Under Gods Command
Gideon
Judges 8:1-3 Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they criticized him sharply. But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oereb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided.
Ephraim’s leaders felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle, but had left them in place to “clean up” the escaping Midianites (“the gleanings”), and so they angrily confronted him. Gideon assured the leaders of Ephraim that their accomplishment was even greater than his own clan’s (Abiezer). His diplomatic explanation pointed out that this rear guard had managed to capture the enemy’s generals, thus cutting off the leaders from their army. Not every necessary job is a highly visible leadership role. Much of the necessary labor of any effective enterprise is considered by many to be dirty work. But such work is vital to getting and big task done.
Lets bring it home: Engineers and millionaires may design and finance an elegant building, but it is the bricklayers who get the work done. Pride causes us to want recognition. Are you content to be God’s bricklayer, or do you resent the work God has given you?
