Stories of heroes are part of every culture. The basic story is this… an innocent victim is being oppressed or threatened by someone evil and the hero comes to the rescue and deals with the evil one.
I was browsing the Internet the other day, and I looked up a video of silent movies that have this hero/villain story. The villain had tied up the young woman on the railroad tracks. The train was coming, and the hero rode in on a white horse, just in the nick of time, to rescue her and deal with the villain. This sounds simplistic, but we don’t go to movies to see the bad guys win. We like it when the good guys win. It’s in our nature. It starts when we are kids and we are taught fairy tales like the Disney stories. For example, a witch curses the young princess. She’s in a coma or in a dungeon or a castle. The good Prince comes to her rescue. We are also taught stories about knights in shining armor, cowboys on white horses, and many other variations on the theme. My grandson is always going around with a cape on, carrying a laser sword, practicing for some real battle in the future.
Most of our books and movies reflect the struggle between good and evil. Some recent examples of movies are “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Patriot”. Sometimes the hero doesn’t make it, but still saves the innocent victim, i.e., “Braveheart” and “Saving Private Ryan”. The heroes of both stories do not survive.
The Bible is full of stories about heroes, both men and women. Moses versus Pharaoh, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Deborah vs. the Canaanites, David vs. Goliath.
Judges, chapters 6 and 7, talk about Gideon. He was hiding in a wine press threshing some wheat to keep it from the Midianites. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Hail thou mighty man of valor“, Gideon didn’t know he was a hero. But God saw him as a hero and commissioned him to save Israel. We learned several things from this story.
God sees you as a hero before you think of yourself as one! And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Judges 6:12
God always picks the weakest one to be the hero, lest anyone boast! And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. Judges 6:15. That’s very good for us; we know that He has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise.
Being outnumbered by the enemy does not matter: in fact, He whittles down the number of heroes to make the victory even more dramatic! And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Judges 7:2. He went from 22,000 to 10,000 to 300 fighters.
Heroes don’t wait until the enemy attacks. They put themselves into harm’s way because they know the Lord is with them! So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 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. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. Judges 7:19-22
Jesus is the greatest Hero of all
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
Jesus gave up his place with God and sacrificed his life for us!
The Holy Spirit was given to represent Christ to the world. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. John 16:7-15
God wants us to be a Hero. With the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we will do heroic things. Take up the whole armor of God. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. John 20:21
