Don't Sell Yourself Short

Introduction

Jerubbesheth (2 Samuel 11:21) or Jerrubbaal (Judges 6:32), also known as, Gideon is a man who sold himself short as we read in Judges 6:15, “So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” Selling yourself short should be a crime if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we will spell out the letters c-r-i-m-e to form an acrostic outline for the message. I believe those of the Gideon’s International would approve this premise, “Don’t sell yourself short.”

Paul writes in Romans 12:3 and following, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:3-8).

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) quips, “And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility.”1 Beware of false humility it is true pride. Don’t sell yourself short.

I. The Consideration of his Ability

(Judges 6:15)

“So [Gideon] said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (Judges 6:15).

In Hearts of iron, feet of clay, Dr. Gary Inrig states, “Whoever you are God has a place for you. Your limitations are not a problem for Him. He can deal with them. Accept yourself—not your sins—but your limitations. God does. Then step out on faith to see Him take you as a unique individual and work through you for his glory.”

Dr. Inrig shares, “[J.] Hudson Taylor (1832-1905), as he looked back over thirty years during which he had seen 600 missionaries respond to his vision to reach China through the China Inland Mission summarizes what he had learned: ‘God is sufficient for God’s work. . .God chose me because I was weak enough. God does not do His great work by large committees. He trains someone to be quiet enough and little enough, and then He uses him. By that standard, which is God’s standard, all of us qualify. The issue is not whether He can or will use us to His glory. The great question is whether or not we will trust Him to use us.”2

We must remember it is not our ability God looks for – He can give that to anyone. It is our availability that He requires. Don’t sell yourself short.

II. The Revelation of his Identity

(Judges 6:12)

“And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!’” (Judges 6:12)

Dr. Waylon B. Moore, author of Living God's Word, Multiplying Disciples, Power of a Mentor, shares, “216 things are true of me now I am that saved.” To be in Christ changes our identity. The Lord can take a coward and make him a profile in courage. Don’t sell yourself short.

III. The Inspiration of his Sincerity (Judges 6:16, 17-27; 36-40)

Gideon was a man with feet of clay. As we read in James 5:17 “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours”, also we could say, “Gideon was a man with a nature like ours.” Gideon was a real person with real questions and issues. Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) shares the following memorable line in his classic titled In Memoriam, “There lives more faith in honest doubt, / Believe me, than in half the creeds.”3

Professor Ole Hallesby (1879-1961), that perceptive Norwegian Christian, explains in his book titled Prayer that we do not need perfect faith to pray -- we just need enough to bring our helplessness to Jesus and believe He will help us in our lack. Professor Hallesby writes, "Unbelief is something very different from doubt. Unbelief is an attribute of the will and consists of the refusal to believe, that is, refusal to see one's own need, acknowledge one's helplessness, go to Jesus and speak candidly and confidently with Him about one's sin and distress. Doubt, on the other hand, is anguish, a pain, a weakness, which at times affects our faith."4

Many misunderstand Gideon’s use of the fleece. According to William MacDonald (1917-2007), Gideon used the fleece for confirmation not for guidance, he further shares that Gideon was looking for a supernatural sign not just a natural one.5 Gideon was asking for something God alone could do to confirm that it was God’s will for him to proceed. If you have imperfect faith, don’t sell yourself short.

IV. The Motivation of his Temerity

(Judges 6:28-35; 7:1-25)

We see Gideon boldly going where few would dare to go. You could say he went from timidity to temerity. Gideon destroys the altar of the Midianites, living up to his name, which means “he who casts down.” Furthermore he leads the Israelites to defeat the army of the Midianites with trumpets, pitchers and torches (Judges 7:16-22). Paul interprets this in 2 Corinthians 4:7. “Gideon’s Army” is

proverbial for smallness. Gideon obediently reduced his army from 32,000 to 10,000 to 300 and experienced victory. Here we discover something of the secret of holy boldness, namely obedience. The Lord is the one who takes one marked by timidity and gives them temerity.

Paul writes to the Corinthians, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

Since God can take someone like Gideon from timidity to temerity, don’t sell yourself short.

V. The Evaluation of his Fidelity

(Hebrews 11:30-40) (11:32)

God immortalizes the faith of Gideon in the book of Hebrews 11:32, in reference to the events recorded in Judges 6:11, 7:1-25.

Gideon was not a perfect man, for example, after his great victory there was a forty year period of peace. During this time we see that he multiplied wives and concubines and manufactured a golden ephod (Judges 8:22-35). Deuteronomy 17:17 warns that even kings were not to multiply wives.

Regrettably Gideon is like Solomon in this regard. Dr. Henry Allen “Harry” Ironside (1876-1951), a former pastor of Moody Memorial Church, Chicago, Illinois, prayed, “Oh God, don’t let me become a foolish old man.”

Even though Gideon refused to become king as the people wanted, he did name one of his sons, Abimelech, which means, “My father is king.”

Possibly with “good intentions” Gideon made a priestly metallic memorial out of 70 pounds of  golden earrings, reserved for the priestly office. This ephod led Israel into idolatry. Later Micah made one as we read in Judges 17:5, 18:14. Gideon will have a mixture of gold, silver and precious stones with wood, hay and straw, before the Judgment seat of Christ.

Gideon’s backsliding was gradual. Even the most positive commentators express the fact that Gideon did not end well. Dr. Alexander Whyte (1836-1921) attaches this New Testament text to Gideon: “Ye did run well, who did hinder you?” (Galatians 5:7)

William MacDonald advises, “We should strive under God to emulate Gideon’s virtues and avoid his vices.”6 Someone else explains, “The Lord used Gideon to keep us from despair and to keep us from presumption.”

Remember the Lord Jesus Christ will evaluate our fidelity as well. Because of God’s power in us, don’t sell yourself short.

Conclusion

The watchword of Major W. Ian Thomas (1914-2007) was, “You can’t—He never said you could—He can, He always said He would. So let Him.” God gave him this message through Galatians 2:20, where he learned to say, “Lord Jesus, I can’t—You never said I could—but You can, and always said You would. That is all I need to know.”7

The apostle Paul also writes, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). The words of the song titled “I Am A Promise” come to mind:

I am a promise

I am a possibility

I am a promise with a capital "P"

I am a great big bundle of potentiality And I am learnin' to hear God's voice And I am tryin' to make

the right choice

I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.

I can go anywhere that He wants me to go I can be anything He wants me to be

I can climb the high mountains I can cross the wide sea

I'm a great big promise you see!

I am a promise

I am a possibility

I am a promise with a capital "P"

I am a great big bundle of potentiality And I am learnin' to hear God's voice And I am tryin' to make the right choice

I'm a promise to be anything God wants me to be Anything God wants me to be!8

In the words of E. H. Swinstead:

“Lord of every thought and action, Lord to send and Lord to stay; Lord in speaking, writing, giving, Lord in all things to obey;

Now and evermore to be.”9

If you are a genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, don’t sell yourself short.

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NOTES:

1Frederick Jezegou, DictionaryQuotes: Dictionary of Quotes (November 23, 2008) Available from: http://www.dictionary-quotes.com/and-the-devil-did-grin-for-his-darling-sin-is-pride-that-apes- humility-samuel-taylor-coleridge/ Accessed: 09/15/09

2Gary Inrig, Hearts of iron, feet of clay (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979)

3Alfred, Lord Tennyson states In Memoriam A.H.H. 96, ll. 11-12., The Quotations Page, Quotation # 31344 Available from: http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/31344.html Accessed: 09/15/09

4O. Hallesby, Prayer (Minneapolis, Augsburg, 1931), p.31 5William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 272 6William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, p. 274

7Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, “Major Influence: A Tribute to Major W. Ian Thomas” Available from: http://www.pastorlife.com/members/article.asp?articleID=259&fm=authorbio&authorid=3307 Accessed: 09/15/09

8“I Am A Promise”, Available from: http://www.biblestudycharts.com/CH_I_Am_A_Promise.html Accessed: 09/20/09

9Dr. Stephen Olford, The Way of Holiness (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1998), 83

 

By Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor First Baptist Church of Spanish Fort 30775 Jay Drive Spanish Fort, Alabama 36527