Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord [not LORD; Gideon does not yet know who Gideon is talking to], if the LORD is with us, WHY then has all this happened to us? And WHERE are all his miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has ABANDONED us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Judges 6:13.

Gideon is seething with rage. The Angel of the LORD (Jesus, in a Christophony) has touched a hot button in Gideon that has unleashed a virulent eruption.

The Angel of the LORD does not debate Gideon. Debate with one consumed with rage is useless. And besides, Gideon is right. See verse 6:1.

Instead, the Angel of the LORD redirects Gideon’s anger.

The LORD looked at him and said, “Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from Midian. Have I not sent you? Vs. 14.

It is a fearsome thing for the LORD to look at me. Isaiah said woe to me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips. Peter said, away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man. Paul said, who are you? In all these cases and more, the LORD did two things. He cleansed. And He called. And so He does with Gideon.

Gideon is where all of us go in response to pain, tragedy and injustice: why? This is an age-old philosophical and theological question. Trying to answer it may interest the academics, and even the skeptics and the seekers. But esoteric debate is of no help to one in the midst of the pain.

“Why” is really an accusation: “God, you’ve failed!” For those of us with reverence for God we may attempt to suppress the rage, or even the question. But silence is not the same thing as absence. The rage still burns, and the pressure builds, unseen to most.

Unless and until a catalyst breaks the seal and it all comes erupting out, sometimes at a time and in a manner that frankly may not be that helpful. But at least it is out there. At least there is now authenticity. Our internal fuming and external countenance have rejoined one another and synced up.

God is not shocked. He knew about the rage all along. Now He can speak to it. Now He can minister healing.

Or in the case of Gideon, redirect it. “Go in this your strength.”

What strength is “this?” The rage that has been building in Gideon for seven years. God does not tell him to turn it off, which is probably not even possible.

There is gas in the tank. All that energy that was pent-up anger is now to become the fuel, the motivation, to answer God’s call. (BTW, the call is always God’s, not ours.)

God is not guilty of our indictment of Him. We know this. But still we cannot reconcile the pain and injustice we are experiencing with all we know about God. Indeed, it is this very conflict that creates the rage. Like poles of a massive electro-magnet, these opposite forces create energy. Unreleased, it can become anger. Released recklessly, it can be violent and destructive. But focused, it can be powerfully redemptive, for ourselves, and others.

God called Gideon to rescue Israel. This was a gigantic task. Midian’s army was fierce, enormous, and indomitable. Israel’s was … well … nonexistent. Gideon needed that fuel that was inside him. “Go in this your strength.”

God calls Gideon out his hiding, where Gideon was trying to hide his rage, into action. Go. Not just any action. Not random action. Not punching a pillow, or worse, actually hurting someone or something. Not screaming or ranting. But productive, God-directed, redemptive action. Destined for victory and deliverance, not just for Gideon or his family, but for an entire nation.

Rage is a powerful thing. Like all of creation, God wants to use it, that is, redirect it, for His good and loving purposes. Denial and suppression are not the answer. Nor is just letting it out for the sake of letting it out. It must be harnessed, brought under submission to the Holy Spirit (the source of all power), and focused and redirected toward His holy and good purpose.

What enrages me? Good starting point. Now, what is God’s call to me?

The stallion inside has a purpose. Set it on the course of God’s call, and release it. Go in this your strength.

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