Judges 6-8 Gideon

Thoughts

Judges 6

Once again, Israel does evil in the Lord’s sight, and God hands them over to Midian for seven years.

Midianites, Amalekites, and people of the East destroy crops and livestock, leaving Israel with nothing. They even hid in caves.

Using an un-named prophet, God reminds them of His deliverance from Egypt and the command not to fear the gods of the Amorites, but they did not obey His voice. 

The Angel of the Lord appears to Gideon while he threshes wheat in secret. Gideon questions why God has forsaken them, to which God says He will send Gideon.

Gidean objects, saying his clan is weak and asks for a sign. The Angel of the Lord consumed his offering with fire.

Gideon builds an altar named יְהוָה שָׁלוֹם (YHWH Shalom/ YHWH is peace)

God commands Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and build an altar to the Lord. Gideon obeys, but does it at night due to fear.

The men demand Gideon’s death, but his father Joash defends him and says Baal can fight for himself

Gideon is now named יְרֻבַּעַל (Yerubbaʿal) which means “Let Baal contend”

Midianites and allies camp in the Jezreel Valley and the Spirit of the Lord comes upon Gideon; he summons the Abiezerites which were the clan within the Israelite tribe of Manasseh that Gideon belonged to.

Gideon again asks for a sign, this time using fleece. Even when God does as Gideon asks, he makes God give him a second sign (even though originally Gideon said one would be enough).

Judges 7

Gideon camps at spring of Herod with his army or 32,000 (keep in mind the Midianites had 135,000). God tells Gideon to send 22,000 home who are fearful!

God still wants to reduce the numbers. He tells Gideon to take the men to water, those who lap water with their hands are chosen.

Now only 300 remain!

Gideon, with his servant Purah, sneaks into the Midianite camp.

They overhear a man telling a dream of a barley loaf rolling into camp and toppling onto the camp of Midian. Another man interpreted it as God giving Midian into Gideon’s hand. This seems to have given Gideon hope.

Guzik says: Only the very poor ate barley bread. The vision meant that the camp of the Midianites would be knocked over by a humble nobody. (from https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/judges-7/)

Gideon divides the 300 into three companies and each man is given a trumpet, an empty jar, and a torch inside the jar.

At the signal, they blow trumpets, smash jars, and shout: “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

This spooked the Midianites and they fled towards the Jordan. Israelites from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh pursue them.

Gideon sends messengers to Ephraim to cut off Midian’s escape; they capture Oreb and Zeeb (two princes) and kill them at the winepress and rock bearing their names.

Judges 8

Ephraim was upset that they were not asked to be in the battle with Gideon, after all they were a powerful tribe. Gideon reminded them that they had a greater victory over the Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb.

Gideon is exhausted, but keeps going with his 300 men. He asks Succoth and Penuel for food for his men. Both towns refuse, doubting his ability to capture Zebah and Zalmunna (two Midianite kings).

I think these verses don’t deserve a paraphrase: ⁷ So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” & ⁹ And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”

Zebah and Zalmunna were camped at Karkor with about 15,000 soldiers- all that remained of the eastern armies, since 120,000 had already been killed in battle.

Gideon approached by a route used by nomadic people, and launched a surprise attack on the camp. Zebah and Zalmunna tried to escape, but they are captured and their entire army is thrown into chaos.

And just as Gideon said, he punishes Succoth’s elders with thorns and briers and destroys Penuel’s tower and kills the men of the city.

Gideon questions the kings about the men they killed at Tabor and orders his firstborn (Jether) to kill them, but he hesitates as he was just a kid. Gideon ends up killing them himself. 

Israel offers Gideon to be their king. Gideon refuses, saying the Lord will rule over them.

Gideon makes a golden ephod (what priests wore) from spoils of war and places it in Ophrah….but sadly it leads Israel into idolatry.

Peace for 40 years (see a pattern?)

Gideon has many wives and seventy sons, plus one son Abimelek by a concubine in Shechem. After his death, Israel again turns to Baal-worship and forgets the Lord. 

Questions

Who was the prophet from Judges 6? Why weren’t they named?

How come Gideon can ask for multiple signs from God?

How did the towns folk know it was Gideon who tore down the altar?

Did Succoth’s elders just let him whip them?

Was God OK with the treatment of Succoth and Penuel??

Application

What stood out to me the most in these chapters was Judges 7 – God decreasing Gideon’s troops until there was only 300 vs 135,000. God created an ‘impossible’ situation for man, but an easy situation for Himself. We often face things in life that feel so impossible we don’t even try. But what if God is calling us to step in anyway? That’s when “faith as small as a mustard seed” really gets put to the test. I’ve learned to simply say, “Alright, Lord, I’m jumping in…work through me.”