The angel of the LORD appeared to [Gideon] and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.”

—Judges 6:12

We all go through difficult times, times when our best is not enough and the challenges are bigger than we think we can bear. When we meet those times, one of the few things that can bring us comfort is the knowledge that we don’t have to go through that struggle or trial alone. 

Having family or friends who are ready to rally around us can give us strength we didn’t know we had. It can bolster our endurance and allow us to push through circumstances that otherwise would have made us crumble. But as amazing as having friends and family around us in the difficult seasons can be, there is someone else even better who is eager to be by our side when everything seems to be going wrong. 

When Gideon found himself hiding in a wine press so the Midianites wouldn’t see him preparing lunch, he met someone the Bible calls “the angel of the LORD.” Quick spoiler alert: the angel is Jesus. 

Many scholars believe that the unnamed “angel of the LORD” encountered a couple of times in Daniel is Jesus (I happen to agree), but in Judges, there are several verses that actually refer to this mysterious angel as LORD, which is how our Bibles render the name YHWH. This means that we can be sure that Gideon’s visitor was Jesus.

That’s pretty amazing. The Creator and Savior of the world had time to come see the most insignificant member of the most insignificant family in one of the most insignificant tribes when he was going through a difficult situation. But something else amazing happens during the encounter.

When Jesus appears to Gideon, He calls him “Valiant Warrior,” a name that at once references the meaning of Gideon’s name and acts as a prophecy of who he will become, and tells him God is with him. Quite literally, at that moment God is present with him.

But when Jesus tells Gideon that he is being tasked with delivering the people of Israel from the Midianites, Gideon struggles to believe Him. And then verse 16 says, “But the LORD said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man.’”

A little more happens after this. Gideon is still unsure and asks for a sign. Jesus patiently waits for Gideon to prepare a sacrifice and then consumes it miraculously by fire before suddenly disappearing. But this promise Jesus gives to Gideon to be with him is huge because it doesn’t go away when Gideon isn’t able to see Jesus anymore.

After Jesus disappears, Gideon realizes that he was in the presence of someone holy and is afraid. Fair enough. When imperfect men come in contact with holiness, something’s gotta give and it’s not gonna be the holiness. But even as Gideon is mourning what he thinks will be his own death, something really cool happens in verse 23. Jesus speaks to Gideon.

Jesus does not reappear, but He speaks, offering Gideon peace and the reassurance that he will not die. That’s huge. Just because we can’t see Him, or, as might feel more relevant today, just because we can’t see how He is working in a situation, doesn’t mean He isn’t there. 

If you’re familiar with the story, you know that Jesus isn’t done walking with Gideon after that because a couple pages later, He goes to battle with him. When Gideon and the 300 men with him blow their trumpets and yell, Jesus steps in, confusing the enemy and causing their defeat. He was there with Gideon the entire time.

There are other stories that illustrate this point pretty clearly. The fourth man in the fiery furnace. Daniel and the lion’s den. But what I love about this story is how it echoes our experience. 

Most of us will not come face to face with Jesus on this side of eternity. However, most of us will question if our call really is from God. Most of us will feel the need at some point to ask God for a sign to guide us. Most of us will experience doubt and fear. And all of us (praise Jesus!) can have the assurance that our Savior will go into battle with us, whether we get to see Him or not.