DBG - March 22 - Judges 7-8

In this chapter God uses 300 men to bring a great victory.

vs. 1-8 – Gideon begins with 32,000 men, and God says it is too many. He tells them that if they are afraid they can go home (see Deuteronomy 20:8) and 22,000 depart.  Another test is given, which I will allow B.H. Carroll, who had served as a Texas Ranger and a private in the Confederate army, to explain:

“God looked at the 10,000 and said, ‘There are still too many. Now bring the 10,000 down to the creek and let me see them drink water,’ and every one but 300 when they got there laid down their equipments and kneeled down and deliberately took a drink. But the 300 waded in and lapped up the water as they marched through, and never stopped walking. God said that the 300 that lapped the water like a dog were his crowd. Why? They had before them, after the battle, a march that would try the souls of men. Gideon will never let up pursuing them, across the Jordan and way out into Midian, and soldiers that have to lay aside their equipments and lie down and grunt, they never will overtake a fleeing enemy, and he needed people that wouldn’t lose time. I once heard an infidel say that that was the sorriest test he ever heard of. I always thought it a remarkable test. It was precisely the kind of a test that was made by an old Indian fighter. He said, ‘I am going to pursue the Indians into the mountains; whoever cannot load your gun as you go must drop out; you must be able to load your gun as you go.’”

vs. 9-15 – God gives Gideon yet another confirmation of the coming victory.  He and his servant Phurah (“bough”) sneak into the Midianite camp and overhear a discussion about a dream.  In this conversation they see the fear the Midianites have of an attack by Gideon.

vs. 16-25 – The plan is set and executed.  The 300 men with Gideon surround the Midianite camp.  They have with them a trumpet (shofar, made from animal horn) and a pitcher containing an oil lamp.  At around midnight when the guard changed (custom at this time divided the night into three watches), Gideon gives the signal.  The men shatter their pitchers to reveal the light of the lamps and blow their trumpets.  A shout is lifted up.  The confused enemy believe they are surrounded by a superior force and panic.  In the darkness they attack each other and begin a retreat southward.  The men of Israel see the rout and join in the pursuit of the retreating enemy.  Gideons rouses the men of Ephraim to block their retreat and force them to cross the Jordan.  Two of the Midianite leaders are captured and executed in this attack.

In this chapter Gideon completes the rout of the Midianites.

vs. 1-3 – The men of Ephraim are jealous that they had not been asked to join the battle earlier.  Gideon has to placate them by reminding them of their strength and success.

vs. 4-9 – The cities of Succoth and Penuel refuse to aid Gideon because the Midianite leaders had not been captured.  They feared that Gideon would be defeated and that they would face repercussions for aiding him.

vs. 10-12 – The Midianite forces had been devastated, leaving only 15,000 men from 120,000.  Gideon attacks, capturing their leaders Zebah (“sacrifice”) and Zalmunna (“denied of shade”). 

vs. 13-17 – Gideon on his return from his victory stops to deal punishment to Succoth and Penuel for refusing to aid him.  He scourges the 77 leaders of Succoth with briers and thorns, humiliating them and possibly killing them.  He kills the men of Penuel and destroyed their fortress.  In both cases it appears that he was removing wicked leadership and did not destroy the cities or their populations.

vs. 18-21 – Now returned home, Gideon interrogates the captured kings about an earlier event that is not recorded in Scripture.  It seems that these men had some role in killing members of Gideon’s family.  This could not be from the battle or the flight and pursuit.  Gideon commands his eldest son Jether (“his excellence”) to kill them, but he refused.  The kings mock him and Gideon strikes them down.

vs. 22-32 – Gideon wisely refuses the offer to become king over Israel.  Gideon does request a portion of the spoils, specifically the gold earrings worn by the Arabians.  1,700 shekels of gold would be vailed at around $3 million today.  From these treasures Gideon makes himself an ephod, a word used on purpose as it relates to the uniform of the High Priest (Exodus 28:6-12).  By implication it seems that Gideon is establishing himself a priest.  The victory has inflated his ego.  Though he is not a king in title he lives in the opulent style of Oriental rulers.  He has many wives and concubines and 70 sons.  We meet his son Abimelech (“my father the king”) in vs. 31, who will be the focus of the next chapter.

vs. 33-35 – After Gideon’s death, Israel again turns from God and worships Baal-berith (“lord of the covenant”). 

Gideon is such an interesting character in Scripture.  He starts in timidity and fear and has to be constantly reassured that God would bring the victory.  Once that victory is accomplished his personality changes, which we rarely talk about.  He demands a personal portion of the spoils of victory and exalts himself like a king though not in name.  He and King Saul are two examples of men that let victories change them in awful ways.  We must be careful to not lift ourselves up in the day of God’s victories.  Rare is the man who can stay humble when he is exalted on earth.

Our hymn today appeared in the 1847 hymnal Church Psalmist under the heading, “The Lord our Leader”.  Its author is John Nelson Darby, who is best known as a leader of the Plymouth Brethren movement and strong stand for Premillennial eschatology.  The song is based on Judges 8:4, and encourages the Christian to keep moving forward no matter the fatigue or fears.

Though faint, yet pursuing, we go on our way;
The Lord is our Leader, his word is our stay;
Tho' suffering, and sorrow, and trial be near,
The Lord is our Refuge, and whom can we fear?

He raiseth the fallen, he cheereth the faint;
The weak and oppressed--he will hear their complaint;
The way may be weary, and thorny the road,
But how can we falter?--our help is in God!

And to his green pastures our footsteps he leads;
His flock in the desert how kindly he feeds!
The lambs in his bosom he tenderly bears,
And brings back the wanderers all safe from the snares.

Though clouds may surround us, our God is our light;
Though storms rage around us, our God is our might;
So, faint yet pursuing, still onward we come;
The Lord is our Leader, and heaven is our home!