I Am the Least in My Father’s House

 “The Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.’” (Judges 6:16)

The nation of Israel was once a powerful and glorious kingdom. In those days, Israel had its own nation, its own king, and its own army, and it conquered the surrounding nations. They had a king like David and brave generals, establishing a nation that was unshakable.

But before the kingdom was established, there was also a time when the Israelites were few in number, without generals or armies to fight for them. When enemy nations attacked, Israel could not immediately resist. The people were either taken captive or enslaved, and the nation often stood on the brink of destruction.

In those moments of crisis, there were people who, by God’s grace, rose up courageously to defend their land. In the Bible, these people are called Judges.

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Judges Who Fought Because They Had No Other Choice

In the Old Testament, after Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, comes the book of Judges.
Reading Judges reveals how Israel could barely survive against the strong nations surrounding it. When invaders came, the men were either killed or captured, the women were violated, and their possessions plundered.

In those desperate times, those who believed in God stood up and fought against their enemies. To protect their nation from being seized, they went to battle with the determination to lay down their lives, relying on God for strength. With God’s help, they defeated their enemies and saved their nation. These were the Judges, and the book of Judges records their great deeds.

No one likes war. No one enjoys deadly battles. The Judges were the same. But when the enemy advanced and their people faced tragedy and slavery, they could not just sit and watch. They had to rise up and fight.

They would often launch surprise attacks at night, when the enemy was relaxed and unprepared, striking a heavy blow. They fought not because they loved war but because they had no choice. They could not watch their nation perish.

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“I Am the Least in My Father’s House”

Judges chapter 6 tells the story of Gideon. At that time, the Israelites were under the oppression of the Midianites. One day, the angel of the Lord came to Ophrah and sat under the oak that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. Joash’s son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.

The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said,

“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

But Gideon replied,

“Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?”

Then the Lord said to him,

“Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Gideon answered,

“Pardon me, my lord, but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The angel of the Lord said to Gideon, who saw himself as small and insignificant,

“I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

That night, Gideon obeyed the angel of the Lord. He took ten of his servants, tore down the altar of Baal, cut down the Asherah pole beside it, and gathered men to fight. With just three hundred men, Gideon went against the Midianite army, which was as numerous as the sand on the seashore.

In the middle of the night, they launched a surprise attack, destroying the Midianite camp and killing two of their commanders. God used Gideon and his men to deliver Israel from the hands of its enemies. Those who rose up in such times were called Judges.

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God Uses Ordinary People Today

Today, God is still working through people who are neither kings nor mighty warriors. In the church, many servants of God may not appear great in the eyes of the world, but they are doing precious work. Through such people, God accomplishes His will.

This generation is filled with hope because God uses ordinary people who dedicate themselves to His work. Through them, the gospel is preached, many are set free from sin and receive salvation, and more people rise up to joyfully serve God.

“耶和华对他说：‘我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。’”（士6：16）

以色列国曾经也强盛过。那时，以色列有国、有王、有军队，战胜了周边的国家。当时，他们有像大卫一样的王，有英勇的将军，建立起了坚不可摧的国家。但在没有成立国家之前，也曾有过百姓稀少，没有可出战的将军和军队的时候。那时，有敌军攻打过来，以色列不能马上御敌，百姓要不就被掳走，要不就被奴役，国家陷入到要被倾覆的危机中。而每当这时，都有蒙到神的恩典，奋不顾身地守卫国家的人们。在《圣经》中，这些人被称为“士师”。

 

因不得不战而去争战的士师们

看旧约圣经，继《创世记》、《出埃及记》、《利未记》、《民数记》、《申命记》、《约书亚记》之后记载的，就是《士师记》。读《士师记》能看到，以色列因四围的强国几乎很难存续下去。四围的国家侵略过来，男人不是被杀死，就是被俘虏，女人被玷污，财产被掳掠一空。在国家生死存亡的时刻，相信神的人们站了起来，与敌军展开了斗争。为了国家不被侵夺，他们抱着誓死争战的信念，依靠神争战着。在神的帮助下，他们击退了敌军，保卫了国家，这些人就是士师。记录他们丰功伟绩的书籍，就是《士师记》。

没有人喜欢战争。谁都不喜欢殊死搏斗的战争。士师们也是这样。但在敌军攻打进来，百姓将要面临悲惨不幸的境地时，他们不能坐以待毙，所以才站起来，舍命搏斗。他们必须在敌军尚未深入腹地前，趁敌军松懈之际，在晚上进行突袭，才有可能给毫无对抗准备的敌军造成重大打击，所以他们必须战斗。因为不能眼睁睁地看着国家灭亡，所以他们必须舍命争战。士师们不是喜欢战争才去打仗的，而是不得不战，才去争战的。

 

我在我父家是至微小的

《士师记》6章中记载了基甸。当时正是米甸人压制以色列人的时期。一天，神的使者来到俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸，正在酒榨那里打麦子，以防备米甸人。神的使者向基甸显现，对他说：

“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！”

基甸说：

“主啊，耶和华若与我们同在，我们何至遭遇这一切事呢？”

神的使者对基甸说：

“你靠着你这能力去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的吗？”

基甸听了这话，接着说：

“主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的，我在我父家是至微小的。”

神的使者对说自己至微小的基甸说：

“我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。”

那天晚上，基甸照着神使者的话，带着十个仆人拆毁了巴力的坛，砍下了坛旁的亚舍拉像，并招聚一起争战的人，带领三百人，向聚集着像海边的沙一样多的米甸人的营盘走去。基甸和跟随他的人在深夜突袭了米甸营，将米甸营夷为平地，杀死了统领米甸军队的两个首领。神就是用这种方法将以色列从敌人手里拯救出来的。做这事情的人，被称为士师。

 

今天，神也在树立“即不是王，也不是大能的勇士”的人在作工。在教会里有很多并不伟大却做着宝贵事情的神的仆人。神通过这样的人成就着神的工作。这时代因为有“虽然并不伟大但在神的工作中被使用着”的神的仆人，而充满着盼望。神通过他们成就着神的工作，很多人从罪中脱离出来，得救了，兴起了“带着喜乐的心侍奉神”的人们。