The Gospel According To Superman, Pastor Phil Sessa

Judges 6 “12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, The Lord is With You Mighty Warrior.” …Vs. 25 That same night the LORD said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. 26 Then build a proper kind of altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.”

What was the Lord doing here? The Lord first dealt with Gideon’s identity, then he spoke of the promise of His presence with Gideon, and now God is helping him to begin to make practical changes in his life so that he can be displayed as the mighty warrior that God called him to be. God first instructs Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal. Baal worship was popular, however, Gideon knew he was risking his life by obeying the Lord. Gideon was pulling down strongholds and dealing with the influence of idolatry in his life. 2Corinthians 10:4 states, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds” This was a stronghold in his life, even though there is no mention that he himself worshipped this idol, I imagine that he did as his father’s idol.  He had heard stories about the power of God, but most likely really worshipped Baal as was taught to him. Yet God was not going to allow him to continue to magnify, promote, and worship this idol.