Front matter (continued, part 37)
Sisera is slain (vv. 17–23). While Barak and his men were pursuing and killing the fleeing Canaanites, some of whom were in chariots and others on foot, the Canaanite captain Sisera was running for his life, probably heading toward Hazor and safety. But weariness got the best of him, and providentially he was near the tents of Heber at the oak of Zaanannim (v. 11). This famous oak was on the border of Naphtali (Josh. 19:33), about six miles east of Mount Tabor. Since Sisera knew that Heber and his people were friendly toward Jabin, this settlement seemed a good place to stop and rest. When Heber's wife, Jael, came out to meet Sisera and invited him into her tent, the Canaanite captain was sure that he was at last safe. After all, in that culture nobody would dare enter a wife's tent except her husband. Jael gave him milk instead of water and then covered him with a blanket,
Sisera is warned (vv. 11–12). Verse 12 suggests that it was Heber and his family who first warned Sisera that the Jews were about to revolt and where the Israelite army was mustering. We met the Kenites in 1:16 and discovered that they were distant relatives of the Jews through Moses. It seems strange that Heber the Kenite would separate himself from his people, who worshipped Jehovah, and be friendly with idolatrous tyrants like Jabin and Sisera (4:17). Perhaps he needed the protection and business of the Canaanites as he carried on his trade as an itinerant metalworker. The Kenites seem to be attached to the tribe of Judah
Judges 4—5
said, but they were not likely to forget a festive song. (For other examples, see Ex. 15, Deut. 32, 2 Sam. 1:17–27, and Ps. 18.) The personal pronouns in Judges 5:7, 9, and 13 indicate that this was Deborah's victory song, but just as Barak joined her in the battle, so he joined her in the victory celebration.
and he was confident that he had found a dependable ally and could rest in peace.
But Sisera made the mistake of telling Jael to lie if anyone asked whether he was there. Being a wise woman, she concluded that Sisera was fleeing the battlefield, which meant that the Jews had won the battle and the Canaanite grip on the land was broken. If she protected Sisera, she'd be in trouble with the Jews, her own relatives. No doubt somebody was chasing Sisera, and whoever it was wouldn't be satisfied until the captain was dead.
A poem or song isn't something you can easily outline because it's a spontaneous emotional expression that often defies analysis. Unlike classical English poetry, Hebrew poetry contains recurring themes, expressed in different ways and frequent outbursts of praise and prayer. The following outline is only a suggested approach to this magnificent song of victory.
But Sisera had no reason to suspect danger. After all, Heber's clan was friendly to the Canaanites, Jael had shown him hospitality and kindness, and no pursuing Jewish soldier was likely to force his way into a woman's tent. What Sisera didn't know was that God had promised that a woman would take his life (Judg. 4:9). When Sisera was in a deep sleep, Jael killed him by pounding a tent peg through his head. In the Eastern nomadic tribes, it was the women who put up and took down the tents, so Jael knew how to use a hammer. When Barak arrived on the scene, he discovered that his enemy was dead and that Deborah's prediction had been fulfilled. For a captain to flee from a battle was embarrassing; for him to be killed while fleeing was humiliating; but to be killed by a woman was the most disgraceful thing of all (9:54).
Praise the Lord all you people (vv. 1–12)! In verses 1–9, Deborah and Barak praise the Lord for all that He did for His people. He gave unity to the leaders so that Barak could assemble an army (v. 2; and see v. 9). The same God who gave Israel victory in the past would give them victory again (vv. 4–5). Israel had entered into a covenant with the Lord at Mount Sinai, and He would fulfill His promises to His special people. Since conditions were so terrible in the land that something had to be done, God raised up Deborah to be a mother in Israel (vv. 6–9). The enemy took over because the people had turned from Jehovah to worship false gods. Deborah was concerned about the spiritual life of the people as well as their physical and political welfare. Note that this first section (vv. 2–9) begins and ends with "Praise to the Lord" and "Bless ye the Lord."
Should we bless or blame Jael for what she did? She invited Sisera into her tent, treated him kindly, and told him not to be afraid; so she was deceitful. The Kenites were at peace with Jabin, so she violated a treaty. She gave Sisera the impression that she would guard the door, so she broke a promise. She killed a defenseless man who was under her protection, so she was a murderess.4 Yet Deborah sang, "Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent" (5:24).
According to verses 10 and 11, Deborah and Barak summoned the wealthy nobles ("those who ride on white asses") and the common travelers to join the singers at the wells and praise the Lord for what He did to Jabin's army. Now it was safe to walk the roads, gather at the wells, and leisurely talk together. The people could leave the walled cities where they had run for protection and could return to their villages in peace. It was time for all Israel to praise God for His mercies to them.
To begin with, let's not read back into the era of the judges the spiritual standards taught by Jesus and the apostles. Also, let's keep in mind that the Jews had been under terrible bondage because of Jabin and Sisera, and it was God's will that the nation be delivered. Both Jabin and Sisera had been guilty of mistreating the Jews for years, and if the Canaanite army had won the battle, hundreds of Jewish girls would have been captured and raped (v. 30). Jael not only helped deliver the nation of Israel from bondage, but also she helped to protect the women from the most vicious brutality. She wasn't a Semitic "Lady Macbeth" who murdered her guest for her own personal gain. There was a war on, and this courageous woman finally stopped being neutral and took her stand with the people of God.
This praise stanza closes with a call to action (v. 12). God commanded Deborah to wake up and sing and Barak to wake up and attack the enemy. Because of her faith, Deborah could sing before the battle started as well as after the battle ended.
Praise the Lord for the volunteers (vv. 13–18). Deborah was grateful that the people offered themselves willingly in the service of the Lord (vv. 2, 9) and that the nobles did their share in recruiting soldiers from the tribes (v. 13). Six tribes united in sending volunteers. Except for the people in the town of Meroz (v. 23), the men of Naphtali responded, as did the men of Zebulun, Issachar, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh west (Machir). The phrase in verse 14, "They that handle the pen of the writer" (literally, "the staff of a scribe"), may refer to the recruiting officers who wrote down the names of the soldiers. They were not "summer soldiers" but brave men who were serious about fighting the Lord's battles.
Act five: a glorious celebration (5:1–31) When they wanted to celebrate special occasions, the Jewish people often expressed themselves in song, so the writer shifts from narrative prose to jubilant poetry. Future generations might forget what the history book
However, there were four tribes that didn't volunteer
Judges 5
and do their share of fighting. The tribe of Reuben pondered the call to arms but finally stayed at home. They were probably considering Deuteronomy 20:1–9, Israel's law of warfare, and examining their hearts to see whether they were qualified to go to war. Since Manasseh east (Gilead) was safe on the other side of the Jordan, they also stayed home (Judg. 5:17). Dan and Asher on the coast also elected not to heed the call to battle. In contrast to these shirkers, the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali are especially praised for risking their lives in the service of the Lord and their country (v. 18).
the impression that he was standing in the tent when Jael struck him and then fell dead at her feet. But he was lying down asleep when he was slain (v. 18). We may have here some Hebrew poetic license, but it's also possible that in the agony of his death Sisera raised himself up from the tent floor and then sank at her feet and expired.
The singer moves from describing Sisera's death to portraying Sisera's mother watching for her son's return (vv. 28–30). What a pathetic picture of hope where there is no hope! How many people today are looking out the window of false assumptions and expecting something to happen that will never happen. Sisera was dead; he would never come home to his mother's love again. His mother and her attendants kept telling themselves and each other that everything was fine, but it wasn't.
Keep in mind that during this period in history "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" (21:25). When Joshua was the commander of Israel's armies, all the tribes participated, but when Barak summoned the forces, only half of them went to war against Jabin.5 The people of God today are not unlike the people of Israel when it comes to God's call for service: some immediately volunteer and follow the Lord; some risk their lives; some give the call serious consideration but say no; and others keep to themselves as though the call had never been given.
The closing prayer (v. 31) contrasts the enemies of the Lord—who like Sisera go out in darkness—with the people who love God, who are like the noonday sun.9 The battle at Megiddo was more than just a conflict between opposing armies. It was a conflict between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. We either love Christ and walk in the light, or we are His enemy and perish in the darkness.
Praise the Lord for His victory (vv. 19–23). It's one thing to show up for duty and quite something else to go into battle. Sisera had organized an alliance of the Canaanite kings, and their united forces (with 900 chariots) met the Jewish army at Megiddo on the plain of Jezreel.6 Since it was the dry season of the year, the charioteers expected to annihilate the army of Israel. But God had other plans. He sent a tremendous rainstorm that turned the Kishon River into a raging torrent and the battlefield into a swamp. A raindrop is a very fragile thing, but if you put enough of them together, you can defeat an army! The army of Israel trusted the Lord to give them victory because this is what He had promised (4:6–9).
The curtain comes down on our drama, but I predict that the cast will be making curtain calls as long as people read and study the Bible. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Rom. 15:4 nkjv).
Notes 1 You would expect Judges 4:1 to read "when Shamgar was dead" since Shamgar is the judge last named. But Shamgar's ministry was local and contemporary with that of Deborah (5:6–7). Meanwhile, Ehud exercised authority over all the land and was the architect of the eighty years of rest. 2 The selection of Deborah may also indicate that, at that time, there were no men willing and able to do the job. Even Barak was afraid to confront the enemy without Deborah's help, and he was a man of faith (Heb. 11:32). For an inspiring account of women of God who have made a difference in the church and the world, see Daughters of the Church by Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld (Zondervan, 1987); and A Dictionary of Women in Church History by Mary L. Hammack (Moody Press, 1984). 3 It's possible that this verse is speaking of deception rather than disarmament. Israel might have possessed weapons but kept them hidden from the enemy. When war was declared, the men brought them out. 4 If you were the guest of an Eastern sheik, you were under his protection, and he would not turn you over to your enemies. He would expect the people in his family and his camp to protect you as well. 5 Judah and Simeon aren't mentioned at all in Judges 4–5. Some students think these two tribes may have already been engaged in wars against the Canaanites. 6 Military leaders have called this area one of the greatest
Deborah and Barak didn't curse the people of Meroz; it was the angel of the Lord who did it. It must have embarrassed Barak to know that a town in his own tribe of Naphtali had refused to send volunteers to assist in this important battle. "Meroz stands for the shirker," said Philips Brooks in a famous sermon; "for him who is willing to see other people fight the battles of life, while he simply comes in and takes the spoils."7 Note that their sin wasn't simply failing to assist Israel; they failed to help the Lord!
Praise the Lord for a courageous woman (vv. 24–31). Deborah's blessing on Jael reminds us of Gabriel's words to Mary (Luke 1:42). Because of Barak's hesitation, Deborah announced that a woman would get the credit for killing the captain of the enemy army (Judg. 4:8–9). The phrase "smote off his head" in verse 26 doesn't mean that she decapitated him with a hammer and a tent peg. The word means "crushed" or "smashed." With one stroke, she sent the tent peg through his temple, shattered his head, and killed him.8
The description of Sisera's death in verse 27 gives
Judges 6
He had chastened them (vv. 1–6). "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights" (Prov. 3:11–12 nkjv; and see Heb. 12:5–11). Charles Spurgeon said, "The Lord does not permit His children to sin successfully." God is not a "permissive parent" who allows His children to do as they please, for His ultimate purpose is that they might be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). The Father wants to be able to look at each member of His spiritual family and say, "This is My beloved child, in whom I am well pleased" (see Matt. 3:17; 12:18; 17:5).
battlefields in the world. Not only did Barak defeat Sisera there, but also Gideon defeated the Midianites there (Judg. 6—7), and the "battle of Armageddon" will be fought there (Rev. 16:12–16; 17:14). King Saul died there (1 Sam. 31), and King Josiah was killed there in a battle he should never have fought (2 Kings 23:28–30). 7 "The Curse of Meroz" in Selected Sermons of Phillips Brooks, ed. William Scarlett (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1950), 127. 8 Sisera was killed by Jael, who had given him milk; and his army was defeated because of Deborah, whose name means "bee." Sisera discovered that "the land of milk and honey" could be a dangerous place! 9 David compared a godly leader to the rising sun and the sun shining after the rain (2 Sam. 23:3–4). When leaders obey God, as Deborah and Barak did, there is always the dawning of a new day for their people, and there will be calm and light after the storm. The armies of Israel had been through a storm, but God had given them the victory.
Chastening is evidence of God's hatred for sin and His love for His people. We can't conceive of a holy God wanting anything less than His very best for His children, and the best He can give us is a holy character like that of Jesus Christ. Obedience to the Lord builds character, but sin destroys character, and God cannot sit idly by and watch His children destroy themselves.
C.Gideon—6—8
CHAPTER FOUR Judges 6 GOD'S MAN IN MANASSEH Y
Israel had already experienced forty-three years of suffering under the harsh rule of the neighboring nations, but they hadn't yet learned their lesson and turned away from the heathen idols. Unless our suffering leads to repentance, it accomplishes no lasting good, and unless our repentance is evidence of a holy desire to turn from sin, not just escape from pain, repentance is only remorse. Chastening assures us that we are truly God's children, that our Father loves us, and that we can't get away with rebellion.
ou have a garden, and you work hard all spring and summer to make that garden produce abundantly. But every year, just about the time you're ready to gather in the harvest, your neighbors swoop down and take your produce away from you by force. This goes on year after year, and there's nothing you can do about it.
The Midianites organized a coalition of nations to invade the land (Judg. 6:3), and all that Israel could do was flee to the hills and hide from the enemy. When the Jews returned to their homes, they found only devastation, and they had to face another year without adequate food.
If you can imagine that scenario, then you'll have some idea of the suffering the Jews experienced every harvest when the Midianites made their annual raids. For seven years, God allowed the Midianites and their allies to ravage "the land of milk and honey," leaving the people in the deepest poverty.
He had rebuked them (vv. 7–10). Previous to this, an angel of the Lord, probably the Son of God, had come to Bochim to reprove Israel for her sins (2:1–5), and now an unnamed prophet came to repeat the message.2 Often in the Old Testament, when the Lord denounced His people for their disobedience, He reminded them of the wonderful way He had delivered them from Egypt. He also reminded them of His generosity in giving them the land and helping them overcome their enemies. If the Jews were suffering from Gentile bondage, it wasn't God's fault! He had given them everything they needed.
About the time of the eighth Midianite invasion, God called a farmer in Manasseh named Gideon to become the deliverer of His people. Gideon started his career as somewhat of a coward (Judg. 6), then became a conqueror (7:1–8:21), and ended his career as a compromiser (8:22–35). But more space is devoted to Gideon in the book of Judges (100 verses) than to any other judge,1 and Gideon is the only judge whose personal struggles with his faith are recorded. Gideon is a great encouragement to people who have a hard time accepting themselves and believing that God can make anything out of them or do anything with them.
When you read the New Testament epistles, you can't help but notice that the apostles took the same approach when they admonished the believers to whom they wrote. The apostles repeatedly reminded the Christians that God had saved them so that they might live obediently and serve the Lord faithfully. As God's children, they were to walk worthy of their high and heavenly calling (Eph. 4:1) and live like people who were seated with Christ in glory (Col. 3:1ff.). The motive for Christian living is not that we might gain
Before the Lord could use Gideon in His service, He had to deal with four doubts that plagued him and were obstacles to his faith. These doubts can be expressed in four questions.
"Does God really care about us?" (6:1–13) "The Lord has forsaken us!" was Gideon's response to the Lord's message (v. 13 nkjv); and yet the Lord had given Israel proof of His personal concern.
Judges 6
we see, how we feel, or what the consequences might be. Our modern "practical" world laughs at faith without realizing that people live by faith all day long. "If there was no faith, there would be no living in this world," wrote humorist John Billings nearly a century ago. "We couldn't even eat hash with safety."
something we don't have but that we might live up to what we already have in Christ.
The purpose of chastening is to make God's children willing to listen to God's Word. Often after spanking a child, parents will reassure the child of their love and then gently admonish the child to listen to what they say and obey it. God speaks to His children, either through the loving voice of Scripture or the heavy hand of chastening; and if we ignore the first, we must endure the second. One way or another, the Lord is going to get our attention and deal with us.
Gideon's statement about the poverty of his family is a bit perplexing in light of the fact that he had ten servants who assisted him (v. 27). It may be that the clan of Abiezer, to which Gideon's family belonged, was not an important clan in Manasseh, or perhaps Gideon's statement was simply the standard way to respond to a compliment, as when people used to sign their letters "Your Obedient Servant." In any event, Gideon seemed to think that God could do nothing because he and his family were nothing.
Now He came down to help them (vv. 11–13). The people were crying out to the Lord for help (6:7), as people usually do when they're in trouble. The Israelites gave no evidence of real repentance, but their affliction moved God's loving heart. "In all their affliction he was afflicted" (Isa. 63:9). "He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities" (Ps. 103:10 niv). God in His mercy doesn't give us what we do deserve, and in His grace, He gives us what we don't deserve.
Once God has revealed His will to us, we must never question His wisdom or argue with His plans. "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?" (Rom. 11:34 niv; see Isa. 40:13 and 1 Cor. 2:16). "Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" (Job 11:7 nkjv). A. W. Tozer wrote, "All God's acts are done in perfect wisdom, first for His own glory, and then for the highest good of the greatest number for the longest time."4 That being true, who are we to question Him?
When you consider the kind of man Gideon was at this time, you wonder why God selected him, but God often chooses the "weak things of this world" to accomplish great things for His glory (1 Cor. 1:26–29).3 Gideon's family worshipped Baal (Judg. 6:25–32), although we have no reason to believe that Gideon joined them. When Gideon called himself "the least in my father's house" (v. 15), he may have been suggesting that his family treated him like an outcast because he didn't worship Baal. Gideon wasn't a man of strong faith or courage, and God had to patiently work with him to prepare him for leadership. God is always ready to make us what we ought to be if we're willing to submit to His will (Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12–13).
When you review God's gracious promises to Gideon, you wonder why this young man wavered in his faith. God promised to be with him. God called him a "mighty man of valor" and promised that he would save Israel from the Midianites and smite them "as one man." God's Word is "the word of faith" (Rom. 10:8), and "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). But Gideon didn't receive that Word and needed assurance beyond the character of Almighty God.
Gideon's negative response to the Lord's words indicates his lack of faith and spiritual perception. Here was almighty God telling him that He was with him and would make him a conqueror, and Gideon replied by denying everything God said! God would have to spend time with Gideon turning his question marks into exclamation points. Gideon was living by sight, not by faith, and had he remained that way he would never have been named among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11.
Gideon asked for a sign to assure him that it was really the Lord who was speaking to him (1 Cor. 1:22), and the Lord was gracious to accommodate Himself to Gideon's unbelief. Gideon prepared a sacrifice, which was a costly thing to do at a time when food was scarce. An ephah of flour was about a half a bushel, enough to make bread for a family for several days. It probably took him an hour to dress the meat and prepare the unleavened cakes, but God waited for him to return and then consumed the offering by bringing fire from the rock.
"Does God know what He's doing?" (6:14–24) Gideon's first response was to question God's concern for His people, but then he questioned God's wisdom in choosing him to be the nation's deliverer. The Lord's statements recorded in verses 12 and 14 should have given Gideon all the assurance he needed, but he wouldn't believe God's Word. In this he was like Moses (Ex. 3:7–12), whose story Gideon surely knew since he was acquainted with Hebrew history (Judg. 6:13).
The sudden appearance of the fire and disappearance of the visitor convinced Gideon that indeed he had seen God and spoken to Him, and this frightened him even more. Since the Jews believed it was fatal for sinful man to look upon God, Gideon was sure he would die. The human heart is indeed deceitful: Gideon asked to see a sign, and after seeing it, he was sure that the God who gave him the sign would now kill him! There is always "joy and peace in believing" (Rom. 15:13), but unbelief brings fear and worry.
It has often been said that "God's commandments are God's enablements." Once God has called and commissioned us, all we have to do is obey Him by faith, and He will do the rest. God cannot lie and God never fails. Faith means obeying God in spite of what
God had to give Gideon a message of peace to prepare him for fighting a war. Unless we're at peace with
Judges 6
Gideon had every right to destroy Baal worship because this is what God had commanded in His law (Ex. 34:12–13; Deut. 7:5). For that matter, he had the right to stone everybody who was involved in Baal worship (Deut. 13), but God didn't include that in His instructions.
God, we can't face the enemy with confidence and fight the Lord's battles. It was customary for the Jews to identify special events and places by putting up monuments,5 so Gideon built an altar and called it "The Lord is peace." The Hebrew word for "peace" (shalom) means much more than a cessation of hostilities but carries with it the ideas of well-being, health, and prosperity. Gideon now believed the Lord was able to use him, not because of who he was, but because of who God was.
Gideon decided to obey the Lord at night when the village was asleep. This showed his fear (Judg. 6:27); he wasn't sure God could or would see him through. "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40 nkjv) "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid" (Isa. 12:2 nkjv). After all the encouragements God had given him, Gideon's faith should have been strong, but before we judge him, we'd better look at ourselves and see how much we trust the Lord.
Whenever God calls us to a task that we think is beyond us, we must be careful to look to God and not to ourselves. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" God asked Abraham (Gen. 18:14), and the answer comes, "For with God nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). Job discovered that God could do everything (Job 42:2), and Jeremiah admitted that there was nothing too hard for God (Jer. 32:17). Jesus told His disciples, "With God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26), and Paul testified, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phil. 4:13 nkjv).
It's worth noting that true believers can't build an altar to the Lord unless first they tear down the altars they've built to the false gods they worship. Our God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5) and will not share His glory or our love with another. Gideon had privately built his own altar to the Lord (Judg. 6:24), but now he had to take his public stand, and he had to do it without compromise. Before he could declare war on Midian, he had to declare war on Baal.
"Will God take care of me?" (6:25–32) What kind of a day did Gideon have after his dramatic meeting with the Lord? Remember, he belonged to a family that worshipped Baal, and if he challenged the Midianites in the name of the Lord, it meant defying his father, his family, his neighbors, and the multitudes of people in Israel who were worshipping Baal. My guess is that Gideon had his emotional ups and downs that day, rejoicing that God was planning to deliver Israel, but trembling at the thought of being named the leader of the army.
When ten other men are involved, it's not easy to keep your plans a secret, so it wasn't long before the whole town knew that Gideon was the one who had destroyed his father's idols. The men of the city considered this a capital offense and wanted to kill Gideon. (According to God's law, it was the idol-worshippers who should have been slain! See Deut. 13:6–9.) Gideon was no doubt wondering what would happen to him, but God proved Himself well able to handle the situation.
Knowing that Gideon was still afraid, God assigned him a task right at home to show him that He would see him through. After all, if we don't practice our faith at home, how can we practice it sincerely anyplace else? Gideon had to take his stand in his own village before he dared to face the enemy on the battlefield.
Joash, Gideon's father, had every reason to be angry with his son. Gideon had smashed his father's altar to Baal and replaced it with an altar to Jehovah. He had sacrificed his father's prize bull to the Lord and had used the sacred Asherah pole for fuel. (See Isa. 44:13–20.) But God so worked in Joash's heart that he defended Gideon before the town mob and even insulted Baal! "What kind of a god is Baal that he can't even defend himself?" asked Joash. (Elijah would take a similar approach years later. See 1 Kings 18:27.) "What kind of a god is Baal that he can't even plead his own cause?" Joash asked. Because of this, the men of the town gave Gideon the nickname "Jerubbaal," which means "let Baal contend" or "Baal's antagonist."6
Before God gives His servants great victories in public, He sometimes prepares them by giving them smaller victories at home. Before David killed the giant Goliath in the sight of two armies, he learned to trust God by killing a lion and a bear in the field where nobody saw it but God (1 Sam. 17:32–37). When we prove that we're faithful with a few things, God will trust us with greater things (Matt. 25:21).
The assignment wasn't an easy one. God told him to destroy the altar dedicated to Baal, build an altar to the Lord, and sacrifice one of his father's valuable bullocks, using the wood of the Asherah pole for fuel. Jewish altars were made of uncut stones and were simple, but Baal's altars were elaborate and next to them was a wooden pillar ("grove," Judg. 6:26; "Asherah pole," niv) dedicated to the goddess Asherah, whose worship involved unspeakably vile practices. Since altars to Baal were built on high places, it would have been difficult to obey God's orders without attracting attention.
Often the unbelieving world gives demeaning nicknames to faithful servants of God. D. L. Moody was known as "Crazy Moody" when he was building his famous Sunday school in Chicago, but nobody would call him that today, and Charles Spurgeon was frequently lampooned and caricatured in the British press. If we are given nicknames because we honor the name of Jesus, then let's wear them like medals and keep on glorifying Him!
Judges 6
twice Gideon asked God to reaffirm His promises with a miracle. The fact that God stooped to Gideon's weakness only proves that He's a gracious God who understands how we're made (Ps. 103:14).7 Who are we to tell God what conditions He must meet, especially when He has already spoken to us in His Word? "Putting out the fleece" is not only an evidence of our unbelief, but it's also an evidence of our pride. God has to do what I tell Him to do before I'll do what He tells me to do!
Gideon learned a valuable lesson that day: If he obeyed the Lord, even with fear in his heart, the Lord would protect him and receive the glory. Gideon needed to remember this as he mustered his army and prepared to attack the enemy.
"Does God keep His promises?" (6:33–40) The Midianites and their allies made their annual invasion about that time as more than 135,000 men (8:10; 7:12) moved into the Valley of Jezreel. It was time for Gideon to act, and the Spirit of God gave him the wisdom and power that he needed. (See Judg. 3:10; 11:29; 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14.) As we seek to do God's will, His Word to us is always, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit" (Zech. 4:6).
Gideon spent two days playing the fleece game with God at the threshing floor. The first night, he asked God to make the fleece wet but keep the ground dry (in this incident the Bible uses "floor" and "ground" interchangeably) and God did it. The second night, the test was much harder, for he wanted the threshing floor to be wet but the fleece dry. The ground of a threshing floor is ordinarily very hard and normally would not be greatly affected by the dew. But the next morning, Gideon found dry fleece but wet ground.
When a group of British pastors was discussing the advisability of inviting evangelist D. L. Moody to their city for a crusade, one man asked, "Why must it be Moody? Does D. L. Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" Quietly one of the other pastors replied, "No, but it's evident that the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on D. L. Moody."
There was nothing for Gideon to do but to confront the enemy and trust God for the victory. "And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith" (1 John 5:4 nkjv).
Gideon blew the trumpet first in his own hometown, and the men of Abiezer rallied behind him. Gideon's reformation in the town had actually accomplished something! Then he sent messengers throughout his own tribe of Manasseh as well as the neighboring tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali. These four tribes were near the Valley of Jezreel, and therefore the invading army affected them most. Thus at Gideon's call, 32,000 men responded.
Notes 1 Ninety-six verses are devoted to the last judge, Samson. The first four judges were godly people, but from the time of Gideon, the leaders began to decay until you get to Samson, the most unspiritual of them all. Because the nation wanted freedom from the enemy without being dedicated to God, they didn't deserve godly leaders. Sometimes God gives His people exactly what they deserve. 2 We usually call Samuel the first of the prophets (Acts 3:24), but there were unnamed prophets before Samuel's time. 3 The most popular image of the local church today is that of the corporation, with the pastor as the CEO. I wonder how many churches would want a CEO with the credentials of some of the people God used in the Bible? Moses was eighty years old when he began his ministry and he was wanted for murder in Egypt. Jacob was a schemer. Elijah suffered from depression, and so did Jeremiah. Hosea couldn't keep his marriage together. Amos, a farmer, had no ministerial training. Peter tried to kill a man with his sword. John Mark was a quitter, and Paul couldn't get along with his associate Barnabas. These traits are not excuses either for leaders to sin or for churches to lower their standards, but they do remind us that God's ways aren't always our ways. The man or woman we think least qualified for God's work may turn out to be a mighty servant of God. 4 A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy (New York: Harper, 1961), 66. 5 Wherever Abraham journeyed, he built an altar (Gen. 12:7–8; 13:4, 18; 22:9), and Joshua left many monuments of Israel's march of conquest through the land. 6 Joseph Parker comments: "The least one can do is to give a reformer a nickname. If we may not smite him, we may at least throw some appellation at him which we hope the enemy will take up and use as a sting or a thong" (The People's Bible, vol. 6, 16). But Gideon's achievements transformed a contemptible
But what chance did 32,000 men have against an army of 135,000 men plus numberless camels (Judg. 7:12)? This is the first mention in the Bible of camels being used in warfare, and certainly they would have given their riders speed and mobility on the battlefield. The Jews were outnumbered and would certainly be outmaneuvered, except for one thing: Jehovah God was on their side, and He had promised them victory.
Nevertheless, Gideon doubted God's promise. Did God really want him to lead the Jewish army? What did he know about warfare? After all, he was only an ordinary farmer, and there were others in the tribes who could do a much better job. So, before he led the attack, he asked God to give him two more signs.
The phrase "putting out the fleece" is a familiar one in religious circles. It means asking God to guide us in a decision by fulfilling some condition that we lay down. In my pastoral ministry, I've met all kinds of people who have gotten themselves into trouble by "putting out the fleece." If they received a phone call at a certain hour from a certain person, God was telling them to do this, or if the weather changed at a certain time, God was telling them to do something else.
"Putting out the fleece" is not a biblical method for determining the will of God. Rather, it's an approach used by people like Gideon who lack the faith to trust God to do what He said He would do. Twice Gideon reminded God of what He had said (6:36–37), and
Judges 7
ministry when one of the board members said enthusiastically, "We're simply going to have to step out by faith!" Quietly another board member asked, "Whose faith?" That question made all of us search our hearts.
nickname into an honorable title that he was proud to wear. After all, Jehovah did prove Himself greater than Baal! 7 Joseph Parker defends Gideon when he writes, "Men cannot be courageous all at once" (The People's Bible, vol. 6, 14). But courage comes from faith, and faith doesn't become strong when we ask God to bless our unbelief by performing miracles. The way to grow in faith and courage is to hear God's Word, believe His promises, and obey what He tells us to do. God may stoop to our weakness once or twice, but He won't permit us to live at that juvenile level all our lives.
J. G. Stipe said that faith is like a toothbrush: Everybody should have one and use it regularly, but it isn't safe to use somebody else's. We can sing loudly about the "Faith of Our Fathers," but we can't exercise the faith of our fathers. We can follow men and women of faith and share in their exploits, but we can't succeed in our own personal lives by depending on somebody else's faith.
CHAPTER FIVE Judges 7 FAITH IS THE VICTORY I
God tests our faith for at least two reasons: first, to show us whether our faith is real or counterfeit, and second, to strengthen our faith for the tasks He's set before us. I've noticed in my own life and ministry that God has often put us through the valley of testing before allowing us to reach the mountain peak of victory. Spurgeon was right when he said that the promises of God shine brightest in the furnace of affliction, and it is in claiming those promises that we gain the victory.
don't recall too many chapel messages from my years as a seminary student, but Vance Havner gave a message that has stayed with me and often encouraged me. Speaking from Hebrews 11, he told us that because Moses was a man of faith, he was able to "see the invisible, choose the imperishable, and do the impossible." I needed that message then and I still need it today.
The first sifting (vv. 1–3). God tested Gideon's faith by sifting his army of 32,000 volunteers until only 300 men were left. If Gideon's faith had been in the size of his army, then his faith would have been very weak by the time God was through with them! Less than 1 percent of the original 32,000 ended up following Gideon to the battlefield. The words of Winston Churchill concerning the RAF in World War II certainly applies to Gideon's 300: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed to so few by so many."
What was true for Moses centuries ago can be true for God's people today, but men and women of faith seem to be in short supply. Whatever our churches may be known for today, they're not especially known for glorifying God by great exploits of faith. "The church used to be known for its good deeds," said one wit, "but today it's better known for its bad mortgages."
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith" (1 John 5:4 nkjv). Christians are either overcome because of their unbelief or overcomers because of their faith. And remember, faith doesn't depend on how we feel, what we see, or what may happen. The Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier put it this way in "My Soul and I":
God told Gideon why He was decreasing the size of the army: He didn't want the soldiers to boast that they had won the victory over the Midianites. Victories won because of faith bring glory to God because nobody can explain how they happened. "If you can explain what's going on in your ministry," Dr. Bob Cook used to remind us, "then God didn't do it." When I was serving in Youth for Christ, I often heard our leaders pray, "Lord, keep Youth for Christ on a miracle basis. That meant living by faith.
Nothing before, nothing behind;
The steps of faith Fall on the seeming void, and find
Too often, we're like King Uzziah who was "marvelously helped, till he was strong. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction" (2 Chron. 26:15–16). People who live by faith know their own weakness more and more as they depend on God's strength. "For when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:10).
The rock beneath.
That rock is the Word of God. The familiar and exciting account of Gideon's wonderful victory over the Midianites is really a story of faith in action, and it reveals to us three important principles about faith. If we're to be overcomers, and not be overcome, we need to understand and apply these principles.
In telling the fearful soldiers to return home, Gideon was simply obeying the law Moses originally gave: "What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart" (Deut. 20:8 nkjv). "The fearful and trembling man God cannot use," said G. Campbell Morgan. "The trouble today is that the fearful and trembling man insists upon remaining in the army. A decrease that sifts the ranks of
God tests our faith (7:1–8) A faith that can't be tested can't be trusted. Too often, what people think is faith is really only a "warm fuzzy feeling" about faith or perhaps just "faith in faith." I recall being in a board meeting of an international
Judges 7
that if they would obey the Lord, one soldier could chase a thousand and two would "put ten thousand to flight" (Deut. 32:30). All Gideon needed was 27 soldiers to defeat the whole Midianite army of 135,000 men (Judg. 8:10), but God gave him 300.
the church of men who fear and tremble is a great, a gracious and a glorious gain"1
Pride after the battle robs God of glory, and fear during the battle robs God's soldiers of courage and power. Fear has a way of spreading, and one timid soldier can do more damage than a whole company of enemy soldiers. Fear and faith can't live together very long in the same heart. Either fear will conquer faith and we'll quit, or faith will conquer fear and we'll triumph. John Wesley may have been thinking of Gideon's army when he said, "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and I will shake the gates of hell!"2
It is clear from 7:14 that the Midianites knew who Gideon was, and no doubt they were watching what he was doing. I've often wondered what the enemy spies thought when they saw the Jewish army seemingly fall apart. Did it make the Midianites overconfident and therefore less careful? Or did their leaders become even more alert, wondering whether Gideon was setting them up for a tricky piece of strategy?
God graciously gave Gideon one more promise of victory:
The second sifting (vv. 4–8). God put Gideon's surviving 10,000 men through a second test by asking them all to take a drink down at the river. We never know when God is testing us in some ordinary experience of life. I heard about one leading minister who always took a drive with a prospective pastoral staff member in the other man's car, just to see if the car was neat and if the man drove carefully. Whether or not neatness and careful driving habits are always a guarantee of ministerial success is debatable, but the lesson is worth considering. More than one prospective employee has ruined his or her chances for a job while having lunch with the boss, not realizing they were being evaluated. "Make every occasion a great occasion, for you can never tell when somebody may be taking your measure for a larger place." That was said by a man named Marsden, and I've had the quotation, now yellow with age, under the glass on my desk for many years. Pondering it from time to time has done me good.
"By the 300 men that lapped will I save you" (v. 7). By claiming this promise and obeying the Lord's directions, Gideon defeated the enemy and brought peace to the land for forty years (8:28).
The soldiers who departed left some of their equipment with the 300 men thus each man could have a torch, a trumpet, and a jar—strange weapons indeed for fighting a war.
God encourages our faith (7:9–15a) The Lord wanted Gideon and his 300 men to attack the camp of Midian that night, but first He had to deal with the fear that still persisted in Gideon's heart. God had already told Gideon three times that He would give Israel victory (6:14, 16; 7:7), and He had reassured him by giving him three special signs: fire from the rock (6:19–21), the wet fleece (6:36–38), and the dry fleece (6:39–40). After all this divine help, Gideon should have been strong in his faith, but such was not the case.
What significance was there in the two different ways the men drank from the river? Since the Scriptures don't tell us, we'd be wise not to read into the text some weighty spiritual lesson that God never put there. Most expositors say the men who bowed down to drink were making themselves vulnerable to the enemy, while the 300 who lapped water from their hands stayed alert. But the enemy was four miles away (v. 1), waiting to see what the Jews would do; and Gideon wouldn't have led his men into a dangerous situation like that. One well-known preacher claims that the 300 men drank as they did so they could keep their eyes on Gideon, but the text doesn't say that either.
How grateful we should be that God understands us and doesn't condemn us because we have doubts and fears! He keeps giving us wisdom and doesn't scold us when we keep asking (James 1:5). Our great High Priest in heaven sympathizes with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:14–16) and keeps giving us more grace (James 4:6). God remembers that we're only dust (Ps. 103:14) and flesh (78:39).
God encouraged Gideon's faith in two ways. God gave Gideon another promise (v. 9). The Lord told Gideon for the fourth time that He had delivered the Midianite host into his hand. (Note the tense of the verb, and see Josh. 6:2.) Although the battle must be fought, Israel had already won! The 300 men could attack the enemy host confident that Israel was the victor.
My assumption is that God chose this method of sifting the army because it was simple, unassuming (no soldier knew he was being tested), and easy to apply. We shouldn't think that all 10,000 drank at one time, because that would have stretched the army out along the water for a couple of miles. Since the men undoubtedly came to the water by groups, Gideon was able to watch them and identify the 300. It wasn't until after the event that the men discovered they had been tested.
Some people have the idea that confident, courageous faith is a kind of religious arrogance, but just the opposite is true.
"There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few" (1 Sam. 14:6). Some churches today are mesmerized by statistics and think they're strong because they're big and wealthy, but numbers are no guarantee of God's blessing. Moses assured the Jews
Christians who believe God's promises and see Him do great things are humbled to know that the God of the universe cares about them and is on their side. They claim no merit in their faith or honor from their victories. All the glory goes to the Lord because He did it all!
Judges 7
(Heb. 11:6 nkjv). Faith means more than simply trusting God; it also means seeking God and wanting to please Him. We don't trust God just to get Him to do things for us. We trust Him because it brings joy to His heart when His children rely on Him, seek Him, and please Him.
It's the unbelieving child of God who grieves the Lord and makes Him a liar (1 John 5:10).
Hope and love are important Christian virtues, but the Holy Spirit devoted an entire chapter in the New Testament—Hebrews 11—to the victories of faith won by ordinary people who dared to believe God and act upon His promises. It may be a cliche to some people, but the old formula is still true: "God says it—I believe it—that settles it!"
How did God reward Gideon's faith? God gave him wisdom to prepare the army (vv. 15b-18). Gideon was a new man when he and his servant returned to the Israelite camp. His fears and doubts were gone as he mobilized his small army and infused courage into their hearts by what he said and did. "The Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand," he announced to the men (v. 15 nkjv). As Vance Havner said, faith sees the invisible (victory in a battle not yet fought) and does the impossible (wins the battle with few men and peculiar weapons).
God gave Gideon another sign (vv. 10–14). It took courage for Gideon and his servant to move into enemy territory and get close enough to the Midianite camp to overhear the conversation of two soldiers. God had given one of the soldiers a dream, and that dream told Gideon that God would deliver the Midianites into his hand. The Lord had already told Gideon this fact, but now Gideon heard it from the lips of the enemy!
Gideon's plan was simple but effective. He gave each of his men a trumpet to blow, a jar to break, and a torch to burn. They would encircle the enemy camp, the torches inside the jars and their trumpets in their hands. The trumpets were rams' horns (the shofar) such as Joshua used at Jericho, and perhaps this connection with that great victory helped encourage Gideon and his men as they faced the battle. At Gideon's signal, the men would blow the trumpets, break the pitchers, reveal the lights, and then shout, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" God would do the rest.
In the biblical record, you often find God communicating His truth through dreams. Among the believers He spoke to through dreams are Jacob (Gen. 28, 31), Joseph (Gen. 37), Solomon (1 Kings 3), Daniel (Dan. 7), and Joseph, the husband of Mary (Matt. 1:20–21; 2:13–22). But He also spoke to unbelievers this way, including Abimelech (Gen. 20), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 2, 4), Joseph's fellow prisoners (Gen. 40), Pharaoh (Gen. 41), and Pilate's wife (Matt. 27:19). However, we must not conclude from these examples that this is the Lord s normal method of communicating with people or that we should seek His guidance in our dreams today. Dreams can be deceptive (Jer. 23:32; Zech. 10:2), and apart from divine instruction we can't know the correct interpretation.
Gideon was the example for them to follow. "Watch me.… Follow my lead.… Do exactly as I do" (v. 17 niv). Gideon had come a long way since the day God had found him hiding in the winepress! No longer do we hear him asking "If—why—where?" (6:13). No longer does he seek for a sign. Instead, he confidently gave orders to his men, knowing that the Lord would give them the victory.
The best way to get God's guidance is through the Word of God, prayer, and sensitivity to the Spirit as we watch circumstances.
Since barley was a grain used primarily by poor people, the barley-cake image of Gideon and his army spoke of their weakness and humiliation. The picture is that of a stale hard cake that could roll like a wheel, not a complimentary comparison at all! The man who interpreted the dream had no idea that he was speaking God's truth and encouraging God's servant. Gideon didn't mind being compared to a loaf of stale bread, for now he knew for sure that Israel would defeat the Midianites and deliver the land from bondage.
It has been well said that the good news of the gospel is we don't have to stay the way we are. Through faith in Jesus Christ, anybody can be changed. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17 nkjv).
Jesus said to Andrew's brother, "You are Simon ["a hearer"].… You shall be called Cephas ["a stone"]" (John 1:42 nkjv). "You are—you shall be!" That's good news for anybody who wants a new start in life. God can take a weak piece of clay like Simon and make a rock out of him! God can take a doubter like Gideon and make a general out of him!
It's significant that Gideon paused to worship the Lord before he did anything else. He was so overwhelmed by the Lord's goodness and mercy that he fell on his face in submission and gratitude. Joshua did the same thing before taking the city of Jericho (Josh. 5:13–15), and it's a good practice for us to follow today. Before we can be successful warriors, we must first become sincere worshippers.
God gave him courage to lead the army (vv. 19–22). Gideon led his small army from the Spring of Harod ("trembling") to the Valley of Jezreel, where they all took their places around the camp. At Gideon's signal, they all blew their rams' horns, broke the jars, and shouted, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!" Finding themselves surrounded by sudden light and loud noises, the Midianites assumed that they were being attacked by a large army, and the result was panic. The Lord intervened and put a spirit of confusion in
God honors our faith (7:15b–25) "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him"
Judges 7—8
the camp, and the Midianites began to kill each other. Then they realized that the safest thing to do was flee. Thus they took off on the caravan route to the southeast with the Israelite army pursuing.
problems with land mines. Angola has 20 million mines waiting to maim or kill, Afghanistan 10 million, and Cambodia 4.5 million, and the expense of removing them is more than these nations can handle. The wars may be over, but the dangers haven't vanished.
God gave him opportunity to enlarge the army (vv. 23–25). It was obvious that 300 men couldn't pursue thousands of enemy soldiers, so Gideon sent out a call for more volunteers. I'm sure that many of the men from the original army of 32,000 responded to Gideon's call, and even the proud tribe of Ephraim came to his aid. To them was given the honor of capturing and slaying Oreb ("raven") and Zeeb ("wolf"), the two princes of Midian. The story of Gideon began with a man hiding in a winepress (6:11), but it ended with the enemy prince being slain at a winepress.
The saintly Scottish Presbyterian pastor Andrew Bonar wasn't thinking particularly about land mines when he said it, but what he said is good counsel for all of us: "Let us be as watchful after the victory as before the battle." That was the counsel Gideon needed after he'd routed the Midianites, because his problems still weren't over. He discovered some "mines" that were ready to explode.
Thus far in our study of Gideon's life, we've seen his responses to the Lord's call to defeat the enemy. At first Gideon was full of questions and doubts; but then he grew in his faith, believed God's promises, and led his army to victory. In Judges 3, the account focuses on Gideon's responses to various people after he had won the battle, and it tells us how he handled some difficult situations.
Gideon's great victory over the Midianites became a landmark event in the history of Israel, not unlike the Battle of Waterloo for Great Britain, for it reminded the Jews of God's power to deliver them from their enemies. The day of Midian was a great day that Israel would never forget (Ps. 83:11; Isa. 9:4; 10:26).
The chronology in chapter 8 seems to be as follows: Gideon's pursuit of the two kings (vv. 4–12); his disciplining of the defiant Jews on his journey home (vv. 13–17); the protest of the Ephraimites after he arrived home (vv. 1–3); the slaying of the kings (vv. 18–21); and Gideon's "retirement" (vv. 22–35). Each of these events presented a new challenge to Gideon, and he responded differently to each one.
The church today can also learn from this event and be encouraged by it. God doesn't need large numbers to accomplish His purposes, nor does He need especially gifted leaders. Gideon and his 300 men were available for God to use, and He enabled them to conquer the enemy and bring peace to the land. When the church starts to depend on "bigness"—big buildings, big crowds, big budgets—then faith becomes misplaced, and God can't give His blessing. When leaders depend on their education, skill, and experience rather than in God, then God abandons them and looks for a Gideon.
1. A soft answer for his critics (8:1–3) Why this paragraph is placed here is somewhat of a puzzle. It's not likely that the men of Ephraim would complain to Gideon while they were capturing Oreb and Zeeb (7:24–25) and while he was pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna (8:12). Fighting the enemy would have consumed all their energy and attention, and Gideon's reply in verse 3 indicates that the men of Ephraim had already captured and killed Oreb and Zeeb. Perhaps a delegation from the tribe waited on Gideon when the spoils of war were being distributed after he returned home, and that's when they complained.
The important thing is for us to be available for God to use just as He sees fit. We may not fully understand His plans but we can fully trust His promises, and it's faith in Him that gives the victory.
Notes 1 G. Campbell Morgan, The Westminster Pulpit, vol. 4, 209. 2 My friend, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, used to raise the question, "Why didn't Gideon go home? After all, he was afraid!" Courage isn't necessarily the absence of fear; it's the overcoming of fear by transforming it into power. I once asked a well-known Christian collegiate star quarterback how he was able to run the ball so far down the field, and his reply was, "I was scared, just plain scared, so I kept moving!" There is a fear that paralyzes and a fear that energizes, and Gideon's fear was the latter kind.
Knowing that they were a large and important tribe, second only to Judah, the Ephraimites were a proud people. Gideon was from Manasseh, the "brother" tribe to Ephraim1 and Ephraim was insulted because he didn't call them to the battle. But why would such an important tribe want to follow a farmer into battle? They had assisted Ehud (3:26–29) and Deborah and Barak (5:13–14), but that was no guarantee they would help Gideon.
CHAPTER SIX Judges 8 WIN THE WAR, LOSE THE VICTORY B
When you reflect on the way the attack on Midian was handled, it was wisdom on Gideon's part that he hadn't called for volunteers from Ephraim. This proud tribe would have been incensed if Gideon had told the frightened men to go home, and their volunteers would not have tolerated his thinning out the ranks to only 300 soldiers! If Gideon had called them and then sent most of them back, they would have created a far
e careful where you travel for business or vacation. You might pick a place that's dangerous.
According to an article in the June 25, 1993 issue of Pulse, there are fifty-six nations that have serious
Judges 8
others were risking their lives, the people of Gad were doing nothing.
worse problem before the battle than they did afterward. Ephraim was on hand to help in the "mopping up" operations, and that's what really counted.
The Ammonites and Moabites, relatives of the Jews through Lot, failed to help Israel with food, and God declared war on them (Deut. 23:3–6). Hospitality is one of the basic laws of the East, and custom demands that the people meet the needs of strangers as well as relatives. Hospitality was also an important ministry in the early church, for there were no hotels where guests might stay, and in times of persecution, many visitors were fleeing. (See Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 5:10; Heb. 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9.) Indeed, helping a hungry brother is an opportunity to help the Lord Jesus (Matt. 25:34–40).
Ephraim, however, missed out on acquiring some valuable spoils of war from over 100,000 soldiers, and this may have been what irritated them. (Usually when people criticize something you've done, there's a personal reason behind their criticism, and you may never find out what the real reason was.) Since David's unselfish law governing the dividing of the spoils of war hadn't been established yet (1 Sam. 30:21–25), those who didn't participate in the battle didn't share in the loot. When the men of Ephraim should have been thanking Gideon for delivering the nation, they were criticizing him and adding to his burdens.
The men of Succoth were skeptical of Gideon's ability to defeat the fleeing Midianite army and capture the two kings. If Succoth helped Gideon and Gideon failed, then the Midianites would visit Succoth and retaliate. The men of Succoth didn't think feeding a hungry brother was an opportunity to show love but was a risk they didn't want to take, and they were rather impudent in the way they spoke to Gideon. Since Gideon received the same response from the men at Peniel (Penuel), he warned both cities that he would return and discipline them.
As a victorious general, a national hero, and the people's first choice for king, Gideon might have used his authority and popularity to put the tribe of Ephraim in its place, but he chose to use a better approach. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Prov. 15:1 nkjv). Perhaps Gideon's immediate feelings weren't that cordial, but he controlled himself and treated his brothers with kindness. "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city" (16:32 nkjv). Gideon proved that he could control not only an army, but also his temper and tongue.
God gave Gideon and his men victory over the fleeing Midianite hosts and enabled him to capture the two enemy kings. Triumphantly he retraced his steps and kept his promise to the men of Succoth and Peniel. Providentially, he found a young man who was able to give him the names of the seventy-seven leaders in Succoth who had refused to help him and his army. He showed them the two kings whom the elders had said Gideon would never capture, and then he chastised them, apparently by beating them with thorny branches.3 He then went to Peniel and wrecked their tower, killing the men who had opposed him.
It's sad when brothers declare war on each other after they've stood together to defeat the enemy. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (Ps. 133:1). It didn't cost Gideon much to swallow his pride and compliment the men of Ephraim. He told them that their capturing Oreb and Zeeb was a greater feat than anything the men had done from his hometown of Abiezer. Peace was restored and Gideon returned to the more important tasks at hand.2
Why didn't Gideon show to the people of Succoth and Peniel the same kindness that he showed to the Ephraimites and simply forgive them their offenses? For one thing, their offenses were not alike. The pride of Ephraim was nothing compared to the rebellion of Succoth and Peniel. Ephraim was protecting their tribal pride, a sin but not a costly one, but Succoth and Peniel were rebelling against God's chosen leader and assisting the enemy at the same time. Theirs was the sin of hardness of heart toward their brethren and treason against the God of heaven. Of what good was it for Gideon and his men to risk their lives to deliver Israel if they had traitors right in their own nation?
In Poor Richard's Almanack (1734), Benjamin Franklin wrote:
Take this remark from Richard, poor and lame, Whate'er's begun in anger ends in shame.
And King Solomon wrote, "The beginning of strife is like releasing water; therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts" (Prov. 17:14 nkjv).
A stern warning for the skeptics (8:4–17) Gideon and his men were pursuing two of the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, knowing that if they captured and killed them, the enemy's power would be crippled and eventually broken. The army crossed over the Jordan to Succoth in Gad, hoping to find some nourishment, but the men of Succoth wouldn't help their own brothers. The two and a half tribes that occupied the land east of the Jordan didn't feel as close to the other tribes as they should have, and Gad had sent no soldiers to help either Deborah and Barak (5:17) or Gideon. While
Leaders must have discernment or they will make wrong decisions as they deal with different situations. Personal insults are one thing, but rebellion against the Lord and His people is quite something else.
A solemn question for his enemies (8:18–21) When Gideon arrived back home at Ophrah, leading Zebah and Zalmunna captive, the procession must have been as exciting as a ticker-tape parade. Gideon was a true hero. With only 300 men, he had routed the
Judges 8
enemy camp and then pursued the fleeing soldiers across the Jordan and as far south as Karkor. He had brought his royal prisoners back, plus whatever spoils the men had gathered along the way.
The people request a king (vv. 22–23, 29–32). So popular was Gideon that the people asked him to set up a dynasty, something altogether new for the nation of Israel. This was one way they could reward Gideon for what he had done for them. But it was also somewhat of a guarantee that there would be a measure of unity among the tribes as well as the kind of leadership that would mobilize them against possible future invaders.
Gideon had a personal matter to settle with these two kings because they had been guilty of killing his brothers at Tabor. The text doesn't tell us when this wicked act took place, but it must have occurred during one of the previous annual Midianite raids. How Gideon's brothers became involved and why they were killed isn't explained to us, but the suggestion is that the act was a unconscionable one.
Their request was a confession of unbelief, for as Gideon reminded them, God was their king.4 Gideon rejected their generous offer purely on theological grounds: He would not take the place of Jehovah God. Every Jew should have known that the mercy seat in the tabernacle was the throne of God from which He ruled in the midst of His people. "You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth" (Ps. 80:1 niv). "The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake" (99:1 niv). To set up a rival throne would be to dethrone the Lord.5