Who God says I am shapes how we read Gideon’s story. In Judges 6, Gideon is greeted by the angel with, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” even though he appears a coward to human eyes. This contrast shows how the divine perspective can redefine identity, emphasizing that our true identity comes from God’s authority rather than our outward circumstances. See more on the Divine perspective on identity.
Now this is strange because Gideon is not, in fact, a mighty warrior. We know he’s not because of where he was. He is doing an outside activity in a closed environment. Gideon is threshing wheat, which was a common and necessary practice. But the usual practice of threshing wheat was to cut the stalks and then beat them with a rod. You would then discard the straw and then toss the mixture up into the air. The wind would catch the chaff and blow it away and the heavier grains would fall to the ground. This is what Gideon was doing. But he was so afraid of the Midianites and that even threshing wheat would attract attention, that he was doing it while hiding in a sheltered vat that was used for pressing grapes.
This is the “mighty warrior” God has chosen. Clearly, then, there are two different perspectives on this topic of Gideon’s identity. There is the earthly, visual perspective that looking at the current situation you would have to say that Gideon’s identity is that of a true identity as seen through the gospel, rather than the coward the world sees.
But apparently there is another perspective—the divine perspective—that says the identity of this judge is that of a mighty warrior.
The topic of identity is an increasingly relevant one. Nationalism. Privilege. Ancestry. Gender. Politicism. Are you a republican or democrat? Progressive or conservative? Pro or con? All these cultural discussions have an element of identity at their core. Now, like never before, we seem to be asking that question not just about others, but about ourselves. “Who am I?” we ask. “To what do I belong?”
But you see, there is actually another question—a much older question—that not only is part of this discussion of identity. This question actually lays the groundwork for identity. And that is the question of authority.
Identity begins with authority. If we want to have the answer of identity, then we must first grapple with the question of authority. While the question of identity seeks to answer, “Who am I?” the question of authority seeks to answer who can even give the answer of identity.
Here, then is the real question that lies at the heart of the identity question: Are we going to choose to be self-determining beings, or are we going to acknowledge the rule of God?
If we choose to be self-determining, then the question of identity becomes really fluid. Who do you want to be today? Do you want to be male or female? Do you want to be moral or immoral? Do you want to faithful or not faithful?
But if we accept the rule and reign of God, then our primary question about identity changes. No longer are we asking, Who do I think I am? or Who do I feel like I am? or even Who do I wish I am? Instead, our primary question, rooted in the authority of God, becomes Who does God say that I am?