The story of Gideon in Judges 6 provides a narrative for discerning magical thinking from faith. What I love about Gideon’s story in Judges is how it helps me understand where faith and reason can help us break down the magical thinking often bubbling to the surface in Sunday lessons and our lives. Remember from my previous post that magical thinking is the idea that by a grand sacrifice, magical action, or special connection, you can earn special privileges to information or prevent causally unrelated misfortunes to you or others.

In that post, I presented a version of the following diagram. Each number maps to a quote from Abraham Heschel, shown below the diagram.

1. From scientism to faith: ‘Religion is the awareness of God’s interest in man, the awareness of a covenant, of a responsibility that lies on Him as well as on us.’¹
2. From magical thinking to faith: ‘Freedom can only endure as a vision, and loyalty to it is an act of faith. Freedom is something we are responsible for. If we succeed, we will help in the redemption of the world; if we fail, we may be crushed by its abuse.’¹
3. From faith to scientism: ‘When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain its message becomes meaningless.’¹
4. From faith to magical thinking: ‘When superimposed as a yoke, as a dogma, as a fear, religion tends to violate rather than to nurture the spirit of man.’¹

Let’s go on a journey with Gideon to see one testimony of how to live in the valley of faith.

Who is Gideon?

We are introduced to Gideon in Judges 6, and the narrative helps us understand that God has called Gideon by an Angel (6:11-12). Gideon even talks with the angel and receives a forceful answer that God has called him (6:13-24). Gideon then responds with fervor to meet the angel’s request (6:25-29), and we see Joash, Gideon’s father, set up the argument for God in verse 31.

And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

The God of the Israelites can protect himself. This Baal can’t even defend himself against a human, let alone Gods. Gideon then gets the name of ‘Contender with Baal’ from the people and by the commission of God. This background seems to solidify Gideon in the camp of one who has faith and talks with God.

How does Gideon help us understand the difference between faith and magical thinking?

Pushing through the first perception to gain spiritual confirmation

In Judges 6:36-40, we arrive at the first example of pushing through magical thinking. Gideon believes God has already told him that he would save Israel, yet he asks for a second response.

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

God seems to accept this petition and then provides the requested miracle. Gideon is still concerned about his path and continues his interaction.

And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

So God, the Great I AM, understood that Gideon needed to be clear that He was speaking and that it wasn’t a magical thinking moment. Gideon understood the odds without God and wanted to make sure that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was the one making the request. This series of requests is good faith, not a dependence on magical thinking.

Trusting God, seeing the miracle, and understanding His hand

Now that we know God is on Gideon’s side, we can understand how the miracle occurs. It is not simply the magical hand of God that acts without man’s perception of the process. We know how God partners with Gideon to enact the miracle of 300 men conquering the Midianites. It makes so much sense that one might not even call it a miracle.

1. God needs Gideon to know what the Midianites are thinking. He does not reveal this fact to Gideon. He asks Gideon to act and go listen to them in their camp (Judges 7:8-12).
2. God appears to give a Midianite a dream that incites them to believe that the Gideon army would destroy their people, and Gideon hears the message (Judges 7:13-15)
3. Gideon uses the 300 men to create a decoy and scare the Midianites into a panic. They panic, kill each other, and start to run (Judges 16-23).

The miracle isn’t magical, but it is of God. God walked with Gideon and acted as a trusted advisor. Gideon lived and walked by faith in his plan. God was there and partnered with the Israelites. The Israelites used their agency to enact a plan, and the Midianites lost. The whole story looks possible and even probable if told without the introduction of God into the account.

Like Gideon, when we see the facts and the God that works with us in those facts, we have faith. ‘Miracles are not outcomes that defy science. They are not tricks or illusions or fantasies. Miracles are manifestations of God’s will.’²

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