Answering the Late Call
Answering the Late Call
Judges 7:24-25
Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” … Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.
We can interpret Gideon’s draft of the Ephraimites in one of two ways: first, that Gideon is disobeying God by calling for more auxiliary soldiers than the 300 allotted to him, perhaps out of fear that he won’t be able to route Midian fully without help; or, second, that God is yet again intentionally thrusting Gideon into a back-to-the-wall moment in order to prove his mettle. Judging by the following scene, I believe it’s the latter.
For some reason that the biblical author doesn’t specify, Gideon left the Ephraimites out of his battleplans from the very beginning. That is, they weren’t among that initial 32,000-strong fighting force Gideon took with him from Ophrah. No wonder then that when these men cross over the Jordan with the heads of Oreb and Zeeb in tote, they’re effectively coming for Gideon’s head as well. They’re angry at having been left out. Yet, notice that before they scold Gideon, they actually answer his call for aid. Marvel at that, friend. They could’ve responded, “Nope—sorry, but you’re on your own, buddy—should’ve called sooner.” Or they could’ve just passive aggressively ignored the call and gone on about their lives. But even in their dismay, even with that bitter sense of betrayal stabbing their gut, even though Gideon had left them out, they still pitched in to help when the time came, marched after the Midianite forces, and fought the battle until it was won. That says a lot about their mental fortitude, doesn’t it? Even though they’re coming to Gideon with scorn, they aren’t coming empty-handed.
Friend, has someone let you down recently? Maybe a friend failed to respond to an important text message, or a church member left you out of the wedding party or a mentor overlooked you for a ministry position, but now they’re needing your help. Now they’re wanting to talk. Now you’ve got something they need. Respond not in bitter resentment but in just action. Offer a stern rebuke if you must, but only after you answer the call.