The Book Of JUDGES
Judges 21:25 "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
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Verses 1-6: Abimelech is not the next judge. We know this because the author doesn’t introduce him as such. All of the judges in this book are labeled by the author with that title, and they are also described as being sent by God to judge Israel. Since none of that is applied here to Abimelech we can safely conclude that he is not the next judge.
Instead, the events related in this chapter are used as a postscript to the Gideon narrative. They also demonstrate the direct result of the sin of polygamy as well as Israel’s consistent apostasy and disobedience to God. No sooner has Gideon been buried than Abimelech goes to his mother’s family and relatives and persuades them to back him for the position of king. (v.1-2) What Gideon had refused from the elders of Israel in the previous chapter, Abimelech now pursues with reckless and foolish abandon. The Moody Bible Commentary summarizes chapter 9 in this way: “In a polygamous society, when jealousy and warfare break out between half-brothers, the refugees would flee to their mother’s relatives for help. This is what seems to have happened at Shechem. The purpose of the author is to emphasize the anarchy that results when anyone but the Lord is the leader of Israel.” Nowhere in this chapter does it say that Israel consulted with the high priest to seek God’s direction and guidance. Abimelech is a wicked and selfish man, full of pride and a lust for power, and he convinces his uncles and the men of Shechem to back him as king. (v.3-4) They pay him seventy pieces of silver to hire mercenaries and thugs (“…vain and light persons…”), and, with this rebel gang, he sets out for Gideon’s home in Ophrah. The phrasing in verse 5, “…upon one stone…” indicates that Abimelech and his men capture sixty-nine of his seventy half-brothers and kill each one execution style in one place, probably one of the groves that was used for Baal worship. Only Jotham, the youngest, successfully hides and thus escapes the slaughter. (v.5) Abimelech is crowned king by the men of Shechem, at the center of the village or town, as indicated by the phrase “…the plain of the pillar…”. Every town or village of the ANE had some kind of monument or tower where the men of the city would gather to make law or settle disputes. It was also the site of important events such as this one, hence Gideon’s choice of retribution against the men of Penuel in the previous chapter. Verses 7-15: When Jotham learns of the fate of his half-brothers he boldly stands on mount Gerizim, the same spot from which half the tribes of Israel had called out the blessings for all the nation upon first entering the promised land. (Deuteronomy 11:29, 27:12, Joshua 8:33) From there, Jotham proclaims a fable for all the men of Shechem. In the ANE, this type of story serves as a morality lesson, a tale with an allegorical meaning, usually a satirical one. (The most famous of these types of stories that we know today are those of Aesop, the Greek writer who lived in the 6th century B.C.) In Jotham’s narrative, the plants represent the men of Shechem, and they are searching for a king among their fellow plants. Notice that the olive tree, fig tree, and the vine are all vegetation that bring forth good fruit and are profitable for man and beast. But the bramble is worthless, little more than a weed that serves no real purpose. It, of course, represents Abimelech. In the story, the bramble agrees to be king of the plants, and it says to the trees, “…come and put your trust in my shadow…” (v.15), a clearly satirical and sarcastic comment. The bramble is a lowly bush that has no substance and casts very little shadow when compared to the other three tall and stately trees mentioned in verses 8-13. The last phrase of verse 15, “…let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon”, is also a deeply insulting and cutting commentary. In the ANE, as well as scripture, the cedars of Lebanon are always used as a symbol of true power and might, and therefore it’s laughable that a mere bramble would possess any real threat against such magnificent trees. Yet that is exactly what will happen because the trees are foolish enough to allow a bramble to rule them. Verses 16-21: Now Jotham interprets the fable for his listeners, just in case any of them missed the point. He rebukes the men of Shechem for betraying Gideon’s legacy (v.17-18) and predicts that Abimelech will be the cause of their downfall and destruction. (v.20) In like manner, they will also be the cause of Abimelech’s downfall. Following this proclamation, Jotham is able to escape to Beer where he remains for the rest of Abimelech’s short reign. (v.21) Verses 22-25: God stirs the hearts of the men of Shechem, turning them against Abimelech, just as Jotham predicted. (v.23) The reason for this is stated clearly in verse 24: divine justice is served on behalf of the innocent whom Abimelech slew. Their blood cried out to the LORD in the same manner as Abel’s. (Genesis 4:10) Put simply, God allows Abimelech to reap what he sowed. (1 Kings 2:32, Esther 9:25, Matthew 23:35-36, Galatians 6:7-8) The beginning of this is seen in verse 25. Abimelech’s enemies set up robbers to lie in wait for the caravans that pass through Shechem. This has the effect of severely disrupting trade and commerce. Verses 26-29: Gaal is one of the elders of Shechem and, presumably, one of the men that did not support the movement to make Abimelech king. Gaal is readily accepted by the other men who are opposed to Abimelech’s rule, and they welcome him by throwing a wild party. (v.27) He, too, is full of pride and lust for power, and he brags about his ability to defeat Abimelech. (v.28-29) Verses 30-41: Gaal’s treachery and planning are reported to Zebul, Abimelech’s ally and ruler of Shechem, and he informs Abimelech. (v.30-31) Zebul advises Abimelech to gather an army and be ready to fight Gaal at daybreak (v.32-33), and Abimelech readily complies, using the cover of darkness to divide up his men and position them around the outside of the city. (v.34) When Gaal sees the army of Abimelech and reports this to Zebul, Zebul tells him at first that he’s jumping at shadows. (v.35-36) But after Gaal presses him further, Zebul throws Gaal’s boasting back at him. (v.37-38) Zebul taunts him by telling him, essentially, to put his money where his mouth is. Gaal and his men battle Abimelech and his army, and Abimelech is the clear victor. (v.39-40) He succeeds in capturing or wounding most of Gaal’s army, and Gaal himself escapes back into the city, seeking Zebul’s protection. (v.39-40) But Zebul refuses and expels Gaal and the rest of the traitors from the city. (v.41) Verses 42-49: Abimelech slaughters Gaal and his men, but he doesn’t stop there. (v.42-43) In a show of excessive cruelty and petty vindictiveness, Abimelech utterly destroys Shechem, the principal city of his realm, slaughtering almost all of its inhabitants. (v.44-45) This is confirmed by the phrase “…sowed it with salt…”, meaning that Abimelech made the land unsuitable for planting crops for several generations. The same men who had once supported Abimelech in his rise to power at the beginning of this chapter now flee to the same tower where they had crowned him king. (v.46) When Abimelech learns of this, he and his men gather firewood and lay siege to the tower, burning it. (v.47-48) The thousand men and women trapped inside are killed, thus fulfilling Jotham’s prophecy. (v.49) Verses 50-55: Abimelech decides to attack Thebez, though there’s no explanation in the passage for the reason why. According to the Moody Bible Commentary, Thebez is a strategic fortress situated about 10 miles northeast of Shechem, in the Jezreel valley, at the northern border of Abimelech’s domain. Perhaps there is an uprising here as well, or maybe some of the inhabitants of Shechem escaped to Thebez. Whatever the case, the same scenario that played out at the tower of Shechem begins to play out here. The citizens of Thebez flee to their tower fortress for refuge, and Abimelech begins to lay siege to it in the same manner as he did at Shechem. (v.51-52) But this time there’s a very different outcome. A woman is able to cast a large millstone from the uppermost room of the tower directly onto Abimelech, crushing his skull. (v.53) The millstone is a large, cylindrical stone used to grind grain against another stone that is fixed in place. The millstone, however, is able to be removed, and the fact that it’s a woman that kills Abimelech adds justly deserved humiliation to his death. This is why he uses his last breath and strength to beg his armourbearer to pierce him with his sword. (v.54) Once Abimelech’s men see that he is dead, they give up the fight, and they disperse back to their homes. (v.55) Verses 56-57: The author makes clear that God orchestrated all of these events as divine retribution against Abimelech for the slaughter of his half-brothers. (v.56) All of Jotham’s prophecy came true. God was also punishing the men of Shechem for supporting Abimelech when it was clear that God had not appointed him as ruler of Israel. (v.57) This is also an illustration of the Biblical truth that the LORD will humble the proud while exalting the meek and lowly. Abimelech was a wicked and prideful man that defied God and, therefore, God allowed him to reap the bitter fruit of his own actions and foolish choices.
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CHAPTER 7:
Verses 1-8: The total number of Gideon’s army is 32,000 men. (v.3) But God tells Gideon this is too great a number for the LORD to receive the honor and glory for the coming victory against the Midianites. (v.2) He instructs Gideon to release any man who is fearful and afraid of the coming battle. (v.3) This winnows the army from 32,000 to 10,000. But that’s still too many for God to receive all the credit for the coming victory. So He tells Gideon to bring the men to the river’s edge, and, based on how each man kneels to take a drink, he will either remain or be dismissed to return home. (v.4-6) The men who scoop up the water with one hand are kept while the rest who kneel and drank straight from the river are dismissed. One possible explanation for this unusual disqualification process is that the men who drink from one hand are able to keep the other near their weapon, thus being vigilant while satisfying their thirst. The rest of the men, however, leave themselves defenseless and off guard by kneeling down to drink straight from the river. Now, with just 300 men, God tells Gideon that his army is the right size for going up against the Midianites. (v.7) Gideon sends the rest of the men back to their tents. (v.8) God often works in the same way in our own lives today. He strips us of what we think are our strengths and abilities so that we are wholly dependent upon Him for the victory in whatever trial or testing He is putting us through. It often doesn’t make sense from our perspective, but, like Gideon, we must learn to have faith in God and trust Him alone, not in our own might or strength. In this way, only God can rightfully get the honor and glory that is due Him and Him alone. Verses 9-15: God instructs Gideon that night to slip unseen into the enemy camp on a scouting mission. (v.9-11) He promises Gideon once more that He has delivered all of them into Israel’s hand, and the purpose of this covert op is so that Gideon’s faith and courage will be increased. (v.11) God even graciously allows for Phurah to go with Gideon if he is too fearful to go by himself. (v.10) How merciful and understanding is the LORD! He does not chasten us or get short tempered with our constant anxieties and fears. His patience and longsuffering are seemingly endless as He graciously accommodates our frailties and weaknesses. He doesn’t berate or scold Gideon for still being afraid, even after God has promised Him yet again that He will give the Israelites the victory. Instead, the LORD gives Gideon yet another tangible sign that He is with Gideon and the Israelites this night. Gideon and Phurah obey the Lord, slipping unseen into the midst of the Midianite camp. In one of the tents, two soldiers are talking, and one of them tells the other of his unusual dream. (v.13) A barley loaf tumbles through the camp, destroying one of the tents, and the other soldier responds by saying that it represents Gideon and the Israelite army. The two men are convinced that they will all be defeated by Israel this night. (v.14) God had already begun working in the hearts of the Midianites, making them fearful and anxious about the coming battle. As expected, Gideon’s courage and faith are strengthened by this news, and he and Phurah quietly return to their camp. (v.15) Gideon assures his 300 men that God has indeed given the Midianites over to them this night. Verses 16-25: Gideon divides the 300 into three companies of 100 each, and gives each man a pitcher with only a candle inside. (v.16) The three hundred men silently surround the enemy camp shortly after the Midianites had set the middle watch of the night. (v.19) At Gideon’s signal the men break their pitchers while also sounding their trumpets, and they shout in one voice, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!” (v.20) Startled from slumber, the Midianite army is confused, believing that the whole Israelite army has surrounded them. God further works in the hearts of the Midianites, turning their fear against them, so that they attack one another while others flee from the camp. (v.21-22) The 300 Israelites continue to blow their trumpets while soldiers from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh pursue the Midianites that escape the camp. (v.23) Gideon sends messengers to Ephraim, summoning their soldiers to assist in the pursuit of the Midianites. (v.24) The reason for this is because the soldiers he had already assembled are not enough to round up all the Midianites that had fled the camp. This is a testament to how great in number are the Midianites. The men of Ephraim successfully round up the remainder of the enemy’s army, capturing Oreb and Zeeb in the process, two of the Midianite commanders. (v.25) In true poetic justice, Oreb and Zeeb are executed at the winepress of Zeeb, and their heads are brought to Gideon as a trophy. From the Moody Bible Commentary: “A few statistics are in order to indicate the miracle involved with this victory. The Midianite army numbered about 135,000 soldiers (see Judges 8:10 for the 15,000 Midianite survivors plus the 120,000 killed in the battle). The army of Gideon numbered 300. That yields a ratio of 450 Midianite soldiers to each Jewish soldier. Who else but God could receive the credit for such a victory? And this is precisely the point of the narrative. It is God, not Gideon, who is the hero in this and every story!” CHAPTER 8: Verses 1-3: The pride of the elders of Ephraim is wounded, and they come to Gideon, rebuking him for waiting until after the main battle with the Midianites to call for their aid. This hearkens back to Gideon’s objection to the angel of the Lord in chapter 6 regarding the social status of him and his tribe. Gideon’s response here in verse 2 is meant to soothe the ruffled feathers of Ephraim’s men. Gideon acknowledges their tribe’s greatness, and he also points out to them how God delivered Oreb and Zeeb into their hands instead of giving Gideon that particular victory. (v.3) The fact is that God had deliberately winnowed Gideon’s army down to just 300 men, and that’s the primary reason Gideon had not called on the army of Ephraim to aid him in battle. But Gideon wisely doesn’t argue with the elders of Ephraim. Instead, he just acknowledges their tribe’s status and gives God the glory for giving Ephraim the victory in their capture of Oreb and Zeeb. Verses 4-9: Although the main battle is over, the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, are still at large. Gideon and his 300 men set off in pursuit, crossing over the Jordan in the process. However, all of them are still weary from the battle, as well as hungry, and they stop in the village of Succoth to request food and supplies. (v.5) But the men of Succoth doubt Gideon’s ability with his small band of soldiers to successfully defeat the army of the Midianites which is still great in number. (Not all of the army had been slain in the earlier battle, which is one reason Gideon is still pursuing them.) So they deny Gideon his request. In response, Gideon promises retribution when he and his men return from their successful victory. (v.7) He further declares that God is the one who will give them the final victory, demonstrating the weakness of the faith of the elders of Succoth. The same scenario happens at the village of Penuel. (v.8-9) Gideon promises that when he returns he will tear down the tower that stands at the center of their village. Verses 10-12: Gideon’s faith in God is vindicated before the men of Penuel and Succoth when he successfully slays the remainder of the Midianite army, which is about 15,000 men. (v.10-11) Once again, it is only the LORD that could receive the honor and glory, for 300 against 15,000 is indeed miraculous! Gideon and his men also successfully capture the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. Verses 13-17: On his return journey, Gideon captures one of the young men of Succoth and has him write down the seventy-seven names of the city elders. (v.14) He then tracks them down, rebukes them, and scourges them using whips made of thorns and briers. (v.15-16) Next, Gideon and his men tear down the tower of Penuel. (v.17) Verses 18-21: Zebah and Zalmunna had slain Gideon’s brothers at Tabor, and for that reason Gideon now pronounces judgment on them. (v.18-19) At first, he orders his oldest son, Jether, to do the act, but Jether protests, saying that he’s too young and weak to wield the sword. (v.20) So Gideon kills them instead. (v.21) He also takes as spoil the gold ornaments that are hung around the necks of the kings’ camels. It is this gold that will later be used to make the ephod that will become an idol for Gideon. Verses 22 – 27: The men of Israel are so grateful to Gideon for freeing them from the Midianite oppression that they offer Gideon the role of king to rule over them. (v.22) This hereditary kingship would pass down from Gideon to his son and his son’s son, etc. This tradition was not out of the ordinary for the peoples of the ANE. Kingship was often bestowed upon men who had proven themselves in battle and attained great victories, which Gideon had just accomplished. But Gideon rejects their offer, saying “…The LORD shall rule over you.” (v.23) Thus Gideon remained in the role of judge for the rest of his life, following the pattern of the judges that had come before him. Instead lieu of kingship, Gideon makes a special request of the soldiers: the gold earrings they had taken as spoil from the Midianites. (v.24) The men willingly give them up, and the total value is 1,700 shekels. (v.26) This is besides all the other spoil seized from the two kings: royal garments, jewelry, the ornaments from the camel’s necks, etc. From the gold earrings Gideon fashions an ephod for himself, and this is his first mistake. Only the high priest was to possess the ephod, which was a method by which he could determine the will of God. (Exodus 28:2, 4) The amount of gold used to make the ephod suggests that some kind of idolatrous image is on it, and that, combined with the statements in verse 27, tells us that Gideon set himself up to be worshiped by Israel as a king. This, too, was a common practice by the cultures of the ANE, and this why the author concludes with the statement, “…which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.” Verses 28-35: Forty years seems to be the most common length of time that Israel has peace and rest from all her enemies. (v.28) Another common practice in the ANE was for kings and/or men of great renown to take multiple wives, which Gideon does during this period of peace and prosperity. (v.30) In addition to polygamy, these men would also have concubines, and Gideon, unfortunately, is no exception. One of his seventy sons (v.30) is Abimelech (v.31), who will eventually cause great trouble for all of Israel after Gideon’s death. Although polygamy was against God’s law, the practice was never completely abolished in Israel. Starting with Abraham and continuing down through every generation – even with men of God as great as David and Solomon – polygamy was the one sin that always got them and their descendants in trouble. Scripture is clear that just because these men who walked with God – and whom God blessed greatly – had multiple wives, God did not approve of or bless this immoral, pagan tradition. As we will see here in Judges and everywhere else in the OT, the consequences of polygamy were never good for the man of God or for the nation of Israel. God did bless Gideon with long life for his obedience and faith, and upon his death he is buried in Ophrah, in the grave of his father. (v.32) And, of course, it doesn’t take long for the children of Israel to once again go astray. (v.33) They fall back into idolatry, betraying the memory and spiritual legacy of Gideon. (v.35) It is sad that the legacy of a man of God such as Gideon was stained in his later years by the sins of idolatry and polygamy. Like King Solomon, Gideon was led astray by a combination of his own foolish pride and his many wives and concubines. His account here in Judges is one of the many lessons that scripture teaches us today about the ease with which we can become ensnared by the desires of our flesh if we are not careful. Judge #5: Gideon (Manasseh)
Verses 1-6: The Midianites are the descendants of Abraham through his handmaid Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2), and the Amalekites (v.3) are the offspring of Esau (Genesis 36:12). Both nations are used by God to once again punish Israel for their disobedience. (v.1) It’s clear from this passage that not all the Midianites were killed and/or conquered by Israel in their first encounter several generations earlier. (Numbers 31) Many of them must have escaped and fled into neighboring countries, eventually coming back together to form their own nation by the time Israel begins their conquest of the promised land. The Midianites raid the fields and towns of Israel, plundering their crops and livestock, until there is almost nothing left for the Israelites to sustain themselves. (v.3-4) This, too, makes sense in that the descendants of those survivors from the first encounter with Israel are motivated by vengeance, and God uses that to chasten His people. The armies of the Midianites and the Amalekites combined are so great in number that the author compares them to the multitude of grasshoppers, and their invasion of Israel’s land is sudden and swift. (v.5) (This is also further proof of God’s initial promise to Abraham. It was not only by Sarah that Abraham’s seed was as great in number as the stars in the sky, but also by Hagar and Keturah as well.) The resulting devastation is so great that all of Israel is left utterly destitute. (v.6) They are forced to flee into the mountains, hiding themselves in caves. (v.2) As always, Israel cries out to the LORD, repenting of their sin and begging Him for deliverance from their enemies. (v.6) Verses 7-10: As with Deborah, God uses a prophet to deliver a message to His people, and the prophet begins the message with a reminder to Israel of their fathers’ deliverance from Egypt by His hand. Keep in mind that the whole reason for Israel’s constant apostasy and idolatry is because each generation is neglecting to pass on to their children who God is and what He did for the descendants of Jacob in Egypt. Therefore, God Himself must now remind the new generation of who He is and what He’s done for their fathers. (v.8-9) God reminds Israel of the covenant He made with their fathers at Mount Sinai, how He delivered them from all their enemies – not just the Egyptians – and that it was He who gave them the promised land. (v.9-10) God had warned His people about turning away from Him to worship the false gods of the Amorites, but Israel didn’t listen and disobeyed the Lord’s commandments, thus breaking His covenant with them. (v.10) Verses 11-24: Gideon, son of Joash the Abiezrite, is threshing wheat in a winepress in order to hide it from the Midianites. (v.11) Gideon is of the tribe of Manasseh, from Ophrah, which in the north, in the Jezreel valley. Threshing wheat is a process whereby the grain is separated from the stalks by having people or oxen tread over them in a wide, flat, open area, typically in the fields and preferably on high ground. Then, once the grain has been separated, the next step is called winnowing, where the wheat and chaff are separated by tossing them into the air. The kernels of wheat, which are heavier than the chaff, fall to the ground while the chaff is blown away in the wind. All of this is typically done in a large, open communal area that is easily visible to anyone passing by. But the threat and the oppression of the Midianites is so great at this time that Gideon is forced to thresh the wheat in a winepress. The winepress, however, is usually tucked away in the middle of a garden or a vineyard, away from public view. The angel of the LORD, a preincarnate appearance of Jesus Christ, surprises Gideon in the midst of his threshing wheat and greets him with the salutation “thou mighty man of valour.” (v.12) The angel also informs Gideon that “…The LORD is with thee…”, but Gideon is skeptical of this statement. He asks the angel why, if God is truly with Israel, has all this recent misery befallen them? Gideon references the accounts of their fathers, of their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and all the other signs and wonders that God had displayed for His people afterwards. (v.13) Gideon, like many of his generation, believes that God has abandoned Israel, leaving them at the mercy of the Midianites. This statement is also proof that in every generation of Israel not all had failed in teaching their children about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There is always a remnant that remembers the Law of Moses and has taught their children about the one true God. Verse 14 is further proof that Gideon is speaking directly with Christ Himself (“And the LORD looked upon him…”). God tells Gideon that he has been chosen to be the next leader of Israel, to save them from the Midianites, and that he is being sent by God. In other words, Gideon should take courage and strength from the certainty that God is with him and will give him all that he needs to defeat the Midianites. But Gideon, like Moses, is fearful and timid, and lacks faith in God’s promises. He’s also understandably bewildered by the LORD’s choice of him, a poor farmer from an insignificant house of one of the lesser tribes of Israel. (v.15) In the ANE, as well as the nation of Israel, rank is everything. One’s status is derived from one’s birth order, house, and clan or tribal name, and Gideon is understandably skeptical about his chances of gaining a large enough following of the armies of Israel in order to defeat an enemy so great as the Midianites. It’s also very likely that he is the youngest son of his family (“…I am least in my father’s house.”) As with David several generations later, God chooses the youngest and the lowliest to lead His people. The LORD graciously reassures Gideon that He will be with him, and he “…shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” (v.16) In other words, Gideon, with the supernatural aid of God, will be successful in commanding the army of Israel. But Gideon is still skeptical, and he asks the LORD for a sign that He is indeed the God of Israel. (v.17) The way this verse is phrased (“…shew me a sign that thou talkest with me”) suggests that Gideon is not entirely certain that he’s actually speaking with God. He desires proof that it’s truly the LORD Himself that is standing before him. Gideon asks the angel to wait while he prepares a gift in the form of a sacrifice, and the LORD agrees. (v.18) This is even further proof that the angel is the preincarnate Christ, for only God would accept worship from mankind. Abraham did something similar when he was visited by the angel of the LORD. (Genesis 18:3-5) Gideon prepares a young goat and unleavened cakes made from an ephah of flour which the angel of God commands him to lay upon the altar. (v.19-20) The angel then holds out his staff, touching the altar, and fire from heaven consumes the offering, but the fire comes up from the altar itself instead of raining from heaven. Following this the angel disappears. (v.21) Gideon then realizes that he has seen God Himself in the flesh, face to face, and he is filled with awe and fear. (v.22) But God commands him, “Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” (v.23) Gideon then builds another altar in the same spot as the previous one that had been consumed. (v.24) He names it Jehovah-shalom, which means “The LORD is peace”. Verses 25-32: Now that Gideon has accepted God’s calling for him, the LORD assigns him a specific task. He commands Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and the grove that is around it. (v.25) Using the wood from those trees, Gideon is to then offer up a blood sacrifice on a new altar that he will build in its place. (v.26) Before Gideon can lead all of Israel to victory, he needs to clean up his own house first. Not only that, God needs to build up Gideon’s courage and his faith in preparation for national leadership. As with Moses, God summons His chosen man first and then qualifies him for the task He assigns him. Gideon obeys God, but he completes the assignment by night out of fear of reprisal from both his father and the elders of the city. (v.27) When the elders discover the vandalism the next morning, it doesn’t take them long to search out the culprit. It was most likely one of the ten servants that Gideon used to assist him the night before that gave him up to the city elders. (v.28-29) When they confront Joash at his house, demanding that he surrender Gideon to them for execution, Joash challenges the men to let Baal plead for himself. (v.30-31) If he’s a real god he will be the one to punish Gideon, not the men of the city. As mentioned earlier, the fact that Gideon knows of God and of the Mosaic Law, combined with Joash’s response to the city elders in verse 31, indicate that Joash taught Gideon of the one true God of Israel. However, it also stands to reason that Joash had built the altar to Baal, as well as practicing the pagan rituals associated with that heathen worship, in order to appease the elders and protect his house. But now that Gideon has courageously stood up to the men and done what’s right in the eyes of God, Joash is also willing to take a stand. Perhaps his youngest son persuaded Him of God’s calling, and Joash, too, has experienced renewed faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He and all his house no longer fear the men of the city as they once did. Joash also gives Gideon another name, Jerubbaal, because of his actions. (v.32) News of Gideon’s act and his calling by God naturally spreads throughout Ophrah and the surrounding region, as indicated by the rest of this chapter. Verses 33-40: The armies of the Midianites and the Amalekites set up camp in the valley of Jezreel in preparation for another battle. (v.33) As with the previous judges, the Holy Spirit indwells Gideon (v.34), and he sends messengers to not only his own tribe of Manasseh, but also Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. (v.35) Their armies readily join together under Gideon’s leadership, but Gideon’s faith is still weak. This account of the fleece and Gideon’s testing of God’s calling is not to be taken by believers today as a good example. Gideon already knew what God had called him to do, and God had already promised Gideon that He would deliver the Midianites and Amalekites into Israel’s hands. There was no need for Gideon to seek another sign from the Lord as assurance of His promise of victory. Nevertheless, rather than rebuke His servant, God patiently allows Gideon to test His word and gives Gideon the two signs that he asks for. |
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