What Does Judges 6:12 Mean?
Judges 6:12
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
QUICK ANSWER
God’s angel greets Gideon, calling him a “mighty man of valor” and commissioning him to deliver Israel from the Midianites. He wasn't a mighty man of valor yet, but God saw his potential if he would follow his obey what he said.
CONTEXT
This occurs during a time when Israel was oppressed by the Midianites. They were controlling there land and stealing their harvest. While Gideon was hiding behind the winepress, God chose him to deliver the Israelites from the Midianites. The angel’s message shows, once again, how God prefers to work through unlikely people.
BASIC BREAKDOWN
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him,
God used an angel (messenger) to deliver a message to Gideon.
and said unto him, The LORD is with thee,
He instills confidence in him. Before he knows what God is calling him to do, he knows that God is with him.
thou mighty man of valour.”
God sees his potential, not his current situation. If he follow's God's will for his life, he will be a mighty man of valour.
APPLICATION
Judges 6:12 shows that God sees who we can become, even when we feel weak or inadequate. Gideon saw himself as the least, but God called him a “mighty man of valor,” reminding us that our identity is defined by God, not our circumstances. It encourages us to trust that God is with us, even when we feel unqualified for what He’s calling us to do. When we rely on His strength instead of our own, we can step into the purpose He has for our lives.
RELATED VERSES
Joshua 1:9 - "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Psalm 46:7 - "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."
2 Chronicles 32:7 - "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:"
Romans 8:31 - "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
