Judges 6-7
What I Noticed Today (Judges 6-7)
Judges 6-8
Gideon delivers the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianites.
Judges 6
We begin Judges 6 with a familiar refrain, “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”
In verses 1-10, the usual consequence ensues as God gives the people over to the Midianites for seven years.
- The Midianites were semi-nomadic marauders who would come into the land to steal crops and livestock.
- Eventually, the people finally cried out to God, but we do not see that they repented of the evil ways.
- The Lord responded with a message delivered by a prophet. He reminded the people how He had brought them out of Egypt. He had delivered them from slavery and oppression. He gave them the Promised Land and drove out their enemies. Yet, they had rebelled against God and did not obey Him.
In verses 7-24, in spite of their lack of repentance, the Lord sends an angel to call on Gideon to rid the land of the Midianites. The angel finds Gideon hiding in the winepress beating out wheat. He refers to Gideon as “O mighty man of valor.”
Note: God sees our potential, despite our weaknesses and failings, so He called Gideon by what He knew he could do.
- Gideon offers excuses for why he is not the right choice to save Israel. He claims to be of no importance, saying that his family is the least in the tribe, and he is the least in his family.
- Gideon then asks for a sign, and God provides a one in the form of fire that consumes Gideon’s offering.
- Gideon finally realizes he is talking to God and builds an altar.
In verses 25-32, the Lord’s first instruction is for Gideon to rid the idols in his father’s house:
- God’s first instruction is for Gideon to clean up his own house by destroying the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole in his father’s house.
- Gideon obeys but does it at night because he is afraid of what people will do when they find out what he did.
- The men of the city demanded Gideon be killed for tearing down the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole, but his father interceded on his behalf.
In verses 33-40, Gideon seems to be braver when the Midianites, Amalekites, and Qedemites prepare to attack.
- Gideon sent messengers to the surrounding Israelite tribes to prepare for battle.
- Gideon wants to make extra sure that God is calling on him, so he asks for two more signs that God is with him in the form of the fleece wet, then dry.
- With these two signs of confirmation, Gideon finally accepts that God is directing him and is indeed with him.
Judges 7
In verses 1-8, the Lord announced to Gideon that the Israelite army was too large for Him to hand the Midianites over to them. If the Israelites secured victory with a large army, they would think they had won on their own.
- An army of some 32,000 Israelites assembled facing the Midianite army of 135,000 (Judges 8:10).
- The Lord says anyone who is fearful should turn back. Twenty-two thousand men turned back, leaving 10,000 men ready for battle.
- Pretty overwhelming odds, but God says this is still far too many Israelites, so God shrinks the army of Israelites down to 300.
- With only 300 against 135,000, it would be clear that victory was from the Lord and nothing else!
In verses 9-14, the Lord builds Gideon’s confidence by sending him to spy out the enemy camp:
- The Lord told Gideon to take his servant Purah and sneak into the enemy camp to listen to the soldiers. What he heard would build his confidence.
- So Gideon snuck into the camp and overheard a soldier relating a dream in which the entire Midianite army was overturned. Another soldier understood the meaning of the dream, saying it meant God had handed the Midianites over to Gideon, son of Joash.
Note: Despite all the Lord’s reassurances, Gideon was still fearful. Another proof of the Lord’s leading was the enemy soldier’s dream, and the other soldier recognizing this dream was a message from God.
In verses 15-23, when Gideon heard the soldier’s account of the dream, Gideon worshiped God (Judges 7:15). He called the Israelite soldiers together, proclaiming the Lord had given the Midianites into their hands. Gideon entered into the battle by faith.
- Gideon divided the men into three companies of 100 men each. Each man carried a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a torch inside.
- As they marched to the Midianite camp, they blew their trumpets and shouted: “For Yahweh and for Gideon.”
Note: It seems a bit presumptuous to me for Gideon’s battle cry to include himself since the battle was in the hands of the Lord.
- The Israelites attacked at the beginning of the middle watch (the middle watch was from 10:00 pm – 2:00 am), blowing their trumpets and crying out “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon.”
- The Lord threw the Midianite army into confusion, and they fled toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah.
Note: Abel-meholah was about 24 miles south. Abel-meholah was where Elisha was living when Elijah called him to be his protégé (1 Kings 19:16).
In verses 24-25, Gideon sent messengers to the Ephraimites, telling them to intercept the Midianites and take control of the waterways. The Ephraimites captured Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite princes, and brought their heads to Gideon.
Some thoughts for further consideration:
- Many of us are like Gideon. We hear God calling, but we are unsure that it is really Him. We want to be sure because we are afraid to step out in faith. We may be reluctant to move ahead even when God gives us His assurance of victory. But where God leads, God equips and empowers us for victory when we step out in faith, trusting in God, not in ourselves!
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.