Life Application Study BibleJudgesChapter 7

Judges 7

New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 368, 370

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7Judges 7

Gideon Defeats the Midianites

17 So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2The Lor» said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If let allofyou 7? 6174, fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own tsa 10:13 strength. Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain* 2°" 47 and go home.” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to 8 it 20:8 fight. 4But the LORD told Gideon,

6There are still too many! Bring them down tothe spring, and re am 14:67:3 Hebrew may leave Mount Gilead. The identity of Mount Gilead is uncertain in this context. It is perhaps used hereas another name for Mount Gilboa.6:33 The armies of Midian and Amalek camped in the valley ofJezree!, the agricultural center for the area. Whoever controlledthe valley’s rich and fertile land controlled the people who lived inand around it. Because of the valley's vast resources, many majortrade routes converged at the pass which led into it. This made itthe site of many great battles. Gideon’s men attacked the enemyarmies from the hills, and the only escape route was through thepass toward the Jordan River. That is why Gideon urged some ofhis troops to take control of the river's crossing points (7:24).GIDEON’SBATTLEIn spite ofDeborah andBarak’s victory,the Canaanitesstill causedtrouble in thisfertile region.God appeared toGideon at Ophrahand called himto defeat them.With only 300fighting men,Gideon routedthousands ofMidianites,chasing themto Zererah andAbel-meholah.6:37-39 Was Gideon testing God, or was he simply asking Godfor more encouragement? In either case, though his motive wasright {to obey God and defeat the enemy), his method was lessthan ideal. Gideon seems to have known that his requests mightdisplease God (6:39), and yet he demanded two miracles (6:37,39), even after witnessing the miraculous fire from the rock(6:21). It is true that to make good decisions, we need facts.Gideon had all the facts, but still he hesitated. He delayed obeyingGod because he wanted even more proof.Demanding extra signs was an indication of unbelief. Fearoften makes us wait for more confirmation when we should betaking action. Visible signs are unnecessary if they only confirmwhat we already know is true.Today the greatest means of God's guidance is his Word, theBible. Unlike Gideon, we have God’s complete, revealed Word.if you want to have more of God’s guidance, don't ask for signs;study the Bible (

7Timothy 3:16, 17).6:39 After seeing the miracle of the wet fleece, why did Gideonask for another miracle? Perhaps he thought the results of thefirst test could have happened naturally. A thick fleece couldretain moisture long after the sun had dried the surroundingground. “Putting out fleeces” is a poor decision-making method.Those who do this put limitations on God. They ask him to fittheir expectations. The results of such experiments are usuallyinconclusive and thus fail to make us any more confident aboutour choices. Don't let a “fleece” become a substitute for God'swisdom that comes through Bible study and prayer.7:2 Self-sufficiency is an handicap when it causes us to believewe can do what needs to be done in our own strength. To preventthis attitude among Gideon's soldiers, God reduced their numberfrom 32,000 to 300. With an army this vastly outnumbered, therecould be no doubt that victory was from God. The men couldnot take the credit. Like Gideon, we must recognize the dangerof fighting in our own strength. We can be confident of victoryagainst life’s challenges and temptations only if we put our con-fidence in God and not ourselves.

The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon. 9That night the LORD said, 11Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them! *But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah. "Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.” So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. 12The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! 13Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!” 14His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gide- ° on son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!” 15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the LORD.* Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the LORD has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. 17Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. 18As soon as! and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’” 191t was just after midnight,* after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. 20Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. 22When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. 238Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian. 24Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.” So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told. 25They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.

Textual footnotes

7:15 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads he bowed.
7:19 Hebrew at the beginning of the second watch.

Life Application Notes 3 notes

7:10,11Facing overwhelming odds, Gideon was afraid. God understood his fear, but he didn’t excuse Gideon from his task Instead, he allowed Gideon to slip into the enemy camp and overhear a conversation that would give him courage {7:12-15). Are you facing a battle with internal or external foes that have defeated you in the past or appear invincible today? God can give you the strength you need for any situation. And don’t be startled by the way he helps you. Like Gideon, you must listen to God and be ready to take the first step. Only after you begin to obey God will you find the courage to move ahead.

7:12Midianites were camel-riding marauders composed of five families linked to Abraham through Midian, the son of Abraham’s second wife, Keturah. They inhabited the desert regions from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.

7:13An enemy soldier dreamed of a ioaf of barley bread tumbling into camp. Barley grain had only haif the vatue of wheat, and the bread made from it was considered inferior. off the leaders from their army. Not every necessary job is a highly visible leadership role. Much of the necessary labor of any effective enterprise is considered by many to be dirty work. But such work is vital to getting any big task done. Engineers and millionaires may design and finance an elegant building, but it is the bricklayers who get the work done. Pride causes us to want recognition. Are you content to be God’s bricklayer, or do you resent the work God has given you?

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Personality profile · page 369

will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” 5When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. ?7The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” 8So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.

Most of us want to know God’s plan for our lives, but we're not always sure how to find it. One common misunderstanding is the idea that God’s guidance will come to us out of the blue, that it has nothing to do with what we're doing now. But if we’re always looking around for God’s next assignment, we run the risk of ruining whatever we’re working on right now. Fortunately, the Bible points to a kind of guidance that does not put our current projects in jeopardy. In the Bible’s descriptions of how God guided many people, we can see that often God's call came while people were completely immersed in the challenge of the moment. A good example of this kind of guidance is seen in Gideon's life. Gideon had a limited vision, but he was committed to it. His challenge was to obtain food for his family even though hostile invaders were making the growing, gathering, and preparation of the food almost impossible. Gideon was resourceful. He put a winepress to double duty by turning it into a sunken threshing floor. It lacked ventilation to blow the chaff away, but at least it was hidden from the Midianites. Gideon was working in his threshing floor when God sent him a messenger with a challenge. Gideon was surprised by what God told him to do. He did not want to jump into a task for which he was ill prepared. The angel had to overcome three objections before Gideon was convinced: (1) Gideon's feelings of responsibility for his family’s welfare, (2) his doubts about the call itself, and (3) his feelings of inadequacy for the job. Once Gideon was convinced, however, he obeyed with zest, resourcefulness, and speed. He dedicated those personality traits to God, with whom he was now personally acquainted. Gideon had his weak moments and failures, but he was still God’s servant. If you can easily relate to Gideon’s weakness, can you also see yourself being willing to serve? Remember Gideon as a man who obeyed God by giving his attention to the task at hand. Then give your full attention to believing God will prepare you for tomorrow when it comes.

Strengths and accomplishments

• Israel’s fifth judge. A military strategist who was an expert at surprise

• A member of the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11

• Defeated the Midianite army

• Was offered a hereditary kingship by the men of Israel

• Though slow to be convinced, acted on his convictions

Weaknesses and mistakes

• Feared that his own limitations would prevent God from working through him

• Collected Midianite gold and made a symbol that became an evil object of worship

• Through a concubine, fathered a son who would bring great grief and tragedy to both Gideon’s family and the nation of Israel

• Failed to establish the nation in God’s ways; after he died they all went back to idol worship

Lessons from his life

• Even those who make great spiritual progress can easily fall into sin if they don’t consistently follow God

Vital statistics

• Relatives: Father: Joash. Son: Abimelech

• Contemporaries: Zebah, Zalmunna

Key verses

“‘But LORD,’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!’ The LORD said to him, ‘I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man’” (Judges 6:15, 16).

His story is told in Judges 6—8. He is also mentioned in Hebrews 11:32.

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Study feature · page 370

In the same way, Israel’s tiny band of men was considered inferior to the vast forces of Midian and Amalek. But God would make the underdog Israelites seem invincible. 7:21 Gideon’s warriors simply watched as the army of Midian fell into panic, confusion, and disordered retreat. Not one man had to draw a sword to defeat the enemy. Gideon’s small army could never have brought about such a victory in its own strength. God wanted to demonstrate to Israel that victory depends not on strength or numbers but on obedience and commitment to him. 8:1-3 Ephraim’s leaders felt left out because Gideon had not called them to join the battle but had left them in place to “clean up” the escaping Midianites (“leftover grapes”), and so they angrily confronted him. Gideon assured the leaders of Ephraim that their accomplishment was even greater than his own clan’s (Abiezer). His diplomatic explanation pointed out that this rear guard had managed to capture the enemy’s generals, thus cutting

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