40. GIDEON

"The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon"

Aim

To show that God always watched over the children of Israel. When they turned to Him, He gave them leaders to guide them.

Synopsis

Following the victory over the army of the King of Canaan, the land had rest forty years (Judges 5:31). But during this time of peace, Israel soon forgot all that God had done for them in the past and turned again to the false worship and evil ways of the Canaanites. As a punishment, God delivered them into the hand of the Midianites, who oppressed them for seven years.

Judges 6 and 7

THE MIDIANITES

The Midianites were a warlike people who over-ran the land of Israel like a swarm of grasshoppers, destroying the crops and herds which should have provided food for Israel and spreading terror among the people. As a result, Israel fled to dens and caves in the mountains, where they tried to hide from their enemies. In the midst of their terror and distress they remembered their God and cried unto Him for help. He chose a faithful man from among them to be their judge, who would turn them back to their God and help them win a mighty victory over the Midianites.

THE CALL OF GIDEON: Judges 6:11-12

Gideon lived in Ophrah and although his father Joash and the people of his city were worshippers of Baal, Gideon still remained faithful to Yahweh, God of Israel. He had managed to save some wheat from the Midianites, and was threshing it secretly one day. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him saying, "Yahweh is with thee, thou mighty man of valour" (v12). Gideon looked up startled to see a man (who was really an angel) sitting under an oak nearby. Gideon said to him, "Oh my Lord, if Yahweh be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" (v13). Gideon had really been hoping for a miracle to happen to save Israel, just as God had saved them in times past. He knew only too well why these troubles had come. Israel was suffering because they had turned away from God to worship idols; even his own father's house was a centre for the worship of Baal.

Looking steadily at Gideon, the angel told him that he was the one through whom God would deliver Israel. Gideon was amazed and asked, "Wherewith shall I save Israel?" and was told, "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man" (v16). Gideon could scarcely believe that he would be able to gather Israel and lead them to such a great victory.

He asked for a sign that this message was from God and begged the angel to wait until he had prepared an offering. As soon as it was ready he brought a kid, unleavened cakes and broth and presented it to the angel, who told him to lay the food on a rock and pour out the broth. The angel touched the offering with his staff, and instantly fire came from the rock and consumed the food. The angel then disappeared from Gideon's sight and then Gideon realised that it had truly been an angel that had spoken to him. God had given him the sign he had asked for, but Gideon was afraid because he realised he had seen an angel of God "face to face" (v22). God said, "Fear not, thou shalt not die" (v23). So Gideon began to prepare himself for the great work of leading God's people to victory against their enemies.

GOD GIVES GIDEON A SIGN: Judges 6:34-40

The Midianites gathered themselves together into a mighty army and camped in the valley of Jezreel. Gideon had sent messages to the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, so that they might join him in this great struggle against their enemies. He then turned to God in prayer and asked for a sign, that he might know that God was with him in his efforts to save Israel. "Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor, and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said." (v37).

In the morning Gideon found that this was so, and the following night the sign was reversed - the fleece was dry and the ground was wet with dew. Gideon was now satisfied that he could lead Israel to victory and show them that their strength came from Yahweh, not from Baal.

THE SWORD OF YAHWEH AND OF GIDEON: Judges 7

Altogether 32,000 men joined Gideon, ready to make war on the Midianites, but God said that 32,000 were too many! The Midianites had an army of 135,000 (Judges 8:10) - a huge army! But God would give Israel the victory and He did not want them to say, "mine own arm hath saved me" (v2).

So He told Gideon to say to the men who were with him, <(Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early", and 22,000 returned home. Now there were 10,000 left to face the Midianite army of 135,000. Even this number was too many for God's purpose; so He told Gideon to take the men to the water so that they could drink, and Gideon had to watch how they drank. Some lifted the water in their hands and lapped it as a dog does; others knelt down to drink straight from the water. Those who lapped were set on one side and they numbered 300. While they drank this way, they could watch what was going on around them. No doubt this was the reason why these were set aside. They were careful men, who would not be taken unawares by the enemy. God said that by these 300 men He would give Israel victory over the Midianites. The rest of the men were sent to their tents (v7).

That night Gideon was encouraged by a conversation he overheard in the camp of Midian (vv 9-15), that made him realise that the Midianites were becoming a bit fearful of the Israelites. (See Additional Notes). So he divided his soldiers into three companies of 100 and gave each man a trumpet and a lamp hidden inside a pitcher (a kind of earthenware jar). The time of the attack was "in the beginning of the middle watch" (between 10 pm and 1 am). Under cover of darkness the Israelites surrounded the Midianite camp. At a signal from Gideon, his men blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, held up the torches and gave a great shout: "The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon" (v20). The army of Midian, awakened by all the noise, saw the blazing torches of the men of Israel all round their camp. Thinking they were surrounded by a huge army, the soldiers panicked and started to run. It was impossible to tell friend from enemy in the darkness. They were afraid of every movement and ended up turning their swords on each other. So Gideon and his small band of soldiers gained a great victory, because they followed God's commands and put their trust in Him.

LESSON FOR US

Gideon had continued to worship Yahweh while most of Israel, and even his own father's house, worshipped Baal. When the angel spoke to him, he was obviously thinking about the things God had done for Israel in the past and praying for God to show His power to save them once more. We must be like that too. We can see how good God has been to us in the past, in showing us the Truth in the Bible and blessing us with daily blessings. From the Bible we learn that God will soon show His power in the earth once again. He will deliver us too, if we obey Him, from the wickedness of the world round about. This is the great hope set before us. We must read about it and look forward to it every day. Then, when Christ does return, how happy we shall be.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

On the same day that God had shown Gideon how to choose the men that were to go with him, God spoke to him in the night, saying, "Arise, get thee down unto the host (of Midian): for I have delivered it into thine hand" (v9). God knew what great courage was needed for 300 men to go against such a huge army and be confident of victory. So He told Gideon that, if he was afraid, he should go with his servant, Phurah, and spy on the camp of Midian. There he would overhear something which would strengthen him to go and defeat the Midianites.

Down they crept in the dark of night and, sure enough, they overheard one soldier telling another soldier of a frightening dream he had had. "Lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Median, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it" (v13). The reply of his companion startled Gideon. "This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon ... for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the host" (v14).

Greatly encouraged by these amazing words, Gideon hurried back to his 300 men and said, "Arise: for Yahweh hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian" (v15). Now Gideon felt confident of victory and praised God for helping him in this way.

QUESTIONS

Short Answers

1. Who was chosen to deliver Israel from the Midianites?

2. Why are we told that the Midianites were "like grasshoppers"?

3. What was Gideon doing one day when an angel spoke suddenly to him?

4. What were the angel's first words to Gideon when God called him to save Israel from their enemies?

5. What was the sign God gave to Gideon when the angel spoke to him?

6. What two signs did Gideon ask God to show with the fleece?

7. How many men did God choose in the end, to go with Gideon?

8. How did Gideon and his men surprise their enemies?

Detailed Answers

1. Gideon could hardly believe that God wanted him to lead Israel against the Midianites.

   1. Tell how the angel spoke to him and gave him a sign.

   2. What were the other two signs Gideon asked for?

2. God told Gideon that 32,000 men were too many to fight the Midianites.

   1. Why?

   2. How was the army of Gideon chosen?

3. "The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon". Tell the story of the battle where this great shout went forth.

Additional Answers

4. Tell how God encouraged Gideon by a conversation he
   overheard in the camp of Midian.