Gideon Defeats the Midianites
In time, Israel again turned away from Jehovah and began to worship false gods. The Midianites had hurt the Israelites for many years - for seven years, they stole the Israelites’ animals and destroyed their crops. The Israelites hid in caves and mountains to escape from the Midianites. They begged Jehovah to save them. So Jehovah sent an angel to a young man named Gideon. The angel said: ‘Jehovah has chosen you to be a mighty warrior.’ Gideon asked: ‘How can I save Israel? I am nothing.’
Gideon was not a soldier – Gideon was a farmer. How could a farmer lead an army? He knew that he could not defeat the Midianites all by himself. Even though Gideon did not seem strong, the Lord chose him to lead Israel. Gideon knew that he must obey God. If God wanted Gideon to fight, the Lord would help him defeat the Midianites.
How would Gideon know that Jehovah had chosen him? He put a piece of wool on the ground and said to Jehovah: ‘In the morning, if the wool is wet from the dew, but the ground is dry, I will know that you want me to save Israel.’ The following day, the wool was soaking wet, and the ground was dry! However, then Gideon asked that the following day the wool be dry and the ground wet. When that happened, Gideon was finally convinced that Jehovah had chosen him. He gathered his soldiers to fight the Midianites. He sent out messengers to gather men from the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, as well as his tribe of Manasseh, to meet an armed force of the people of Midian and the Amalek that had crossed the Jordan River. They encamped at the Well of Harod in the Valley of Jezreel.
Many Israelites gathered around Gideon, prepared to fight against the Midianites, who were encamped in a valley, "like grasshoppers for multitude." It was not by their bravery or power that the Israelites were to overcome their enemies. God was to give them the victory: and He chose Gideon and three hundred men to overcome the great and mighty host of the Midianites
Jehovah told Gideon: ‘I will give the Israelites victory. However, you might think you won the battle alone because you have many soldiers. Tell anyone afraid that he should go home.’ So 22,000 soldiers went home, and 10,000 remained. Jehovah then said: ‘There are still too many soldiers. Please bring them to the stream, and tell them to drink the water. Keep with you only those who watch out for the enemy while they drink.’ Only 300 of the men stayed alert while they drank. Jehovah promised that these few men would conquer the 135,000 Midianite soldiers. Gideon divided his three hundred men into three companies.
That night, Jehovah told Gideon: ‘Now is the time to attack the Midianites!’ Gideon gave his men trumpets and large jars with torches hidden inside. Then he said, "Look on me, and do likewise: when I blow a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of the camp, and say, 'The sword of the Lord and Gideon.'" Gideon and the hundred men of his company approached the enemy's camp by night, and the other two companies drew nigh also so that the Midianites were surrounded. Then all blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers, held up their lamps (torches), and cried out as they had been commanded.
The Midianites heard the trumpets' blast and the cry and saw the lights. They were terrified and ran wildly in all directions. They were thrown into confusion, and one fought against another; then, they fled and were pursued by the Israelites, significant numbers of whom gathered together and followed after their flying enemies. Thus the Midianites were overcome. Once again, Jehovah helped the Israelites conquer their enemies, and Israel had peace during the lifetime of Gideon.
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“So that the power beyond what is normal may be God’s and not from us.”—2 Corinthians 4:7
"Gideon thanks God for the Miracle of the Dew."
Gideon's Call
Gideon sent messengers ahead into Israel calling for the Ephraimites to pursue the retreating Midianites and two of their leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. Gideon and the three hundred pursued Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings. When he had asked for provisions in his pursuit, the men of Succoth and Peniel refused and taunted Gideon. After capturing the two kings, Gideon punished the men of Succoth and pulled down the tower of Peniel, killing all the men there. Gideon invited his eldest son, Jether, to slay Zebah and Zalmunna, but being still young at the time; he did not have the confidence to carry out his father's request, so Zebah and Zalmunna called on Gideon to perform the deed himself. Gideon then killed Zebah and Zalmunna as justice for the death of his brothers (Judges 8:19–21). The place where Gideon slew Oreb after the defeat of the Midianites was called the Rock of Oreb. It was probably the place now called Orbo, on the east of Jordan, near Bethshean. Zeeb was killed at "the wine press of Zeeb."
The Israelites invited Gideon to become their king and to found a dynasty, but he refused, telling them that only God was their ruler (Judges 8:22–23).
Gideon went on to make an ephod out of the gold won in battle; according to Ginzberg's The Legends of the Jews: ".In the high priest's breastplate, Joseph was represented among the twelve tribes by Ephraim alone, not by Manasseh. To wipe out this slight upon his tribe, Gideon made an ephod bearing the name of Manasseh. He consecrated it to God, but after his death, homage was paid to it as an idol. In those days, the Israelites were so addicted to the worship of Beelzebub that they constantly carried small images of this God in their pockets. Now and then, they were in the habit of bringing the image forth and kissing it fervently." A
Gideon had 70 sons from the many women he took as wives. He also had a Shechemite concubine who bore him a son named Abimelech, which means "my father is king" (Judges 8:31).
There was peace in Israel for 40 years during the life of Gideon. As soon as Gideon died of old age, the Israelites again turned to worship the false God Baal Berith and ignored the family of Gideon (Judges 8:33). According to the Bible, this action eventually caused the whole of Israel to turn away from God again and ruin Gideon and his family.
