A. INTRODUCTION
1. Our study last week took us through Judges 6, where we first encountered that reluctant hero, Gideon. Three chapters of this great book are devoted to Gideon -- who also came to be known as J __ __ __ __ - B __ __ __ ( "Let Baal Contend," or "Baal-Fighter" ) -- so we are able to learn more about him personally than we are about most of the other 12 judges.
2. Chapter 6 revealed a good bit about Gideon's essential character:
a. He was a completely o __ __ __ __ __ __ __ man, the youngest son of a farmer whose family had become one of many in Israel to be tyrannized and impoverished by the seven- year period of oppression by the M __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. It appears that there was nothing in Gideon's personal background which would have prepared him for the great military role that God gave to him.
b. He was a bit s __ __ __ __ at first, openly and frankly unimpressed with God's protection of His Chosen People, Israel, against their enemies.
c. His f __ __ __ __ was inconsistent at best. Sometimes, his faith appeared to be downright feeble.
3. In spite of his weaknesses, God chose Gideon to lead Israel into battle against the Midianites. As is always the case with God, He did much more than simply command His servant to undertake a great and difficult task. Three key promises accompanied His call to the son of Joash:
a. You will have s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ sufficient for the task I have set before you.
b. You will have My very p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ in battle with you.
c. You have My absolute guarantee of v __ __ __ __ __ __.
4. After directing Gideon through a "training" mission against a local pagan altar, God was now ready to lead him into a great battle against the vast forces of the Midianites, who had again invaded Israel, occupying a great deal of the countryside while systematically plundering its produce and livestock capital. In preparation for this great confrontation:
a. God provided Gideon with the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __ (6:34);
b. Gideon sent out a call to arms to f __ __ __ of the twelve tribes (6:35); and
c. Gideon "t __ __ __ __ __" God to "make sure" He would keep His promise (6:36-40).
B. TEXT
1. As we turn to Judges 7:1-15, we see that Gideon and his army have begun maneuvers toward the great battle. He has amassed a force of some 32,000 men, but they were going to war against a professional enemy army of 135,000 (8:10).
2. Gideon, we may assume, had done all that he could do in preparation for this conflict. God's preparations, however, were by no means complete.
a. First, He prepared Gideon's army -- by reducing its size by 99%! In 7:2-8 we read how God whittled down the number of fighting men to a mere _________.
(1) Much has been made of the drinking water "test" God used in His final sifting-out of many of the Israeli soldiers. Many have stated that only the 300 who drank sitting up, cupping the water to their mouths, had the necessary aptitude to succeed in battle.
(2) Even if it were true that how one drinks water from a stream is a valid indicator of one's military prowess ( highly unlikely, don't you think? ), we must remember that God was not interested in finding the greatest warriors in Gideon's army. He was interested in making sure that the victory He had already promised would not become a source of false pride for them. God Himself was fully engaged in the struggle to win and to keep the hearts of His Chosen People who had been continually unfaithful to Him. He wanted them to rely fully and solely upon Him, and He wanted them to see clearly this example of His mighty power.
b. Next, He further prepared Gideon himself.
(1) He reminds Gideon of His original promise of victory in v.9:
During that night the Lord said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands."
(2) He suggests that Gideon sneak into the Midianite camp and listen to the "buzz" among the Midianite soldiers, telling him that what he hears will encourage him. The incident is recorded in v.13-15.
(3) One wonders if God provided Gideon with this extra "peek" into His plan since He knew full well the weakness of Gideon's faith. God does not routinely do this; He sometimes calls us into great, one-sided battles armed with sola fide.
- "Nothing before, nothing behind;
The steps of faith
Fall on the seeming void, and find
The rock behind."
- John Greenleaf Whittier: "My Soul and I"
- "A faith that can't be tested can't be trusted."
- Warren W. Wiersbe: Be Available
- Gideon's response to what God has shown him is indeed appropriate. In v.15 we
read that he w __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ God.
c. What Gideon overheard was the result of how God had "prepared" the Midianite army. In spite of their overwhelming military superiority, they were more than a little nervous about the upcoming battle. There could have been no logical reason for their nervousness; it was obviously planted in their hearts by God.
3. The details of the famous Battle of Jezreel which ensued is recorded in Judges 7:16-25.
a. Gideon encourages his troops with the same words God had used to strengthen his heart: "Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands!"
b. Each soldier in his tiny army is "armed" with three most unusual "weapons:"
(1) a t __ __ __ __ __ __;
(2) an empty j __ __; and
(3) a t __ __ __ __.
c. A unique surprise attack is launched (7:17-21).
d. The Midianite army panics and disintegrates into full flight before any fighting can begin. So Gideon's army of 300 takes off in full pursuit of 135,000 enemy soldiers who flee toward the Jordan River. Gideon sends messengers to the tribe of Ephraim to order a full blockade of escape points. The men of Ephraim effect the blockade, capturing and killing two of the Midianite leaders and presenting their severed heads to Gideon.
4. Some tense moments between Gideon and the men of Ephraim are recorded in 8:1-3.
a. Ephraim was upset at not having been included in Gideon's original call to arms, and told this to Gideon in no uncertain terms. V.1 states:
They c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ him sharply.
(1) "They were not happy to have been involved merely in the 'mopping up' exercises. They blamed Gideon and criticized him severely for failing to give them a part in the initial battle (8:1). This, of course, was precisely the arrogant spirit that the Lord had determined not to allow the men who participated in the battle to have. The greater part of Gideon's army had been disqualified because the victory was not to be won by manpower but by the miracle-working Lord of all nations." - Arthur Lewis: Judges and Ruth
(2) "Their attitude is harsh and contentious. As the largest of the tribes, they naturally enjoy supremacy over all the others. Having lived for the most part free from the hostile incursions of the Midianites, the Ephraimites have experienced more freedom than any of their neighbors. Furthermore, the religious centers of Bethel and Shiloh lie within their borders, and this has caused them to become proud. What the prophet Isaiah later refer to as 'the envy of Ephraim' (Isaiah 9:9) is even now in the process of becoming a proverb. They are used to having their own way (cf. Genesis 48:14, 17-20). Later Hosea will describe them as unfit for leadership, a people who do not know where their true loyalties lie (Hosea 7:8; 10:11)." - Cyril J. Barber: Judges
b. Gideon showed some political savvy in the way he sweet-talks the men of Ephraim, "stroking" them and putting an end to their resentment.
(1) Proverbs 15:1-2 [ NKJV ]
A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
(2) We will again see the contentious, confrontational attitude of the Ephraimites in our study of the judge Jephthah. He was not as tactful as Gideon in his dealings with them, and the result was a civil war during which 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed. ( Judges 12:1-6 )
5. V.4 reveals that, in spite the Ephraimite blockade, many of the Midianite army had managed to retreat back across the Jordan, with Gideon's tiny, exhausted army in hot pursuit. Upon reaching the city of Succoth, Gideon petitioned the town leaders for food for his troops. Their response to his request and the events which followed are recorded in 8:6-21.
a. Incredibly, Gideon's request is rebuffed by the men of Succoth, who seem to distrust his true motives (v.6). Or could it have been that the men of Succoth, aware of the Midianites' seven-year reign of terror and seeing the pathetic, worn out and rag-tag "army" of Gideon, acted with logic? How could Gideon possibly defeat the mighty Midianites with these under- manned and poorly-equipped ragamuffins, especially now that the Midianites were back in the desert, where they could re-group? What would happen, they might have wondered, if we help Gideon and he falls in defeat before the Midianites? Wouldn't they exact their revenge on us? Gideon had no time to waste debating the issue with the men of Succoth. After promising to punish them for their lack of support, he and his army resumed their pursuit next to the city of Peniel, where the same thing happened! Again, Gideon promised retribution upon his return, then continued the chase after the 15,000 soldiers left in the army of the Midianites.
(1) "When God appointed Gideon over His people and commissioned him to deliver them, Gideon became God's representative under the theocracy. When he spoke, it was as if God spoke directly through him. When he requested aid from the men of Succoth, it was as if Yahweh Himself was asking them for help. And when the men of Succoth refused to help Gideon, they were in reality refusing to help the Lord. The fact that they looked on outward appearances and weighed their decision on the basis of what was politically expedient did not make them less culpable." - Cyril Barber: Op. cit.
(2) "The reply of the officials of Succoth showed that they gave Gideon's minute peasant-army little chance of capturing the leaders of an elusive and still numerous semi-nomadic group operating in conditions favourable to them. The recollection of at least seven years' domination was not dimmed by what could prove to be a passing victory. This unpatriotic action indicates the breakdown of the tribal unity which led to the virtual separation of the eastern tribes from their brethren west of the Jordan." - Arthur E. Cundall and Leon Morris: Judges and Ruth
b. V.10-12 briefly detail Gideon's successful second surprise attack on the Midianites, who were at last completely routed and their two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, taken captive. Now it was payback time for the traitors of Peniel (Penuel) and Succoth. c. V.13-17 is the account of Gideon's revenge against the leaders of Succoth and Peniel.
(1) Some have faulted Gideon for his actions here, citing no indication of a clear call from God to Gideon to take vengeance on the traitors.
(2) It should be noted that Gideon did not punish the citizens of either city; he went out of his way -- at least in the case of Succoth -- to separate the leaders from the population.
d. V.18-21 records the execution of the Midianite kings.
(1) In v.18-19 we learn that Gideon held these two personally responsible for the murder of his own brothers, apparently during one of the annual Midianite raids. If this were literally true, he was acting in accordance with Numbers 35:9-34, as the law-appointed "a __ __ __ __ __ __ of b __ __ __ __."
(2) Ordering his son to dispatch Zebah and Zalmunna constituted the greatest insult one could add to a warrior's death, since being killed by a boy or a woman brought great dishonour to one's reputation and one's surviving family.
6. The rest of chapter 8 outlines the life of Gideon after his great victory over the Midianites.
a. He is offered, but flatly rejects, absolute r __ __ __ as monarch over Israel (v.22-23), declaring (correctly ) that "The L __ __ __ will rule over you."
b. He did demand a t __ __ __ __ __ __, however: one gold e __ __ __ __ __ __ from each man's share of the plunder of the Midianites. Ishmaelite men always wore earrings, and each dead soldier probably had a stash of several pairs, which the victorious Israelites took for themselves as spoils of war. Gideon also claimed for himself the gold pendants which adorned the camels of the two dead kings, along with their fine purple garments. With these materials Gideon made ( or, more likely, had professionally fabricated ) a commemorative e __ __ __ __ which he displayed in his home town of O __ __ __ __ __.
(1) An ephod was the garment worn by the Hebrew chief priest which contained those two mysterious stones called "U __ __ __" and "T __ __ __ __ __ __" which were used somehow to determine God's perfect will in matters of national decision.
(2) Gideon's motives are not clear, but the results for Israel were disastrous (v.27). Did he seek to glorify himself? The center of worship in Israel at that time was the permanent t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ located by God's command at Shiloh. Why didn't Gideon display the gold ephod there? Nowhere in all of the book of Judges is the Levitical priesthood of Israel mentioned. Most scholars believe that the priesthood had become hopelessly corrupted by the years of Baal worship. Perhaps Gideon purposely avoided Shiloh for that reason. We are not told, but the outcome of his action and the way he lived the rest of his life may provide us with some clues.
c. We are told that, once again, Israel enjoyed _____ years of peace under Gideon's time as judge.
d. We also learn in v.29 that Gideon returned home to Ophrah, where he took for himself many w __ __ __ __ and at least one c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, a "harem" which produced for him _____ sons (!) and who-knows-how-many daughters. It is the son of the concubine, A __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, who will figure prominently in Chapter 9.
(1) Although Gideon refused the honour of serving as Israel's first k __ __ __, he appears to have decided to live like one anyway. Some small-scale polygamy existed in Israel, but only royalty took harems for the purpose of producing many sons.
(2) Abimelech means "my f __ __ __ __ __ is a k __ __ __." What's up with that?
(3) Chapter 9 reveals that Gideon's family assumed that they would succeed him as ruler. This was not the pattern God ever used during the period of the judges.
7. In v.33-35 we learn that, as soon as Gideon passed away, the nation turned again to the worship of Baal, this time setting up a Baal "customized" uniquely for Hebrews. It is also stated that Gideon's heirs were not properly regarded by the nation after his death. As we have learned, serious trouble is just around the corner.
C. APPLICATION
1. There is a great lesson for us in the way God pared down Gideon's army before it went to war with the Midianites. As Christians we are not now involved in mortal combat, but we are constantly in the midst of spiritual warfare ( 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ).
a. "God is not interested in simply giving His people victory. He is concerned with teaching us trust. In fact, if our victories make us self-reliant, they are ultimately more disastrous than defeat. It happens over and over again. We trust God, and He does good things for us. We begin to see growth and progress; other people begin to applaud us, and pretty soon we begin to take the credit for what God has done. We take the glory due God alone for ourselves." - Gary Inrig: Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay
b. "In God's grace, we are destined for victory in the Lord Jesus. On a practical level, we enter into the victory when we learn the lessons of preparation for victory, God does not call us to believe in ourselves and in our own adequacy. Rather, He strips us bare, taking us down to the place where we must depend on Him." - Gary Inrig: Ibid.
2. Certainly there is much to learn from Gideon's personal decline from the zenith of his success.
a. We must not c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ our obedience to the Word of God.
b. Our profession of Christ's l __ __ __ __ __ __ __ must be consistently acted out. Gideon's outspoken declaration of God's kingship over Israel won everyone's admiration, but he felt free to modify the King's commands to suit his own purposes.
c. We must commit ourselves to Christ's lordship over the long haul. We must "run with p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith....".
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Now that we have completed our study of Gideon, list two of his greatest strengths and two of his most glaring weaknesses. Be prepared to discuss your observations.
a. STRENGTHS
b. WEAKNESSES
2. Read Hebrews 11:1.
a. Now write that verse out from your favourite Bible translation.
b. Write the dictionary definition of faith.
c. Now write the dictionary definition of presumption.
d. What is the difference between a believer's having faith that God will do something and
presuming that God will do something?
e. Does Gideon's story present acts of faith or actions based on presumption? Explain your answer.
3. Asa, one of the kings of Judah, was another Bible hero who fought against an army vastly superior to his own and who relied completely on God for victory. He, too, seemed to change over the years. Read his story in 2 Chronicles 14:1 - 16:17. It's a bit long, but it will be worth your time.
a. What does Asa's prayer (14:11) reveal to us?
b. Why do you think God sent the prophet Azariah to speak to Asa? After all, 14:2-5 indicate that he was doing a good job in the eyes of God. And he had just come off an incredible military victory. Why all the fuss with Azariah?
c. Read again 16:7-12. What had caused Asa to change in this way?
4. While we're thinking about "fallen" leaders, what is your opinion on the subject of a local pastor who has "fallen" into serious sin?
a. What sins would necessitate discipline of a pastor?
b. Is there a sin (or a list of sins) which should result in that pastor's permanent dismissal? _______
Explain.
c. Read Matthew 18:15-17. Most of us are familiar with this passage and are aware of the Biblical model for confrontation and discipline in the local church. But what if you have first-hand knowledge of serious sin -- or even a behaviour which causes you serious concern but might not actually constitute "sin" in everyone's eyes -- on the part of the pastor? Explain what you would do in such a situation.
5. Read 2 Samuel 12:1-13. What is the key difference in how David responded to God's rebuke here and how Asa responded in 2 Chronicles 16:10?
