25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father's bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night. (Judges 6)
The time of the judges is an interesting study. Individualism ruled - everyone "did what was right in his own eyes," much like the mentality in our society. But there were certain idols which were institutionalized in society, and people were afraid to stand up against them. The call of Gideon includes great hesitancy on his part: he was going against the flow. He kept asking God: "are you sure You mean me?" His hesitancy is seen in his doing his first act of courage in the darkness of night, because he was afraid of popular opinion. But he acted! He did not let fear get in the way of his obedience. May we face our fears -however real they may be - with this same commitment: though none may join me, I still will follow, and obey, Jesus. I will not turn back.
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