The Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-7). God sent an angel to call Gideon to deliver them (Judges 6:12-16). He questioned God and doubted his ability to carry out this task, but he went. He was a hero of faith (Hebrews 11:32). Through his leadership, God would deliver Israel. Yet something had to be done first. He had to deal with the problem that caused all of the trouble – idolatry.