God_Equips

It is the position of this writer that God selects, prepares and orchestrates people for effective action in a variety of ways and methods. God, the Creator of everything, created everything and everybody for a specific reason. David shares his assurance of this fact when He tells God saying, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth .” God created everyone with a special purpose. Throughout His word we constantly find examples of His design. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will .” “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them .” “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him .” All these verses do well in explaining that God did indeed has a special purpose and plan for each individual He created. Although God creates people for specific, special plans and purposes, He works in many ways, specifically orchestrating, organizing and ultimately leading that person from birth till he fulfills the reason He was intended for. There are countless stories and examples in the Bible where God meticulously orchestrates and organizes the life and direction of an individual to accomplish a specific plan and purpose that He intended for him. The story of Gideon has some great examples of God’s organization and orchestration in the life of a specific individual in order to accomplish God’s end result. Before diving into Gideon’s example, it is important to understand the concept of “Job Design” and how it applies to God’s job design. Job design is the examination, criticism and elaboration of assumptions that the person in charge has regarding the things that make humans work productively. Organization makes up an enormous part of job design, because it implies interconnectedness with relationship, coordination and efficiency in an arrangement. Job design breaks down what makes people work productively and organization aids in finding the pieces of the puzzle that make up a working environment . The text in the fabric of this world suggests that the organization of people and work within an enterprise involves the identification (and organization) of three primary components: the work, the worker and the workplace . These three primary components are very evident in almost every story in the Bible. In the story of Gideon, the work God had for Him was one of deliverance. “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour…And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee ' God instructed and commissioned Gideon to appear and act as Israel’s deliverer. “God gave him his commission by giving him all the qualifications that were necessary for the execution of it, which is more than the mightiest prince and potentate on earth can do for those to whom he gives commissions. God's fitting men for work is a sure and constant evidence of his calling them to it .” Thus God commissioned Gideon to deliver His children from under the oppression of the Midianites. The worker in this story was obviously Gideon. Gideon was the the son of Joash (Judges 6:14). The father was now living, but he was passed by, and this honour put upon the son, for the father kept up in his own family the worship of Baal (Judges 6:25), which we may suppose this son, as far as was in his power, witnessed against. He was of the half tribe of Manasseh that lay in Canaan, of the family of Abiezer; Gideon was the youngest in his father’s household . In the job design concept by Dr. Michael Mitchell, he highlights two important parts that influence the worker; the perception of the supervisor and the perception of the employee or subordinate. These two views are clearly seen in the story of Gideon. God saw Gideon as a mighty man of valour. He makes mention of Gideon’s strength on more than one occasion suggesting that Gideon perhaps proved himself to be a mighty man of valor in the past. “It appears that Gideon had proved himself, on former occasions, to be a man of courage and personal prowess; and this would naturally excite the confidence of his countrymen. God chooses for his work those instruments which, in the course of his operations in nature and providence, he has qualified for his purpose. The instruments thus chosen are generally unlikely, but they will be ever found the best qualified for the Divine employment .” Gideon’s view of himself differed greatly from God’s view of him. He claims in verse 15 that there is no way he could possibly be the answer for Israel, seeing that his family was the poorest in all of Manasseh and he was the youngest in his family. So different was his view from God’s that he pleaded with God to show him multiple signs to prove that God indeed saw potential in him and would use him mightily. Last but not least is the workplace. The workplace according to Dr. Mitchell is conditioned by two things; policies and procedures & structure and environment . Gideon certainly had many policies and procedures that he had to adhere so that he might successfully and effectively complete his ‘mission’. He certainly implemented some policies, procedures and tests himself when he requested that God would show him without a shadow of a doubt that he was the man for a job (i.e. sacrifices and fleece). God had specific instructions throughout the course of Gideon’s mission that he needed to hold fast to, in order to accomplish the goal. God used various methods, procedures and policies to narrow Gideon’s army down to 300 men and presented Gideon with specific instructions when he surrounded the Midianites. Only through complete obedience was Gideon’s army able to successfully drive back and defeat the Midianites without raising as much as a sword. “And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled .” “The presence of God with us is all in all to our prosperity, whatever we do. Gideon was a mighty man of valour, and yet he could bring nothing to pass without the presence of God, and that presence is enough to make any man mighty in valour and to give a man courage at any time .” God organizes people for effective action. He uses the work, the worker and the workplace to create the environment used to accomplish His intentions and His will. BIBLIOGRAPHY Spiros Zodhiates. The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. King James Version. AMG International Inc. 1991 Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown. A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, 1974 Albert Barnes. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, (1798 – 1870) Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. 1706 Hardy, Lee. 1990. The fabric of this world: inquiries into calling, career choice, and the design of human work. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.pp. 123, 127. Content by Dr. Michael R. Mitchell Clarke, Adam LL.D., F.S.A. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1715-1832)