Breaking Free from Offense with God

Teaching Notes:

Judges 6:13a

Gideon said to Him… If the Lord be with us, WHY THEN is all this happening, WHERE ARE all the miracles, DID NOT our fathers say…

As in Genesis when the enemy brought God’s character and Adam and Eve’s identity into question, he is using the same method to instill lies and deception in the mind of Gideon.

Judges 6:13b

Gideon says the Lord has FORSAKEN us and DELIVERED or HANDED US OVER into the hands of the Midianites.

Gideon, mentally and emotionally had stood as prosecutor, judge and jury, handing down a guilty verdict against God. Is words in verse 13 were in effect communicating that God had broken covenant.

Symptoms of Offense:

  • Not wanting to worship
  • Lack of intimacy
  • Not in the Word
  • A wall around heart/hardness of heart… self protection
  • Ear closed to truth… anything contradicting with mindset or feelings

Judges 6:14

Jehovah did not defend Himself

Jehovah took Gideon back to a previous word, prior to offense, and spoke to Gideon (Deut. 1:21).

Going back to the previous Word reignites the word/dream… and establishes truth once again.

When Jehovah did this with Gideon, Gideon lashed out, accusing God of forsaking them and handing them over to their enemies for servitude or death. He accused Him of breaking covenant. Taking Gideon back to the truth prior to deception, helped pinpoint the lies, uncovering the root of the Gideon taking offense.

Lies/deception, the foundation of taking offense can only be dismantled by seeing and receiving the truth. Jehovah used truth, like a battering ram or a hammer (Jer 23:29) to begin breaking down the lies so that Gideon’s heart could begin to soften.

When You Can No Longer Hear:

  • Return to, revisit the last thing He said
  • Did you receive His word to you?
  • Did you mix the word with faith?
  • What is the condition of your soil?
  • Are you weeding the garden so that you can remain in faith?
  • Are you conversing with Him about His word/promise to you, repeating it back to Him?
  • How is your thanksgiving barometer?
  • Do you worship Him out of your relationship with Him and a desire to express your love for Who He is, or is your relationship with Him based on what He does for you?

Judges 6:15:

Gideon has not received the words of Jehovah. His response is based on what he sees.

If we are going to walk in the Spirit, we must set our eyes on what is not seen, aligning ourselves with His Word in all things, regardless of our natural circumstances.

Our spirit is to rule our soul (thinking, emotions, will, motivations…), and our soul is to submit to our spirit. Then the body will align itself as well.

  • Romans 8:12-14
  • Romans 10:17
  • Romans 10:10
  • 2 Corinthians 4:13
  • Hebrews 10:23
  • Galatians 3:3

Judges 6:16

Again, Jehovah speaks the truth, not defending Himself, not confronting Gideon, just speaking truth.

Judges 6:17

Gideon is questioning God again… IF I have found grace. First of all questioning if he has found grace (back to the tactics of them enemy again) and then questioning the grace, or the ability of God on him to be who he has been called to be and do what he has been called to do.

Judges 6:18-19

We begin to see that the armor around Gideon’s heart was coming down, and the truths that Jehovah had spoken were breaking down the lies. Gideon went to prepare a meal. He came back, after hours, not only with the meal, but with a heart willing to serve and honor Jehovah.

Judges 6:20-21

Jehovah had Gideon put the meal on a rock (altar) and then saturate it by pouring the broth over the top. Then He took the tip of His staff and touched the rock, from which a fire came forth and consumed what became a burnt offering. Read between the lines, there is soooo much here.

Then Jehovah is gone for a few moments. Pray about this as well. Did He not only set the offering on fire, consuming it, but also go to heaven momentarily to receive it along with the Father? Scripture does not say, but much is taking place in the realm of the spirit here, and they are things God wishes to reveal as we seek Him, or He would not have put the information (limited) in the Word for us to find now.

Judges 6:22

During the burnt offering, Gideon’s eyes were opened. Something took place in that moment. Gideon was delivered of the deception and the hold the lies had over his life. He now sees truth, recognized the angel of the Lord as Jehovah, and cries out that he must die because He has seen God.

Gideon did not perceive the angel of the Lord was Jehovah/God until His eyes were open and He was pure (the pure in heart shall see God).

Breaking Free from Offense Toward God

  • Determine the beginning point/root of the offense or judgement (if you aren’t sure ask, or go back to the last word He gave you and assess what you are struggling with).
  • Repent
  • Break agreements with the lies and deception (See Resources page for Breaking Agreements with the Lies of the Demonic Realm) if you need help.
  • Remove lies and deception from your life… command these spirits to go
  • Replace the lies/deceptions with truth… His word to you.
  • Speak the truth
  • Thanksgiving
  • Declaration, praise, worship
  • Feed on God’s Word… DAILY
  • Pray in the Spirit/tongues/heavenly language as much as possible… not just now, but forever.