A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel. – Proverbs 15:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 30, 2025): Proverbs 15

I love the story of Gideon, and yes, the name means more than just the name of the Bible that you might find in a hotel room. The story of Gideon begins with Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress. The problem was that the grain needed to be threshed or cleansed of its husks. However, the Midianites, Israel's enemies, were known for attacking farmers after the harvest had been taken from the fields, stealing the grain and making it their own. So, Gideon was threshing the wheat in a winepress. Threshing the wheat meant throwing the wheat into the air and allowing the breeze to carry away the lighter husks while the heavier seeds fell back to the ground. But in a winepress, there is no breeze; threshing wheat in a winepress is just a recipe for getting really dirty, and not accomplishing much more. But there was Gideon, threshing his wheat in a winepress. That is where the angel finds him and addresses him. “Greetings, mighty warrior, the Lord is with you” (Judges 6:12 paraphrased). It must have been a hilarious scene. Gideon cowering in a winepress when this angel appears and addresses him as a mighty warrior.

Gideon’s reaction to the angel was, “If God is with us, then why am I threshing grain in a winepress?” The angel’s reply? “Go in the strength that you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.” Gideon picked up on the word strength. My clan is not strong. My clan is the weakest in my tribe, and I am the least in my family. But Gideon heard the angel and followed the instructions he had received despite his weakness. Gideon went in what strength he possessed and raised an army. After building his army, God appeared to Gideon twice to tell him that it was too large. Twice, God whittled down Gideon’s 32,000 warriors until only 300 remained. But with those 300 warriors, Gideon routed the Midianites, and all of Israel was thankful for Gideon. Well, maybe not. Life seldom works that way. The warriors of the Tribe of Ephraim were not impressed that they were not invited into the battle. (Remember, it was God who had limited the size of Gideon’s army.)

Now the Ephraimites asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us like this? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight Midian?” And they challenged him vigorously (Judges 8:1).

But it is Gideon’s answer that is important.

But he answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?” At this, their resentment against him subsided (Judges 8:2-3).

Gideon’s answer was a great example of a gentle response. There are a lot of ways that Gideon could have responded. He could have even allowed his anger to color his response. But he decided not to let anger dictate his behavior.

It is something that, as Christians, we need to learn. It is easy to respond with anger. It is easy to allow anger to drive our emotions higher and higher, but that is not our way. We need to be experts of the gentle answer.

Gideon's gentle response cooled the temperature. In the story of the ascension of Rehoboam to the Throne of Israel, the young King was confronted by representatives of the tribes who sought to reduce the burden that Solomon had unwisely imposed on them. But instead of the gentle answer, Rehoboam’s harsh words stirred up the anger of the people against Israel. Seventeenth-century Anglican Bible Commentator John Trapp (1601-1669), who is known for his short, pithy sayings, summed up this moment well. “Rehoboam, with one churlish breath, lost ten tribes” (John Trapp).

A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18). Rehoboam stirred up conflict, while Gideon’s patience calmed the quarrel.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 16