“And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land.”
In this verse, we find the context of the narrative from the Book of Judges. The Israelites had turned away from God and started worshiping the gods of the Canaanites. As a result, they faced oppression and were under the control of the Midianites for seven years.
At this point, the Lord decided to intervene and deliver His people from their distress. He sent an angel to Gideon, who was from the tribe of Manasseh, while he was threshing wheat in a winepress, trying to hide it from the Midianites.
The angel addressed Gideon with a powerful message, reminding him of God’s past faithfulness to the Israelites. The verse reflects the words of the angel, highlighting God’s actions in the past. It reminds Gideon of how God had delivered the Israelites from the hand of the Egyptians during the time of the Exodus, bringing them out of slavery and leading them through the Red Sea.
Additionally, God had delivered them from the oppression of various enemies they encountered during their journey to the Promised Land. The phrase “and drave them out from before you” refers to the conquest of the Canaanite nations by Joshua and the Israelites, under God’s guidance.
The Lord had given the Israelites victory over their enemies, allowing them to take possession of their land. This fulfillment of God’s promise was a testament to His faithfulness and His power to deliver His people from their adversaries.
In Judges 6:9, the angel reminds Gideon of God’s mighty acts in the past to instill faith and confidence in him. The purpose was to prepare Gideon for the task God was about to assign him – to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites.
God was assuring Gideon that just as He had acted powerfully on behalf of His people before, He would do so again. This verse serves as a reminder to us as well. It shows us that God is faithful, and His past acts of deliverance should give us confidence in His ability to help us in our present and future struggles. It encourages us to look back and remember the ways God has delivered us in the past, strengthening our trust in Him.
