hand of Midian for seven years. Yes, God took the initiative and came to Gideon. But what Gideon did still required courage, and I would say the only courage that a person could have because they believed God was behind and with what they did. God just didn’t appear to anybody, but somebody who expected that God should do something and the very thing that was needed.
For those of you who are Christians, you have to admit that the life of the Church depicted in the Bible is very far from the life of the Church that we see today. You can say that God doesn’t do those things anymore, or you can say with Gideon. “If God is with us, then where are all His miracles?”
For those of you who do not identify yourselves as Christians, it is not hard to feel helpless in the face of the problems in the world and in our country. I know a lot of people who just avoid reading about the news, because there is so little good news. You know it would take a God to fix all the problems we have.
I am sure there are some people reading this who would understand this story as God just doing what He wants when He wants, and that it is entirely up to Him. But frankly, I can’t imagine the Bible would have recorded this incident with Gideon’s question if God did not expect every generation to ask the same question and to see the same kind of answers.
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God with us
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Isaiah 7:14
When the Bible speaks of God being with someone, it is not a statement of God’s location or of his sympathy for that person. It always speaks of His active care, protection, and help, as in, God is on my side. Nothing can harm or defeat me.
Gen 21:20,22 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21:22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God [is] with thee in all that thou doest:
Gen 26:3,24,28 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father; 26:24 And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said, I [am] the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I [am] with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. Gen 26:28 And they said, We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, [even] betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee;
Gen 28:15,20 And, behold, I [am] with thee, and will keep thee in all [places] whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done [that] which I have spoken to thee of. 28:20 And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
Gen 31:3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. See notes at Genesis 32:9
Gen 39:2,3,5,21,23 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD [was] with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 39:5 And it came to pass from the time [that] he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 39:23 The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing [that was] under his hand; because the LORD was with him, and [that] which he did, the LORD made [it] to prosper.
Gen 46:4 I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up [again]: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.
Gen 48:21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die: but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.
Ex 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this [shall be] a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Ex 4:12,15 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 4:15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
Ex 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Ex 33:14-16 And he said, My presence shall go [with thee], and I will give thee rest. 33:15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not [with me], carry us not up hence. 33:16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? [is it] not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that [are] upon the face of the earth.
Numbers 14:9 Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they [are] bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD [is] with us: fear them not. 14:42 Go not up, for the LORD [is] not among you; that ye be not smitten before your enemies.
Num 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God [is] with him, and the shout of a king [is] among them.
Deut 2:7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand: he knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness: these forty years the LORD thy God [hath been] with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.
Deut 7:21 Thou shalt not be affrighted at them: for the LORD thy God [is] among you, a mighty God and terrible.
Deuteronomy 20:1-4 When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, [and] a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 20:2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 20:3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint, fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 20:4 For the LORD your God [is] he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
Deut 23:14 For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
Deut 31:8,17,23 And the LORD, he [it is] that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. 31:17 Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God [is] not among us? 31:23 And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Josh 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, [so] I will be with thee.
Judges 1:22 And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel: and the LORD [was] with them.
Judges 6:13,16 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. 6:14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
1 Sam 3:19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
1 Sam 10:7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, [that] thou do as occasion serve thee; for God [is] with thee.
1 Sam 16:18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD [is] with him.
1 Sam 18:12-14,28 And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul. 18:13 Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people. 18:14 And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD [was] with him. 18:28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD [was] with David, and [that] Michal Saul's daughter loved him.
2 Sam 7:9 And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that [are] in the earth.
2 Kings 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that [be] with us [are] more than they that [be] with them.
2 Kings 18:7 And the LORD was with him; [and] he (Hezekiah) prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.
1 Chr 17:8 And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that [are] in the earth.
1 Chr 28:20 And David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do [it]: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, [even] my God, [will be] with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
2 Chr 1:1 And Solomon the son of David was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God [was] with him, and magnified him exceedingly.
2 Chr 13:12 And, behold, God himself [is] with us for [our] captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
2 Chr 15:2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD [is] with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chr 15:9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God [was] with him.
2 chr 19:6 and said to the judges, "Consider what you do, for you judge not for man but for the LORD; he is with you in giving judgment.
2 Chr 20:17 Ye shall not [need] to fight in this [battle]: set yourselves, stand ye [still], and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD [will be] with you.
2 Chr 24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah . . . and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
2 Chr 25:7-9 But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD [is] not with Israel, [to wit, with] all the children of Ephraim. 25:8 But if thou wilt go, do [it], be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. 25:9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
2 Chr 26:5 And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.
2 Chr 32:7,8 Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that [is] with him: for [there be] more with us than with him: 32:8 With him [is] an arm of flesh; but with us [is] the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles
Psalm 46:1-7,11 God [is] our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 46:3 [Though] the waters thereof roar [and] be troubled, [though] the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. 46:5 God [is] in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, [and that] right early. 46:7 The LORD of hosts [is] with us; the God of Jacob [is] our refuge.
Psalm 60:12 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he [it is that] shall tread down our enemies.
Psalm 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I [will be] with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
Psalm 118:6 The LORD [is] on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
Isaiah 8:9,10 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 8:10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God [is] with us.
Is 41:10-14 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 41:13 For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Is 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I [will be] with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
Isaiah 43:5 Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I am with you, I will bring your sons
Isaiah 45:14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, [saying], Surely God [is] in thee; and [there is] none else, [there is] no God.
Amos 5:14 Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Mic 3:11 The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, [Is] not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.
Zech 8:23 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days [it shall come to pass], that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard [that] God [is] with you. Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you
Matt 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
Luke 1:28-31 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, [thou that art] highly favoured, the Lord [is] with thee: blessed [art] thou among women. 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
John 14:7-9 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?
Acts 7:9,10 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 7:10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Rom 8.31,32 What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things
1 Cor 14.24,25 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or [one] unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
2 Cor 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Heb 13.5,6 [Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
The Lord Was with Him
February 19, 2010
"And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand." (Genesis 39:3)
Joseph deserves special recognition among the Patriarchs. His story encourages us, as he remained faithful in adversity and gracious in success. Yet we do disservice to the biblical message if we only see the circumstantial side of the story. The LORD was with him. It is always instructive to see how the rest of the Bible applies God's personal intervention in our lives. Please note the emphasis in these other key passages:
• Joshua (Joshua 6:27)--leadership fame
• Judah (the tribe in Judges 1:19)--military might
• Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19)--complete obedience
• David (1 Samuel 18:12)--God's favor
• Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:7)--leading a zealous revival
• Phineas (1 Chronicles 9:20)--wise leadership
• Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:3)--his faithfulness
• John the Baptist (Luke 1:66)--total commitment
• Scattered Jews (Acts 11:21)--their witness
• Judah (the tribe in Judges 1:19)--military might
• Samuel (1 Samuel 3:19)--complete obedience
• David (1 Samuel 18:12)--God's favor
• Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:7)--leading a zealous revival
• Phineas (1 Chronicles 9:20)--wise leadership
• Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:3)--his faithfulness
• John the Baptist (Luke 1:66)--total commitment
• Scattered Jews (Acts 11:21)--their witness
Because God was with the various people, they were successful. Yet because they were obedient to God's use of them, God was with them.
The Lord Jesus promised the saints: "I am with you always even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). But that promise is given to us as encouragement to teach all nations "to observe, all things" as the Lord Jesus commanded us--because all power (authority) is His, and His alone. If we "abide" in Christ, we can ask whatever we want "and it shall be done unto you" (John 15:7). However, the absolute qualifier is the abiding. If we do not abide in Him, we cannot produce "fruit" (John 15:4). If we are "in the flesh," we "cannot please God" (Romans 8:8). God will be with us if, when, and as we are not "weary in we ll doing" (Galatians 6:9). HMM III
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