Beyond Sunday: Being Mighty

[Editor's note: Beyond Sunday is a Monday refresher to carry you through the week.]

Focus Verse of the Week

And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor." (Judges 6:12, ESV)

Classic Commentary

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him
He stayed some time under the oak, and Gideon being busy in threshing, took no notice of him when he came and stood before him, in his sight:

and said unto him, the Lord is with you;
the gracious presence of God was with Gideon while he was threshing, who very probably was sending up prayers to heaven, on account of the distressed case of Israel, and was deep in meditation about the affairs of the people of God, and contriving how to deliver them; or the angel might mean himself, who was no other than Jehovah, the eternal Word of God, who was present with him, and spoke unto him; and so the Targum reads:

my Word is your help:

you mighty man of valour;
who very probably was a stout man in body, and of a courageous mind naturally, and might at this instant have an increase both of bodily strength and greatness of soul; or, on the other hand, this was said to animate and encourage him to do what he was about to be sent to do.

(Adapted from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, Judges 6:12.)

A Thought to Keep

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to do what God would have us do. Are you living like a mighty man or woman of valor?