When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh, Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” “It is all right,” the Lord replied. “Do not be afraid. You will not die.” Judges 6:22 NLT

In college I went into a friends room for a visit. He offered me a piece of chocolate from a box in which I consumed it with one quick smacking. His face was in complete shock and disbelief. “Do you know what you just did?” he asked. “Yea, I ate a piece of chocolate.” I replied. “NO! That was not just a piece of chocolate, that was a See’s fine chocolate. You are supposed to eat it slowly, to savor the flavor.” He was incensed that I failed to grasp the value of exquisite chocolate.

Gideon has had a rather lengthy encounter with an Angel of the Lord. the Angel told Gabriel he would be a deliverer for his people Israel from the Midianites. Gideon had prepared a sacrifice for the Angel. The Angel consumed the sacrifice and then disappeared. It was at this point that Gideon’s eyes were opened fully to the magnitude of being in God’s presence.

The word realized and see in Hebrew is  the same root word raah and pronounced like raw-aw’. It is the same word used in Genesis 1 at the creation narrative when God “saw” what He created and called it good. The word has already been used in the Gideon narrative in verse 12 “when the Angel appeared to Gideon,” It means to “to see, appear or come into full view”.

When we have our eyes fully opened to holiness, conviction follows. Until our eyes of understanding have been awakened, we remain in a type of blindness. Gideon perceived, understood the full ramification of his experience with the Angel and knew that death should follow. That’s conviction.

Isaiah had a similar experience at the altar in Isaiah 6. He declared, “woe, I am undone because I have unclean lips and I dwell with people with unclean lips.” When he was fully aware of being in the presence of holiness, that which was unclean in his life became fully evident.

I was telling a friend that I am praying for God to “uncover anything that is hidden regarding unlawful acts in our government”. I then added, “this is a dangerous prayer, because God usually starts uncovering things in the one who is asking the prayer.” My friend replied, “Do you have any skeletons in your closet?”

If you want to follow in the footsteps of Gideon, Moses, Isaiah, Peter then be prepared to encounter God’s holiness that shines brightly upon our sinfulness. That “Raah” understanding will lead to a deep conviction that leads to repentance and change.

When you are standing before a holy God, there is nowhere to hide. There is no one to blame. There are no excuses. Nom not even one that you can use to deflect away from the spotlight highlighting your sinful, intentional, rebellious act. You become aware that any punishment that God decrees is justified. Isaiah’s cry of being “undone” is true for all of us.

This conviction comes in a couple of ways. 

  • Ask for the Holy Spirit to reveal any unclean thing. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting.” He is faithful to do what you ask.
  • Read the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
  • Be sensitive to God’s voice in worship. This is not just the Sunday morning service, but any time that you are engaging worship songs. It only takes a moment for you to step into the realm of the heavenlies with good worship lyrics. During those times God will speak. Don’t let the moment pass without making good follow through steps of actions consistent with His speaking.
  • God may use a friend to speak enlightenment to you. The Bible is full of examples in which another person was used to bring “awareness” to God’s uncovering. Look at Nathan and King David.

Many are praying for Revival. It starts when our eyes are “opened -(raah)”. May we earnestly pray for God to uncover anything that is unholy. His grace is sufficient to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and make us clean.

Blessings Love y’all