Gideon feared the Midianites. He was so afraid that he hid beneath a grape press as he threshed wheat from his father's farm in the small town of Ophrah. Then one day, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him. "Mighty soldier, the Lord is with you!" the Angel said.

Gideon cowered. "If the Lord is with us," he replied, "why have all these bad things happened to us? God did wonders and miracles when he brought our ancestors out of Egypt. Where are our miracles? Why has the Lord forsaken us and allowed the Midianites to overrun us?"

Gideon set down his scythe and stepped over the pile of grain. "Many Israelis have fled to the mountains. They live in caves and dens. After we'd planted our fields, Midian raiders came and destroyed our crops. They've plundered the entire countryside as far away as Gaza. They've left us nothing to eat and they've taken our sheep, oxen, and donkeys."

Then the Lord himself spoke directly to Gideon. "I have come to tell you that I have chosen you to go and make war with the Midianites--to save Israel. Go. I will make you strong and mighty."

"Me?" Gideon replied, "How can I save Israel?"

Then God replied, "I will be with you! You shall quickly destroy the Midianites!"

Like most of us, Gideon had difficulty taking God at his word. He wanted to see proof of God's word before he would trust Him. God obliged Gideon's doubt and performed a miracle. Then Gideon built an altar and called it "The Altar of Peace with Jehovah."

That night God instructed Gideon to pull down Ophrah's altar to Baal, cut down the wooden idol of Asherah, build an altar to God and use the idol as kindling for a fire to consume a sacrificial offering. Though fearful at first, Gideon obeyed. Afterwards, Gideon went on to raise an army and defeat the Midianites. But not after he first put the Lord to the test two more times.

"Today's Church seems uncertain about assuming its full prophetic role in the earth."

Gideon, Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah and other Biblical prophets did not immediately rush to embrace God's call and follow his instructions. Much like these reluctant servants, today's Church likewise seems uncertain about assuming its full prophetic role in the earth.

In Jeremiah 1:10 we observe three aspects of God's call upon the prophet's life. First, God admonished Jeremiah to consider his call. "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms..." In this scriptural passage, the literal rendering of the word see is "advise yourself" or "take heed." God encouraged Jeremiah to look at and consider his prophetic calling. He challenged the prophet to hear and respond.

Second, God went on to define the nature of Jeremiah's prophetic mantle. "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms ..." In this passage, the word over is translated from the Hebrew word "al" meaning above or beyond. Jeremiah had been chosen to bear God's own authority - to sit above the nations, transcendent over them in his bearing of God's authority, and to deliver God's word. God was going to - and did - bring judgment through the prophet.

And third, God described the scope of the prophet's realm of influence. "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and ... the kingdoms ..." In this passage, the Hebrew word for nations is "gowy" which means literally "the Gentiles." God is thus not limiting the scope of the prophet's authority to the Hebrews. Jeremiah is to possess authority over the Gentile nations as well. Neither is God limiting the prophet's authority just to dealing with individuals. The prophet is to proclaim God's message to nations and kingdoms - ie. collections of people in their cultures along with their respective governments.

Is Christ's Church, like the prophets of old, seated above the nations? Are we to bear his prophetic mantle today? If so, how can we hear and respond to God's call? What role is the Church to play in the affairs of our own nation? Read Demolish and Uproot and Build and Plant to learn more.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."
(Matt 28:19-20 NKJV)