If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar

 Judges 6:25-40

That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.”

So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.

But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.” So because Gideon broke down Baal’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, “Let Baal contend with him.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him.  He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, calling them to arms, and also into Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they too went up to meet them.

Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised— Gideon asked the Lord to confirm his faith that God will be with him.

Gideon is forced to thresh his meagre grain harvest secretly, in the confines of the winepress. 

Why?

Gideon second time to confirm this mission really comes from the Lord, for his faith is not strong enough and he like let his follower know this action is under the blessing of the Lord, Almighty.

Gedeon has brave to tear down his father's altar Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. But he did it at night. This is good action and his father replied to people good answer. 

Gideon shows a good example of communication with the Lord.

--

一個蒙召的人所遇到的挑戰

1.拆除舊的建立新的：整整齊齊的建一座壇，為你的神。不是隨便建。奉獻自己回應神的呼召，不是為了得什麼? 而是要放下，原來我們依靠的，我們看重的。牛羊是財產，獻給神，拆毀巴力的神像，除去原來我看重的。若沒有拆毀，就會像以色列人出埃及，仍然想著埃及。神沒有要基甸馬上去打仗，而是先拆毀舊的重建新的。回應神的呼召。

2.奉獻會引來強大的攔阻，這個會引禍上身的。要拆舊的不容易，所以晚上阻力小的時候進行。砍下人的權柄、砍下人的自我中心。其實巴力設在那裏，是人決定的，巴力那天生日是人定的。砍下巴力，就是砍去人的權力，砍下人的自我中心。基甸的父親回答眾人，讓巴力自己爭吧。你們是真的為巴力爭嗎？我們有時說為事爭，其實是為自己爭。原來可以掌控的，沒有了，所以要爭，人拜其實是拜自己。不是照著自己的喜好來敬拜，不是順服神，不是敬拜。

3.基甸有號召力。為什麼大家都要來?看來很剛強，但是他兩次求印證。工作事奉的印證，表示基甸是平凡中的平凡，沒有膽量的人，卻是願意聽神差遣的。我們也都是平庸中的平庸，信心軟弱沒有關係，如果沒有信心還裝出有信心更是可怕。若對神信心有懷疑，難道神不做事嗎？神反而體恤基甸的軟弱，體恤人的軟弱。我們要有信心，但是若我們真的沒有信心，就告訴神，我信心不足。耶穌責備門徒不信，但是耶穌仍然把傳福音的使命給他們。神要使用的人，多不是偉人，不是很會講道的人，神不斷顯出他同在的能力。

How?

Only the Lord is the real God, who rules over the world and heaven!