Today's Reading:

Judges 6
Judges 7
Judges 8
Judges 9

Israel was deep in rebellion against God, worshiping Baal, which brought years of oppression by the Midianites. After they cried out, then God raised up Gideon. Gideon was hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat to avoid being seen by the enemies. The angel called him a “mighty warrior”, yet Gideon had doubt. With rebellion edging in, Gideon wanted proof. God was patient and He gave clear commands which Gideon obeyed. That small step helped to shift the entire nation back to God for this cycle. With hardly an army and no real weapons, Gideon followed God’s commands. Victory came from divine power and surrender to God, not human strength. Rebellion can bring about a loss and fill hearts with fear. Obedience, even when fearful and in questioning, brings God closer. It allows God’s power and grace to be in our lives. Gideon was not perfect or bold, but he did say yes to God. Where are you resisting and shying away from God today? His grace meets us at our weakness if we obey. A small “yes” is enough; trust that God will handle the rest.

 

Israel was continuing in the cycle of not listening to God, the angel of the Lord came again, this time to Gideon of western Manasseh. The Midianites had oppressed Israel for seven years, with their crops being destroyed, and eventually they hid in caves. Gideon was the fifth judge, and like Moses, received a call while hiding from the enemy. The Lord sent him on a mission, but Gideon protested that he was inadequate for the job, and the angel called him a “mighty warrior”. Gideon questioned the angel about Israel’s trials and responded that his tribe, Manasseh, was the weakest, as they were low in status and small in size. God looks at the heart, though, not fear during circumstances. The label of mighty warrior was for Gideon’s future self, as God empowers the weak in order to bring them up to defeat enemies.

Gideon asked for a sign that he was really being called to save Israel, while he brought the angel an offering. The offering was to show reverence and submission to the angel’s authority and gratitude for the promised victory. The angel seemed to test Gideon’s obedience by having him place the meat on the rock as an altar. Gideon’s obedience versus rebellion was why he was not rebuked for asking for proof from the angel. When the angel touched the meat with his staff, and fire consumed the bread and meat, it validated who He was (possible Christophany) as well as showed that He was not a mortal needing sustenance. Gideon was face-to-face with God, and yet there was a promise of mercy after He left- the Lord said, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” (Judges 6:23)

The Lord told Gideon to tear down his father’s Baal altar and Asherah pole and build a new altar to the Lord. Gideon was obedient to God but worked at night, fearing backlash from his family. Joash, his father, defended him against the community and renamed Gideon, Jerubbaal. In a moment of grace, Gideon was saved as the false god did not come to attack.

Gideon’s faith was lacking as he again tested God, asking for two signs with a piece of fleece. The first was dew on the fleece, but leaving the ground dry, then the opposite, with the fleece dry and ground wet. God gave him grace with his testing, showing patience with Gideon's procrastination due to his insecurities. God reduced Gideon’s army drastically so the people could not boast about human skills but would realize God was with them. The requirements for the army seemed humorous but were actually beneficial. Those who knelt to drink might not be as good at being lookouts as those who lap water from their hands like dogs with their bodies in battle readiness; heads were up and alert. Dogs were also seen a lowly or unclean at the time, and God often chose the humble, and weak which fit with Gideons clan.

Gideon and the army attacked the Midianite camp by blowing trumpets and throwing the clay jars with torches inside, causing them to break. The torches acted as lanterns in the dark, and the noise startled and confused the enemy, causing them to panic and, in the confusion, hearing “swords,” the Midianites turned on one another. God had a divine win over human strength.

Gideon was afraid to call in the tribe of Ephraim to help too soon, due to their arrogance that they may take over the battle. The tribe of Ephraim was upset at being called so late, but Gideon, playing coy, asked what he had done that they could not have. Gideon, continuing the pursuit of the Midianites, asked both Sukkoth (East Manasseh) and Peniel (a city in the Tribe of Gad where Jacob wrestled with God) for food, but they refused. After fighting the Midianite kings to their death, Gideon came back and found the 77 officials of Sukkoth and brutally whipped them with thorns and briars, and killed the men in the Peniel tower as they were defiant. Israel asked Gideon to rule over them, but he refused as God was their true ruler. Instead, he made an ephod (priestly garment) out of the gold spoils, but it led to Israel’s idolatry as they started to worship the ephod. Gideon had several wives and 70 sons, including Abimelek, and during this time Israel had peace for 40 years. After Gideon’s death, Israel eventually forgot about God turning back to Baals.

Abimelek, the son of Gideon (also called Jerubbaal), made himself a self-appointed, tyrant king. He appealed to the leaders of Shechem, asking whether they preferred to be ruled by seventy sons of Jerubbaal or by one man—himself. Since his mother was from Shechem, he explained that he was their “bone and flesh.” The leaders supported him and gave him silver from the temple of Baal-berith, which he used to hire reckless men. Out of fear of rivalry, Abimelek killed his seventy brothers on one stone—an act resembling a sacrifice. However, the youngest brother, Jotham, escaped.

Jotham went to Mount Gerizim (the mount of blessings) to shout down to the city of Shechem as a parable speech against Abimelek. His speech declared that choosing Abimelek would lead to their destruction. The parable described productive tree leaders (olive, fig, and vine) as those who refuse to abandon their purpose in order to become a ruler. The worthless thornbush (Abimelek) accepted the position, and it foreshadowed the curse of destruction by fire coming out of Abimelek. Violence would destroy itself and others. Jotham fled as he feared Abimelek, but three years later God stirred up the Israelite's to avenge Jerubbaal's 70 sons that were killed.

Gaal, an outsider, moved to Shechem and during a harvesting of grapes, they celebrated by making wine and having a drinking festival. Zebul, an ally to Abimelek, was the governor of the city and became angry when Gaal spoke against Abimelek. Gaal openly challenged Abimelek. Zebul, loyal to Abimelek, secretly warned Abimelek and provoked Gaal into battle. Abimelek defeated Gaal and drove him out. The next day, Abimelek attacked the city of Shechem, killed many people, destroyed it and scattered salt to ruin farming the land. He then attacked the stronghold of the temple of Baal-berith) and set it on fire, killing about a thousand men and women who had taken refuge there.

Due to the destruction of his own city of Shechem, Abimelek went to Thebez and attacked it as well. Approaching the tower to burn it, a woman dropped a millstone from the tower to kill Abimelek. He begged his personal assistant (armor bearer) to finish him off as to not be humiliated by being killed by a woman. Abimelek was killed with one stone, similarly to him killing his 70 brothers on one stone. In the end, God repaid the wickedness of Abimelek for murdering his brothers, and the evil of the leaders of Shechem came back upon them. Jotham’s curse was fulfilled: fire came out from Abimelek to destroy Shechem, and destruction returned upon Abimelek himself.

We have covered a lot of “G” names over the last few weeks. Here is a list of those from Joshua and Judges, which can be confusing to keep them straight.

“G” Judges:

• Gideon/Jerubbaal- Major judge and military leader. Defeated Midianites with 300 men.
• Gaal- Son of Ebed, led rebellion against Abimelek in Shechem.

“G” People:

• Gibeonites- The people of Gibeon who made a treaty with Joshua.
• Gilead- Used as a personal/clan name, the ancestors in the line of Jephthah, but mostly a place.

“G” Places in Joshua and Judges:

• Gaash- The mount where Joshua was buried, in the territory of Ephraim
• Gilgal- Crucial location where Joshua set up 12 stones after crossing the Jordan River. The first base camp in the Promised Land. The site of circumcision and Passover.
• Gibeon- A major Hivite city that tricked Joshua into a treaty. Where the sun stood still during battle.
• Gilead- as above mentioned, A region east of the Jordan river, associated with the tribe of Manasseh.

Other “G” Places mentioned:

• Geder- A city in the lowland of Judah.
• Gederoth- A city or region in Judah.
• Gederothaim- A place in Judah, possibly related to Gederah
• Giloh- A city in the hill country of Judah

Today's Discussion question: 

Gideon was not perfect or bold, but he did say yes to God. Where are you resisting and shying away from God today? His grace meets us in our weakness if we obey. A small “yes” is enough; trust that God will handle the rest.

 
Click here to link to our Facebook group for discussion, questions, and additional content.