“Why, God?”

¹¹ Then the LORD’s messenger came and sat under the oak at Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites. ¹² The LORD’s messenger appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior!” ¹³ But Gideon replied to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his amazing works that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, ‘Didn’t the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and allowed Midian to overpower us.” ¹⁴ Then the LORD turned to him and said, “You have strength, so go and rescue Israel from the power of Midian. Am I not personally sending you?” ¹⁵ But again Gideon said to him, “With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.” ¹⁶ The LORD replied, “Because I’m with you, you’ll defeat the Midianites as if they were just one person.” ¹⁷ Then Gideon said to him, “If I’ve gained your approval, please show me a sign that it’s really you speaking with me. ¹⁸ Don’t leave here until I return, bring out my offering, and set it in front of you.” The Lord replied, “I’ll stay until you return.” ¹⁹ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and used an ephah of flour for unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them. ²⁰ Then God’s messenger said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, then pour out the broth.” And he did so.