Monday, October 31, 2022
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Friday, October 28, 2022
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Judges, chapter 9, comments
Judges 9:1 ¶ And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. 5 And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
Abimelech is wicked and seeks power for himself at the expense of
his brethren. Matthew Henry wrote that Shechem was an important city in the
tribe of Ephraim. He noted that Joshua had his last assembly there. This was
not only where his bloodline was but also an important political move. He
gathered people to him who, as we used to say down South, “weren’t about
nothing,” meaning they were, as it says, vain and light persons.
The War of the Roses in England between the house of Lancaster and
the house of York in the 1400s was between two cadet (that is not the first
sons due the inheritance) branches of the Plantagenet dynasty. In one general
sense they were still related but in a more detailed way they were not. They
had no problem slaughtering each other in any event.
We have this, though, stating that Shechem, the person, was of the
tribe of Manasseh.
Joshua 17:2 There was also
a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the
children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of
Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and
for the children of Shemida: these were the male children of Manasseh the son
of Joseph by their families.
Wicked Abimelech seeks that which Gideon rejected, being a king
over the people. Why didn’t the rest of Israel reject this usurpation of power?
What does a people deserve in their leaders when the people don’t seem to care
about what they have done to get the rule over them?
Judges 9:7 ¶ And when they
told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and
lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of
Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8
The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and
they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I
leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be
promoted over the trees? 10 And the
trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I
forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
12 Then said the trees unto the vine,
Come thou, and reign over us. 13
And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God
and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble,
Come thou, and reign over us. 15
And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over
you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let
fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and
sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with
Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of
his hands; 17 (For my father fought for
you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:
18 And ye are risen up against my
father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons,
upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over
the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) 19 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely
with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in
Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20
But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of
Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem,
and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to
Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
From the last passage the youngest son of Gideon was left alive,
named Jotham. He now chooses a place that clearly had the acoustics to allow
him to be heard by a large group of people to utter his curse. It is evident in
the amazing acoustic qualities of ancient Greek and Roman theater (not to
discount other cultures like China, India, or Persia, just sticking to the
Mediterranean world) that they had expertise in understanding how natural
landmarks could facilitate great acoustics.
Mount Gerizim is across from Mount Ebal in the Samaritan highlands
with Shechem resting in a pass between the two.
Joshua 8:33 And all Israel,
and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark
and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the
covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them;
half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount
Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should
bless the people of Israel.
It seems clear that Jotham’s words were heard just as the
evangelist George Whitefield’s sermons could be heard, according to Benjamin
Franklin, when he was preaching at Philadelphia, up to a half mile away
clearly.
Judges 9:22 ¶ When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. 25 And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech. 26 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out. 30 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee. 32 Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: 33 And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion. 34 And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. 37 And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. 38 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 39 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. 41 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 42 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. 44 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt. 46 And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith. 47 And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 49 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.
An evil spirit in verse 23 doesn’t mean a demon or devil
here. It refers to a spirit intent on malice and destruction. Note the
following;
1Samuel 16:23 And it came
to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp,
and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil
spirit departed from him.
1Kings 22:20 And the LORD
said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And
one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21 And there came forth a spirit, and stood
before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he
said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his
prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and
do so.23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD
hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD
hath spoken evil concerning thee.
As I have explained before notice how evil is used in other contexts;
Genesis 37:33 And he knew
it, and said, It is my son’s coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is
without doubt rent in pieces.
Isaiah 45:7 I form the
light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all
these things.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore
no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of
itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
The treachery against the treacherous Abimelech results in the
destruction of Shechem and the slaughter of its inhabitants. This sowing the
ground with salt was also done by the Romans against the city of Carthage in
North Africa, the colony of Phoenicia, that burned 300 infants to death in one
day in prayer to Baal to deliver them. A Roman battle-cry in Latin was
“Carthage must be destroyed!” Indeed, it was destroyed but then rebuilt as
Roman Carthage. The men and women of Shechem are also revealed to be
idolaters. Berith is a god’s name meaning covenant which is used in Jewish
sources as BaalBerith, lord of the covenant. He is said to be the same god as Baalzebub,
the lord of the flies, at Ekron.
2Kings 1:2 And Ahaziah fell
down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick:
and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of
Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.
Judges 9:50 ¶ Then went
Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city,
and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut it
to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought
against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a
millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his
armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not
of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
55 And when the men of Israel saw that
Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech,
which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did
God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of
Jerubbaal.
Women do some pretty seemingly out of character stuff in the Bible
when men’s hearts are weak. Think of Deborah’s leadership of Israel early in
Judges and of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, in her disposing of Sisera. Think
of later the wise woman in 2Samuel, chapter 20, and Huldah, the
prophetess who had the nerve to preach to the king’s men in 2Kings, chapter 22.
Jeremiah 31:22 How long
wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a
new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.
The treasonous Abimelech suffers as his brother, Jotham, had
cursed him. So may it be to all men and women who gain executive power by
deceit and treachery.
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Monday, October 24, 2022
Judges, chapter 8, comments
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.
Ephraim resented not being given the opportunity for glory in the
beginning of Gideon’s campaign. They will also have a problem with another
child of Manasseh in Jephthah coming up in chapter 12.
Judges 12:1 And the men of
Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto
Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon,
and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with
fire.
But Gideon’s diplomacy abates their anger by giving them credit
for the greater victory in taking the heads of Oreb and Zeeb. Ephraim is a
contentious tribe.
Even though Joshua came out of Ephraim;
Numbers
13:8 Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the
son of Nun… 16 These are the names of the men which Moses
sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.
And we know that Ephraim was brother to Manasseh, Gideon’s tribe,
we see them pitted against each other.
Isaiah 9:19 Through the wrath
of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel
of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.20
And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat
on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the
flesh of his own arm:
Remember this from Proverbs;
Proverbs 18:19 ¶ A brother
offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like
the bars of a castle.
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. 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.
The men of Succoth are still afraid of the power of the Midianite
armies and these two remaining kings. Here is told of a tremendous slaughter
Gideon’s forces make of the remaining Midianites, the destruction of what’s
left, and the capture of the two kings. This is a remarkable victory, not
unlike the American victory over the Japanese Navy at Midway in 1942. It was
unlikely and incredible.
And here we are, faint from our battles but pursuing our service
for God. It is an interesting analogy and worthy of a sermon, or a hundred
sermons. Also, the fate of the men of Succoth and of Penuel is a picture in
type of God’s judgment on mankind. They are warned and given the opportunity to
obey but choose not to and suffer the consequences for their disobedience. The
analogy is Christ’s first coming and His second advent.
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.
As the evangelist Bob Jones, Sr. said, what a man or woman says as
they descend into Hell is, “AMEN!” because they have chosen their fate. Gideon
accuses these two heathen kings. Gideon refers back to the suffering caused by
these kings and their nation.
Judges 6:1 ¶ And the
children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered
them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2
And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the
Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the
mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and
the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed
the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for
Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5
For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as
grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number:
and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6
And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the
children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
Gideon places himself in the position of the avenger of blood
discussed in the Law given to Moses. Knowing their fate the two kings admirably
chastise the young man, in a warrior culture, who was inhibited by his age and
state that the strength of a man shows he is a man. But, Gideon slew them
himself.
Sermons are made that the chastisement of the men of Succoth and
Penuel are reflective of judgment first on the church and then these two kings
as reflective of the heathen world’s judgment but I think that is stretching it
considering what happened to the men of Penuel, a fate no less than that of
these heathen kings, death. Still, it would make a good, in type, comparison
understanding that types always break down at some point. Don’t ride that horse
‘til it drops, please.
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.
Israel calls for Gideon to be a king over them although they don’t
use that word. They plead for a dynasty of generations of Gideon’s family to
rule. But Gideon understood God’s intent, that He Himself was to be king over
Israel. Later, they will demand a human king like other nations and God will
tell Samuel they have rejected God’s rule over them. Human rule would prove to
be, as history reveals, much more difficult to bear than God’s rule.
1Samuel 8:4 ¶ Then all the
elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art
old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all
the nations. 6 But the thing displeased
Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the
LORD. 7 And the LORD said unto Samuel,
Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they
have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over
them. 8 According to all the works which
they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto
this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods,
so do they also unto thee. 9 Now
therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and
shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. 10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD
unto the people that asked of him a king. 11
And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over
you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots,
and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. 12 And he will appoint him captains over
thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and
to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his
chariots. 13 And he will take your
daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. 14 And he will take your fields, and your
vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his
servants. 15 And he will take the tenth
of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his
servants. 16 And he will take your
menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your
asses, and put them to his work. 17 He
will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. 18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of
your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in
that day. 19 Nevertheless the people
refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a
king over us; 20 That we also may be
like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and
fight our battles.
We would do well to remember this and then what Jesus said;
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find
rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.
Back to Judges. We’ve already talked about the significance of
facial ornaments in the study on Genesis.
Jewelry played a
part in ancient worship. Earrings were not merely ornamentation for both men
and women but were, scholars tell us, sometimes amulets and charms to protect
the openings of the face and head from entry by evil spirits. They were clearly
part of the idol worship of the ancient world, the spiritual system that
developed after the Flood. If you have
difficulty seeing that side of facial jewelry just look at the hundreds of
occult earrings on a website like Etsy.com. Some verses of note regarding men
and women wearing earrings and of a possible link to their occultic practices
are;
Exodus
32:1 ¶ And when the people saw that
Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves
together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before
us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt,
we wot not what is become of him. 2 And
Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of
your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden
earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they
said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of
Egypt.
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.
Gideon is more more than buried before the Israelites fall into
heathen worship yet again. Not only did they commit idolatry but they lost all
loyalty to the house of Gideon. What happens next is a great crime committed
against Gideon’s memory. Here also is a clear example of the dangers contained
in ignoring God’s perfect will of one man and one woman combined in the
marriage covenant.
Strong notes that Baalberith is a god of the Philistines.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Friday, October 21, 2022
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Monday, October 17, 2022
Sunday, October 16, 2022
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Friday, October 14, 2022
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Judges, chapter 7, comments
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.
Here is a direct statement that Jerubbaal is a unique identifier
of Gideon. I want to point out something I’ve gone over in the last chapter and
before chapter one.
This is one of the
archaeological evidences for the veracity of the book of Judges. A Smithsonian
Magazine article dated July 13, 2021 revealing how a supposedly 3100 year old
jug has the name Jerubbaal, the nickname for Gideon, on it.[1]
God tells Gideon that his army is too large. He wants a select
group possessed of the right attitude to engage in this attack. Many are
allowed to leave because they were fearful and afraid, using and to show
that fearful and afraid are synonyms. Not much of a draft. Imagine our
government telling young men in World War Two, “Well, you’re drafted unless you
are worried about getting killed. If you are afraid you can go home.” The host
is boiled down to just 300 men by selecting only those whose alertness and
engagement make them suitable. I am reminded of our country preparing the
airborne units to go into Normandy before the D-day invasion. Of the many who
volunteered only a select few were chosen to drop in behind the German lines.
But, this group of select warriors has a great advantage over our
airborne, as we will see in a beautiful psychological operation carried out by
God Himself.
Notice I’m not making a sermon on God not wanting the fearful and
afraid to serve Him because we are all at some point concerned about the tests
we face in life, even feeling fear over them so that wouldn’t be fair for me to
pound on you about. The most fearful, I’ve found, are the ones that say they
have no fear. They just can’t accept that weakness in themselves.
Gideon’s army at its largest was far outnumbered by the Midianites
and now they are no more than a large company of soldiers by today’s standards.
They travel light only carrying what sustenance they need for a seemingly
impossible battle except that God is on their side.
Victuals, pronounced Viddles, is a word we don’t use anymore except I
remember Granny on the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies in the 1960s using it
quite a bit. It means food, supplies, or provisions having to do with food. You
can do a word search to see that in its relationship to several verses in the
Bible. For instance;
Exodus 12:39 And they baked
unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was
not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry,
neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
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.
God has won the battle already for Gideon as He declares to
Gideon. This makes me think of how He has won our battle with sin and its
consequences, the second death in the Lake of Fire. We have but to follow His
instruction and receive the free gift of eternal life with Him. The battle is
won and death is but a bump in the road to eternity, a curtain we have to pass
through.
Assuming skepticism on the part of Gideon who has already proven
himself one of those who needs proof before he accepts something as we saw by
the incident with the fleece and the dew God goes on to even more verification
of His promise of deliverance and victory.
God tells Gideon, if he is afraid, to go down and listen to the
Midianites and he will be strengthened, which is the case.
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.
We see here the tactics used against this much, much larger force,
but one that has already been filled with fear and uncertainty. Remember
previously when around 300 men defeated a large invading army at night fat with
the spoils and unprepared for an assault.
Genesis 14:14 And when
Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants,
born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan.
15 And he divided himself
against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them
unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.16 And he brought back all the goods, and also
brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the
people.
This is not a retreat. It is a rout. This is not the only time
that an undisciplined horde will run in confusion and fear. Notice the panic
expressed in the following scene.
2Kings 7:5 And they rose up
in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to
the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.
6 For the Lord had made the
host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even
the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel
hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the
Egyptians, to come upon us.
7 Wherefore they arose and
fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses,
even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost
part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried
thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and
entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.
Here, we see how God uses men as part of His plan but in the end
He is in control of victory or defeat as it is in our lives. God provides us
with bounty all the while we are responsible for working hard and taking care
of our families. We must always remember that even while we do as we have been
ordered to do the success we have is only from the hand of God. So, nobody sits
on their hands with their mouths open waiting on food to drop in it. But even
the most productive worker or businessperson does not succeed without God’s
intervention.
Deuteronomy 20:1 ¶ When
thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots,
and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the LORD thy God is
with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And it shall be, when ye are come nigh unto
the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people, 3 And shall say unto them, Hear, O Israel, ye
approach this day unto battle against your enemies: let not your hearts faint,
fear not, and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them; 4 For the LORD your God is he that goeth with
you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.
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.
Remember Gideon’s call to arms from chapter 6;
Judges 6:35 And he sent
messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he
sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came
up to meet them.
The Midianites are now headless, in a manner of speaking. This is
a victory for God and Gideon, this man of Manasseh, was blessed enough to be
used by Him to deliver Israel. But, Ephraim got to deliver the two final blows
after not being invited to the fight. This will be a problem upcoming.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Monday, October 10, 2022
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Judges, chapter 6, comments
Judges 6:1 ¶ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
But, Israel continued on its path of apostasy. Notice that Israel had a history with Midian that went back to Moses. Midian came from Abraham through his wife after Sarah, Keturah.
Genesis 25:1 ¶ Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
Joseph was sold to Midianite merchants.
Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Moses’ father-in-law was a priest of Midian who is considered the ancestor of the Druze today, their spiritual founder and chief prophet. Moses dwelt in the land of Midian when he fled Egypt as per Exodus, chapter 2.
And Israel would do battle with them in their fight for the
Promised Land.
Numbers
31:8 And they slew the kings of Midian,
beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and
Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with
the sword.
The
Israelites are reduced to hiding in caves and having their crops taken. It is a
desperate time and they cry out to God as we are wont to do not in times of
plenty and peace but in our sorrow and grief.
they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number references simply a very large number. The Israelites had no idea how many people they were up against.
Judges 6:7 ¶ And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, 8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
Who was this prophet in Judges 6:8? We are not told in the text but Jewish legend says that he was Phinehas, the son of Eleazar and Aaron’s grandson. Remember, he killed the Israelite and the Midianite woman, a member of Midianite royalty. Their Hagadah (legendary information) generally enables them to name these nameless prophets in the Bible. But for us there is no reason to come up with a name except out of curiosity. We will know when we are in front of our Lord. The important thing is that he reminds the Israelites of what God has done and what they have not done.
Judges 6:11 ¶ And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. 17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. 19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight. 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 unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
We are here introduced to a person named Gideon who is hiding his wheat from the Midianites. Things must be pretty desperate, and starvation could be the result. The Soviet Russian leader, Stalin, caused a great famine by confiscation of wheat in the 1930s resulting in the death of millions of Ukrainians. The British Empire in the late 1800s did a similar thing and caused the deaths of millions of people in the territory of India in an event called by one author, “The Late Victorian Holocaust.” The Israelites are in grave danger.
In verse 12 the angel or appearance of the LORD, being Jehovah, appeared to Gideon. Here is a definition of an angel, an appearance of someone or something that is somewhere else, and yet can act on our physical reality.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them:
So, the Lord God appears to Gideon and that appearance is called an angel. Christ is the appearance, the image, the similitude, of God being God in the flesh.
Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
So, Christ, before His appearance on earth as a man appears to Gideon, as He has done others, in the form of an angel. My comments back on chapter 2 goes into a little more detail on this subject.
Verse 13 brings to mind how many times a Christian might say, “where is God in my trouble?” He or she presumably doesn’t doubt God’s existence but feels abandoned. My own daughter’s suicide note in the year 2000 expressed that lamentation, “Why has God abandoned me?” This question is not unusual. But, God has a time and while His ways are sometimes tedious and require patience on our part, His ways are sure. Here, He makes Himself apparent to Gideon in Gideon’s despair.
God calls Gideon a mighty man of valour in verse 12. God sees us for what we will be not just, as we see us, for what we are.
Gideon’s initial interaction with God ends in Gideon’s realization that he has seen God. Certainly, he believes he will die. There are others who have this fear when God appears to them.
Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Judges 13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God. 23 But his wife said unto him, If the LORD were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.
And God Himself even suggested that to look upon Him directly was to risk death.
Exodus 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
In verse 24 the altar that Gideon built he calls Jehovah is peace. When this book was written the altar still stood as a memorial obviously.
Gideon shows that he is at least capable of obedience as he performs that which is required of him.
Judges 6:25 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night. 28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. 31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Gideon is ordered to tear down his father’s altar to the demon-god, Baal, and to cut down the grove next to it also used for worship. This place of worship has been discussed previously in chapter 3.
“Worshipping in groves of trees bears note here. Commentators have noted that Jupiter, the Roman name for Zeus, was worshipped in groves. According to the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, and others priests and priestesses would attend the sacred grove of Zeus, possibly in the millennium that saw the Exodus of Moses and the Hebrews out of Egypt, at Dodona in Greece interpreting the rustling of the oaks’ leaves as expressing the will of the Gods. Bible commentator John Gill, in his commentary, noted that from Germans to Phoenicians groves of trees were where people worshipped, awaited instructions from their gods, and even honored their dead heroes.”
Gideon is told to build an altar and burn a sacrifice with the wood he has cut down from the grove. He is to use his father’s second bullock which suggests to me that the first bullock was either offered to Baal or was dedicated to God and the second bullock was to be offered to Baal, which God demanded be used as a sacrifice to God.
But see Leviticus, chapter 4, and possibly regard the second bullock as a sin offering for all Israel while the first bullock was for a sin offering of an individual, even a priest. Perhaps God is dealing with the sin of idolatry opening up the door for their salvation from their enemies.
Leviticus 4:1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them: 3 If the priest that is anointed do sin according to the sin of the people; then let him bring for his sin, which he hath sinned, a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering. 4 And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD; and shall lay his hand upon the bullock’s head, and kill the bullock before the LORD. 5 And the priest that is anointed shall take of the bullock’s blood, and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation: 6 And the priest shall dip his finger in the blood, and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the vail of the sanctuary. 7 And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 8 And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering; the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards, 9 And the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys, it shall he take away, 10 As it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings: and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering. 11 And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, 12 Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out shall he be burnt.
13 ¶ And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done somewhat against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty; 14 When the sin, which they have sinned against it, is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation. 15 And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD: and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD. 16 And the priest that is anointed shall bring of the bullock’s blood to the tabernacle of the congregation: 17 And the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood, and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the vail. 18 And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 19 And he shall take all his fat from him, and burn it upon the altar. 20 And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering, so shall he do with this: and the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. 21 And he shall carry forth the bullock without the camp, and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.
In verse 27 Gideon does his
work by night with his ten helpers. He is afraid of what the people around him
would do but his effort to hide his obedience to God doesn’t work. See how
Gideon turns this back on his accusers. Do you actually plead for Baal? If he
is strong let him plead for himself. So Gideon is given a title. I mentioned
earlier that this is one of the archaeological evidences for the veracity of
the book of Judges. A
Smithsonian Magazine article dated July 13, 2021 revealing how a supposedly
3100 year old jug has the name Jerubbaal, the nickname for Gideon, on it.[1]
Judges 6:33 ¶ Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them. 36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. 39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
All the Midianite, the Amalekite, and children of the east warriors and their camp followers pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
The valley of Jezreel is in Northern Israel, also called the Plain of Esdraelon. It divides the hilly areas of Galilee in the North and Samaria in the south today. It was in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh and Gideon is from that tribe. See Joshua, chapter 17.
Joshua 17:2 There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families; for the children of Abiezer,…
Judges 6:11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
One way of look at this is that we can be amazed at the impertinence of Gideon and even more so at God’s patience with him. Gideon’s faith is weak and God’s patience is great. This might remind you of Abraham’s questioning of God in Genesis 18:23-33 in regard to the destruction of Sodom. Notice how tender and kind God can be to His people weak in faith. In this Gideon confirms that God is powerful and that this is God with whom he is dealing.
An important point is made here that is made very clearly in Job. God is the author of all reality and nothing is impossible for Him to do. There is no twisting of the fabric of time nor is there any altering of the so-called laws of nature that can overwhelm Him. He is the author of our reality, no matter how painful or joyous in either His direct will or His will by permission. This is a tough thing for us to understand.
Another important way of looking at this is that Gideon calls his
assembly to war and then asks for these proofs to confirm that God is going to
deliver the Israelites by Gideon’s hand. Am I the one? Please confirm that I
am.