Judges 6:14
“And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”
King James Version (KJV)
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After greeting Gideon as a mighty man of valour, the LORD commissions him to deliver Israel from Midian. Gideon protests his weakness and low standing, but God responds by grounding the mission not in Gideon's ability but in the fact that God Himself is sending him.
What Does Judges 6:14 Mean?
Judges 6:14 records the commissioning of Gideon: "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" The verse follows Gideon's honest objection that his clan is the weakest and he the least in his father's house. God does not argue about Gideon's resume. Instead He says, "Go in this thy might" -- referring to the strength Gideon will have precisely because God is sending him. The "might" is not native to Gideon; it is the strength that comes with God's commission and presence. Then God gives the clinching reason for confidence in the form of a question: "have not I sent thee?" Everything rests on that. The success of the mission depends not on Gideon's qualifications but on the One doing the sending. A divine commission carries divine backing. The same God who calls also empowers and accompanies. Notice too that "the LORD looked upon him" -- God's personal regard rests on Gideon before any command is given. The look precedes the charge. Gideon is sent not as an abandoned soldier but as one upon whom God's attention and authority rest.
The question "have not I sent thee?" is the foundation of every genuine calling. When God assigns a task, He stands behind it. Our inadequacies, real as they are, are not the deciding factor; God's sending is. This frees us from the paralysis of self-assessment. Gideon could measure his weakness all day and find a hundred reasons to refuse, but none of them could outweigh the fact that God had sent him. The same is true for those God calls today. The strength we need is found not by becoming impressive but by going in obedience to the One who sends. Where God commissions, He also enables. The decisive question is never "Am I able?" but "Has God sent me?"
In the Original Language
The Hebrew 'yasha' (save) means to deliver, rescue, and bring to safety, while 'shalach' (send) means to send forth as a commissioned messenger -- a calling backed by the sender's authority.
Cross References
“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”
- Judges 6:12
“And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
- Exodus 3:11
“Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
- Isaiah 6:8
Application
When God calls you to a task that feels beyond you, stop measuring your weakness and start trusting His commission. The strength you need comes with the sending. Let the question 'have not I sent thee?' silence your excuses and move you forward in obedient confidence.