Skip Thru the Book of Judges
.
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INTRODUCTION
The Book of Judges has been
described as the Dark Ages of Israelite history.
It is a story of disobedience , defeat and degradation.
It was an era when Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit. ( Judges 21:25)
Again and again we are told that Israel did evil in the
sight of the Lord. (2:11; 3:7; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1;). This monotonous refrain is a followed by
their subjection to an enemy nation, their cry for deliverance and the raising
up of a military leader , a
deliverer,
referred to as a
judge. Here is the first of these oft-repeated cycles
..
Judges 2: 5 The Israelites lived among the
Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 6
They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their
sons, and served their gods. 7 The
Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD ; they forgot the LORD their God
and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the LORD
burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim
king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the
Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 But when they cried out
to the LORD , he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon
him, so that he became Israel's judge [c] and went to war. The LORD
gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered
him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of
Kenaz died.
..
THE AUTHOR is unknown.
Many evangelicals suggest Samuel
was responsible and in so doing follow Jewish tradition.
..
THE PROBLEMS
The Date
all
depends upon the date of the Exodus.
And that is still a problem. Some place Judges from 1406 1050
B.C. Others suggest 1230 1025 B.C.
The Morality
Herein are stories of unspeakable atrocities. It is a reminder that
whilst historians of secular nations would hide the sins of their people, the
Spirit of God saw fit to give us a faithful picture of Gods people
. warts
and all. And in so doing reveals the
inevitable slippery slide into depravity when Gods law is forsaken.
The Contrast
Critics say that Judges contradicts the
book of Joshua. No. It tells of events following the
days of Joshua. Even the Book of Joshua told of pockets of enemy unconquered
(Joshua 15:63; 16:10; ) and that
Israel only obeyed the Lord whilst Joshua lived. ( Joshua 24:31)
The Number
it may sound silly but commentators differ
as to how many Judges are to be found in this book. Harold Lindsell says 14 , the Nelson book of charts says
13, Isaac Asimov says 12 and Roy.L.
Smith says 11.
The problem is solved by noting
that some include Samuel who was the last Judge ... but not mentioned in this
book. Some include Abimilech who was an usurper.( Ch. 9 ) Some add Barak whilst
others do not. And some, I think,
cant count !
It seems to me that there are six major Judges, and six minor judges
of whom little is revealed.
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OUTLINE
Chapters 1-2 The Introduction
Chapter
3-16
The History of the Judges
Chapter 17- 21
The Appendix.
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( a) THE INTRODUCTORY TWO CHAPTERS do take us back to the days of
Joshua.
Chapter 1 describes the exploits of
Othniel
again
for the story is also recorded in Joshua
15:13-19. But in contrast we learn of
Judahs failure to exterminate the enemy in the territory allotted to them (
1:19) and Benjamins inability to destroy the Jebusites (1:2).
Chapter 1:22-36 continues this saga of incomplete obedience by
other tribes.
Chapter 2 introduces us to the
Angel of the Lord
who rebukes the Israelites for breaking the covenant God
had made with them. Breaking His laws meant the forfeiting of His blessing. (
2:1-3)
1 The angel of the
LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said, "I brought you up out of Egypt
and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I
will never break my covenant with you, 2 and you shall not make a
covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.'
Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? 3 Now therefore I
tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your
sides and their gods will be a snare to you."
This second chapter tells of
Joshuas death ( again
Joshua 24:28-29) of Israels idolatrous worship
and Gods anger against them. It is like a summary of what is to follow.
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(b) THE HISTORY OF THE JUDGES
Chapters 3 16.
The
Twelve Judges
Some of them received
only a brief mention in the
Book of Judges. These minor judges were:
Shamgar 3:31,
Tola 10:1-2,
Jair 10:3-5,
Ibzan 12:8-10,
Elon 12:11-12, and
Abdon 12:13-15.
The other judges are
viewed in greater detail in the Book of Judges:
Othniel 3:7-11 a nephew of Caleb, deliverered Israel from
the Mesopotamians.
Ehud 3:12-30
was lefthanded and killed Eglon, king of Moab.
Deborah 4:1--5:31 urged Barak to attack the mighty army of
the Canaanites.
Gideon 6:11-8:35
led 300 Israelites to defeat the entire army of the Midianites.
Jephthah 11:1--12:7 was a harlot's son who defeated the
Amorites.
Samson 13:1--16:31
delivered Israel from the Philistines. Known for his great strength.
(c ) THE APPENDIX
Here we have the dreadful stories of the tribe of Dan and their idolatry
(Ch. 17-18) and the Civil war with the Benjamites.(Ch. 19-21)
They are not in chronological order but the writer has added them to this book to show the depths into which unchecked sin can lead a person or a nation.
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Lets meet GIDEON
.
Gideon
The Fearful ! (1)
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INTRODUCTION
The story
of Gideon is one of the better known Old Testament stories
. how
the Lord whittled down his army from 32 000 to 300
and how he
routed the Midianite army as his
army smashed their pitchers and cried the sword of the Lord and of Gideon !! But there are other incidents in the life of
this judge, (or military leader), that are not so familiar to many.
Why
did he receive the nick-name of Jerub-Baal ?
And why did he fight against some fellow Israelites ?
And
why did he re-introduce idolatry into
the
land of Israel ???
A
study of Judges 6 9 will supply the answer to these questions and teach us
some pertinent lessons.
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(1) THE CONDITIONS
HE FACED
Judges 6 : 1 Again the Israelites did
evil in the eyes of the LORD , and for seven years he gave them into the hands
of the Midianites. 2 Because the power of Midian was so oppressive,
the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and
strongholds. 3 Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the
Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. 4
They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not
spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. 5
They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It
was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to
ravage it. 6 Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried
out to the LORD for help.
(a)
Foes without Midianites, Amalekites and some eastern
tribes swarmed into Israel like a destructive locust plague. Their camels ,
being used in warfare for the first time, made them an even more formidable
foe..
(b)
Fears within. The Israelites were
powerless against these invaders from the south. We will find Gideon threshing wheat
what little he has left
in a
wine-press. ( vs. 11)
Not
on a hill where wheat is usually winnowed, lest he be seen by the enemy , but
in a hole in the ground. So the
Israelites cry unto their God for deliverance
. ( vs 6)
7 When the
Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, 8 he sent them a
prophet, who said, "This is what the LORD , the God of Israel, says: I
brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I
snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors.
I drove them from before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to
you, 'I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose
land you live.' But you have not listened to me."
(
c) Fears Justified !
A
prophet reminds them that God is mighty to deliver, as He had done previously ,
but their idolatry had closed His ears to their prayers. (Proverbs 28:9 !) They wanted deliverance from the enemy but
first there must be a forsaking of their sin.
Baal
worship, and that of the goddess, Asherah, was practiced. Even on the property
belonging to Gideons father was a centre of Baal worship.( vs 25) And this was
accompanied by all kinds of immoral practices.
(2) THE COMMISION HE
RECEIVED
(a) Gideons Visitor
11 The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in
Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing
wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the
angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you,
mighty warrior."
The ( not an) angel of the LORD is usually described by commentators as a Christophanie; i.e. an appearance of the Pre-incarnate Son of God. Not that the Lord Jesus was an angel !! But the word angel is also translated as messenger in many Scriptures. Besides which, the text itself sometimes speaks of this Heavenly visitor as the LORD (vs. 14,16,etc)
Gideon
looks, (and feels!), anything but a mighty warrior but the LORD sees his potential.
(b) Gideons Mistake !
13 But sir, Gideon replied, if the LORD is with us, why has all
this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about
when they said, Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt? But now the LORD
has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.
Why
? Because of the Baal worship
and before He leaves , the LORD will tell
Gideon what to do about it ! And as for Gideons The LORD has abandoned us,
no, Gideon, the Israelites have abandoned the LORD. And in the Law of Moses it was emphatically stated that if they
forsook Him, they would suffer for it. ( Deuteronomy 28: 15 68)
Gideon
has also mistaken his visitor for a human being. He calls him Sir. (13) The
visitor does not look like some winged angel !!
(c) Gideons Protest !
14 The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you
have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" 15
"But Lord, " Gideon asked,
how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least
in my family.
16 The LORD answered, I will be with you, and you will strike down
all the Midianites together.
the weakest
the least
But Gideon , it is not ability the LORD is
looking for , it is availability. And
dependence upon His promise !( 16) By
choosing a weak instrument, there will be no human boasting when the victory is
won. ( 1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
(d)
Gideons Request.
17 Gideon replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes,
give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not
go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you."
And the LORD said, "I will wait until you return."
19 Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah [2]
of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its
broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak.
20 The angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the
unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And
Gideon did so.
21
With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel
of the LORD
touched the meat and the unleavened bread.
Fire flared
from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread.
And the
angel of the LORD disappeared.
The
request for a sign was normal in Old Testament days. Today we have the
written Word of God to depend upon and we are exhorted to walk by faith, not
by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)
In
keeping with Eastern hospitality, Gideon prepares a meal for the visitor. But
the visitor performs a miracle and turns the meal into a Burnt Offering.
22
When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD , he exclaimed,
"Ah, Sovereign LORD ! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to
face!" 23 But the LORD
said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."
Fear
grips the young Israelite again. He has been fearful of the Midianites, fearful
at being told he is the one who will be Israels deliverer and now, realising
he has been in the presence of a Divine Being , fears for his life. The LORD re-assures him that he will not
die. (23)
..
(3) THE COMMITMENT HE MADE !
(a)
An Altar erected !
24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD
is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Believing
that the LORD would use him , he builds an altar
Jehovah-Shalom ( KJV)
In
spite of the task confronting him, Gideon is now at peace with God.
(b)
An Altar Destroyed.
25 That same night the LORD said to him, "Take the second bull
from your father's herd, the one seven years old. [3]
Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole [4]
beside it.
And
Gideon , under cover of darkness, does so
because he still has some lingering
fear.(27) But faithfulness in little things is needful if there is to be
usefulness in larger service for the LORD. ( Matthew 25:21)
(c
) An Altar Rebuilt !
26
Then build a proper kind of altar to
the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole
that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering."
27 So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him.
But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at
night rather than in the daytime.
28 In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's
altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull
sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29 They asked each other, "Who did this?" When they
carefully investigated, they were told, "Gideon son of Joash did it."
30 The men of the town demanded of Joash, "Bring out your son.
He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah
pole beside it."
From
the materials of the ruined altar of Baal an altar to the LORD is now
built. But hostility turns to discovery
and Gideon is found to be the culprit.
The Baal worshipers of the town demand his death ! (30)
.
(d)
An Altar-smasher Defended !
31 But Joash
replied to the hostile crowd around him, "Are you going to plead Baal's
cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death
by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks
down his altar." 32 So that day they called Gideon
"Jerub-Baal, [7]
" saying, "Let Baal contend with him," because he broke down Baal's
altar.
Joash,
father of Gideon, makes a wise speech to the angry mob. If Baal is
truly a god, he says, let him defend himself !.
And Gideon is nick-named Jerub-Baal
which
means Anti-Baal !
Three
cheers for Gideon !!!
He is now ready to take on the Midianite
host
in Chapter 7 !
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Gideon, The Fighter ! ( study 2)
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INTRODUCTION
.
In Judges 6 we saw Gideon the fearful. Fearful of the Midianites who had
impoverished the land of Israel ( 6:1-2) , fearful of the commission placed
upon him to deliver his people ( 6:15) , fearful of death for having seen the
Lord ( 6: 22-23) , and fearful of his father when he tore down the altar to
Baal and the Asherah pole. ( 6: 27)
And his fears are not altogether gone
as we shall see.
.
(1) THE ENCOURAGEMENT HE RECEIVED
Judges 6: 36
Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have
promised- 37 look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing
floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I
will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said." 38
And that is what happened. Gideon rose early the next day; he squeezed the
fleece and wrung out the dew-a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry
with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the
fleece. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." 40
That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with
dew.
The
result of the first sign
wet fleece and dry ground
did not satisfy Gideon.
Or maybe he didnt want it to do so. So
a request for a second sign. Dry fleece and wet ground all around. And this was
certainly miraculous.
Note
: --- Gideons If ( vs. 36 ) displays his lack
of faith. God had said that He would use Gideon to deliver Israel. ( 6:16) He
did not need to ask for a sign. Nor do we. We should simply take God at His
word.
Note:--- Alexander Whyte suggests Gideons mother made him a mantle out of
that fleece . And when he wore it he was reminded that he was in the Lords
protective keeping.
Note:
--- Bernard
of Clairveaux suggested that the dry fleece was symbolic of Mary , i.e. not
contaminated by sin as are the rest of mankind. ( R.C. Comm. P. 98) Fair go !!!!!!
..
A
further encouragement is granted Gideon when he overhears two Midianite
soldiers talking
Judges 7:
8 Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9 During
that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp,
because I am going to give it into your hands. 10 If you are
afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11
and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack
the camp." So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the
camp. 12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern
peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more
be counted than the sand on the seashore.
13 Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream.
"I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread
came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that
the tent overturned and collapsed."
14 His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the
sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and
the whole camp into his hands."
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped
God. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD
has given the Midianite camp into your hands."
Barley
bread ( vs. 13) was the food of animals and the poor of the land. It reminds us
of Pauls word that God chooses the things that are weak to confound the things
that are mighty that no one may boast in His presence. ( 1 Corinthians
27-29) And there was already fear in the Midianite camp that Gideon and his men
were about to overthrow them.
.
(2) THE ARMY GIDEON COMMANDED
Judges 7:1
Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men
camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the
valley near the hill of Moreh. 2 The LORD said to Gideon, "You
have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that
Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, 3
announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and
leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand
remained.
4 But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men.
Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say,
'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I say, 'This one shall not go
with you,' he shall not go."
5 So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the LORD told him,
"Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those
who kneel down to drink." 6 Three hundred men lapped with their
hands to their mouths. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7 The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that
lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the
other men go, each to his own place." 8 So Gideon sent the rest
of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the
provisions and trumpets of the others.
Gideon
is in for a further shock. His army is whittled down from 32,000 to 300 !
First
those who are fearful are invited to go home. Twenty-two thousand leave.
but
Gideon doesnt go with them. He is overcoming his fears ! Sending the fearful
home was in keeping with the Law of Moses
Deuteronomy 20: 1-8
1 When you go to war against your enemies
and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of
them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with
you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come
forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: "Hear, O Israel,
today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or
afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For
the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your
enemies to give you victory."
5 The officers shall say to the army: "Has anyone built a new
house and not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and
someone else may dedicate it. 6 Has anyone planted a vineyard and
not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone
else enjoy it. 7 Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not
married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry
her." 8 Then the officers shall add, "Is any man afraid or
fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened
too."
Members
of an army who are anxious to quickly return to their new home ( 5-6) or
fiancιe ( 7) or just plain scared (8) may undermine the morale of the rest.
Still
too many, says the Lord. So the remaining ten thousand drink at the stream that
flows from the spring of Harod. Some knelt, head in water, lapping like a
dog.(5) But 300 cupped the water in their hands, remaining vigilant, on the
lookout for the enemy, and thus slaked their thirst. (6) It is with that group
God will deliver Israel. They were more concerned with their duty as soldiers
than satisfying their own comfort. The
other 9,700 are sent home.
One
of the New Testament analogies likens Christians as members of Gods
army. We are called to fight the good
fight ! ( 1 Timothy 6:12). We are to endure hardness as good soldiers of
Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3) We are to be clothed in the whole armour of
God. (Ephesians 6:11)
But
many in Gods church today are as uncommitted
as the 22,000. Their priorities or
fears hider any service for their Lord.
And
some, today, are unready to serve Him. Still babes in their
Christian life, little knowing the basics of the Faith.Unable to witness. Half-hearted in allegiance.
And
some are like the undaunted 300 who are true-hearted,
whole-hearted, faithful forever as the hymn-writer expressed it.
..
(3) THE VICTORY GIDEON
ACCOMPLISHED!
Judges 7: 16
Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and
empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17 "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I
get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18 When I and all
who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and
shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.' "
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp
at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard.
They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20
The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the
torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they
were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" 21
While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran,
crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men
throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to
Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23
Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they
pursued the Midianites.
*
The Weapons Gideon Employed ...
Rams horns, clay jars and burning brands. And 100 men stationed on the three
sides of the camp where the enemy
slept. And the darkness of night.
*
The Example Gideon Set
Follow my lead! he cries.( 17)
*
The Strategy Gideon Employed
... The stillness of the night
is suddenly shattered by 300 voices shouting , 300 trumptets blaring ,
300 jars smashing and 300 torches flaring.( 19-20)
*The
Confusion Gideon Caused
Midianite
swords lashed out at Amalekite. Eastern
tribes fought each other. No one, in the darkness knew who were the enemy and
who were compatriots.
As
the enemy fled in panic other Israelites now joined in the pursuit. (23) ( There are always those who like to join
the winning side after the hard work has been done !)
.
(4) THE ILLUSTRATION GIDEON AFFORDED
When
the Apostle Paul was seeking to explain to the Corinthians that Satan had
blinded the eyes of the unsaved , and that we are to let our little light
shine and tell them of the Saviour, he found an illustration in the story of
Gideons victory over the Midianites.
2 Corinthians 4 : 3If our Message is
obscure to anyone, it's not because we're holding back in any way. No, it's
because these other people are looking or going the wrong way and refuse to
give it serious attention. 4All they have eyes for is the
fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and
that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind
to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives
us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
5Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we're proclaiming
Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus
for you. 6It started when God said, "Light up the
darkness!" and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God
in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.
7If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry
this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary
lives. ( The Message Trans.)
As
we allow the light of the Gospel to shine through us, the Enemy suffers yet
another set-back and souls can be set free from the Devils bondage. But we
have this gospel , ready to blaze forth as we proclaim it , in clay
pots. Just like the burning torches
hidden inside Gideons clay jars.
Until the jar is broken, the light cannot be
seen and the darkness cannot be dispelled.
Thats
why Paul says , We preach not ourselves
( vs.5
KJV)
Pride needs to be broken . Trying to bring
glory to ourselves instead of the Lord will result in people seeing clay pots
instead of Him. Like John the Baptist
we must be able to say, He must increase, but I must decrease . ( John 3:30)
..
CONCLUSION
Gideon
the fearful became Gideon the victorious fighter ! Because he ( eventually !)
took the Lord at His word and obeyed it ! And therein is the open secret
revealing the way of victory for Gods
soldiers today.
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Gideons Folly !!( Study
No. 3)
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INTRODUCTION
The Midianites are on the run !
Judges 7:7:22 When the
three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to
turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward
Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23
Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they
pursued the Midianites.
In the pandemonium that had taken place
when the 300 Israelites had shouted The sword of the Lord and of Gideon
trumpets sounded and torches flared
120,000 of the enemy had died fighting
each other ! (Judges 8:10)
..
(1) THE
FAULT-FINDING OF THE
EPHRAIMITES
Now Gideon summons the tribe of Ephraim to station themselves at
the River Jordan where the enemy will seek to cross.
24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the
hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites and
seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah."
1 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 criticized him sharply.
2 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? 3 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.
Joshua had previously experienced trouble with the Ephraimites
(Joshua 17:14-15), and Jepthah will also, a few years hence (Judges 12:1). They
seem to be a proud, hot-headed people. Now they pick a fight with Gideon
(8:2). Probably the reason he had not
summoned them earlier (7:23) was because he knew they would try to boss him
around !!
But now he needed them
to stop the Midianites escaping to the East side of Jordan .
Many Midianites do get across
but two of their leaders,
Oreb and Zeeb, are captured and decapitated.
Gideon pacifies the angry, fault-finding tribe with a touch of
flattery, telling them they have gleaned more that what he had reaped! Abiezer
(8:2) is Gideons clan (6:11; 8:32). This incident is a reminder of Solomons
wise word that a soft answer turneth away wrath
(Proverbs 15:1) Had Gideon raised his voice and argued back, he would have soon had another
fight on his hands!!
.
(2) THE
FORTITUDE OF THE ISRAELITES
4 Gideon and his three hundred men,
exhausted yet keeping
up the pursuit,
came to the Jordan and crossed it.
Gideons 300 probably had not eaten for some time (6:4) nor did they have camels to ride upon as did
the enemy (6:5)
they ran ! But , as
the King James version has it , they were faint , yet pursuing ! It is an example for those who belong to the
Lords army today
In due season we shall reap if we faint not ! ( Galatians 5:9)
(3) THE FATE OF THE GADITES
He said to the men of Succoth, "Give my troops some
bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings
of Midian."
6 But the officials of Succoth said, "Do you already have the
hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to
your troops?"
7 Then Gideon replied, "Just for that, when the LORD has given
Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and
briers."
8 From there he went up to Peniel [1] and made the same request of them,
but they answered as the men of Succoth had. 9 So he said to the men
of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower."
The pursuit takes Gideon and his men through the land belonging
to the tribe of Gad. At Succoth he requests food for his men
only to receive
a rebuff. ( 8:6) Likewise at
Peniel.(8:8) Gideon threatens them with dire consequences upon his return.
Now he catches up with the Midianite host
whats left of them
attacks from the south instead of what the foe is expecting
routs the army
and captures two Kings of Midian
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor
with a force of about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of the armies of
the eastern peoples; a hundred and twenty thousand swordsmen had fallen. 11
Gideon went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and fell
upon the unsuspecting army. 12 Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of
Midian, fled, but he pursued them and captured them, routing their entire army.
Back at Succoth he deals
severely with the seventy-seven town officials
( flogging them ? (8:16) or,
maybe, putting them to dearth . Commentators differ.) Likewise at Peniel , the
tower is destroyed and many are slain.
13 Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of
Heres. 14 He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and
the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of
Succoth, the elders of the town. 15 Then Gideon came and said to the
men of Succoth, "Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by
saying, 'Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your
possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?' " 16
He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by
punishing them with desert thorns and briers. 17 He also pulled down
the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
Whilst this may come as a shock to us, remember it is over 1000
years before Christ. And these Gadites were traitors. They had, in effect, been
helping the enemy by refusing sustenance to Gideon and his men.
18 Then he asked Zebah and Zalmunna,
"What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?"
"Men like you," they answered, "each one with the bearing of a
prince."
19 Gideon replied, "Those were my brothers, the sons of my own
mother. As surely as the LORD lives, if you had spared their lives, I would not
kill you." 20 Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said,
"Kill them!" But Jether did not draw his sword, because he was only a
boy and was afraid.
21 Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Come, do it yourself. 'As is the
man, so is his strength.' " So Gideon stepped forward and killed them, and
took the ornaments off their camels' necks.
Gideons son, Jether, is offered the task of putting Zeba and
Zalmunna to death. Gideon probably surmises that this will give the young
fellow prestige
in the eyes of his
followers and prepare him for future leadership. But Jether cannot bring
himself to do so. Gideon does it
and takes the moon-shaped ornaments off the
camels necks !!!!!( 8:21)
(4) THE
FOOLISHNESS OF GIDEON
22 The Israelites said to
Gideon, "Rule over us, you, your
son and your grandson-because you have saved us out of the hand of
Midian."
23 But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my
son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."
So far, so
good ! Had the story ended there Gideon would have shone as one of the great
saints of Scripture. But although he refuses to be called King
he is going
to act like one !
24 And he said, "I do have one
request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the
plunder." (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)
25 They answered, "We'll be glad to give them." So they
spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26
The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, [2] not counting the ornaments, the
pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that
were on their camels' necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,
which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by
worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise
its head again. During Gideon's lifetime, the land enjoyed peace forty years.
29 Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 30 He
had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His
concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named
Abimelech .
He collects the gold earrings worn by one of the tribes that had
been involved in the battle and makes an ephod. This is a garment worn only by
Israels high priest.
Gideon is not a priest. Maybe he does not wear it but simply
displays it upon a stand. Or upon a life-size image
something like a
shop-window dummy. It could be his motive was simply to remind his people of
Gods goodness to them.
It is set up in Ophrah ,
Gideons home-town in Manasseh ( 8:27;
6:11)
but the Tabernacle and official High priest were in Shiloh . Shiloh, however, was in Ephraims territory
and probably Gideon and his men no longer desired mixing with them !
In any case, before long this ephod has become an object of
worship !(8:27)
Gideon himself has amassed gold and taken to himself many
wives (8:30) both specifically contrary to the Mosaic law ( Deuteronomy
17:14-17)
And maybe worst of all, he calls one of his seventy or more sons
Abimelech.( 8:31) The name means .My father is King !
32
Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his
father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted
themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and 34
did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all
their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show kindness to
the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) for all the good things he had done
for them.
And so Gideon died
Baal worship from which he had once
delivered the nation was soon re-introduced. It was but a small step from
worshipping the ephod to worshipping more pagan gods.
CONCLUSION
The Apostle Paul reminds
us that these Old Testament stories are written for our admonition . And the
lesson that comes from Gideons last days is that let him that standeth
take heed lest he fall. ( 1 Corinthians 10:11-12) Gideons victory and the praises of his
followers seem to have filled his heart with pride. And unwittingly by his
foolish actions , he led them back into idolatry
.
Let him that standeth take heed , lest he fall
..
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