神在哪里？
士师记六章11至24节
11耶和华的使者到了俄弗拉，坐在亚比以谢族人约阿施的橡树下。约阿施的儿子基甸正在酒醡那里打麦子，为要防备米甸人。
12耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：“大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！”
13基甸说：“主啊，耶和华若与我们同在，我们何至遭遇这一切事呢？我们的列祖不是向我们说‘耶和华领我们从埃及上来’吗？他那样奇妙的作为在哪里呢？现在他却丢弃我们，将我们交在米甸人手里。”
14耶和华观看基甸说：“你靠着你这能力去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人，不是我差遣你去的吗？”
15基甸说：“主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的，我在我父家是至微小的。”
16耶和华对他说：“我与你同在，你就必击打米甸人，如击打一人一样。”
17基甸说：“我若在你眼前蒙恩，求你给我一个证据，使我知道与我说话的就是主。
18求你不要离开这里，等我归回，将礼物带来供在你面前。”主说：“我必等你回来。”
19基甸去预备了一只山羊羔，用一伊法细面做了无酵饼，将肉放在筐内，把汤盛在壶中，带到橡树下，献在使者面前。
20神的使者吩咐基甸说：“将肉和无酵饼放在这磐石上，把汤倒出来。”他就这样行了。
21耶和华的使者伸出手内的杖，杖头挨了肉和无酵饼，就有火从磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼。耶和华的使者也就不见了。
22基甸见他是耶和华的使者，就说：“哀哉！主耶和华啊，我不好了，因为我觌面看见耶和华的使者。”
23耶和华对他说：“你放心，不要惧怕，你必不至死！”
24于是，基甸在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，起名叫“耶和华沙龙”（注：就是“耶和华赐平安”的意思）。这坛在亚比以谢族的俄弗拉，直到如今。
信息分享
第1节告诉我们：「以色列人又行耶和华眼中看为恶的事。」他们在敌人手中经历了七年的压迫，才懂得呼求神的帮助（6节）。
以色列的神立即回应他们的呼求（7-10节）。祂首先派一个隐名的先知，再派一名天使向以色列民说话。天使与基甸之间的对话十分有趣。那名天使显然是神自己向他的民显现。
天使首先对基甸说：「大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在。」
基甸回答说：「你说耶和华与我们同在，但我看不见祂为我们做甚么啊！祂不是能够行神迹的吗？怎么现在不行呢？」
你曾讲过这样的话吗？或听人说过：「不要在我面前谈论神了！如果有神，干嘛不在我们面前行神迹？」听来很耳熟，不是吗？
天使没有直接回答基甸的问题，但他重申神与他同在，并将一项从神而来的任务交给他。
但基甸却反问道：「我怎能办得到呢？（15节）我是家中最小的。」昔日神在燃烧的荆棘丛中向摩西显现，将任务交托给他，他也是连番推却；此刻，基甸也是一样。不过，基甸的推却主要是因为自卑，而并非不愿意。基督徒要事奉神，首要的条件却是要自觉软弱。
主回答说：「基甸，你无须倚靠你的力量或才干。我必与你同在。我的能力必在你身上显明。我们要一起作成此事。」
神是否呼召你去作一项特殊的任务或某项事奉呢？请再读第16节。将你的名字写上去。这是神给你的应许，看看神怎样为你成就吧。
GIDEON - WHERE IS GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM?
Judges 6:11-24
11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, 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 forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”
14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?”
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.”
16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who talk with me.
18 Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.”
And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and presented them.
20 The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so.
21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in His hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
23 Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
24 So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Message
Wasn't Israel his own particular nation?
The first verse tells us: 'The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord'. It took seven long years of oppression before they cried out to the Lord for help (v.6).
Israel's God answered immediately (verses 7-10) first through an unnamed prophet and then through an Angel. The conversation between the Angel and Gideon is very interesting. It is obvious that this Angel was none other than the Lord himself in visible form.This is called a 'Theophany'.
The Angel spoke first: 'The Lord is with you, mighty warrior'.
Gideon replied: 'You say the Lord is with us. I can't see anything he has done for us. Where are all those miracles he is supposed to be able to do?'
Have you ever spoken like that? Have you ever heard someone say: 'Don't talk to me about God'? Sounds familiar doesn't it?
The Angel didn't exactly answer Gideon's questions. But he assured Gideon of God's presence with him and gave Gideon a special task for the Lord.
But again Gideon questioned: 'How can I do anything? (v.15). I am the least in my family.' Like Moses at the burning bush, Gideon hesitated in the face of the task God was giving him to do. His words came however more from humility than from unwillingness. Conscious weakness is a great qualification for Christian service.
The Lord replied: 'It doesn't depend on your strength Gideon or your ability. I will be with you. It will be my strength being shown through you. We will do it together'.
Has God called you to a special task or any type of service for him? Read v.16 again. Put your name in it. Claim the promise of it and watch what God will do.