Snatching defeat from the Jaws of Victory: A Cautionary Tale- Judges 8

May of us if asked, “what kind of life/legacy do you want to leave behind for those who will outlive you?”, would come up with all kinds of amazingly positive and inspiring answers. However, well-intentioned though these answers may be, it is the direction you and I are and will take that is going to ultimately take us to that destination (or not). I’m sure if asked about what kind of legacy he wanted to leave behind Gideon would have come up with a good answer. However, as we will see in the fallout of Judges 8, the choices that he made and the direction that he took landed him and his people in an undesirous place. In this chapter we will witness five disputes that take place in the aftermath of Gideon’s victory and learn what NOT to do if we are to leave the kind of legacy that glorifies the Lord and leads other to do the same.

a. Dispute #1: Between Gideon and Ephraim-8:1-3

At the very end of chapter 7 we saw Gideon begin to take matters into his own hands (calling for reinforcements to finish the job that God sent him to accomplish). This demonstrated both a lack of faith in God’s plan and a bloated view of human convention and capacity. Unfortunately, this theme will continue and grow as we witness the disputes in this passage. The first of these is a dispute between Gideon and Ephraim in 8:1-3. This dispute begins when a question is raised—“Then the men of Ephraim said to him, ‘What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?’” (8:1). Remember, Ephraim was not called up to the battle until after the initial attack at night when Midian was already on the run (see 7:24). This question reveals that the tribe of Ephraim was upset that Gideon did not call upon them earlier (probably because God did not ask him to call upon them). In their minds, they were “late to the party” and this was displeasing. 

To smooth things over with this tribal partner, Gideon makes the following presentation: “…But he said to them, ‘What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?’…” (8:2-3a). Here, Gideon demonstrates his skill as a diplomat. In order to turn the Ephraimites disappointment into contentment he draws attention to their important role in the battle. Though their part came later, Ephraim was the tribe that successfully cut off the fords of the Jordan river, captured two retreating Midianite chieftans, and executed them. In a skillful display of self-deprecation, Gideon wonders “what did I do in comparison to you? I may have started this initial attack, but you finished it.”

This presentation seems to do the trick—“then their anger toward him subsided when he said that…” (8:3b). While this dispute appears to be easily handled, notice who is not included in the explanation—God! No mention of Him, his power, his direction, his involvement, is given by Gideon. This omission betrays Gideon’s newfound confidence in his abilities over God’s direction and demonstrates the trajectory both he and Israel will take in the remainder of his saga.

b. Dispute #2: Between Gideon and Succoth-8:4-17

As we move to consider the second dispute of verses 4-17, it is important to remember that while the initial battle was over, the campaign was still underway. Oreb and Zeeb (who were taken care of at the end of chapter 7) were just two of many chieftans on the run and Gideon and the 300 men with him were in hot pursuit of those who remained (Zebah and Zalmunna). Verses 4-6 pick up the action and reveal the offense that leads to the second dispute in the chapter—the dispute between Gideon and Succoth—“… Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. He said to the men of Succoth, ‘Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.’ The leaders of Succoth said, ‘Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?’…” (8:4-6). At this time Succoth was under Israelite control and while Gideon as the commander of the group of soldiers could have simply confiscated the necessary provisions, he continues to employ diplomacy and asks for much-needed refreshments nicely. However, despite his niceties, this request is rejected and Gideon is met with speculation. Succoth’s request for some proof of their quest (“are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give you bread to your army?”) reveals that they do not completely trust Gideon. This raises an important question: Has the Spirit of God, so evident in the earlier chapters of Gideon’s story, left him? Earlier, when the Spirit of God was more active, people immediately responded to Gideon’s orders and answered the call to battle. Here, not so much. Perhaps this dispute is the first example of God letting Gideon doing things in his own power and, at least here, feeling the negative effects of spirit-less decision-making.

Rather than change his ways and seek the Lord’s direction/provision for his men, Gideon responds to this offense with an angry threat—"Gideon said, ‘All right, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.’ He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, ‘When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.’…” (8:7-9). Instead of answering their refusal with a gentle word, Gideon throws diplomacy out the window and threatens to take the law into his own hands and beat their bodies with a switch of desert thorns and briars like a man beats grain on the threshing floor (Block, Judges, Ruth, 290). Gideon not only meets friction at Succoth, apparently Penuel does not come to his aid either. He speaks to both the same way and promises in Penuel’s case to tear down their defensive tower.

Gideon continues his campaign, flustered by the lack of aid, and is successful. “Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen. Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army…” (8:10-12). The battle that is briefly mentioned here appears to take the same shape as the initial skirmish of 7:19ff—1) Gideon surprises an unsuspecting larger unit 2) takes advantage of their confusion, 3) the enemy then flees 4) two of the chieftans are captured.

“Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. He came to the men of Succoth and said, ‘Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?”’ Gideon takes the elders of the city with thorns of the wilderness and briers in hand and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city…” (8:13-17). In this account, Gideon makes good on the threat that he shared earlier. When the elders had gathered before him, Gideon presented the captive chiefs and reminded them of their earlier taunting challenge to produce the hands of these kings before they would offer any food to his exhausted troop. Then Gideon took the elders and beat them with thorny switches. He then continues on to Penuel and does far worse. Not only does he make good on his promise to tear down their tower, his rage propels him to slaughter all the men of the city—mind you, this is a city of fellow Israelites! If readers were not yet sure that Gideon has changed for the worse following his victory over Midian, here they are given compelling proof that Gideon is no longer listening to the Lord, walking in his ways, bound by the rules of civility, or even concerned about national loyalty. He is simply out of control.

c. Dispute #3: Between Gideon and Zebah and Zalmunna-8:18-21

Following the dispute with Ephraim and Succoth is a dispute between Zeba and Zalmunna (the two recently captured chieftans). This is introduced by Gideon in verses 18-19-“Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, ‘What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?’ And they said, ‘They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king.’ He said, ‘They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.’…”. Where is this question coming from? Where is Tabor? We can infer here that in addition to harassing the Israelites and ravaging the countryside (see 6:4-5), the Midianites, under the rule of people like Zeba and Zalmunna, had committed murderous acts against God’s people during the Israelite oppression. By asking “where are the men you killed at Tabor?” Gideon is mockingly drawing attention to these terrible acts to indict these two Midianite leaders. They answer his question and Gideon lays out the charge saying, “had you not killed them I would have spared your life.”

Things go from bad to worse when Gideon announces the way that he intends to carry out the sentence of these two—“So he said to Jether his firstborn, ‘Rise, kill them.’ But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth” (8:20:21a). Imagine the kind of thinking that must have motivated this decision to ask his young son to carry out his dirty work! Again, Gideon is out of control. Gideon’s request of his son places him in an impossible situation. If he said yes, he would become an accomplice in his father’s personal vendetta and behave in a way similar to the Canaanites who proved their maturity and nobility through violent acts like this. If he said “no,” disobeying his father, he would come across as unmanly before all looking on. Jether, a very young man, refuses to play a role in this episode.  While this is no doubt the right decision, he is quickly derided by the Midianite chiefs—“Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, ‘Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength’…” (8:21a). Paraphrase—"be a man and do it yourself or does your mettle match that of your son’s?”

“So Gideon arose and killed Zeba and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels’ necks…” (8:21b). The narrator’s final comments concerning the conflict between Gideon and Midian depict the deliverer as a common conqueror claiming the customary trophies of victory—jewelry worn by the royal camels. Gideon ends the campaign less attractive than he began all the way back in chapter 6.  In his tenure thus far Gideon moves from cowardly to confident to cruel. While the struggle against the Midianites is over, the disputes in this passage are not yet finished. You may say, who is there to have a dispute with if Midian has been taken care of? The answer to this is found in verses 22-27 as Gideon enters a dispute with his own people.

d. Dispute #4: Between Gideon and his People-8:22-27

This dispute is instigated after God’s people make a request of their leader, “Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.’…” (8:22). Context clues suggests that the nation of Israel, represented by the delegation approaching Gideon here, wanted Gideon to “rule” over them much as a king would in the ancient world. Perhaps Gideon’s retrieval of royal ornaments from his victim’s camels placed this idea in their head. Though this offer to Gideon was ill-advised given that Gideon had not been divinely chosen to serve in this capacity, the people of Israel present this offer as a reward for his victory over the Midianites (Block, Judges, Ruth, 298).

Gideon’s responds to this offer by refusing the post—“But Gideon said to the, ‘I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you’” (8:23). Here, Gideon actually (and, perhaps accidentally) gets something right. He rejects the opportunity to be the founder of the first dynasty in Israel. In fact, he goes further suggesting that it would be wrong for him and his family to usurp the role of Yahweh, the only truth ruler of Israel. However, rather than go even further in explaining that the victory they have just achieved came from God and not from him in the first place, he enters a compromise that proves to be the foundation for more problems.  

“Yet Gideon said to them, ‘I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil.’ (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) They said, ‘We will surely give them.’ So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels’ necks…” (8:24-26). Gideon appears to be more interested in the spoils of victory than in giving God the credit for it. In fact, though Gideon refuses to be made king, his request here was in keeping with what kings in the ancient world would do following military success. Like the monarchs of the ancient near east, Gideon demands a symbolic gesture of submission—the earrings—and would start a royal treasure trove. 1700 shekels of gold is equal to about 43 pounds! Surely sounds like the kind of wealth fit for a king to me! In addition to the submissive symbol and gold treasure, Gideon demands the purple robes worn by the kings of Midian. Hmmmmm….for someone who does not want to be made king, Gideon is sure beginning to look like one.

While Gideon’s acquisition of the emblems of royalty was wrong in and of itself (and went against his own refusal to be king just verses before), something even worse happens in verse 27—“Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household” (8:27). Like the pagan kings he just defeated, Gideon assumes a pagan’s king’s role as sponsor of the community cult erects a makeshift shrine, possibly to Baal, in his city—IN THE VERY SAME REGION THAT HE REMOVED A SHRINE AND ASHERA FROM EARLIER (see 6:28-35). At the beginning of Gideon’s saga God saw to it that an altar to Baal and Asherah pole was removed, thereby clearing distractions that would keep God’s people from being led astray. However, at the end of Gideon’s saga, the very same leader God appointed, equipped, empowered, and used, reintroduces a spiritual distraction that draws the worship of God’s people away from its only appropriate destination. Though it might appear small—a single shrine—it was enough to ensnare both Gideon and his household on into the future. How could Gideon get it so wrong so fast? The answer lies in his over-confidence following the victory God had given. It led not only to the cruelty exhibited earlier at Succoth, the embarrassment before Zeba and Zalmunna, the posturing as an illegitimate king before his people, but here it has flowered into open idolatry.  Gideon’s overconfidence has made him cruel, careless, cocky, and now complicit in pagan worship. Where was God in chapter 8? He appears to be absent, not because he has left Gideon, but because Gideon has ignored him and is behaving as though he does not need him. When this happens, it does not take long at all for a false god to take the place of Yahweh in Gideon’s house, and for that matter, in the nation of Israel.

e. Dispute #5: Between Israel and their God-8:28-35

Before acknowledging the last dispute found in this troubling chapter of Judges (and Israel’s history), the narrator calls attention to the resulting geo-political context following the defeat of Midian in verse 28-“So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon” (8:28). Despite the unimpressive fallout from the victory over Midian under Gideon’s leadership, God’s grace allows an entire generation (40 years) of relative peace for Israel. The same Midianites who harassed, pillaged, and murdered Israel before would not be able to lift their heads during this season.

Next, the narrator tells the end of Gideon’s story. However, evidence that the speaker is less than impressed with this deliverer is witnessed in the name he employs at the beginning of verse 29—“Then Jerubbaal (let Baal contend with him) the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Now Gideon (the same as Jerubbaal) had seventy sons who were his direct descendants, for he had many wives. His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites,…” (8:29-32). Despite Gideon’s hesitation at the beginning of his story and idolatrous treachery at the end of his story, he is allowed a long life. During this long life we see the evidence of indulgence and a lack of self-discipline resulting in many multiple marriages and children both by wives and concubines. One of these illegitimate sons is named—Abimelech. He will be part of the unfolding story of Israel very shortly. However, for now one must realize that the ending of Gideon’s story is one that, while pleasing and desirous on a worldly level, is one that falls short of God’s character and standard.

This goes a long way in explaining why Israel behaves the way that it does following Gideon’s death—leading to its dispute with God. The chapter concludes with “Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. Thus the sons of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel” (8:33-35). Followers reflect leadership and the same treachery Gideon himself introduced earlier permeates his people leading to mass idolatry. In this particular case the offense is especially egregious as rather than embrace worship of the God who has made a covenant with them (Yahweh), they decide to take the misplaced initiative to establish their own covenant with a master of their choosing. “Baal-berith” means “Baal of the Covenant.” Yikes! In so doing, the Israelites forget the very God who had graced them with an undeserved victory over their enemies and act viciously against Gideon’s household, or should we say (as the narrator does here) “Jerubbaal.” It is fitting to end this saga with his pagan name. After all, he behaves and leads as a pagan in the end and the people of God follow suit.

So What?

Gideon’s saga is nothing short of a real tragedy. Though God had done everything to ensure his victory and the victory of his people in a way that would not puff them up with pride, overconfidence in the life of this leader transforms this hesitant coward into a cruel, over-indulgent, and idolatrous pseudo-king. This goes a long way in demonstrating the frailty of the human condition. What Gideon endorses in this passage is not beyond possibility in your life and my life today. If/when we grow overconfident in ourselves, we drown out God’s influence on our lives and fall prey to the same fate we read about here, leading to all kinds of trouble for those both in our households and around us.

So what steps might we take, in God’s grace, to keep ourselves from sliding down this slippery slope? The answer is found in what is not present in this chapter—seeking the Lord. Rather than seek the Lord God as he had done in chapter 6-7 (even if there it was for reassurance), Gideon steps out, not in faith, but in unmerited self-confidence in chapter 8 and the result is tragic. The Lord is barely mentioned and even then only in a glib comment of feaux self-deprecation (8:23). What would we tell Gideon if we were there on the field of victory to prevent this tragic ending? What does it mean to seek the Lord well today? Let me ask you, what is your prayer life like? A prayerless person is a person placing confidence in the wrong thing/person. What is your Bible study life like? Those uninterested in the word of God might be trusting their own word or the word of someone else? What fellowship do you keep?  Those who look for ways to avoid or mistreat the people of God prove that they are operating in an unhealthy degree of uncertainty. Do not fall prey to idolatry of the self and/or others that Gideon and Israel slip into in Judges 8. Finishing well is possible for those who depend on the Lord and prayer, adherence to the Word, and fellowship with his people go a long way to that end in any season.

The Triumphs and Possible Tragedies of Battle -Judges 7:19-25

This Fourth of July weekend had be reflecting on battles fought and won by our country over its colorful history and some of the more vivid depictions of historic wars that have been waged between us and our foes. Movies like The Patriot, Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, or Zero Dark Thirty remind us that while there is much glory at stake in the heat of battle, conflicts between geo-political parties are rarely, if ever, pretty or free of controversy.  The same is true of the battle that is fought in Judges 7:19-25. As Gideon and Israel finally confront the Midianites and Amalekites who are encamped beneath them we see both triumph and tragedy take place. The six observations we will make about the battle in this passage remind us all to remember our dependency on Who is ultimately responsible for the victories in our lives, even/especially when we enjoy seasons of success.

1) Gideon’s leads the Effort-7:19

In verse 19 the long-awaited battle between Israel and her oppressor (Midian) finally commences and Gideon is shown in a peculiar spot—LEADING—“So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they just posted the watch” (7:19a). The plan of attack is simple, but sophisticated. Gideon leads his third of the troops in the darkest hour of night (“the middle watch”/between 12-4am) to the edge of the camp of the Midianites down below. Adding to the cover of darkness this late hour would have offered, the sentries/guards posted in the enemy camp where changing shifts, making this an opportune time to attack (Block, Judges, Ruth, 282). In this moment the Midianites were most susceptible to being caught off guard.  

At this carefully appointed time, “they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands” (7:19b). Though Gideon and his men lacked weapons, God had seen fit to equip them with plenty of trumpets and pitchers. If that is what they were given, that had to be what God desired to use. To this end, Gideon’s men blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers, creating a cacophony of confusion in the middle the night outside the enemy stronghold.

2) The Companies’ Follow Suit-7:20

After Gideon’s noisy signal, the other companies join in—“When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing” (7:20). Some background in battle tactics and ancient military practices might go some of the way in explaining why what is done here elicits the response that takes place later. The torches that each of Gideon’s soldiers carried would have been concealed behind the pitchers. At the proper time, the pictures were dropped, thereby producing a startling crashing sound and a sudden appearance of unexpected light. Usually, only a few soldiers would carry such torches and only a few others (possibly only one per company) would carry a trumpet (ram’s horn). If Gideon was following normal protocol, he would have only had three trumpets (1 per 100 men unit) and a dozen or so torches in each battalion. In typical ancient warfare, if you saw a torch or two and heard a trumpet, you could expect many other unseen weapon-wielding soldiers charging in to fight. Just imagine what the Midianites must have thought upon seeing three hundred torches surrounding the camp and hearing the ear-splitting call of 300 trumpets! Israel’s enemies would have fully expected that a massive army was about to wash over them like a flash flood (Walton, Matthew, & Chavalas, IVPBBC, 256).  

Joining the symphony of crashing pitchers and heralding trumpets is a chorus proclaiming “a sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (a variation on the commanded call given by Gideon in verse 18). In this proclamation the Israelites confess that the source and inspiration for their victory is Yahweh and before Him none—not even a large and intimidating alliance of powerful forces—can stand. Also, in this proclamation is the acknowledgement of God’s chosen deliverer—Gideon. Gideon is as unexpected a leader as the trumpets and pitchers are effective tools of warfare. However, both surprises reveal that God is the ultimate hero who accomplishes awesome feats with humble/peculiar means. To the original Jewish audience and to us today, this passage’s battle cry reveals that those who enjoy claiming the many promises of victory found in Scripture need to remember that God often accomplishes these victories in unexpected ways and uses means that result in HIS glory.

3) The Responses-7:21

The next observation made in this passage is of the responses made by the two conflicting parties. First, verse 21 portrays the response of the Israelites—“Each stood in his place around the camp;…” (7:21a). The reader has witnessed fairly amazing transformations occur in Gideon’s saga thus far. For instance, we have watched Gideon turn from a coward to a courageous leader. We have also seen trembling soldiers become a fearless band of 300 men. Evidence of this second transformation is seen in the posture the men take during this episode of war—“each stood.” Though a small detail, the standing posture is one of strength and projects confidence, especially in the heat of battle. This is poignant given the contrasting stance of the enemy described in verse 21.

“and all the army ran, crying out as they fled…” (7:21b). While the Israelites are resolute in their stand against their oppressors, the enemy troops frantically try to escape what they perceive to be an enormous surprise attack on their camp.

4) The Lord Creates Havoc-7:22

The bedlam in the Midianite ranks is described by means of three verbs: 1) “and all the army ran” 2) “crying out” and 3) “the army fled”—“when they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath,…” (7:22). To remind the readers, once again, to whom the victory ultimately belongs, the author states “the Lord set the sword of one against another, even throughout the whole army.” In other words, God not only engineered the forces used to confront the Midianites (Gideon and the 300) and saw to it that they were equipped with the right tools (pitchers and trumpets), he also made sure that the Midianites responded appropriately—fleeing. How far do they flee? Historians suggest as many as 6-11miles east and south to various neighboring regions and cities in the Jordan valley (Walton, Matthew, & Chavalas, IVPBBC, 256). Consider just how unexpected and miraculous this whole spectacle is. You have 300 unarmed men of Israel going against an incalculable number of heavily armed forces. The many thousands are fleeing the much smaller three hundred! Among other things, this once again reiterates that so long as God is with his people, they can stand against any foe, no matter how intimidating it may prove to be on the world’s stage.

5) The Israelites Pursue Those Retreating-7:23-24

The retreat of the Midianites is not enough. These enemy forces must be pursued and totally driven out of the land (something that should have been taken care of much earlier). However, rather than rely on the God-appointed 300 for this chore, Gideon appears to forget the point of God’s reduction of the troops and calls for reinforcements--“the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian,…” (7:23). Instead of operating by faith and seeking guidance from God, he relied on conventional human strength and attempts to mobilize troops from Naphatli, Asher, and Manasseh. What is worse is that most of the people Gideon reaches out to and retrieves consist of the twenty-two thousand who had been eliminated from the ranks in verse 3 (those who were too scared to enter the battle in the first place) and those who had been asked to leave in verse 8 at the watering hole.

Judges 7:3-“Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead.’ So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained.”

Judges 7:7-8-“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.’ So the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.”

To put it bluntly, Gideon goes after the rejects to finish the job rather than complete what God started with the chosen few. After all, remember what God had told Gideon in verse 2—“’The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me’.”

What is to blame for this switch in strategy? L. R. Klein answers this question this way: “The coward has become confident; he directs far-flung mopping up operations which are effectively carried out. But the voice of the Lord is stilled, not to be heard for the balance of Gideon’s narrative. And the spirit of the Lord, which brought the courage to fight a far greater military force, seems to slip from Gideon’s shoulders in the process” (Klein, Triumph of Irony, 57-58). In other words, the recent victory the Lord brought confused Gideon into believing that he was somehow responsible and could trust his judgment over God’s will. Instead of remaining in the Lord’s will and depending on God’s Words, Gideon trusts his own judgement and depends on what feels is best.  

To this end “Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, ‘Come down against Midian and take the water before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan’” (7:24). Gideon send messengers out to this tribe so that they might cut off the fords of the Jordan River, preventing the enemy from escaping.  

6) The Midianites are Defeated-7:25

 Not only do they respond to the call and cut off the fords, but they capture two retreating Midianite chieftans, Oreb and Zeeb—“ They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb,…”—whose very names (“raven” and “wolf” respectively) remind the reader how the Midianites had preyed on Israel for many years. After capturing these two chieftans, “they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan…” (7:25). The execution of these two and subsequent decapitation and delivery of their heads provided tangible evidence of the total defeat of the Midianites and the Ephraimites’ commitment to the cause (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 286).

So What?

Two important and related principles emerge from the description of this battle here in Judges 7:19-25. First, God often accomplishes victories for his people in unexpected ways and uses means that result in HIS glory. Applied today, believers ought not loose heart or count themselves out of what God has promised them in his word just because things look precarious here on the earth. It may be perplexing for the Lord to do much through you, through me, through our church, in this season, in a post-Christian America, in whatever. However, I have got to trust,that like for Gideon, God is please to show up in these troubled days and use imperfect people to do extraordinary things for his glory. This inevitably leads to the second and corresponding principle we must keep in mind—when God accomplishes a victory for his people, he does so not to puff them up with pride, but to draw the attention of those he has used and the attention of the world to himself. We cannot allow those successes that God brings our way or our churches way to play into unfounded confidence in our ability to handle things in our own power. This is the tragedy of Gideon’s battle immediately following the triumph God brought his people. Do not let whatever victory God may bring your way cause you to forget your dependency on him in every season. When we do, we rob him of his glory and throw ourselves open to great embarrassment before God and others, embarrassment that keeps us from accomplishing the mission that God has laid out for us.

Cupcake Wars-Judges 7:9-18

“Cupcake Wars” is one of the many reality competitions on television today. In it, contestants participate in several special challenges that have them baking cupcakes with different themes, ingredients, and/or decorations to show their creative confectionery skills. Things become increasingly intense as the competition progresses and fewer and fewer are left in the competition. I’ve only watched a couple of episodes, but one of the things that I have to remind myself of in the midst of the dramatic music, lighting, stern looks, tears, and scrutinizing critiques from the “expert judges” is that these are cupcakes we are talking about. At the end of the day, these are cupcakes. Remembering this puts it all into proper perspective and reiterates that I do not need to take this shows or others like it but only so seriously.

Interestingly, a cupcake of an entirely different kind reminds us of something very much related to this realization in Judges 7:9-18. In this passage, three events rally Gideon and his special forces uses to meet their enemy head on. However, in the process of getting things moving, proper perspective is given to Gideon’s role in whole enterprise—perspective that we need to be reminded of as God’s people today.

1) EVENT #1: God Offers Reassurance-7:9-11

After “refining” the Israelite forces from 32000 to just 300 men, I imagine Gideon was having some second thoughts about the whole battle against Midian thing to which God had called him. Just when things were trending in the right direction (after many responded to the trumpet call and had made their way to the front lines), the Lord sends 99.1% of those gathered home. This is probably why God reminds him of the promised victory in verse 9—“Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, ‘Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hands,…” (7:9). “Arising” and “going down” would have been a lot easier with more people. “Arising” and “going down” to meet this enemy would have made more sense with weapons. For Gideon, the promise of victory—“for I have given it into your hands”—was of little consolation given what he had to work with. While this is just like the Lord to do the incredible with the laughable, Gideon does not trust this. Trepidation sets in once again for our hesitant deliverer. Second thoughts take over where the remembrance of God’s promise once held sway and although God could certainly achieve the victory without Gideon and the 300, it is his desire to use these feeble means for his glorious purposes.

Keep in mind, this is the last of several times Gideon has been promised victory over Midian.

Judges 6:16-“But the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as on man”

The Fleece episodes

Judges 7:7-“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men…”

Despite all these promises of victory, Gideon is shaking in his boots once again and very much in need of confidence.

This is why God offers, yet AGAIN, an opportunity for reassurance—“But if you are afraid to go down, go with Purah your servant down to the camp, and you will hear what they say; and afterwards your hands will be strengthened that you may go down against the camp,…” (7:11a). Rather than wait for Gideon to cower in a corner somewhere, God preempts his retreat with this offer of encouragement. His prescription for Gideon’s anxiety is having Gideon go the Midianite camp at night and listening to what is being said by some of the soldiers. God predicts that what Gideon will hear will give him the added encouragement he needs to launch the attack against Israel’s oppressors.

Gideon seizes the opportunity for more reassurance immediately after this was made available to him—“So he went with Purah his servant down to the outposts of the army that was in the camp,…” (7:11b). Notice how far Gideon has come from his winepress and how close he is to accomplishing his initial calling. From the winepress we saw him journey to his father’s house to remove an idol. From there we see him encamped outside enemy forces. Now we see him behind enemy lines to eavesdrop on a conversation taking place between two of his oppressors. What is there to explain this movement in Gideon’s life? God’s direction and patient hand-holding. It is amazing how far God can take those he calls—even/especially if he has to drag them kicking and screaming. As the reader grows increasingly impatient and eager to see this battle take place, God is patient and willing to hold off a bit longer so that those he has chosen are ready to follow through.

2) EVENT #2: Gideon Eavesdrops on the Enemy-7:12-14

As Gideon infiltrates the camp we are introduced to what he saw—“ Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore” (7:12). The enormity of these enemy forces is indicated by the generalities used to describe their numbers. In verses 1-8, precise figures were assigned to those forces that gathered for Israel. One reason for this was because the figures were low enough to count (especially as the number shrunk down to 300). Here, in describing the Midianite forces, figurative language in the form of similes replace numbers, highlighting that both the army itself and the camels they rode in on were too numerous to calculate. Such a spectacle probably did very little for Gideon’s confidence. However, God did not promise that Gideon’s confidence would come from what he saw—but from what he would hear.

This is very important. More often than not, God desires for those he has called to take him at his word and not rely on other added external signs. Gideon is a man that has required all kinds of visual representations of God’s presence and promise of victory. However, in this last push, God will speak through a dream of one of the enemy combatants. This preference for God’s word over miracles and spectacles is reiterated in the New Testament. Following his resurrection, a doubting Thomas demands to see Christ himself. After Jesus appears to him and calls Thomas to investigate his hands and side, he says in John 20:29, “…’Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’” As an aside to the predominate theme and principle of this passage, God’s people need to depend more on the Word that God has already revealed than they do on new and supplementary works from God. As already mentioned, God had told Gideon the victory would be his on multiple occasions. However, perhaps Gideon needed to hear this from someone else.

The text continues with the following account of what Gideon heard behind enemy lines: “When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, ‘Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.’…” (7:13).

I’ve been known to have fairly unusual dreams from time to time—including one of being chased by Captain Hook (the cartoon version). Normally, I’ll dismiss these as meaningless and not give them a second thought. However, dreams were commonly believed to have significance in the ancient world (even weird dreams about a cupcake tumbling down a hill and overturning a tent). Evidence that this dream was taken seriously is seen in the eagerness of this soldier to share it with a fellow comrade. It is obvious that he believed his dream was a bad omen and, at least potentially, that it spelled some kind of disaster lurking ahead (Walton, Matthews, an Chavalas, IVPBBC, 255). While the Midianite who had the dream is perplexed by its meaning, his friend proves that he does not need Sigmund Freud to figure this one out.

 “…His friend replied, ‘This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand’…” (7:14). God had not only implanted the dream in the mind of the first man, he had also empowered the second to interpret the vision. Why the cake represents Gideon and how the tent symbolizes the Midianite forces is left unclear. That said, one thing is for sure, the Midianites were shaking in their boots and Gideon was catching a glimpse of this nervousness firsthand. Just imagine how reassuring it would have been to learn that the enemy was already dreaming of their own defeat and worried that it would come true! Peculiar though all of this may be, Gideon’s eavesdropping finally sends this hesitant leader into hyperdrive and quick preparations for battle commence.

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3) EVENT #3: Israelites Prepare for Battle-7:15-18

Gideon’s first response to what he has heard is as follows: “When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship” (7:15a). No doubt this private worship service was motivated by both praise for the patience and reassurance he had received from God and repentance, asking God to forgive him for requiring so much to be faithful. That said, this worshipful tone suggests that Gideon is finally the man that God desired he would be to lead his people into battle against their enemies (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 284). In fact, as long and curvy as the path has proven to be for Gideon to get to this point, now, in retrospect, one can almost see how every bend in the route has contributed to the man that Gideon became in this moment—appreciative for God’s calling and confident in the victory God would bring.  

With pep in his step, “he returned to the camp of Israel and said, ‘Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian in your hands’…” (7:15b). This is the first time that Gideon has expressed his agreement with God’s promise for him and his people. It also demonstrates that at least here, it wasn’t until Gideon agreed with God that he was used of God to accomplish God’s will. By vocalizing the same call that God had given him earlier, it reveals that Gideon is finally on the same page as the Lord and things can move forward.

Gideon matches his confident exclamation with practical preparations. First “He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers…” (7:16). Now, no longer was the low number of their forces considered a non-starter. If all they had was 300, they would divide them into three companies and spread out. No longer was their lack of weaponry a reason to fret. If trumpets and empty pitchers were what they had, that would have to do. After all, God was on their side, and now, finally, Gideon knew that was all they really needed.

The passage closes in verses 17-18 with ”Look at me and do likewise. And Behold,…”. Just a second! Up to this point, Gideon was not the kind of man that could possibly serve as a compelling example for anyone to follow, let alone soldiers facing battle. However, now that he has been so transformed by the patient hand of God, he can and does demand the kind of respect and gravitas a mighty warrior would typically garner before sending his men into war. Here, Gideon begins to fulfill what God said of him all the way back when the Angel of the Lord visited him in the winepress—“The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior” (6:12)—proving that while God’s people may not yet be what the Lord says of them, they most assuredly will be in the end.

The instructions are as follows—“and behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, they you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon’” (7:18b-18). The declaration announced here recognized that the battle belonged to Yahweh—the Commander-in-Chief—and that Gideon was his deputy (Block, Judges, Ruth, 282). While I was initially averse to Gideon adding his name to the tagline of this battle cry (fearing that this would bring Gideon praise and adulation more appropriately reserved for God), the more I thought about it the more I’m ok with it. After all, who was Gideon anyway? Left unto himself, Gideon was a fearful farmer threshing wheat in a winepress—he is the cupcake in the dream. However, God had so moved in his life to make him the deliverer his people needed. By including his name here, Gideon draws attention not to himself, but to his testimony—a testimony of God transforming a hesitant coward into a great leader for this moment.

So What?

Remembering that Gideon is ultimately a cupcake in this story really helps us put things into proper perspective as we consider how God uses us today. Like Gideon, God does not call us or use us because of anything too terribly remarkable, powerful, or praiseworthy about us. The truth is we are all cupcakes in a war against evil in this world. But God…God is pleased to use cupcakes for mighty and important things—things like defeating formidable enemies (“I will build by church and the gates of hell will not overcome it”-Matt. 16:18) and executing important commissions (“go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”-Mk. 16:15). So what is a cupcake like you to do? Like Gideon, we are to remember the promises he has given to us (promises like “I am with you always”-Matt. 28:20; “All things work together for door to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purposes”- Rom. 8:28). Like Gideon, we are to take advantage of the opportunities of reassurance he has graciously provided us (remembering ways that he has come through for you, provided for your needs, or answered your prayers in the past). And like Gideon, we must agree with God (both out loud and in the quietness of our hearts) about what he is doing, who we are in him, and the victory that lies ahead (1 Cor. 15:27-“ But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ”; “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place”-2 Cor. 2:14). When we do this, like Gideon, we can tumble tents/be used of God in amazing ways. But make no mistake, whenever/however we cupcakes may be used, we are ultimately cupcakes in this whole equation—God is the hero.  

Sometimes, Less Means More- Judges 7:1-8

One of the things that has been a special area of interest for me over the years has been the requirements necessary to be a member of one of our nation’s elite special forces. Those hoops candidates are made to jump through to even be considered for units like the Navy Seals are unusually grueling and yet, these tests help ensure that only the best are included in these small but elite groups. Such forces also demonstrate that sometimes, less can be more. Believe it or not a small special force is what God decides to use in Gideon’s story to overwhelm the Midianite oppression. However, unlike the Navy Seals, the small unit that will result from the tests administered in today’s passage (Judges 7:1-8) is not an elite group of professionals. That said, God will show himself to be more than able to make up for the lack and demonstrate that with him sometimes less is more. What an encouragement this will prove to be as our world and the church therein deals with new and unusual circumstances—where many are being made to work with less that they have expected or less than they would have liked! Let us check out the two tests God uses to choose who will comprise his special force unit and learn what we can about his ability and desire to work with humble means.

After having received the multiple reassurances he felt he needed to follow through with what he was originally tasked with doing all the way back in Judges 6:14, Gideon was more ready than he had ever been to be used of God to obtain victory over Israel’s oppressors. We renter the story and see Gideon accompanied by an assembly of warriors who had answered the call and/or responded to the trumpet in chapter 7 verse 1—“ Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose early and camped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley…”. Remember, Gideon received the name “Jerubbaal” after he tore down the statue of Baal. The name means “let Baal fight with him” (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 277). Why would the author use this pejorative name here? Perhaps Gideon’s hesitancy and trepidation in the previous passage still lingers in his mind. Gideon has proven inconsistent and the inconsistent names he is given in the text compliment this this character flaw (Block, Judges, Ruth, 275).

Inconsistent though he may be, he is God’s chosen deliverer and the Lord has brought him a long way since he was first visited in the winepress. I imagine Gideon would have never thought just a few weeks prior that he would be leading an army outside of a massive enemy camp. However, that is exactly where he is. It is amazing to see what God can do with someone once he gets a hold of him/her. At his point Gideon and his forces had collected themselves in a narrow pass at the east end of the Valley of Jezreel, ready to strike the Midianites.

However, before the battle commences, God uses this opportunity to administer a couple of tests of his own. It is interesting to see God administer these exams immediately after Gideon had requested two signs from the Lord in 6:33-40 (similar, perhaps, to Jesus asking Peter do you love me three times after the apostle denied him three times just a few days before). While the signs Gideon requested concerned whether or not God was really behind this whole enterprise, the tests that God administers concern the number of warriors that have been collected—“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’…” (7:2). The problem raised in this comment is the opposite of what the reader would have expected. From a human perspective, one might expect to hear “the people who are with Midian are too many for me to give them into your hands.” However, the problem introduced is the opposite: “The people who are with you are too many” (Block, Judges, Ruth, 275).

The issue is not that God cannot win the victory for Israel with this or that many men. The issue is Israel’s potential response to that victory after the fact. Israel had proven spiritually wayward and independent and if the massive forces collected and led by Gideon could somehow be seen as ultimately responsible for the victory, this would puff Israel up with pride and push them further away from a healthy dependency on the Lord. God wants the credit/glory for the victory and knows how dangerous it would be for Israel or Gideon to believe that they had earned it in their own power. Therefore, as the absolute commander and chief, God administers two qualification exams that refine the army into a much smaller group of special forces.

1] Stress Test-7:3

The winnowing effort begins with what might be called a “stress test”—“”Now therefore come, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is afraid and trembling, let him return and depart from Mount Gilead’…” (7:3a). God instructs Gideon to announce to all the troops that any who are frightened at the prospect of battle with the Midianites may leave. Study of the original language reveals that the announcement given to all the assembled troops might read—“whoever is afraid and shaking, let him fly from the Mount of trembling” (Block, Judges, Ruth, 274).

There was a similar choice offered to the militia garrisoned at the Alamo mission during the Texas Revolution. Santa Anna’s vastly superior Mexican army had surrounded the fledgling mission with forces outnumbering the Texan troop 20/1. With the grim proposition of their certain deaths staring every man in the face, William Barrett Travis is famed for drawing a line it the sand with his saber and granting anyone unwilling to remain to fight the freedom to leave the mission. Only two men did not cross the line to join Travis and stay on the mission.

I wish I could say that the same display of courage and loyalty was present in Gideon’s day amid this test. However, 22,000 of the assembled forces chose to leave when given the option to go and avoid the battle with the Midianites—“So 22,000 people returned but 10,000 remained,…” (7:3b). For one as fearful as Gideon, the sight of over two-thirds of the troops abandoning their post must have been very disheartening. I’ve seen depictions of boot camps and special training sessions for elite forces where drill instructors will tempt candidates to leave when things get especially stressful. Candidates interested in giving up and leaving are given the opportunity to blow a whistle or ring a bell, letting all those around them know that they have had enough. Imagine 22000 racing for the same whistle or bell once given the opportunity to forfeit!

Following this first round of tryouts for the special forces unit, we are left with 10,000 able-bodied confident men. Not too shabby! However, God is not done pairing down this unit even further.

2] The Watering Hole Test-7:4-8

10,000 is still too many according to the Lord—“Then the Lord said to Gideon, ‘The people are still too many…” (7:4). Therefore, the Lord offers Gideon the next set of instructions: “bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore, it shall be that he of whom I say to you, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go’...”” (7:4). The word “test” in “bring them down to the water and I will test them” might better be translated “refine.” Notice too, Gideon is not selecting his unit, God is. Typically a commanding officer gets to decide who he will use to engage an enemy. Gideon is not trusted with this responsibility. This campaign against the Midianites will be done according to God’s will and done his way with the people he selects. It may not make sense to the world or to Gideon, but it complies with God’s will and will assure his glory.

“So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘You shall separate everyone who laps the water with his tongue as a dog laps, as well as everyone who kneels to drink.’…” (7:5). This account has always fascinated. You have two types of drinkers: 1) lappers and 2) kneelers. Those who drink water in a kneeling position with their heads in the water were, in that posture, easier targets and were made unaware of potential enemy movements while they drank. Those who brought the water up to their face with their hands were able to keep alert while they were refreshed.

The results of the test were as follows—“Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water,…” (7:6). Different explanations have been provided for the significance drawn between lappers and kneelers in the text. Was God looking to choose those who were a bit more skiddish and paying attention to their surroundings while they drank? Or, was God looking to select a more skilled subset of soldiers and rewarding those who were more alert? Regardless of what is read into the postures of those who drank that day, one thing is clear: God was looking to dramatically decrease the number of the forces and, for whatever reason, 300 out of 10,000 assumed a different posture while they drank. These were the ones chosen. The test is more about reaching a small number than it is about distinguishing between two types of people (after all, let’s face it, all of these men had to summoned to action and their leader had to be poked and prodded to show up to begin with) (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 282). 

“The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home” (7:7). Notice how God has supervised every element of this process: he called Gideon; he confirmed that calling with the lighting of Gideon’s offering; he provided added reassurances when they were requested; he, through his spirit, blew the trumpet and sent word out to gather men; and now he has selected his special forces unit out of a much larger brigade. This will be God’s victory done God’s way leaving God with all the glory. “I will deliver you” (7:7). It didn’t matter if it was 300 men, 10000, or none, God is the hero of the story.

The text goes on to say, that “the 300 men took the people’s provisions and their trumpets into their hands. And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men; and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley…” (7:8). What is missing here (that is, besides 9700 men where 10000 once stood, or 22000 men where 32000 once were)?…WEAPONS! Provision check, forces check (I guess if 300 counts), trumpets check (whatever good those are for). There is not one mention of weapons for this pitiful bunch. This significant omission highlights just how ill-prepared the Israelites were to meet this conflict and, at the same time, this omission anticipates just how great a miracle God would accomplish with so little.

So What?

The truth is, as this passage and the tests therein have demonstrated, with God sometimes less is more. Gideon may have questioned the quick exodus of 22000 men and wondered at God’s dismissal of 9700 others, but what results is exactly what God desires to perform his will in his way so that he may receive great glory. Similarly, today you may be led to question what the Lord is up to when this or that is taking away or when what you may think you need goes missing in your effort to do whatever work the Lord has asked of you (or whatever he has asked of this church). However, God can do more with less and often chooses this path so that when things happen we are protected from  pride and he can receive the kind of glory he may not otherwise receive if everything looked full or well-provisioned. After all, consider what has been taken from our church these last few months—the ability to meet in person, services running in a traditional way, regular face-to-face communication, our initial Yard sale date, etc. And yet, look at what God has been able to accomplish in spite of these limitations/losses—giving is up, small group attendance is on the rise, our online presence has grown, outreach opportunities have presented themselves, partnerships with other churches have formed, etc. You and I could bemoan what we perceive as insufficiencies or incumbrances to accomplishing God’s will for our lives or for our church, or we can trust that God is sovereign to do more in our lack than we could do ourselves, even if we had everything we thought we needed. When we trust the Lord, he can turn our humble efforts into a mighty special unit force that, in his strength, accomplishes incredible feats for his glory.

HERE IS YOUR FLEECE! Judges 6:33-40

When we last left our hesitant deliverer—Gideon—he was cleaning house by removing an idol complete with an ashera pole from his daddy’s estate. We learned from that chapter of Gideon’s story that it is not enough to know who God is and what He’s called one to if other distractions are allowed to linger that would inhibit God’s work from being accomplished. Today we are going to learn that it is not enough to go some of the way in accomplishing God’s will and purposes; we must champion all that God stands for and calls us to. This we will learn by examining three mechanisms God uses to get Gideon moving in Judges 6:33-40. After examining this passage, we will carefully apply what principles we learn to the church’s response (or lack thereof) to what is currently taking place in our world concerning the discussion on lingering issues racism and injustice.

1) The Threat Assembles-6:33

One might be led to think that Gideon would have found new boldness and willingness given God’s protection in his life during the short errand of dismantling the idol from his community—boldness and willingness that would translate to the original/ultimate task of removing the Midianites and Amalekites from the land. However, we learn in 6:33-40 that Gideon requires added coaxing and reassurance to do all of the things God desires of him. In this passage God uses three mechanisms to get Gideon moving and the first of these is a assembling of the threat. This threat is identified in the first part of verse 33—“then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves” (6:33a). It is obvious by this time that the enemies of the people of God had heard reports of Gideon’s call and initial confirming act of faith. This is why the oppressors gather here—to maintain their grip on the Israelites and not let this new deliver lead his people to freedom. Remember, these different groups—the Midianites, Amalekites, and “the sons of the east” heavily outgunned and out manned Israel.

It is one thing to perceive a single threat far off; it is another thing entirely to see them nearby with a group of allies bent on snuffing you out! As we continue reading verse 33 the growing threat to God’s people zeroes in—“And they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel” (6:33b). This 5-10 mile wide by 15 mile long valley is also referred to as the plain of Megiddo and later will come to be known as Armageddon. It was a natural theatre for battles in Israel’s history (see Judg 4; 1 Sam 31; 2 Kings 23:39) and even beyond (as in Thutmose III’s famous battle of Megiddo in the 15^th century). This valley would serve as the showdown between Gideon and this Old Testament version of the axis of evil.

Nothing like a growing threat to move one to action. Remember, Gideon had already been told how he would be used (“Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian” (6:14)), was promised God’s presence in the process (“Surely I will be with you” (6:16)), and was assured that victory would be his (“and you shall defeat Midian as one man” (6:16)). Not only that, but Gideon had been given a reassuring sign in the spontaneous combustion of the peculiar sacrifice he had offered in 6:19-24 and had seen the faithfulness of God in the errand of removing his town’s idol in 6:25-32. A growing threat like this to the well being of God’s people, no doubt, should have made Gideon eager to meet this threat head on and confidently go about the business to which God had called him. However, his going out, his doing the right thing, is not as immediate as one would expect or hope.

2) The Troops are Gathered-6:34-35

The second mechanism God uses to stir Gideon to action involves the gathering of the troops. To this end, “…the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; and he blew the trumpet,…” (6:34a). It is important to recognize that bereft of the Spirit’s influence on Gideon’s life, there would be no guarantee that Gideon would have ever blown his trumpet. We might still be waiting for him to do so today had it not been for the Spirit’s leading! The involvement of God’s spirit does not just stir Gideon to blow his trumpet, it also offered great hope to the Israelites who heard it as not since the time of Othniel (the first judge) had God so empowered an Israelite warrior (see 3:10 and the lack of a reference to the Spirit’s involvement in Ehud and Barak’s case) (Chisholm, Judges and Ruth, 277).

When the Spirit of God moves mightily in Gideon’s life, he does something that was desperately needed but also something that he would not naturally do. The same is true in the lives of God’s people today. In fact, the New Testament puts it this way:

Galatians 5:16-17-“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

It may have pleased Gideon to just go some of the way in God’s plan and purpose, doing some of the things he knew he was supposed to do. After all, he had already taken down his dad’s statue and had offered a sacrifice to the angel of the Lord up to this point. Did he really need to go any further? From what we have seen of Gideon, his flesh was hesitant, fearful, timid, and lacking in urgency. However, once God’s Spirit gets involved, he overcomes the desires of Gideon’s flesh that would have him stand in silence and as a result, he is able to blow the trumpet.

Once the Spirit moves in Gideon’s life, incredible things begin to happen—“and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them…” (6:34b-35). If we are not careful, we will miss the miracle that takes place. The Abiezrites are the first group listed as joining Gideon and his cause. These were the very same people who were ready to hunt him down and kill him for tearing down the statue of his father in the previous passage. That is just like the spirit to turn presumed enemies into partners. In addition to this group who responded to the trumpet call, Gideon sent out messengers throughout Manasseh and Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali who all responded to his plea for help. These responded by assembling.

Why were so many so eager to respond in this way. Was it because Gideon was a proven and fearless leader? NO. Once again, the Spirit of God makes up for what was lacking by way of charisma in Gideon and the people of God respond in kind—both to the trumpet and to the messages sent forth.

If the mounting threat wasn’t enough to motivate Gideon to do what he had been called to do, sure the assembly of a mighty band of tribes who had come in response to the Spirit-led call would send Gideon over-the-top. However, even this does not prove to be enough to get the ball rolling.

3) The Tests Provide Confirmation-6:36-40

The next mechanism God uses to nudge Gideon the rest of the way to faithfulness involves tests (yes, tests plural). These are used to provide added confirmation for this hesitant warrior. The test is requested of Gideon in verses 36-37a—“ Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will put fleece of wool on the threshing floor…” (6:36-37a). Such a test might prove peculiar to us, and yet, this is an example of what was called an oracle in the ancient world. In an oracle, a yes-no question is posed to deity and a test with only two possible results is administered so that a deity can provide an answer.

In this particular case, “If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as you have spoken” (6:37b). However, if the ground along with the dew was wet (as would be expected any typical morning), Gideon would know he had plenty of reason to remain hesitant about doing what he knows is right. Though this is the first test requested from Gideon in this passage, it is not the first one requested by Gideon in his saga. Remember that already Gideon had asked the Angel of the Lord to remain while he went off to prepare the offering and if he was still there upon Gideon’s return, he would know that what this Messenger said was true (see 6:17-19).

Rather than scold Gideon for using this oracle or rebuking him for putting the Lord to the test, God condescends out of his grace and mercy to gently provide Gideon with the added reassurance he requested to get up and get moving. Verse 38 reads “and it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water” and, we can assume, the ground around the fleece was left dry.

Great! Can we get moving now? Not so fast Gideon says.

After God entertained Gideon with this feat, proving gracious and over-indulgent, Gideon fails to keep his word (“if you do this then I will know…”) and asks for another test to be administered. ANOTHER TEST—“Then Gideon said to God, ‘Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece,…” (6:39a). Though Gideon’s request is offered apologetically, “this should not blind the reader to the manner in which Gideon is trying to manipulate God” (Block, Judges, Ruth, 273-74). He demonstrates he knows he is wrong to ask for such by saying “Do not let Your anger burn against me…”. If I am getting impatient as a reader, imagine what God must have been thinking in this moment, especially given everything he had already done for Gideon to reassure him. Just imagine if Gideon matched his boldness to request this of God with the task at hand of meeting the Midianites head-on in battle.

That said, Gideon proceeds with yet another oracle, only, this time he is hoping to see the opposite take place—“Let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground” (6:39b).  So, in the first round Gideon wanted to see the fleece wet and the ground dry. In round two he wanted to see the fleece dry and the ground around it wet.

Once again, and quite miraculously, God condescends to give Gideon what he requests, knowing full well that Gideon should not have asked for it and certainly does not deserve it. Ultimately, Gideon’s spiritual condition to try to twist God’s arm into jumping through these unnecessary hoops reveals the condition of the heart of his people who had tested and retested God’s patience time and time again. That said, despite Israel’s spiritual disaffection, God is obviously more interested in preserving his people than they are in preserving themselves (Block, Judges, Ruth, 274). While God certainly would have enjoyed seeing immediate faithfulness from his people to do ALL that he desired of them, he chooses to wait and willingly provides added reassurances.

So What?

Given what is going on in our world I cannot help but draw some unfortunate parallels between God’s people here in Judges 6 and some elements of the church today. Like Gideon, we often need unnecessary reassurances and added coaxing to do/say those things that we know are right. While certainly many of us have become accustomed to fighting certain battles and speaking truth in love to certain issues, for some odd reason many in the church have not been as quick to do the right thing with regards to other important and equally compelling conflicts. For instance, why is it that historically the evangelical church has proven quick to speak up for the unborn or stand for biblical marriage and yet has proven hesitant to call out racism and other injustices that many, especially in the black community, continue to face all over our world today? There is a deafening silence and/or hesitancy that is harmful and frustrating for those who observe the church’s failure to do/say the right thing on any number of issues. Just as we grow impatient with Gideon in spite of all he had pushing him in the right direction to get him going, I imagine that many looking at the church from the outside in wonder how much is going to have to give for us to be moved to say/do what is necessary for the gospel and the Kingdom of God to be applied to these important areas of our society. Perhaps, if we are willing to recognize it, God is using mechanisms in our world to get us going in the right direction that are similar to what was used in Gideon’s life. As the Midianites and Amalekites proved to be an existential threat to Gideon’s people, the wickedness of prejudice and injustice continues to rise up against people made in the image of God in our world today. When we see what we have seen in our country over the last few weeks, it is unmistakable and cannot be ignored. Many have been able to undermine accounts of lingering systemic racism in the recent past by poking holes in testimonies and looking for reasons or presumed justifications for why certain measures were justified in particular cases; but now we have seen the video evidence that injustice still exists. These mounting threats to those whom God has fearfully and wonderfully made pose a threat to the Lord’s order and we ought to be moved both to brokenness and to action in response. Perhaps this is not enough for some (after all, the mounting threats were not enough for Gideon in 6:33). For Gideon, God added the blowing trumpet and assembly of allies to the growing threats to push him in the right direction. Today, is not God’s Spirit leading courageous men and women to blow the trumpet so as to draw necessary attention to this lingering problem in our society and rally the body to bring a solution? Are not church leaders in new and important ways peeling back the bandage on what many believed was healed wound in our society to reveal that the infection of hate still exists? I think of the words recently shared by Matt Chandler. Earlier this week he lamented that while in the 1960s the civil rights movement was born out of the church, now “the church by and large has refused to participate (in racial reconciliation efforts) which means that we have turned over, God help us, what is our inheritance to dark ideologies…you cannot point all the flaws in this current movement while you have abandoned the place that we were meant to play…we cannot ignore the sorrow and lament of 12-13 million images bearers  in our country…we mourn with those who mourn and yes there are demonic and evil ideologies at play but that is where the people of God are men are meant to run with Light and the good news of Jesus Christ, not sit back and snipe via social media.” Or Abdu Murray who said “Many said 2020 would be the ‘year of vision’ only to lament that #COVID19 and social unrest have beclouded our sight. But perhaps God is using it all to sharpen our vision of the way things are and the way they ought to be.” Or Dr. Crawford Loritts who says: “It is not good enough for Christians to say ‘I’m not a racist.’ We have to be antiracism, because racism is in the category of sin. . .Just as we are anti-adultery and anti-lying and anti-stealing, we’ve got to see it in this painful reality. . . If we tolerate it at all we will accept it and excuse it and camouflage it.” or Bartholomew Orr who has said “Against the backdrop of the darkness of hatred, injustice and sin that has gripped America, the time is just ripe for bold, bright believers who will shine like Jesus and share the glorious Gospel of love, life and freedom.” Or Pastor James Hobson of Lynchburg who says, “just because you may not be a racist doesn’t mean that racism is not still a problem in our country.” Maybe, like Gideon, we are not too impressed with this growing show of support for what is certainly a righteous battle. Maybe, like our hesitant deliverer in Judges 6 you need even more confirmation. Maybe you are waiting on the fleece—you just need a sign or two to set you over the top and get you off the bench to say and do what is right. HERE IT IS! HERE IS YOUR FLEECE! While God can and may provide you with whatever confirmation you may think you need, has he not already provided his word which says “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8) or “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause” (Isaiah 1:17) or “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Rom. 12:15-18) or “anyone who claim to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness” (1 John 2:9). We cannot afford to just engage in the battles that are more our speed (just as Gideon could not afford to leave his role with the offering he offered or the idol he tore down). More is needed and God’s people are to the agents that God uses in the world to bring about the Lord’s answers to all kinds of problems—including problems of racism and injustice. It is always the right time to do the right thing. And while the Midianites and the Amalekites were the oppressors needing toppling in Gideon’s day, injustice and racism remain as tyrants that need toppling today. God’s people ought to be leading the charge, not found hesitant or slow on the draw.