The casual reading of the scriptures is not enough. We must search, and this means doing of all the word implies. As the miner eagerly explores the earth to discover its veins of gold, so you are to explore the word of God for the hidden treasure that Satan has so long sought to hide from man. The Lord says, if any man will doeth his will, he shall know of the teaching. John 7.17, Fundamentals of Christian Education, page 307. Brothers and sisters, what Gideon was symbolizing there as he was threshing the wheat is he is a person at the end of the world that is studying the word of God with an intensity equal to a miner that is digging in the earth searching for hidden treasure. Gideon says to the angel, says to Christ that he is the least in his father's house. Signs of the Times, June 30, 1881 says this. The experience of Gideon and his army was designed to teach a lesson of simplicity and faith. The leader whom God had chosen occupied no prominent position in Israel. He was not a ruler, a Levite, or a priest. He thought himself the least in his father's house. Human wisdom would not have selected him, but God saw in Gideon a man of integrity and moral courage. He was distrustful of self and willing to listen to the teachings of God and carry out his purposes. The Lord is not dependent upon men of high position, of greater intellect, of extensive knowledge. Such men are frequently proud and self-sufficient. They feel themselves competent to devise and execute plans without counsel from God. They separate themselves from the true vine and hence become dry and fruitless as withered branches. Brothers and sisters, Gideon is representing Adventism at the end of the world. It is going to finish the work of the Lord and we see him having a personal confrontation, a personal experience with Jesus Christ. We see him searching the Word of God with an intensity as we should have, but we see that his view of himself is one of humility as opposed to one who is willing to exalt himself. One of the reasons that we presented the Overflowing Scourge series prior to the Gideon series was this very truth. In the Overflowing Scourge series, we received not a great deal, but a certain amount of response to the idea that those within Adventism that are seeking position are going to be swept away during the Sunday Law testing time. One brother shared with me that the Bible teaches that it's worthy to desire the office of an elder. Well,