Character Bible Study: Gideon, Part 2

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Gideon, Part 2

INTRODUCTION: Chapters 7 and 8, in Judges, continue with the interesting ways the LORD used Gideon to defeat the Midianites, which should have demonstrated the power of the LORD for those who should have been worshipping no other god. After preparations had been made and a large number of troops assembled to follow Gideon, the LORD instructed him to use two special methods in sequence to greatly reduce the initial combat number by sending most of the troops back to their tents. The three hundred men who stayed with Gideon the same night, scattered the Midianites in surprise and fear when they were awakened in a shocking manner. Israel was then very dominant as various tribes joined in to thoroughly defeat the Midianites in all the various conflicts that followed. After all of the Midianites and their allies had been overwhelmingly defeated, the children of Israel wanted Gideon to be leader over them, which Gideon refused. There was peace for forty years until Gideon died at a good old age. He left many sons who were not at all respected for what their father had done; as the children of Israel quickly turned away from the true God, and again worshipped Baalberith!

NOTE: All passages are from the 1769 King James version (AV) unless otherwise indicated.

A - THE LORD ALLOWED GIDEON TO HAVE ONLY A VERY SMALL INITIAL GROUP

Judges 7 "1 Then Jerubbaal, who [is] Gideon, and all the people that [were] with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that [are] with thee [are] too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people [are] yet [too] many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, [that] of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, [putting] their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the [other] people go every man unto his place. 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all [the rest of] Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley."

COMMENTS: Gideon and all the thousands who were with him assembled very close to the camp of the Midianites who were in the valley. The LORD told Gideon there were too many gathered to fight against Midian: because they would boast that they had defeated the enemy from their own strength, with no regard for what the LORD had done for them. So the LORD told Gideon two ways to reduce the number: the first method resulted in twenty two thousand leaving mount Gilead by their own choice, and ten thousand men remained with Gideon. The second method was directed by the LORD, with His intended result of only three hundred men left with Gideon, and all of the others returned to their tents. The three hundred men with Gideon each had a trumpet and some food. The very large host of Midian was in the valley beneath the place where Gideon had his three hundred men that night.

B - GIDEON WORSHIPPED THE LORD AFTER HEARING A MIDIANITE DESCRIBE THE BAD DREAM HE HAD

Judges 7 "9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that [were] in the host. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels [were] without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, [there was] a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: [for] into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15 And it was [so], when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian."

COMMENTS: The LORD knows the weakness of our faith, and he was gracious to give Gideon yet another way to have confidence that even a large host of enemy troops could be disrupted into panic from just three hundred men by the very unusual sights and sounds that would awaken the host of the Midianites during the night watch. The same night that the three hundred men were left alone with Gideon as all others returned to their tents, the LORD told Gideon to take action against the exceedingly large number in the Midianite camp in the valley below his position. Knowing that Gideon needed more confidence while having only three hundred men, the LORD told him to take his servant and go to the edge of the Midianite camp. When they were there they heard a conversation of two men on the night watch for the Midianites. After the Midianites had been harshly oppressing Israel for seven years, they intended to make war and bring devastating punishment because the altar of sacrifice for Baal and the associated grove had been completely destroyed; and an alter to the LORD was made and a sacrifice made upon it by Gideon, to clearly challenge the oppressors. One of the men stationed on the night watch for the Midianites described his very disturbing dream, and his fellow watchman responded with a surprising comment. It must have been amazing to hear a pagan Baal worshipper say about the dream "This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for God has delivered Midian into his hand , and all the host together!" When Gideon overheard the dream and the response by the other man (especially giving the true God glory to empower Gideon), Gideon worshipped the LORD. Worship does not need to be long or formal, but truly from the heart. Gideon quickly returned to the small host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian!

C - GIDEON PREPARED THE THREE HUNDRED MEN FOR THE PLAN DIRECTED BY THE LORD

Judges 7 "16 And he divided the three hundred men [into] three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be [that], as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that [are] with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, [The sword] of the LORD, and of Gideon. 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that [were] with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that [were] in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow [withal]: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, [and] to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath."

COMMENTS: There are some similarities to this opening tactic given to Gideon by the LORD, and the way the LORD had earlier directed Joshua before his troops took the city of Jericho.
Joshua 6 "1 Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. 2 And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour. 3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days."
Joshua 6 "16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city."
Joshua 6 "20 So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city."
Now with guidance from the LORD for Gideon, what a shock it must have been for the large number of pagan troops asleep in the valley to suddenly be awakened by the simultaneous blast of many trumpets, and the sight of hundreds of lights around the upper edge of the camp; and then to hear the coordinated shouts from many voices about the sword of the LORD and of Gideon. The LORD had caused this plan to work quite well so there was much fear and confusion as the Midianites and their allies fled from this frightening event in the middle watch of the night. They even turned their swords against each other in the commotion of many thousands of men trying to rush out of the campsite in a valley, with only the light of the night time.

D - NOW ALL THE TROOPS OF ISRAEL BEGAN PURSUIT, AND MESSENGERS ALSO BROUGHT IN EPHRAIM

Judges 7 "23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan."

COMMENTS: The men of Ephraim now became part of the united forces of tribes in Israel, against the Midianites and their allies, and they had success against a specific portion of those pagans who had oppressed Israel. After they killed two of the princes of Midian, they took the heads of those two men to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan River. They did this to make a strong point of displeasure with Gideon.

E - THE MEN OF EPHRAIM CONFRONTED GIDEON

Judges 8 "1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? [Is] not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that."

COMMENTS: Gideon displayed the finesse in his response that would have been like that of a highly experienced and talented ambassador. His answer to their anger was complimentary, and even credited them with actions that easily exceeded the things he had done. His response in the confrontation abated their anger.

F - SOME OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL REFUSED FOOD AND DRINK TO GIDEON AND HIS MEN

Judges 8 "4 And Gideon came to Jordan, [and] passed over, he, and the three hundred men that [were] with him, faint, yet pursuing [them]. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they [be] faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered [him]. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna [were] in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand [men], all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host."

COMMENTS: Gideon was now displaying very strong leadership and authority, and it was not wise for the princes of Succoth to give such a disrespectful answer to the bravery of Gideon and his men. They were not being asked to join in the battle, but only to provide refreshing food for those who were in combat to relieve the oppression that was affecting even those who now refused to give food. Their response indicated they knew about Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian when Gideon said that was who he and his men were pursuing. Their refusal was perhaps because they didn't have much discomfort under pagan rule; or they didn't believe Gideon could succeed, and the result might be reprisal by the Midianites if they helped Gideon. Gideon said The LORD would deliver those two kings into his hands, and then he would deliver severe punishment at Succoth. When Gideon went on to Penuel and told them of his need of food for his men, they refused and gave him the same disrespectful answer as the men of Succoth. So, he told them also of the severe treatment they would receive when he returns with the two kings Zebah and Zalmunna as his prisoners. Gideon continue his pursuit and found the two kings in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand. That was all who remained of the children of the east, for a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword had fallen in battle. Gideon went up by the way on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host of those who dwelt in tents . And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian and distressed all the host.

G - GIDEON SEVERELY PUNISHED THOSE WHO HAD SCOFFED AND REFUSED TO PROVIDE NOURISHMENT

Judges 8 "13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun [was up], 14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, [even] threescore and seventeen men. 15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, [Are] the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men [that are] weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city."

COMMENTS: Gideon did not wait for the new day to start, as he returned first to Succoth before sunrise and gathered the seventy-seven elders of that city and let them see the two kings of Midian who were now his prisoners. He then punished them harshly with briars just as he had told them he would do because they had insulted him, and refused to give much needed nourishment for his troops. Gideon then beat down the tower of Penuel and slew the men of the city. The LORD had given victory to Gideon, and these men had become traitors by refusing to show allegiance to the LORD and the troops of Israel.

H - GIDEON'S SON WAS AFRAID TO KILL THE TWO PRISONERS

Judges 8 "18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men [were they] whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou [art], so [were] they; each one resembled the children of a king. 19 And he said, They [were] my brethren, [even] the sons of my mother: [as] the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, [and] slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he [was] yet a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man [is, so is] his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that [were] on their camels necks."

COMMENTS: Now the time had come for the execution of the two Midianite kings, and Gideon first asked them about men they had killed. They did not hesitate to respond, and by their description: Gideon said they would die because they had killed his brothers. Gideon's son was with him and he had a sword; but due to his young age, he was not brave enough to do this execution for his father. Again, the two kings did not hesitate as they told Gideon he would do this himself if he was a man. . Gideon killed both of the Midianite kings and he took valuable ornaments off the necks of their camels.

I - GIDEON GAVE GOD THE GLORY AND HE REFUSED TO RULE OVER THE PEOPLE

Judges 8 "22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. 24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they [were] Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, We will willingly give [them]. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred [shekels] of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that [was] on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that [were] about their camels necks. 27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, [even] in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon."

COMMENTS: Now that the Midianites and their allies were completely defeated and a very large number of their warriors had died; the men of Israel asked Gideon to rule over them, and even for his sons to rule after him. Gideon said the LORD was to rule over them: neither he nor his son would take that position. Then Gideon did not make a demand, but rather he said he had a request for them: that EVERY man give all the golden earrings they had taken from their victims in battle. They said they would willingly give all to him, and every man did so right then. The collected items also included ornaments, collars, purple raiment from upon the kings of Midian; and the chains from their camels necks. Gideon made an ephod from these materials and placed it in his city, Ophrah: but all Israel went there in an Idolatrous manner before it. That became a snare to Gideon, and to his house, which could lure or tempt them into harm or error. But as for any more threats from Midian, they were subdued; and the country was in quietness forty years in the last days of Gideon.

J - GIDEON HAD MANY SONS FROM WIVES AND ONE SON FROM A CONCUBINE

Judges 8 "29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. 30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that [was] in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. 33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, [namely], Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel."

COMMENTS: The text does not describe the location of the ephod which was placed in the city of Ophrah; but it states that Jerubbaal, the son of Joash went to live in his own house. There is no mention during the years of peace of any sacrifices being made to the LORD on the altar Gideon had made when he was first visited by the angel of the LORD.
Judges 6 "22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O LORD God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said to him, Peace be to you; fear not: you shall not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: to this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
Gideon had many wives and he fathered seventy sons. He also had a concubine in Shechem, and she bore him a son that he named Abimelech. When Gideon died and was buried in Ophrah, in the tomb of Joash his father, the children of Israel quickly turned again, being promiscuous as they worshipped Baalberith a false god, rather than being faithful to the LORD God who had delivered them from enemies on every side. They also did not show kindness to the house of Gideon, in respect to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.

--- REFLECTIONS IN PRAYER ---

Lord, I know as a believer I can easily tend to feel that much of the good things I have in life are because of personal achievement. I want to continue in regular Reading of your Word and in praise to the true and living God who has given to me all my talents and abilities. By your grace you gave Gideon only three hundred men to open the armed conflict against the Midianites; thus to show Israel they should not forget you and claim their own victory. I want to have a humble attitude of praise no matter how difficult some situations may be for me. I have never experienced real persecution as a Christian; but I know there are Christians around the world who in the present time have been severely persecuted, even with some of them being killed. Gideon's basis for his belief in God was mainly from things he had heard through the line of ancestors who had come out of slavery in Egypt, with some miracles being part of the details. When the sacrifice material Gideon placed on the rock was totally consumed by just the touch of the staff of the angel of the LORD, and the angel disappeared, Gideon was afraid he would die because he had seen the LORD face to face. You then assured Gideon that he was not going to die, for there were special ways that he would be used of God. This was not just to relieve the Midianite persecution, but to give Israel the opportunity to return to worship only the true and living God. Today we have your written Word and the interactions with others who demonstrate that they are part of the body of Christ, to help us hold fast our trust in you. Even though there was no mention of eternal life in the three chapters in the book of Judges about Gideon, the stages through that record caused me to forever be thankful for that unexcelled gift of eternal life that was provided through the death, burial, and resurrection of my precious Savior Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, amen!