V.11-18 God saw only one man, Gideon, whom He was going to use to deliver Israel from their enemies. Because of their disobedience, Israel had sunk to the lowest condition since they arrived in the glorious land.
V.11 Threshing wheat is separating the kernel from the chaff — a picture of separating truth from error (Prov. 25:44Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. (Proverbs 25:4); Jer. 15:19; 23:28; 219Therefore thus saith the Lord, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. (Jeremiah 15:19)
28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:28)
28But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah. (Jeremiah 2:28) Cor. 6:14). We doubt if there is any more important lesson in our life to learn than this one. “To depart from evil is understanding” (Job 28:2828And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:28)). When we confess our sins to Him, He hears, He delights to bless us (Prov. 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)).
V.13 True statements. It was not that God had made a mistake, or that all this happened by chance. They disobeyed and brought trouble on themselves.
V.15-18 Gideon sees his weakness. This is good. But he needs to look away to God’s power, and he does.
V.19-20 If Gideon had not been threshing the wheat, he probably wouldn’t have had any wheat ready for a meal-offering to God. Unless we are living to please the Lord, we won’t be able to do what it says in Hebrews 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15).
V.33-40 God graciously proves His power to Gideon.