Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
The following story brings into clear focus the issue of not showing favoritism or biases, in cases where corrections are warranted, and in situations where it could be pretty difficult for us refrain from showing respect of persons. The children of Israel had departed from God in the institution of idolatry, and as a result their defenses were severely weakened, to the point where they became subservient to their enemies.
So, God sent an angel to Gideon, with the message that he was chosen as the agent of deliverance for his people. But before he could be used in such a mighty way, he would have to demonstrate in real time, that he could be trusted to bring about the much-needed reform, and God’s instructions to him would test his mettle, as it pertained to being impartial, for he was not to show favoritism at a time when it could have been very difficult.
As Gideon considered the command of God in his mind and as he weighed the terrible ramifications of obeying, he shuddered in his boots, because, for him to obey would almost certainly trigger a bitter family feud that could potentially end in bloodshed.
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!