Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Judges 8:1

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

Ch. Jdg 8:1-3. Gideon appeases the men of Ephraim

1 . the men of Ephraim did chide with him sharply ] A similar outburst of jealousy is recorded in Jdg 12:1 f., and in much the same language; but it need not follow that the one passage is merely a reproduction of the other; probably there were plenty of tales about the notorious temper of the great tribe. Thus early in the history Ephraim begins to assert itself. The want of unity among the tribes at this period is evident.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The success of Gideons enterprise mortified the pride of Ephraim, as the chief tribe, seeing that they had played a subordinate part. Compare Jdg 12:1.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Jdg 8:1-3

Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better.

The conduct of the Ephraimites

1. Their unthankfulness was great, and the injury which he sustained thereby, who ought to have been much honoured of them for his industry and labour. We ought not to look for our reward and commendation for well-doing from men, but to rest in this, that God knoweth our works, and it is enough that we are sure that from Him we shall receive our reward.

2. Another of the faults of these Ephraimites against Gideon is that they envied him for the honour he got by the victory. Whereby, though they sustained no hurt, neither were the worse, but the better, yet they could not bear it, that Gideon should have the glory of it: where we may see a foul property of envy, and what it is. It is a grief and sadness for the prosperity of others, and namely, of such as be our equals. And when I say envy is a grief at our equals for any eminency or prosperity that they have above us, I mean such as are in kindred estate, years, dignity, or in gifts like us. And the cause of this envy is not for that we are troubled as though any hurt or danger were coming towards us from them whom we envy (for that is another affection, to wit, fear), but for that through a cankered stomach we cannot bear it, that such an one as is no better than ourselves should be lifted up so high and commended so far above us. And is not this a cursed mind in us, that we cannot be willing that another should fare well, we being never the worse, and that we should have an evil eye at that for the which we should rejoice? And because I now speak of the Ephraimites, I think it not amiss to add this of them, that their father Ephraim, the younger being preferred by Jacob before the elder brother Manasseh, the stock and offspring of them exalted themselves since from age to age, and are noted for it oft times in the history of the Old Testament. As in Joshua we read they among others were discontented with their portion, so in the twelfth of this book the posterity of them contended with Jephtha for not calling them with him to battle against the Ammonites after he had overcome them; even as these Ephraimites did here with Gideon. So Esau, himself deadly hating his brother, derived this sin to his posterity, the Edomites; so Ahab did idolatry to the generations that came after him. And hereby we may learn what force some blemishes and corruptions in a flock or kindred have to infect almost the whole posterity, God justly thus punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children to many generations, punishing sin with sin.

3. And yet one thing more note in these Ephraimites, namely, the flights, subtleties, doubleness, and hollowness that lie hidden in mens hearts, till they have occasion to show them, or grace to repent of them. These would now seem to have had great injury that they were not called to the battle, whereas it was their own sin that they went not, for they did forbear for fear of danger, and were willing to stand by, as it were, lying in the wind to wait for the issue. So that if Gideon and their brethren the Israelites that joined with him had lost the day, then all the blame would have been laid upon them by these Ephraimites; but now they had got the victory by Gods direction and blessing, they complain on the other side that they had injury themselves, for that they were not, as they said, bidden to help in the battle. Wherein we may behold deep subtlety and hypocrisy, and how far all such are from simplicity and plain dealing, that according to the proverb, howsoever the world go they will save one, and however it fall out, they will provide for themselves. (R. Rogers.)

Gideon and the men of Ephraim

The scanty information that we have leaves the impression that in speaking as they did the men of Ephraim were entirely in the wrong. If they were the foremost of the tribes, why had they not organised resistance themselves? If they had neglected duty, what right had they to complain that others had discharged it? If Gideon had invited them, would they not have equally resented such an unwarrantable piece of presumption in a mere Manassite? But how few men in Gideons place would have made allowance for them as he did! It shows how grace had got the better of nature in him. It shows how little he cared for his own interest or honour; how much for the welfare of Israel and the ruin of its foes. That in the very moment of victory he who had been the instrument of it all should be reproached instead of honoured by his countrymen, and even by the very men who had been thinking only of themselves when he was planning and enduring and risking everything to save them all–this was trying in the extreme to flesh and blood. But Gideon knew that an angry reply might kindle mere discontent into a flame, and that even a continuance of jealousy would defeat his purpose of following up the pursuit and effectually terminating the war. His answer, therefore, was one calculated not only to soothe Ephraim, but even to restore their self-respect. The answer was in an important sense a true one. God had overruled for good the very slowness of Ephraim to come forward. It was their seizing the line of the Jordan that had turned defeat into irretrievable overthrow; and, as plain matter of fact, those slain by Ephraim must have been far more numerous than all that Gideon and his men had beaten down. The answer was true, no doubt, but not on that account the easier to give. To acquiesce in a statement of the case, nay, even to suggest it, in which no credit was given for those preparatory trials and schemes, and risks and conflicts, without which all the direct hard fighting of Ephraim would have been perfectly useless–this showed a moderation that nothing can have inspired except the deep sense that the real glory belonged to another altogether, and that Ephraim on the one hand, and he and his men upon the other, were only instruments that God employed, each in the way that He deemed best, for working out His own designs. When he thus effaced himself, and gave up the glory without a murmur that by all fair human standards was righteously his own, Gideon stood at a pitch of moral grandeur that few of the choicest saints in Scripture have exemplified. When we remember that he was no quiet, meditative spirit, but a mighty man of war, rejoicing in his prowess, keenly sensitive to dishonour, and animated by not a little of the fierce vindictive spirit of his age, the triumph of faith and grace within him becomes all the more conspicuous. (W. Miller, M. A.)

The gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim

The gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim. This is the portion that falls to us. We are living in a glorious day. Our fathers gathered the vintage with strife and travail, and garments rolled in blood. It is for us to stand at the waters of Beth-barah and gather up the fruits of victory. The world is at its very best. If life was ever worth living, it is worth living now. Great is the privilege, and correspondingly great the responsibility, of those who are appointed to glean the grapes of Ephraim.

I. Ours is the golden age of truth.

1. The body of truth is larger than that of any former times. Aristotle, one of the most learned of the ancients, if he were to return to-day, could hardly pass a preliminary examination for admission to one of our grammar schools. The results of past research and controversy along the past have accumulated into a great treasury of knowledge. Each generation has contributed its part. History is not a treadmill, wherein men go round and round, getting nowhere; but a thoroughfare, the Kings highway, whereon we journey like a royal troop, league by league, laden with the spoils of the conquest, until we come to the palace of the King.

2. The great body of truth thus accumulated is held in a truer spirit of toleration than the past ever knew.

3. Along with this goes a truer orthodoxy than of old. The denominations may differ, and indeed do differ, with respect to minor matters, but they are loyal to old landmarks.

II. Ours is also the golden age of morality, particularly in its larger sense as touching all the relations of man with his fellow-men.

1. The industrial reform may be cited in evidence. Capital has rights, for which it tenaciously strives; labour has rights, for which it vigorously contends. Out of this conflict must come the solution: an honest days wage for an honest days work; corporations with souls, and labourers with rights.

2. The temperance reform. This was almost unheard of a century ago. For this we have to thank the fathers who gathered the vintage of Abi-ezer, who in the controversies of moral suasion and legislation wrought out these more salutary methods and passed on their achievements to us.

3. Political reform. We hear much of civic corruption in these days, of bribery, blackmail, etc. In the time of William

III. bribery was so commonly practised that the king publicly announced his inability to dispense with it, saying, Under the existing order of things, to refuse the common practice would endanger the crown. The municipal corruption which is so arousing the popular indignation at this moment would have been made little of in former days. It is a good sign–this stirring about the Augean stables.

4. Sociological problems. All branches of the Christian Church are concerned in the discussion of questions which touch the welfare of the community; the betterment of home and society; the care of the poor, the aged, and all incapables. The liberalitas of the ancient world has given way to the caritas of our religion. We are beginning to understand the song of the angels, not merely in its ascription of glory to God, but also in its expression of goodwill toward men.

5. As to personal character. We make more of character and less of adventitious prominence than of old.

III. This is the golden age of moral energy. Truth and ethics are changed into power by a fire burning beneath them. The Church works with a purpose. A man, aside from his creed and personal graces, must in these times have something to do.

1. There was a time when good people were chiefly concerned about their personal salvation. Each for himself was the shibboleth of those days.

2. At other times the people of God have been chiefly concerned for the preservation of the Church. This was the meaning of the Crusades; in them we find a stern endeavour to rescue the Holy Sepulchre, and so vindicate the majesty of the Church and avenge her wrongs. The effort was not to convert the infidel, but to destroy him root and branch.

3. In our time we speak of the kingdom. This is the missionary age. All are summoned to work–men, women, and children. All are summoned to work for the evangelisation of the world–the deliverance of souls from sin. We seem to be dwelling in the early twilight of the last days. The victory of Christ is a foregone conclusion. His glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. (D. J. Burrell, D. D.)

The gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim is better than the vintage of Abi-ezer

In other words, the smallest experience of the joys of Gods people–mere vintage-gleanings–is worth far more than the richest world-clusters. (J. R. Macduff, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

CHAPTER VIII

The Ephraimites are angry with Gideon because he did not call

them particularly to his assistance; he pacifies them, 1-3.

Gideon and his three hundred men pass over Jordan, pursuing the

Midianites; and, being faint, ask victuals from the princes of

Succoth, but are refused, 4-7.

They make the like application to the people of Penuel, and are

also refused, 8, 9.

Gideon defeats Zebah and Zalmunna, the two kings of Midian, and

takes them prisoners, 10-12.

He chastises the men of Succoth and Penuel, 13-17.

He slays Zebah and Zalumunna, who had killed his brethren,

18-21.

The Israelites offer him the kingdom, which he refuses, 22, 23.

He requires from them the gold rings which they had taken from

the Ishmaelites, and makes an ephod, which he sets up at

Ophrah; and it became an instrument of idolatry, 24-27.

The land enjoys peace forty years; Gideon dies, having

seventy-one sons, 28-32.

The Israelites fall into idolatry, and forget their

obligations to Gideon’s family, 33-35.

NOTES ON CHAP. VIII

Verse 1. The men of Ephraim said] This account is no doubt displaced; for what is mentioned here could not have taken place till the return of Gideon from the pursuit of the Midianites; for he had not yet passed Jordan, Jdg 8:4. And it was when he was beyond that river that the Ephraimites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to him, Jdg 7:25.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Why hast thou neglected and despised us, in not calling us in to thy help, as thou didst other tribes? These were a proud people, Isa 11:13, puffed up with a conceit of their number and strength, and the preference which Jacob by Divine direction gave them above Manasseh, Gen 48:19,20, of which tribe Gideon was, who by this act had seemed to advance his own tribe, and to depress theirs.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

1. the men of Ephraim said unto him,Why hast thou served us thus?Where this complaint was made,whether before or after the crossing of the Jordan, cannot bedetermined. By the overthrow of the national enemy, the Ephraimiteswere benefited as largely as any of the other neighboring tribes.But, piqued at not having been sharers in the glory of the victory,their leading men could not repress their wounded pride; and theoccasion only served to bring out an old and deep-seated feeling ofjealous rivalry that subsisted between the tribes (Isa9:21). The discontent was groundless, for Gideon acted accordingto divine directions. Besides, as their tribe was conterminous withthat of Gideon, they might, had they been really fired with the flameof patriotic zeal, have volunteered their services in a movementagainst the common enemy.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

And the men of Ephraim said unto him,…. To Gideon, when they brought him the heads of Oreb and Zeeb; taking this to be a proper opportunity to expostulate and chide with him, when they had done so much service:

why hast thou served us thus; neglected them, overlooked them, which they took as a reproach to them, and as if he had bore them ill will:

that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? that he did not call them first, when he called other tribes, as Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, when they were as near or nearer, and more nearly allied, being both the descendants of Joseph; and were the tribe that Jacob had given the preference to; and being of proud spirits they envied the glory that Gideon, who was of the tribe of Manasseh, had got; and by which they were jealous he would advance that tribe above theirs:

and they did chide with him sharply; used rough words and ill language, and threw out many keen and biting expressions, which discovered great anger and wrath, envy and ill will.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

When the Ephraimites met with Gideon, after they had smitten the Midianites at Oreb and Zeeb, and were pursuing them farther, they said to him, “ What is the thing that thou hast done to us (i.e., what is the reason for your having done this to us), not to call us when thou wentest forth to make war upon Midian? And they did chide with him sharply, ” less from any dissatisfied longing for booty, than from injured pride or jealousy, because Gideon had made war upon the enemy and defeated them without the co-operation of this tribe, which was striving for the leadership. Gideon’s reply especially suggests the idea of injured ambition: “ What have I now done like you? ” sc., as if I had done as great things as you. “ Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? ” The gleaning of Ephraim is the victory gained over the flying Midianites. Gideon declares this to be better than the vintage of Abiezer, i.e., the victory obtained by him the Abiezrite with his 300 men, because the Ephraimites had slain two Midianitish princes. The victory gained by the Ephraimites must indeed have been a very important one, as it is mentioned by Isaiah (Isa 10:26) as a great blow of the Lord upon Midian. “ And what could I do like you? ” i.e., could I accomplish such great deeds as you? “ Then their anger turned away from him.” , the breathing of the nose, snorting, hence “ anger,” as in Isa 25:4, etc.

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Gideon Pacifies the Ephraimites.

B. C. 1249.

      1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.   2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?   3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

      No sooner were the Midianites, the common enemy, subdued, than, through the violence of some hot spirits, the children of Israel were ready to quarrel among themselves; an unhappy spark was struck, which, if Gideon had not with a great deal of wisdom and grace extinguished immediately, might have broken out into a flame of fatal consequence. The Ephraimites, when they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon as general, instead of congratulating him upon his successes and addressing him with thanks for his great services, as they ought to have done, picked a quarrel with him and grew very hot upon it.

      I. Their accusation was very peevish and unreasonable: Why didst thou not call us when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? v. 1. Ephraim was brother to Manasseh, Gideon’s tribe, and had the pre-eminence in Jacob’s blessing and in Moses’s, and therefore was very jealous of Manasseh, lest that tribe should at any time eclipse the honour of theirs. Hence we find Manasseh against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseh, Isa. ix. 21. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and their contentions are as the bars of a castle, Prov. xviii. 19. But how unjust was their quarrel with Gideon! They were angry that he did not send for them to begin the attack upon Midian, as well as to follow the blow. Why were they not called to lead the van? The post of honour, they thought, belonged to them. But, 1. Gideon was called of God, and must act as he directed; he neither took the honour to himself nor did he himself dispose of honours, but left it to God to do all. So that the Ephraimites, in this quarrel, reflected upon the divine conduct; and what was Gideon that they murmured against him? 2. Why did not the Ephraimites offer themselves willingly to the service? They knew the enemy was in their country, and had heard of the forces that were raising to oppose them, to which they ought to have joined themselves, in zeal for the common cause, though they had not a formal invitation. Those seek themselves more than God that stand upon a point of honour to excuse themselves from doing real service to God and their generation. In Deborah’s time there was a root of Ephraim, ch. v. 14. Why did not this appear now? The case itself called them, they needed not wait for a call from Gideon. 3. Gideon had saved their credit in not calling them. If he had sent for them, no doubt may of them would have gone back with the faint-hearted, or been dismissed with the lazy, slothful, and intemperate; so that by not calling them he prevented the putting of those slurs upon them. Cowards will seem valiant when the danger is over, but those consult their reputation who try not their courage when danger is near.

      II. Gideon’s answer was very calm and peaceable, and was intended not so much to justify himself as to please and pacify them, Jdg 7:2; Jdg 7:3. He answers them, 1. With a great deal of meekness and temper. He did not resent the affront, nor answer anger with anger, but mildly reasoned the case with them, and he won as true honour by this command which he had over his own passion as by his victory over the Midianites. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty. 2. With a great deal of modesty and humility, magnifying their performances above his own: Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim, who picked up the stragglers of the enemy, and cut off those of them that escaped, better than the vintage of Abiezer–a greater honour to them, and better service to the country, than the first attack Gideon made upon them? The destruction of the church’s enemies is compared to a vintage, Rev. xiv. 18. In this he owns their gleanings better than his gatherings. The improving of a victory is often more honourable, and of greater consequence, than the winning of it; in this they had signalized themselves, and their own courage and conduct, or, rather, God had dignified them; for thought, to magnify their achievements, he is willing to diminish his own performances, yet he will not take any flowers from God’s crown to adorn theirs with: “God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, and a great slaughter has been made of the enemy by your numerous hosts, and what was I able to do with 300 men, in comparison of you and your brave exploits?” Gideon stands here a very great example of self-denial, and this instance shows us, (1.) That humility of deportment is the best way to remove envy. It is true even right works are often envied, Eccl. iv. 4. Yet they are not so apt to be so when those who do them appear not to be proud of them. Those are malignant indeed who seek to cast down from their excellency those that humble and abase themselves, (2.) It is likewise the surest method of ending strife, for only by pride comes contention, Prov. xiii. 10. (3.) Humility is most amiable and admirable in the midst of great attainments and advancements. Gideon’s conquests did greatly set off his condescensions. (4.) It is the proper act of humility to esteem others better than ourselves, and in honour to prefer one another.

      Now what was the issue of this controversy? The Ephraimites had chidden with him sharply (v. 1), forgetting the respect due to their general and one whom God had honoured, and giving vent to their passion in a very indecent liberty of speech, a certain sign of a weak and indefensible cause. Reason runs low when the chiding flies high. But Gideon’s soft answer turned away their wrath, Prov. xv. 1. Their anger was abated towards him, v. 3. It is intimated that they retained some resentment, but he prudently overlooked it and let it cool by degrees. Very great and good men must expect to have their patience tried by the unkindnesses and follies even of those they serve and must not think it strange.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Judges – Chapter 8

Gideon’s Diplomacy, vs. 1-3,

The reaction of the tribe of Ephraim at not having been invited to join Gideon in his campaign against Midian should have been anticipated. The jealous nature of this tribe had appeared long before. Perhaps it stemmed from the prediction of Jacob that he would be greater than his brother, Manasseh (Gen 48:19; cf. Gen 50:26). Moses, in blessing the tribes, also seemed to give him pre-eminence (De 33:13-17). In the division of the land under Joshua, Ephraim had displayed his jealousy in his dissatisfaction with his allotment (Jos 17:14-18). This trait would mark the tribe of Ephraim throughout Israel’s history.

The Ephraimites bickered sharply with Gideon for his seeming slight of them. However, Gideon was a Manassite, also a descendant of Joseph, and he answered with shrewd diplomacy which saved the situation for the good, (Pro 15:1). He compared the gleanings of Ephraim favorably with the vintage of Abi-ezer (the family to which Gideon belonged in Manasseh). The vintage of Abi-ezer, it was true, was the routing of the Midianite hordes, but the gleanings of Ephraim was the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite princes. The ultimate satisfaction in the victory was the death of the enemy princes, and Ephraim was responsible. Put in this light the Ephraimites were satisfied, and their pride did not suffer. How often petty jealousy rears its ugly head to disrupt the service of God’s children!

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

THE BOOK OF JUDGES

Judges 1-21.

THE Book of Judges continues the Book of Joshua. There are some Books of the Bible, the proper location of which require careful study, but Judges follows Joshua in chronological order. The Book opens almost identically with the Book of Joshua. In the latter the reading is, Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Joshua. In the Book of Judges, Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass, that the Children of Israel asked thd Lord, saying Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them? And the Lord said, Judah shall go up. God always has His man chosen and His ministry mapped out. We may worry about our successors and wonder whether we shall be worthily followed, but as a matter of fact that is a question beyond us and does not belong to us. It is not given to man to choose prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers. That prerogative belongs to the ascended Lord, and He is not derelict in His duty nor indifferent to the interests of Israel. Before one falls, He chooses another. The breach in time that bothers men is not a breach to Him at all. It is only an hour given to the people for the expression of bereavement. It is only a day in which to calm the public mind and call out public sympathy and centralize and cement public interest.

Men may choose their co-laborers as Judah chose Simeon; leaders may pick out their captains as Moses did, and as did Joshua; but God makes the first choice, and when men leave that choice to Him, He never makes a mistake.

Whenever a captain of the hosts of the Lord is unworthily succeeded, misguided men have forgotten God and made the choice on the basis of their own judgment.

People sometimes complain of some indifferent or false preacher, We cant see why God sent us such a pastor. He didnt! You called him yourself. You didnt sufficiently consult God. You didnt keep your ears open to the still, small voice. You didnt wait on bended knees until He said, Behold your leader; follow him!

When God appoints Judah, he also delivers the Canaanites and the Perizzites into his hands. Adoni-bezek, the brutal, will be humbled by him; the capital city will fall before him; the southland will succumb, also the north and the east and the west, and the mountains will capitulate before the Lord of Hosts.

But the Book of Judges doesnt present a series of victories. There is no Book in the Bible that so clearly typifies the successes and reverses, the ups and downs, the victories and defeats of the church, as the history of Israel here illustrates. It naturally divides itself under The Seven Apostasies, The Successive Judges, and The Civil War.

THE SEVEN APOSTASIES

The first chapter is not finished before failure finds expression. Of Judah it was said he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron (Jdg 1:19). Of the children of Benjamin it was said, They did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem (Jdg 1:21). Of Manasseh it was said, They did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-Shean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns: but the Canaanites would dwell in that land (Jdg 1:27). Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer, (Jdg 1:29); neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron (Jdg 1:30), nor the inhabitants of Mahalol. Neither did Asher (Jdg 1:31) drive out the inhabitants of Acho nor of Zidon; neither did Naphthali drive out the inhabitants of Beth-Shemesh (Jdg 1:33), and this failure to clear the field results in an aggressive attack before the first chapter finishes, and the Amorites force the children of Dan into the mountain (Jdg 1:34).

If one study these seven apostasies that follow one another in rapid succession, he will be impressed by two or three truths. They resulted from the failure to execute the command of the Lord. The command of the Lord to Joshua was that he should expel the people from before him and drive them from out of his sight, and possess their land (Jos 23:5). He was not to leave any among them nor to make mention of any of their gods (Jos 23:7). He was promised that one of his men should chase a thousand. He was even told that if any were left and marriage was made with them that they should know for a certainty that the Lord God would no more drive out any of these nations from before them; that they should be snares and traps and scourges and thorns, until Israel perished from off the good land that God had given them (Jos 23:13). How strangely the conduct of Israel, once in the land, comports with this counsel given them before they entered it; and there is a typology in all of this.

The Christian life has its enemiessocial enemies, domestic enemies, national enemies! Ones companionship will determine ones conduct; ones marriage relation will eventuate religiously or irreligiously. The character of ones nation is more or less influential upon life.

The ordinance of baptism, the initial rite into the church, looks to an absolute separation from the world, and is expressed by the Apostle Paul as a death unto sin, the clear intent being that no evil customs are to be kept, nor companions retained, nor entangling alliances maintained. The word now is as the word then, Come out from among them, and be ye separate (2Co 6:17).

They imperiled their souls by this forbidden social intercourse. It is very difficult to live with a people and not become like them. It is very difficult to dwell side by side with nations and not intermarry. Intermarriage between believers and unbelievers is almost certain to drag down the life of the former to the level of the latter. False worship, like other forms of sin, has its subtle appeal; and human nature being what it is, false gods rise easily to exalted place in corrupted affections.

If there is one thing God tried to do for ancient Israel, and one thing God tries to do for the new Israel, the Church, it was, and is, to get His people to disfellowship the world.

There are men who think God is a Moloch because He so severely punished Israels compromises. They cant forget that when Joshua went over Jordan and Israel lay encamped on the skirts of the mountains of Moab, her people visited a high place near the camp whereon a festival of Midian, idolatrous, licentious in the extreme, was in process, and they went after this putrid paganism and polluted their own souls with the idolatrous orgy. Then it was that Moses, speaking for the Lord, said, Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the sun, and while that hideous row of dead ones was still before their eyes, the plague fell on the camp and 24,000 of the transgressors perished! But severe as it was, Israel soon forgot, showing that it was not too severe, and raising the question as to whether it was severe enough to impress the truth concerning idolatry and all its infamous effects.

Solomon is commonly reputed to have been the wisest of men, and yet it was his love alliances with the strange women of Moab, Ammon, Zidon and the Hittites, these very people, that brought the Lords anger against him and compelled God to charge him with having turned from the Lord God of Israel and in consequence of which God said, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant (1Ki 11:11).

Again and again the kingdom has been lost after the same manner. The present peril of the church is at this point, and by its alliance with the world, the kingdom of our Lord is delayed, and Satan, the prince of this world, remains in power, and instead of 24,000 people perishing in judgment, tens of thousands and millions of people perish through this compromise, and swallowed up in sin, rush into hell.

But to follow the text further is to find their restoration to Gods favor rested with genuine repentance. There are recorded in Judges seven apostasies; they largely result from one sin. There are seven judgments, increasing in severity, revealing Gods determined purpose to correct and save; and there are seven recoveries, each of them in turn the result of repentance. God never looks upon a penitent man, a penitent people, a penitent church, a penitent nation, without compassion and without turning from His purposes of judgment. When the publican went up into the temple to pray, his was a leprous soul, but when he smote upon his breast and cried, God be merciful to me a sinner, his was the instant experience of mercy. When at Pentecost, 2500 sincere souls fell at the feet of Peter and the other Apostles, and cried, Men and brethren, what shall we do, the response was, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and the promise was, Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

When David, who was a child of God, guilty of murder and adultery combined, poured out his soul as expressed in the Fifty-first Psalm, God heard that prayer, pardoned those iniquities, restored him to the Divine favor, and showered him with proofs of the Divine love.

When Nineveh went down in humility, a city of 600,000 souls, every one of whom from Sardana-palus, the king on the throne, to the humblest peasant within the walls, proving his repentance by sitting in sackcloth and ashes, God turned at once from the evil He had thought to do unto them and He did it not, and Nineveh was saved.

The simple truth is, God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. He never punishes from preference, but only for our profit; and, even then, like a father, He suffers more deeply than the children upon whom His strokes of judgment fall.

What a contrast to that statement of Scripture, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, is that other sentence, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. The reason is not far to seek. In the first case it is death indeed; death fearful, death eternal. In the second case, death is a birth, a release from the flesh that held to a larger, richer, fuller life. In that God takes pleasure.

There is then for the sinner no royal road to the recovery of Gods favor. It is the thorny path of repentance instead. It is through Bochim, the Vale of Tears; but it were just as well that the prodigal, returning home, should not travel by a flowery path. He will be the less tempted to go away again if his back-coming is with agony, and home itself will seem the more sweet when reached if there his weary feet find rest for the first time, and from their bleeding soles the thorns are picked; if there his nakedness is clothed, his hunger is fed and his sense of guilt is kissed away. Oh, the grace of God to wicked men the moment repentance makes possible their forgiveness!

The court in Minneapolis yesterday illustrated this very point. When a young man, who had been wayward indeed, who had turned highway-robber, saw his error, sobbed his way to Christ and voluntarily appeared in court and asked to have sentence passed, newspapers expressed surprise that the heart of the judge should have been so strangely moved, and that the sentence the law absolutely required to be passed upon him, should have been, by the judge, suspended, and the young man returned to his home and wife and babe. But our Judge, even God, is so compassionate that such conduct on His part excites no surprise. It is His custom! Were it not so, every soul of us would stand under sentence of death. The law which is just and holy and good has passed that sentence already, and it is by the grace of God we have our reprieve. Seven apostasies? Yes! Seven judgments? Yes! But seven salvations! Set that down to the honor and glory of our God! It is by grace we are saved!

THE SUCCESSIVE JUDGES

Evidently God has no special regard for some of our modern superstitions, for in this period of conquest He deliberately chooses thirteen judges and sets them over Israel in turn, beginning with Othniel, the son of Kenaz, and nephew of Caleb, and concluding with Samson, the son of Manoah.

They represented varied stations of Israelitish society. A careful review of their personal history brings a fresh illustration of the fact that God is no respector of persons; and it also illustrates the New Testament statement that Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. With few exceptions these judges had not been heard of until their appointment rendered necessary some slight personal history. That is the Divine method until this hour. How seldom the children of the great are themselves great. How often, when God needs a ruler in society, He seeks a log cabin and chooses an angular ladAbe Lincoln. The difference between the inspired Scriptures and yesterdays newspaper is in the circumstance that the Scriptures tell the truth about men and leave God to do the gilding and impart the glory, instead of trying to establish the same through some noble family tree. There is a story to the effect that a young artist, working under his master in the production of a memorial window that represented the greatest and best that art ever knew, picked up, at the close of the day, the fragments of glass flung aside, and finally wrought from them a window more glorious still. Whether this is historically correct or not, we know what God has done with the refuse of society again and again. Truly

God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in His presence * * * * He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (1Co 1:27-29; 1Co 1:31).

Out of these un-named ones some were made to be immortalGideon, Jephthae, Samson, Deborah.

Gideon, the son of Joash, became such because he dared to trust God. The average Captain of hosts wants men increased that the probabilities of victory may grow proportionately. At the word of the Lord Gideon has his hundreds of thousands and tens of thousands reduced to a handful. What are three hundred men against the multitude that compassed him about? And what are pitchers, with lights in them, against swords and spears and stones; and yet his faith failed not! He believed that, God with him, no man could be against him. When Paul comes to write his Epistle to the Hebrews and devotes a long chapter of forty verses to a list of names made forever notable through faith, Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthaethese all appear, and they are put there properly, reason confirming revelation. Barak had faced the hundreds of iron chariots of the enemy, and yet at the word of the Lord, had dared to brave and battle them. Samson, with no better equipment than the jaw-bone of an ass, had slain his heaps. Jephthae, when he had made a vow to the Lord, though it cost him that which was dearer than life, would keep it. Such characters are safe in history. Whatever changes may come over the face of the world, however notable may eventually be names; whatever changes may occur in the conceptions of men as to what makes for immortality, those who believe in God will abide, and childrens children will call their names blessed. Gideon will forever stand for a combination of faith and courage. Barak will forever represent the man who, at the word of the Lord, will go against great odds. Jephthae will forever be an encouragement to men who, having sincerely made vows, will solemnly keep the same; and Samson will forever represent, not his prowess, but the strength of the Lord, which, though it may express itself in the person of a man, knows no limitations so long as that man remains loyal to his vows, and the spirit of the Lord rests upon him.

Before passing from this study, however, permit me to call your attention to the fact that there was made a political exception in the matter of sex. We supposed that the putting of woman into mans place is altogether a modern invention. Not so; it is not only a fact in English language but in human history, that all rules have their exceptions. Gods rule for prophets is men, and yet the daughters of Philip were prophetesses. Gods rule for kings is men, and yet one of the greatest of rulers was Queen Victoria. Gods rule for judges is men, and yet Deborah was long since made an exception. Let it be understood that the exception to the rule is not intended to supplant the rule. The domestic circle is Gods choice for womankind, and her wisdom, tact and energy are not only needed there, but find there their finest employment. And yet there are times when through the indifference of men, or through their deadness to the exigencies of the day, God can do nothing else than raise up a Deborah, speak to a Joan of Arc, put on the throne a Victoria.

I noticed in a paper recently a discussion as to whether women prominent in politics proved good mothers, and one minister at least insisted that they did. We doubt it! The text speaks of Deborah as a mother in Israel, but we find no mention of her children. Our judgment is that had there been born to her a dozen of her own Israel might never have known her leadership. The unmarried woman, or the barren wife, may have time and opportunity for social and political concern; but the mother of children commonly finds her home sphere sufficient for all talents, and an opportunity to reach society, cleanse politics, aid the church, help the world, as large an office as ever came to man. However, let it be understood that all our fixed customs, all our standard opinions, give place when God speaks. If it is His will that a woman judge, then she is best fitted for that office; if He exalts her to lead armies, then victory will perch upon her banners; if He calls her to the place of power on the throne, then ruling wisdom is with her.

In the language of the Apostle Paul, And what shall I say more, for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Samson and of Barak and of Jepkthae. They are all great characters and worthy extended discussion. It would equally fail me to rehearse the confusion, civil and religious, that follows from the seventeenth chapter of this Book to the end, but in chapters nineteen to twenty-one there is recorded an incident that cannot in justice to an outline study, be overlooked, for it results in

THE CIVIL WAR

Tracing that war to its source, we find it was the fruit of the adoption of false religions. We have already seen some of the evil effects of this intermingling with heathen faiths, but we need not expect an end of such effects so long as the compromise obtains. There is no peace in compromise; no peace with your enemies. A compromise is never satisfactory to either side. Heathen men do not want half of their polytheism combined with half of your monotheism. They are not content to give up a portion of their idolatry and take in its place praises to the one and only God. The folly of this thing was shown when a few years since the leaders of the International Sunday School Association attempted to temporarily affiliate Christianity with Buddhism. The native Christians in Japan, in proportion to their sincere belief in the Bible arid in Christ, rejected the suggestion as an insult to their new faith, and the followers of Buddha and the devotees of Shintoism would not be content with Christian conduct unless the Emperor was made an object of worship and Christian knees bowed before him. It must be said, to the shame of certain Sunday School leaders, that they advocated that policy and prostrated themselves in the presence of His Majesty to the utter disgust of their more uncompromising fellows. The consequence was, no Convention of the International Association has been so unsatisfactory and produced such poor spiritual results as Tokios.

Confusion is always the consequence of compromise, and discontent is the fruit of it, and fights and battles and wars are the common issue.

Idolatry is deadly; graven images cannot be harmonized with the true God. The first and second commandments cannot be ignored and the remainder of the Decalog kept. It is God or nothing! It is the Bible or nothing! It is the faith once delivered or infidelity!

The perfidy of Benjamin brought on the battle. We have already seen that men grow like those with whom they intimately associate. This behavior on the part of the Benjamites is just what you would have expected. The best of men still have to battle with the bad streak that belongs to the flesh incident to the fall; and, when by evil associations that streak is strengthened, no man can tell what may eventually occur. Had this conduct been recorded against the heathen, it would not have amazed us at all. We speedily forget that as between men there is no essential difference. Circumstances and Divine aidthese make a difference that is apparent indeed; but it is not so much because one is better than the other, but rather because one has been better situated, less tempted, more often strengthened; or else because he has found God and stands not in himself but in a Saviour.

Pick up your paper tomorrow morning and there will be a record of deeds as dark as could be recorded against the natives of Africa, or those of East India or China, Siberia or the South Sea Islands. The conduct of these men toward the concubine was little worse than that of one of our own citizens in a land of civilization and Christianity, who lately snatched a twelve-year-old girl and kept her for days as his captive, and when at last she eluded him, it was only to wander back to her home, despoiled and demented. Do you wonder that God is no respecter of persons? Do you wonder that the Bible teaches there is no difference? Do you doubt it is all of grace?

The issues of that war proved the presence and power of God. There are men who doubt if God is ever in battle; but history reveals the fact that few battles take place without His presence. The field of conflict is commonly the place of judgment, and justice is seldom or never omitted. We may be amazed to see Israel defeated twice, and over 40,000 of her people fall, when as a matter of fact she went up animated by the purpose of executing vengeance against an awful sin. Some would imagine that God would go with them and not a man would fall, and so He might have done had Israel, including Judah and all loyal tribes, been themselves guiltless. But such was not the truth! They had sins that demanded judgment as surely as Benjamins sin, and God would not show Himself partial to either side, but mete out judgment according to their deserts. That is why 40,000 of the Israelites had to fall. They were facing then their own faithlessness. They were paying the price of their own perfidy. They were getting unto themselves proofs that their fellowship with the heathen and their adoption of heathen customs was not acceptable with God.

Many people could not understand why England and France and Belgium and Canada and Australia and America should have lost so heavily in the late war, 19141918, believing as we did believe that their cause was absolutely just. Why should God have permitted them to so suffer in its defense? Millions upon millions of them dying, enormous wealth destroyed, women widowed, children orphaned, lands sacked, cities burned, cathedrals ruined, sanctuaries desecrated. The world around, there went up a universal cry, Why? And yet the answer is not far to seek. England was not guiltless; France was not guiltless; Belgium was not guiltless.

Poor Belgium! All the world has turned to her with pity and we are still planning aid for the Belgians and to preach to them and their children the Gospel of grace, and this we should do; but God had not forgotten that just a few years ago Belgium was blackening her soul by her conduct in the Belgian Congo. Natives by the score and hundreds were beaten brutally, their hands cut off because they did not carry to the Belgian king as much rubber and ivory as Belgian avarice demanded. American slavery, in its darkest hour, never knew anything akin to the oppression and persecution to which Belgium subjected the blacks in the Congo. Significant, indeed, is the circumstance that when the Germans came into Belgium, many Belgian hands were cut off; hapless and helpless children were found in this mangled state. Frightful as it was, it must have reminded Belgian authorities of their sins in Africa and of the certainty and exactitude of final judgment.

We have an illustration of this truth in the Book of Judges. When Judah went up against the Canaanites and the Lord delivered them into his hands, they slew in Bezek 10,000 men. They found Adoni-Bezek, the king, and fought against him, and caught him and cut off his thumbs and great toes. We cry Horror! and wonder that Gods own people could so behave; but, complete the sentence, and you begin to see justice, And Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table. As I have done, so God hath requited me (Jdg 1:7).

Think of England in her infamous opium traffic, forcing it upon natives at the mouths of guns, enriching her own exchecquer at the cost of thousands and tens of thousands of hapless natives of East India and China!

Think of France, with her infidelity, having denied God, desecrated His sabbath, rejected His Son and given themselves over to absinthe and sensuality!

Think of the United States with her infamous liquor traffic, shipping barrels upon barrels to black men and yellow men, and cursing the whole world to fill her own coffers.

Tell me whether judgment was due the nations, and whether they had to see their sin in the lurid light of Belgian and French battlefields; but do not overlook the fact that when the war finally ends, Benjamin, the worst offender, the greater sinner, goes down in the greatest judgment, and one day Benjamins soldiers are almost wiped from the earth! Out of 26,700, 25,000 and more perish. Tell us now whether judgment falls where judgment belongs!

Take the late war. Again and again Germany was triumphant, but when the Allies had suffered sufficiently and had learned to lean not to themselves but upon the Lord; when, like Israel, they turned from hope in self and trusted in God, then God bared His arm in their behalf and Germany went down in defeat, a defeat that made their come-back impossible; a defeat that fastened upon them the tribute of years; a defeat that proved to them that, great as might have been the sins of the allied nations, greater still, in the sight of God, was their own sin; for final judgment is just judgment.

God is not only in history; God has to do with the making of history. If men without a king behave every one as is right in his own eyes, the King of all kings, the Lord of all lords, will do that which will eventually seem right in the eyes of all angels and of all good men. That is GOD!

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

GIDEON AND THE THREE HUNDRED

Judges 6-8.

IN passing hurriedly over the Book of Judges, we were compelled to give inadequate treatment to certain great names. It would seem that at least the illustrious list that finds place in the composite photograph of Hebrews XI, should have extensive treatmentGideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthae and that no discussion of Judges would be complete that ignored any one of this quartette, and that three, at leastGideon, Samson and Jephthae should have somewhat elaborate study.

In our birds-eye view of Judges, we were impressed with a constantly recurrent phrase. Painful as was the sentence, And the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, it is again employed to introduce the subject of Gideon, for in judgment Israel was delivered into the hand of Midian, and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel.

The extent of this oppression is made evident in the circumstance that the Children of Israel made them dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strongholds. And when Israel had sown, the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, * * * * and destroyed the increase of the earth * * and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. * * They came as grasshoppers for multitude, * * and Israel was greatly impoverished.

The modern scientist has a vast deal to say about the cave man and the tree man. The only history that men have ever made in caves is much like this that Israel is here making. Caves have never been the homes of monkey men, for such men have never lived; but they have ever been the homes of criminals and cowed men. Trees have never been the homes of men of any sort, but they have been the temporary refuge of men who sought to escape beasts, or spring advantageously upon their fellows. Such books as The First Days of Man are wild and bestial imaginations.

The Children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites. God is too often a mere convenience. We forget Him in prosperity, and only make our appeal to Him in times of suffering and pain. But God is ever merciful, and He hears even the man who prays only when he is in trouble. The Lord sent a prophet unto the Children of Israel. The greatest single necessity of any people was thus met. Impoverished, indeed, is that people who have no prophet. The prophet is more than a predictor. He may be an historian. In this instance he was. He rehearsed what the God of Israel had done for His people; how He had brought them forth from Egypt out of their house of bondage, out of the hand of the Egyptians, and how they had forgotten Him. It was this fact that necessitated the rise of Gideon.

With the eleventh verse we have recorded

THE CALL OF GIDEON

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-eserite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown remind us that this was a dark corner in which Gideon was quietly rubbing the wheat from the straw. He dared not make a sound lest some watching Midianite should pounce upon him and take away the last hope of subsistence.

He was divinely chosen. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour (Jdg 6:12).

God has many ways of calling men into His ministry. We believe that at times He has audibly spoken. Little Samuel heard His voice. We believe that at other times, by the still small voice of the Spirit, He has produced profound conviction, as when Philip was sent the southway which is desert. But if the Old Testament be dependable, the angel of the Lord, or Christ, in some manlike form walked with men, talked with them, before the final incarnation. It was He, then, who called Gideon. In fact, it may be that no other than the Second Person of the Godhead has ever selected the servants of the Divine will; and it is true that such office He still fills, for it is none other than the ascended Lord that gives now to the church its apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

He was naturally fitted. The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

There is no history of Gideons exploits back of this time. What they were we shall never know. It is not vain, however, to imagine that the life Gideon had lived was essentially different from that he is to live. The child is father to the man. You show me a man who is doing great exploits and I will agree to trace him back to a boy who behaves after a kindred manner. Gideon as a warrior was probably no whit more energetic, or daring, or dangerous to an enemy, than was Gideon, the shepherd farmer. The depth of his thinking, the seriousness of his nature, the sense of sympathy with Israels condition, his familiarity with Israels former and more glorious historythese are all voiced in Jdg 6:13. When one remembers that his father was an idol worshiper, the convictions and character of the lad become the more engaging, and also the more prophetic.

I have a dear frienda minister of the Gospel with powerwho was the son of a saloon-keeper. This knowledge enhances alike the genuineness of his character and the strength of his convictions.

He was supernaturally inspired. The Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

And when, like Moses, he fled the poor house to which he belonged and hinted its departure from the faith, and, like David, admitted that he was least in the fathers house, the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man (Jdg 6:16).

Such a statement naturally staggered his faith. Is it possible that God is speaking to me after this manner? And he decided to test it out. The first was a request to remain till he should bring Him a present and set before Him. And that was an offering of

a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it.

And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight (Jdg 6:19-21).

This is the first miracle in evidence. No wonder Gideon built an altar and called it Jehovahshalom. Nor is it any greater wonder that in that same night Gideon took his fathers young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, the first one having been snatched by the Midianites, or by his infidel father sacrificed on the altar of Baal, and with the strength of that second bullock he pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the grove that was by it, and built an altar unto the Lord his God on the top of that rock, as the Lord had commanded.

This resulted in

THE CHALLENGE OF GIDEON

First, he was challenged by a host of opponents.

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it (Jdg 6:28-30).

The shock seems to have brought the father to better senses. His speech revealed the fact that his sympathies went with the faithful lad, and the new name that he gave his son indicated the same. But the host of

the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the cast were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.

But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was gathered after him.

And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them (Jdg 6:33-35).

The effect of a miracle is soon forgotten. The consuming of the flesh and meal at the touch of the angels rod would have seemed to be enough. Not so! That was yesterday. Every day demands a new manifestation of the Divine. Our memories are short-lived, our faith soon fails and must be oft refreshed.

Gideon puts God to a double test. I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said. And it was so (Jdg 6:37-38).

Did that suffice? No! Wool has a tendency to gather moisture. It might be naturalnot supernatural. So Gideon turned it around and said, Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground (Jdg 6:39-40).

Thats God! He will meet even the demand of the unbelieving. When poor doubting Thomas said, Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe * * * *, Then saith He to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing (Joh 20:25; Joh 20:27). God with you, you can go forth against a host.

He was challenged by Gods command. The one phrase that occurs again and again in this study is, The Lord said unto Gideon. He is not starting a war, then, on his own account, but at Gods command. He is not calling Israel together, then, on his own account, but at Gods command. He is not ready to pitch against the Midianites on his own account, but at Gods command. Where God commands He has also a right to control. The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Alas, how long, how long has God sought to teach man, It is not by might, nor by power? How long has He sought to impress upon us the truth, Not by works lest any man should boast? How long and how ardently has He sought to show that it is all of grace, and all of God, lest we vaunt ourselves against Him?

And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. How contemptible a crowd to go against the mighty army of the Midianites! And yet,

the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many: bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley (Jdg 7:3-8).

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform. His methods are not mans methods, because His thoughts are not mans thoughts. This brings us to the fact that

The faith of Gideon was challenged by the implements appointed. Three hundred men against an army that were like grasshoppers for multitude what folly from the human standpoint! But greater folly follows. These three hundred men were divided into three companies, and a trumpet was put into every mans hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers, and they were sent forth to war with instruments that had never been employed successfully in any battles of the past. Then implements are not of first consideration. God with us, is the final and only essential element in success.

Read, then, the remainder of the chapter and witness the utter rout, the overwhelming defeat, of the Midianites. Who shall stand against God and Gideon? The three hundred could have been sent home, and Gideon alone could have defeated the Midianites. But while God can work without men, His method is to work with men. What a great New Testament truth is here! What an absurdity exists in the very sentence of the great commission itself, and yet, what sanity is introduced when, at the end of the same, Christ says, Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world?

One of the hardest lessons for poor, proud man to learn, and one that this egotistical age needs as no age ever did, is recorded in 1Co 1:25-31:

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in His presence.

But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST GIDEON

It is a singular thing to follow this reported conquest with multiplied complaints. When was it ever otherwise? When I hear some leader in Israel, oft condemned and condemned in unsparing speech, I know that he has done something of the unusual sort. Spiritual nobodies excite few criticisms.

First, Ephraim complained of civic discourtesy. There are plenty of people who, when a war is over, will tell you how much bigger and better the battles would have been had they been invited to bear important part in the same. Such was Ephraim!

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer?

God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zal-munna, kings of Midian (Jdg 8:1-5).

Succoth and Penuel complained of national enmity.

And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host (Jdg 8:6-12).

It made no difference to them whether or not God was with Gideon. He was not of their nation, and consequently should expect no assistance from them. There are plenty of people who can have little or no sympathy with those who are not of their kin, their color, their nation, their denomination. This is and has always been the evil ground work of international complications. We may not approve Gideons method in this matter, but, whether we approve it or not, we practice it. When nations war, neutrals become extremely unpopular. And often, when war is at an end, the attitude of the neutral is not forgotten.

Finally, God complained of his help to a new idolatry.

And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earnings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels weeks.

And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

Thus was Midian subdued before the Children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezerites.

And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the Children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

And the Children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerub-baal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel (Jdg 8:24-33).

It is very doubtful if Gideon intended idolatry when he gathered the gold earrings, and when out of that gold he made an ephod. But there is nothing on earth so easily excited as false worship. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house (Jdg 8:27). This thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house.

One of the strangest things in the world is here recorded. It is strange to see a young man rise up, and, in the Name of the Lord, tear down false altars, as the young man Gideon tore down the altar of Baal, and then, after a long and useful life, in utter loyalty to God and His Word, turn in his old age to Baal worship again. But such men we know, and in America they are a multitude. When Israel was triumphant, they were Israelites. But when Baal became popular, they became Baalimites. When Fundamentalism was the only faith of the fathers, they stood fast for it. But when the sons of those same fathers turned to Rationalism, and succeeded to ecclesiastical control, they turned to worship at this new shrine. I can forgive a young man for his infidelity, but I find it difficult to have even sympathy with an old man who, after having tested and tried and proved God, turns from Him and despises His Holy Word.

But in the interest of fairness, let us hope that Gideon never so intended his ephod, and that Israels defection from the faith was in sheer consequence of Israels folly, and that natural infidelity which pulls on the souls of men as the law of gravity drags at plants, and so accept the thought that while Gideon lived, God was the only God in Israel, but when Gideon was gone, the Children of Israel turned again to Baalim as the children of true believers are turning today to rationalism and atheism.

Fuente: The Bible of the Expositor and the Evangelist by Riley

THE COMPLETION OF THE LORDS DELIVERANCE OF HIS PEOPLE. Jdg. 8:1-17

CRITICAL NOTES.

Jdg. 8:1. And the men of Ephraim said, etc.] i.e.after Gideon had reached the trans-Jordanic side of the river, and when the heads of Oreb and Zeeb were brought to him. It may either have been while he was still pursuing the flying foe, or after he had returned from that pursuit; more probably the former. Though the Ephraimites and the Manassites were the descendants of two brothers, and might have been expected to be on the most friendly terms, the former people had long been characterised by a spirit of jealousy lest they should not have that superiority granted them which had all along been predicted of them from the beginning. Had not old Jacob, when blessing the sons of Joseph, set Ephraim before Manasseh? Had not Moses, in his last blessing, spoken of the ten thousands of Ephraim and only of the thousands of Manasseh? Was not Joshua of the tribe of Ephraim? Was not the tabernacle for a long time placed in Shiloh which belonged to the tribe of Ephraim? And, for a long period, were not their numbers very great so as to justify their being regarded as a leading tribe? (Gen. 48:19; Deu. 33:17; Num. 13:8 with Jos. 19:50; Jos. 18:1, etc.). Thus envy became something like a besetting sin of the tribe of Ephraim (Isa. 11:13; Jdg. 12:1).

Sharply-strong and irritating words. Not that they cared for any part of the booty, but they were most sensitive that they should have the traditional priority conceded to them, and certainly that they should not be left in the background. It was really a question of pride, and, while this is offensive at all times, it was especially so, to introduce it in the midst of the Lords most solemn deliverance.

Jdg. 8:2. What have I now done in comparison of you? Most beautiful! Gideon at once concedes the place of honour to them. He is ready to underrate his own doings, when put in comparison with those of the Ephraimites. He knew the sensitive character of the tribe, and where the sting really lay. Hence without arguing the matter, he at once yields the point of their superiority to Manasseh, or rather, with a refinement of delicacy, he will not commit the whole tribe without their consent, but speaks only in name of his own clan, that of Abi-ezer. He uses a proverbial expression, Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage (the full crop) of Abi-ezer? He at once yields the point which they were most anxious to gainthe acknowledgment of their superiority.

While the proverbial expression employed is susceptible of a general application, probably Gideons immediate reference was to the signal service which the tribe of Ephraim had just performed. Gideon and his men bad but destroyed the rank and file of the enemy, while they had slain the two leading generals of the enemys army, and doubtless, in doing so, had made a great slaughter of their followers. The first slaughter commenced by Gideon and his men was the vintage, and the smiting down of many afterwards by the Ephraimites, was the gleanings. But these gleanings Gideon was willing to reckon of far greater consequence than all that had been done before, both because the two princes had been slain, and also because an enormous slaughter had been made of the enemy by the tribe of Ephraim (Isa. 10:26).

The grapes.] The word is not in the Hebrew text, and should be omitted. The reading should be, Is not the gleaning of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer.? [Pulp. Com.]

Jdg. 8:3. Their anger was abated.] Lit., their spirit was slackened. His good words are as victorious as his sword; his pacification of friends better than the execution of enemies. [Bp. Hall.]

God hath delivered them into your hands.] Whether they should take it well or not, he is faithful to his God in reminding these proud murmurers that the glory of all the achievements of that memorable day really belonged to God.

Jdg. 8:4. Faint yet pursuing.] (comp. 1Sa. 30:10). They were exhausted partly from want of sleep, and partly from want of food, and partly from their great exertions in running over a distance of several miles, and contending with the flying enemy all the time. The Sept. adopts the word but that does not cover the whole meaning. They were both hungry and thirsty, and also greatly fatigued. They were greatly in need of physical nourishment (Job. 22:7). Keil renders it, exhausted with pursuing; but the English rendering seems a much happier one, and gives the spirit of the passage better. It was an act of bravery and a work of faith. [Lias.] It was more, it was a sacred duty, stern in character, yet imperative in obligation, not to leave a man alive of those who had been guilty of so great a crime, as ruthlessly to despoil Gods own vineyard. Not till he had reached the most eastern extremity of Gilead, did this zealous vindicator of the name of his God feel himself at liberty to regard his work as done.

Jdg. 8:5. Succoth.] Booths or tents (Gen. 33:17). This town was in the tribe of Gad, only a little way south of the point whence the Jordan emerges from the Lake of Gennesareth, and not far from the brook Jabbok.

Loaves.] Cakes. Such as might be soon baked, and not occasion any interruption to the pursuit. It was also a modest request. He asked for no fruits or wines, or anything costly. He merely wished the simple necessaries of life. And he gave as his reason that which true Israelites ought to have regarded as the best of all reasons. I am pursuing after the kings of Midian. i.e., I am doing Gods work on behalf of His people. I am acting for the public good.

Jdg. 8:6. Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand?] Instead of showing patriotic sympathy suitable to the occasion, they consulted only their own petty selfish interests. They did not believe, notwithstanding all the wondrous feats of that night and morning, that the kings of Midian were within the grasp of Gideon and his handful of followers. Just as many who stood around the grave of Lazarus, and saw how stern death yielded up his victim at the command of the Lord of life, did not believe in the true character of Jesus, but went their way and told the Pharisees. There are always hardened unbelievers of some kind in the midst of Gods mighty doings. These craven-hearted men of Succoth, overlooking the mighty arm of God which had just been laid bare before all eyes against the Midianitish oppressors of His people, still thought it was absurd to think of 15,000 men being at the mercy of 300. They rather thought that these kings would turn on Gideons men, and swallow them up, in which case it would go hard with themselves, should it become known to the kings that they had succoured the small army of their pursuers. Rather than run the risk of falling out with the enemies of their God and their people, these princes will not move a finger to assist the man whom God was employing to reckon with His enemies, and the enemies of His people.

The reply given was not a bare refusal to grant what every true Israelite should have been forward to give. It was not even the language of common respect, but a scornful taunt. This to a man who was performing a duty on which his God had sent him, was a contempt not so much against the servant as against the master. It was adding insolence to unkindness, and that in the special presence of God. The cowardice was the least of it; it was treason to Israels God. Compare Nabals churlishness (1Sa. 25:8-11) and by contrast the conduct of Barzillai (2Sa. 17:27-29; 2Sa. 19:33-40).

Jdg. 8:7. Tear your flesh with thorns (Amo. 1:3), or thresh your bodies with thorns and briers. It was a cruel mode of putting to death which was practised in these times. Thorns of the wilderness meant those that were strong, the desert being the natural ground for yielding thorns and thistles. When captives were thus put to death, the briers and thorns were laid on their naked bodies, and then some heavy implements of husbandry were drawn over them, so crushing them to death. Or sometimes they were whipped, stroke on stroke, with thorns and prickly plants. The Chaldee version has it, I will mangle your flesh on the thorns, and on the briers. It was an old punishment to tie the naked body in a bundle of thorns and roll it on the ground [Roberts] (2Sa. 12:31; Isa. 41:15).

The word here used means to punish severely.

When the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand. He does not doubt for a moment but that it shall be so. He is sure of victory, though he has only 300 against 15,000one man to fifty!

Gideons threat seems to have made no impression on the men of Succoth. They remained stubborn in their unbelief. Reproof entereth more into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool.

Jdg. 8:8. Went up thence to Penuel.] A place rendered for ever sacred by the fact, that it was the ground where Jacob their father wrestled with the angel and prevailed (Gen. 32:30-31) It was a sad indication of degeneracy, when the very ground under their feet spoke of the victory of faith, that they should distrust the God of Jacob, as if he would not be mindful of His covenant! Penuel was higher up towards the mountains than Succoth, which indeed was in the valley. The tower was built to repel invaders from the east, who generally came along the course of the Jabbok. It was a town in Gad, and not far from Succoth.

Jdg. 8:10. Karkora town on the eastern frontiers of Gadas far away as they could get from the Israelitish army, which had now swollen as a river, from the rush of men out of all the tribes. It was the first spot of ground they had reached since the frightful panic they had experienced in Jezreel, where they reckoned themselves safe, for being now almost beyond the boundary line of the country, they did not suppose the Israelites would care to pursue them farther. The host was secure. They felt they could now draw breath, and were glad to take some repose, after the terrible trouble through which they had passed.

Jdg. 8:11. Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tentsby the usual route taken by nomads and travellers. He seems to have gone round about somewhat, so as to come upon them from the north-east, which would be a great surprise, and being the season of night, it would renew the terror of the previous night. Not having yet recovered from the panic, they would feel as if new terrors would spring up mysteriously wherever they went, and so they would be unnerved for fighting. They would also very likely be unarmed and laid down to sleep, thus being unprepared for battle. The strength too of Gideons army would be unknown to them in the darkness, and doubtless they thought it far larger than it really was. But the principal element of weakness was the superstitious dread they had of Gideon and of Gideons God. A mysterious awe fell upon them in connection with the name Jehovah, and with the name of Gideon as His servant.

Jdg. 8:12. Discomfited all the host.] Struck terror into them. In the previous verse it is said, he smote the host, implying that he put them to death.

He took the two kings of Midian.] Zebah and Zalmunna were the kings proper of Midian. Oreb and Zeeb were but princes, or generals of the army.

Jdg. 8:13. Returned from battle before the sun rose.] The word Heres here translated the sun, is used with the same meaning in ch. Jdg. 14:18.; comp. Gen. 19:15, when the morning arose.

Jdg. 8:14. Described unto him the princes of Succoth.] Rather he wrote down the names of the princes. Seventy-seven men, so that there would be no mistake in punishing the right persons.

Jdg. 8:15. Ye did upbraid me.] Ye loaded me with reproach as if God could not deliver these kings into my hand. Now behold them!

Jdg. 8:16. He taught the men of Succoth.] The elders, or chief men caused them to know to their cost, or by personal experience. He gave them a severe lesson, viz., what a dangerous thing it was to make light of Gods works, or to trifle with the glory of His name. Some think he put them to death, as he did the leading men of Penuel.

Jdg. 8:17. Beat down the tower.] Their tower was their pride. Of that are they first stripped, then of their lives. Gideon was no doubt acting by Gods directions in what he did. It was one of the days of the Lord, when He rises up to vindicate the honour of His name, and when every transgression and disobedience receives a due recompense of reward.

MAIN HOMILETICS.Jdg. 8:1-17

I. The hateful character of envy and jealousy.

The view here given of Ephraims character is humiliating; yet it has two redeeming points.

(1) This tribe did respond to the call made to take part in the Lords deliverance from the presence of the oppressor, and they did materially contribute to the great triumph that was gained over the enemy. For they not only slew Oreb and Zeeb, but they effected a great slaughter of these foreign oppressors at the same time.
(2) They did acknowledge Gideon as the captain of the Lords choosing on the occasion, for it was in obedience to his call that they came forth, and when the victory was gained they presented the heads of the princes to him. These were two important features in a picture here given of Ephraims character which is otherwise dark. Their conduct forms an unseemly exhibition of envy and jealousy at a solemn moment in the history of the nation. To call it nothing worse, the moral meanness of their present action was to their lasting discredit.

1. They cowardly stood aloof in the moment of danger. We do not hear of the slightest movement made in that tribe when Gideon blew the trumpet to summon volunteers to fight the Lords battle. If they were to be the foremost in wearing the honours they ought to have been the foremost in meeting the dangers. Why did not shame fill their faces that they, the so-called mightiest tribe tarried at home till the victory was won, and then only they bestirred themselves to help their brethren? We should have thought they would come to Gideon on this occasion, with many apologies on their lips, and expressions of regret that they had not acted a more manly and a more loyal part to their God than they did. Yet they chid with Gideon sharply, as if they were the injured parties! They should rather have cried him up for his valour, and blessed God for his victory.

2. They made little account of Gideons Divine commission. They overlooked the fact that Gideon was but a child in the hands of his God, and that from first to last all the directions as to the steps that were to be taken were given by Him. This was a more serious blot still. The first particular we have mentioned was but cowardice, but this is to overlook the hand of God. In finding fault with Gideon in this matter they were really complaining of the management of Him who guided Gideon in all his movements.

3. Their only object appeared to be to gratify their own ambition. To do this at any time was a gross breach of good manners, but on such a day as this was for Israel, and in the presence of such striking proofs of Gods gracious return to His people, who had so long been lying under the heel of the oppressors, was at once infamous and wicked. Their sense of Gods honour was unspeakably small, and their desire for exalting themselves to honour was all-absorbing.

4. They sought their honours at the most serious risk. Had they not found in Gideon a man of great moderation, meek as regards his own rights, and forbearing as regards the conduct of others, a fire might now have been kindled in Israel itself at the very critical moment, when the enemy was yet only partially routed, and the danger was not all past. Thus the work in which God Himself was taking part might have been marred, and a new evil of civil war might have sprung up in Israel, equally if not more disastrous than that which they had with Midian.

5. Envy is one of many sister evils. Pride, jealousy, and envy, especially go together. Pride, indeed, was the first sinthe aspiring to be a god. From this a whole brood of sins spring, and all have a remarkable family likeness. But the parent is pride, which really means making self the most important of all things, and a desire that all things should become subordinate to self. The true balance of things which God has established is that, while every man should cherish self-respect, he is not to over-value himself, as being a dependent creature, and occupying a certain position which God in His providence has assigned to him.

The evil of this sin is seen, in that it thrust proud Nebuchadnezzar out of mens society, proud Saul out of his kingdom, proud Haman out of court, proud Adam out of paradise, and proud Lucifer out of heaven. [H. Smith.]

Remember what thou wert before the truthnothing; what thou wert for many years afterweakness; what in all thy lifea great sinner; what in all thy excellenciesa mere debtor to God, to thy parents, to the earth, to all the creatures. Surely nothing is more reasonable than to be humble, and nothing more foolish than to be proud. [Taylor.]

What is a man proud ofmoney? It will not procure for him one nights sleep. It will not buy him back a lost friend. It will not bribe off approaching death. Land? a little bit of it will soon be all he will require. Learning? if he be equal to Newton, he has gathered one little pebble on the oceans shore, and even that one he must soon lay down again. [S. T. Treasury.]

Those trees bend the most freely which bear the most fully. As a proud heart loves none but itself, so it is beloved by none but itself. Who would attempt to gain those pinnacles, that none have ascended without fears, or descended without falls? Where the river is deepest, the water glides the most smoothly. Empty casks sound most, whereas the well-filled vessel silences its own sound. As the shadow of the sun is largest when his beams are lowest, so we are always least when we make ourselves the greatest. [Secker.]

Pride is an evil that puts men upon all manner of evils. Accius the poet, though a dwarf, yet would be pictured as tall of stature. Psaphon, a proud Libyan, would needs be a god, and having caught some birds, he taught them to prattle the great god, Psaphon. Menecrates, a proud physician, wrote thus to King Philip: Menecrates, a god, to Philip, a king. Proud Simon, in Lucian, having got a little wealth, changed his name from Simon to Simonides, because there were so many beggars of his kin; he also set the house on fire where he was born, that no one might point to it. [Brooks.]

The demon of Pride was born with us, and it will not die one hour before us. It is so woven into the very warp and woof of our nature, that till we are wrapped in our winding-sheets we shall never hear the last of it. [Spurgeon]

Like a snake coiled up in a bed of flowers, there is danger lurking under our fairest attainments; like the inflammatory attack, to which those are most liable who are highest fed, whose bones are full of marrow, and whose veius are gorged with blood, so we may be exposed to spiritual pride through the very fulness of our graces; therefore we ought to watch and pray against the great evil, and study to be humble. [Guthrie.]

A minister who on a certain occasion had preached ably and well, at the close of the service was accosted by a hearer with the exclamation, That was a noble sermon, sir, Yes, was the reply, the devil told me that before I left the pulpit.

6. Envy is an intolerant evil. Who can stand before it? It grieves that others should possess the good in which it does not share. It fired the breast of Saul, and he cast a javelin at David. It rankled in the bosoms of Josephs brethren, and they first cast him into a pit, and then sold him for a slave to strangers. It inflamed the mind of the wicked Cain so that he rose against his brother and slew him. It burned along with pride in the heart of Haman, and moved him to seek the death, not only of Mordecai, but of the whole race to which he belonged. It grudges even to give that to a man which he has fairly earned by his skill and toil (Ecc. 4:4). It refuses even to the closest friends the slightest superiority over ones self, though it is the Master himself who confers it (Mat. 20:24). From its envenomed assaults the best of men are not exempted (1Sa. 17:28). It is one of those roots of bitterness from which spring strifes, railings, evil surmisings, and perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds.

II. The nobility of meek forbearance under false accusation.

What a refreshing contrast have we in the bearing of Gideon to that of the men of Ephraim! His spirit is calm and morally great, beautifully illustrative of Pro. 16:32. He stands before us like a giant in the midst of peevish children.

1. He refrains from recrimination. He not only had ground for self vindication, but it belonged rather to him to find fault with his accusers. Why did not the men of Ephraim come forward of themselves long ago, and take the lead in rescuing the country from oppression? Why did they need to be called for at all to take part in such a work? There was no refusal of volunteers for such a cause, and why come in now to raise heart-burnings in the very midst of a solemn Divine interposition on behalf of the sacred nation, when they ought as one man to be prostrating themselves in the dust before Jehovah, and pouring out their gratitude from penitent hearts at the deliverance of their land from the incubus of oppression? But this true man of God refrains from rebuke. He knew that, however strong his case, that course would lead to strife (comp. 2Sa. 19:41-43). He therefore wisely left off contention before meddling with it.

2. He had regard to the great interests that were in his hands. It was the moment of Israels redemption, when everything depended on union among themselves. To have got into strife now would have been a suicidal policy for the best interests of the country. It might have led to civil war, and plunged Israel into a deeper distress than that out of which they were just emerging. Besides, Gideon felt that he occupied the sacred position of being in Gods employment, His servant appointed to carry into execution a great work. All controversy among themselves, therefore, was not to be thought of, but gratitude and praise he felt should absorb all their attention. It was these things present to his mind that formed the basis of the answer which he gave. Public considerations, not personal; Gods presence, and Gods authority over him; Gods cause, and Israels salvationthese were the grounds on which Gideon made his noble reply.

3. He yields the place of honour to those who accuse him. (Php. 2:3). What have I done compared with what you have done? To you be the larger share of merit. If I have been first in the field, your gleaning has been more than my vintage. God has given to me to break up the enemys camp, but to you He has given the heads of two of the principal leaders in that great army, along with a great slaughter of the rank and file. What have I done to compare with you? Here is an instance of the spirit that prefers another in honour to ones self. He gives up his own claims in a moment, when he finds that they might prove an offence to those around him. No man was more humble of all that fought that day than was Gideon. From the shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people in moral greatness. He that ruled in Israel was willing to take the lowest place. He proves twice a conqueror, first over the hosts of Midian, and then more signally still over himself! The Macedonian monarch conquered the world, but entirely failed to subdue himself. The Bible great man is immeasurably superior to the worlds hero. The one affords a living illustration of whatsoever things are just, pure, lovely, and of good report. The other illustrates the case of a man sinking to the level of the brute, acting like a savage to those around him, and at last dying the death of a debauchee. If Gideon is a picture of moral greatness, then this is a picture of moral infamy; and to set it upon a throne is to hold it up to the scorn and reprobation of all time!

4. The spirit which he showed entirely pacified the fault-finders. Their anger was abated when he said that. How forcible are right words! Nothing more wise could have come from one who had a large knowledge of human nature. He put his finger on the spot where the soreness was felt, and poured on it the most soothing of oils, which at once produced the desired effect. A soft tongue breaketh the bone. A soft answer turneth away wrath. It was as if some spiritperhaps that good angel that called him to this work and inspired him in ithad whispered in his ear the words which He long afterwards spake through a New Testament apostle. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourself, but rather give place unto wrath. On this principle he acted, and so overcame evil with good, and poured coals of fire on the fault-finders heads. All men of right judgment while they look on, involuntarily exclaim, The righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour.

The practical good done to Israel was incalculably great. The spark was burning dangerously close to the tinder, and frightfully destructive must have been the explosion, had not a firm foot been instantly put down to extinguish it. A bitter internecine war was prevented just in time, which might have cost the lives of many thousands of the sons of his people, have kindled a spirit of deep hostility among brethren, and have perpetuated feelings of jealousy and malice for many generations. On Gideons brow this day was written in letters of white the mottoBlessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. He acted from the force of moral principle, to gain precious and Divine ends, and his name shall not die from the page of true fame. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

III. The condition of success in Gods service.

A great work was now being done for God. An enemy had bidden defiance to the God of heaven, had blasphemed His name, and not only wantonly touched, but threatened to extinguish the people whom He had taken into covenant with Himself, and who kept up the knowledge of His name on the earth. For that enemy the day of reckoning was now come. He must be destroyed, and that utterly. The jealousy of Jehovah for His own great name was now awakened. Gideon and his 300 men were the instruments chosen to fulfil the sentence of Heaven on these rebellious ones; and till the work was finished, not a man was at liberty to retire from his post. Though they were all in greater or less degree overcome with fatigue, from long fighting, want of sleep, want of food, and running over many miles of ground, yet they must not relax their efforts. The sacred call of their God was to persevere till their work was done. Thus only could success be legitimately won. It is in this condition that we now find Gideon and his 300 men (Jdg. 8:4) faint, yet pursuing.

These words contain a Paradox. Those who fight the Lords battles often faint, and yet they pursue. They are overcome, and yet prove victorioustheir strength is gone, and yet they are more than a match for the foethey are cast down, but not destroyedthe cedars become reeds, and yet are able to weather the stormthe confessedly faint do the work of heroeseach can say, When I am weak then am I strongand can add in explanation, By Thee have I run through a troop; by my God do I leap over a wall. Or, in New Testament phrase, I can do all things through Christ, who strengtheneth me.

Here an important principle is laid down for those who would enter into Gods service. It relates to the condition on which success is to be gained. Even when strength is exhausted, there must be the resolution to persevere. Wearied and weak, with small visible resources, while difficulties and dangers are numerous and formidable, the true worker for God must resolutely persevere. He is allowed to think only of victorynever of defeat. Even should his arm become feeble, and he be scarcely able to drag his limbs along, he must ever keep his face to the foe, and assume the certainty of his being a conqueror in the end.

The idea is not simply that of perseverance, but perseverance when human wisdom can see no natural means of holding out any longer. These men had fought till they could fight no more. Yet they followed on, implicitly obedient to the call of Divinely-appointed duty. Though the requirement of rest and refreshment was imperative, the fear of God was upon their spirits, and not a murmur of complaint was heard along their ranks. There was no call for substitutes to take their places, which could easily have been done. The rule was distinctBy these three hundred will I save you and let all the other people go every man unto his place (Jdg. 7:7). By them alone they knew the work must be done.

This rule is of general application; for the principles which apply to any one work of God apply to all, and in every age, regard only being had to the change of circumstances. For general use the following particulars are to be noticed:

1. The condition of success itselfwhat it is. It implies

(1.) Every atom of strength must be put forth. Every muscle and bone in his body must be given. Not a drop of blood in his veins must be withheld. Nerves and sinews, all that hands and feet can do, must be absolutely surrendered. It is not enough that there should be a little zeal and some honest work done, or that some great efforts be made, and a man show himself to be in earnest, but a mans whole being must be given up to the service of his God when the call is given. This, indeed, is simply coming up to the measure of what is reasonable, for we owe to God our whole selvesevery faculty we have, and its fullest exercise. He may seldom require us to strain our energies in His service, but absolute dedication to Him of all we are, and have, is simply His just due, so that we are always to hold ourselves in readiness to offer to Him the exercise of our faculties, to any degree that He may require.

Thus as regards work. As to suffering, our Saviour himself is an example of the absolute surrender of every limb and sensitive part, when that is required to illustrate the deep designs of Gods moral government. He submitted to be poured out like water and to have all His bones out of jointHis heart made like wax, and melted in the midst of His bowels; His strength dried like a potsherd, and brought down to the dust of death (Psa. 22:14-15).

All this is greatly intensified, when we think that our life, which was forfeited by sin, has been given to us anew as the purchase of the blood of Gods own Son.

(2.) When strength is exhausted the fight must be continued by faith. When our resources are exhausted, and the work is not done, we are still to believe that Gods resources can never fail, and that, if the work in hand is really for His glory, and needful to be done, it shall be done without fail, sooner or later, as to time, and in the manner which He sees to be best as to means. To carry on the fight by faith is most glorifying to God, because it trusts His power to bring out the issue though the steps are not seen; it trusts His wisdom to find out the means; and it trusts His faithfulness, that He will never make light of His word of promise. The dependence of the creature on the fountain head is more distinctly seen, and seen to be absolute; while gratitude flows in a purer form, and from a deeper well-spring in the heart (Isa. 26:4; Gen. 18:14; Psa. 147:5; Pro. 15:11; Num. 23:19). Hence we often find that though God does not despise the use of a mans natural faculties, for they are His own gift, yet He often blocks up our way that we may see what a short way one can travel when left to themselves, and how necessary it is to keep close to Him who has said, As thy days, so shall thy strength be, and who always keeps His word (Isa. 40:30-31).

(3.) We must never lose the hope of victory. The true soldier in Gods service must assume that he is invincible while doing Gods work faithfully and from right motives. To suppose failure would be to distrust Omnipotence, or to suppose that a Divine promise could be broken. When God undertakes a work it cannot prove abortive. He is the Lord of hosts, mighty in battle (Psa. 48:1, etc.; Job. 9:4; Psa. 9:19-20; Deu. 32:30; Isa. 46:9-10). Yet, notwithstanding all assurances, faith is often weak and gives way. Even the conqueror of Goliath, when wearied out with perpetual harassment, gave way to despondency, and said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines. A sad illustration of the weakness of faith on the part of one who had been solemnly taken under the protection of the God of Israel, through his being anointed with the holy oil, and who had already for several years been marvellously delivered from the malicious designs made on his life by a bloodthirsty man.

(4.) We must endure every possible hardship for the cause of God. Gideons men of faith had to fight all the night long without intermission, without sleep or refreshment, and to travel laboriously over hill and dale for many a weary mile, while they cheerfully submitted to the lines marked out for them. They were required not to confer with flesh and blood, but rather to crucify the flesh when it was necessary to serve the ends of high principle (Heb. 11:36-37; comp. Act. 9:16; Act. 21:13). Love of our own ease must never exceed our love to the Saviour, or to the cause of our God. We dare not take up the cause of religion merely when it is comfortable, but turn aside when we meet with briers and thorns. Pliable could say, come on, brother, let us mend our pace, so long as his ear was soothed with pleasant talk about the crowns and sceptres of the better land on high; but when the Slough of Despond came in his way, he very quickly turned his back on the christian pilgrimage. The man that is wanted for Gods service must work on, even when he begins to faint, must keep to his oars even when he goes against the stream, and must go resolutely forward even when there is a lion in the way. A true servant of our Divine Master must be content to bear a real cross for His sake, never to keep back from duty through fear of man, or dread of the worlds scorn, but at all times to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

(5.) We must never give up till the work is done. It was not enough for Gideon to read the enemy a lesson by crippling his strength and scattering his army. All the members of that proud host had been guilty of a capital crime, and must have the sentence of death executed upon them in the day of the Lord, when judgment was being laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet. Gideons commission was to smite the Midianites as one man (ch. Jdg. 6:16). Their sin in despising the God of Israel was very offensive. All had been guilty, and all must perish, for now the Divine jealousy was awakened. So it was in other cases (Deu. 20:16-18; Deu. 25:17-19; Jos. 11:20; 1Sa. 15:3).

2. The difficulty of complying with this condition. Because fainting is so frequent an experience of those who are resolved to persevere at the line of duty. This arises from

(1.) The weakness of the natural faculties. We are dust. Our spirits dwell in houses of clay, and we are crushed before the moth. All flesh is grass. Many of those who are enrolled in Gods service are bruised reeds. None can sayMy strength is the strength of stones, and my flesh is of brass. How is it to be expected that such persons should persevere when real difficulties in the way of duty arise? The most intrepid soldier sometimes trembles; the most robust labourer is not always free from languor; the soul of the most persevering pilgrim is oftentimes much discouraged because of the way. So in the discharge of the duties which every good man has before him in his place, partly through their toilsome character, partly through their multitude, and partly through their long continuance; his strength fails, his spirit droops, and he feels utterly unequal to the work set before him. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

(2.) The small success which crowns great efforts. This produces fainting. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought. We have toiled all the night and caught nothing. We have borne the burden and heat of the day, and only earned a penny. Sometimes the Missionary has but a single convert after years of sacrifice and privation. The Christian Minister, with the most indefatigable toil, can barely keep up his small number of adherents. The Christian Teacher of the young cannot sometimes point to a single case of a striking conversion.

(3.) The opposition of those who know not God. There are still outside the Christian city the Sanballats the (Horonite), and the Geshems the (Arabian), to hinder those who would build the walls of Jerusalem, and the race is scarcely less numerous than of old. Moses met with them in the Egyptian magicians; Hezekiah, in the blaspheming Sennacherib; Daniel, in the princes and presidents set over the kingdom of Darius; Paul, in Elymas the sorcerer, and in Alexander the coppersmith, who did him much evil. The advocates of gospel truth still meet with them in those who would exalt reason so as to destroy faith; in those who would magnify charity so as to efface the distinctions of moral character; and in those who would stretch out liberty, until it become all one with laxity. There are many who openly oppose, and there are still more who would secretly undermine, the pillar of gospel truth. No wonder, if those who are in charge of the building of Sions walls, should oftentimes find their hearts giving way, and their souls fainting within them.

(4.) The hanging back of those who ought to be friends. Nothing is more helpful to the Christian cause than the warm sympathy, and timely aid of true fearers of the Lord. How greatly was Paul comforted by the coming of Titus on one occasion (2Co. 7:5-6); and how much were his hands strengthened and his spirit cheered by such true yoke-fellows as Timothy and Epaphroditus on another occasion (Php. 2:19-20; Php. 2:27). But how many hung back. Demas, who loved this present world; Hymeneus and Alexander, who made shipwreck of the faith; Phyletus, Phygellus and Hermogenes, with nearly all that were in Asia, who left their spiritual teacher (2Ti. 4:10; 1Ti. 1:20; 1 Tim. 2:17; 2Ti. 1:15), and a large number undefined (Php. 2:21). How much greater would have been the success that crowned the efforts of the Apostles, if those who at first did run well had continued true to the end!

(5.) The stream of circumstances is often against us. It might be supposed to be otherwise, when the cause is Gods own, and His glory is concerned in its progress. Having all events at His disposal, why should not the Ruler of Providence arrange, so that the stream should ever flow in favour of the truth. Yet the balance of circumstances seems much rather to favour its enemies than its friends. So many occurrences are happening to hinder the cause of Christ, so many disappointments take place when there was a fair hope of success, breaches of engagements happen, rival competitors step in, the interests of selfishness come into collision with those of God and His cause, changes of opinion, and still worse, changes of feeling among friends are ever occurring, we are constantly being surrounded by new conditions of life, old friends pass away, and new friends are with difficulty made, strifes and divisions arise, and the gospel chariot is beset with hindrance on all sides.

(6.) Anxieties as to the issue of our efforts. This also leads to fainting, as they are long continued. This anxiety is greater or less as natural fear gets the better of faith. This, however, has in it more of weakness than of unbelief. The timid spirit exclaimsWho shall roll us away the stone? But strong faith calls outWho art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain. The Israelites of Ezekiels days gave up the cause of God among them as lost. The life seemed to have gone out of the Church, and in their own minds they were likening themselves to a multitude of dry bones, which no preaching could put life into. Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off for our parts. But God, by His prophet, shows them that when the wind comes, along with the prophesying, the bones come together, and they stand upon their feet an exceeding great army (Eze. 37:11).

(7.) Struggles with indwelling sin (Hab. 1:2). O, wretched man, etc. (Rom. 7:24). Sin is ever destructive of strength. It produces the hiding of Gods countenance, and so cuts off the soul from the supply of its strength. No calamity is so great as to lose the shining of that countenance. How earnestly do those pray for the help of that countenance who know from experience its value (Psa. 80:3; Psa. 42:5; Psa. 51:12; Exo. 33:18; Psa. 4:6-7). But there is only trouble when that countenance is hid (Psa. 30:7; Isa. 40:27). Sin produces fear, and so unhinges every faculty. The soul cannot act with the firmness and resolution of one who has well-grounded hope, but is more than half paralysed at the thought that all things are against it. Sin acts like an incubus of mysterious weight upon the soul, crushing it down irresistibly (Psa. 38:4; Psa. 32:3-4; Psa. 39:10).

From all these and many similar causes, it is a frequent experience on the part of those who are engaged in any service for God, to faint in the fulfilment of their duty. Yet the rule is that though faint, they must be determined to persevere.

3. High purposes are served by this arrangement.

(1.) It shows the worth of the cause in which Gods workers are engaged. The excellence of the cause is to be estimated by what is paid for its maintenance. Here every atom of a mans strength is first required. To that is to be added his faith, that God will put forth the resources of omnipotence, in so far as that is needed, to make the work a perfect work. The work is supposed to be so sacred that nothing must be wanting that man, the instrument, or God, the worker, can do to have the end accomplished. That end is really the honour of Gods great name. For this the universe arose; for this it stands. The glory of the heavens above, and of the earth around, is the glory of Him who made them. This is the one end of all existence, and the only supreme object for which man lives. Hence all the toil and sacrifice of which a mans nature is susceptible, is not too much to give for the keeping up of the honour of the Divine name. To require this of a man shows the tribute of reverence which is due.

(2.) It is a test of loyalty to their God. This condition imposed on Gideons men showed how far they were willing to go in fidelity to Him whom they accepted as their God. Were they resolved that nothing whatever would turn them from their allegiance? The taunts and sneers of their fellows, the ease and rest which they would have secured, had they obtained substitutes to finish the work which they had begun, the trials arising from hunger and thirst, exposure and weariness, from which they intensely suffered, all were insufficient to make them depart by a single hairbreadth from the prescribed path of duty. The word of their God was more sacred to them than their life was dear, and they were prepared to die at their post, rather than show slackness in their reverence, or fail to carry it out both in letter and spirit. Their language wasit is not necessary for us to live; it is essential that we be loyal to our God.

Similar examplesPaul (Act. 21:13), Job (ch. Jdg. 13:15), Peter and the disciples (Mat. 19:27-29), Jonathan (1 Samuel 14), Mary, in choosing the teaching of Jesus as the one thing needful (Luk. 10:41-42).

(3.) It illustrates the power of Gods grace in sustaining those men in their heroic resolution. There was more than natural courage, and power of natural endurance in that splendid example of self-sacrifice. There was an illustration given of what Divine grace could do, to sustain the soul under a great trial. Who could deny that the Spirit of the Lord came upon them as upon Gideon (Jdg. 6:34), for they shared with him in the doing of this work, so that they needed in some measure the same qualifications. The very fact that they were chosen specially by God Himself for the work implied, that from Him they would receive the qualifications needed (Jdg. 7:5-7).

On this needful sustaining grace, all who have any work to do in Gods service may at all times count. The constant assurance is, I am with thee. I will not fail thee. My grace is sufficient for thee. It gives victory over the wicked one in all that he can do (Luk. 10:19; Eph. 6:16; 1Jn. 5:18; Rom. 16:20) victory over the world (1Jn. 5:4; Joh. 16:33); victory over indwelling corruption; which is in some sense the greatest victory of all, for nothing so hinders the doing of any work for God as the working of sin in the heart. Sin is essentially a rebellion against God, and kills the spirit of obedience. It draws harsh inferences from Gods arrangements, and leads to the cherishing of hard thoughts about Gods character and ways. Yet Divine grace can make the spark of spiritual life exist in the soul amid a sea of corruption, and though it only glimmers like a feeble taper, it must continue to burn, notwithstanding all the rough winds that blow upon it from every side.

But where this seed of the new life exists in the heart, it must show itself in good works in the life to some extent. At any moment too, through some special quickening of Gods grace, there is provision for enabling a man to persevere in the doing of Gods work, even though he is at the point of fainting.

(4.) This arrangement furnishes strong cases of unswerving fidelity to God and His cause. Strong cases are needed to show to what heights true piety can reach. The garden of the Lord not only has its many specimens of little flowers, tender saplings, and all the ordinary growths, but there must also be the noble elms, the tall cedars, and the majestic oaks. So also in the Christian church, there must not only be the children, the feeble, and the mass of the inexperienced, and the undisciplined, but also some types of the strong, the mature, and those of princely features. There must be those who can represent the Christian character to advantage. One such case as we have here is worth more than a hundred, or even a thousand examples of the ordinary type. In regard to these latter cases, little impression is made on the world by them. They differ so little from the worlds own type of a devoted character. But these noble 300 are all of a class whom the world cannot match, before whom it bows and confesses its marked inferiority. Here are a handful of men absolutely overcome with fatigue, only 300 in number, all told, pursuing an army still 15,000 strong. They are parched with thirst, and famishing for want of food, while they have several miles to traverse on foot, ere they reach the enemy. They are all faint as regards their bodily condition, though not one of them is faint in spirit. They have still to fight against fifty times their number, but now they are utterly exhausted and wearied out, whereas then they were fresh and vigorous, so that in reality they were now fighting a more unequal battle than at first, when they had to face a foe nine times multiplied in number. Faith had need to be strong indeed, that could take victory for certain, under such circumstances as these. Truly, these elders by faith obtained a good report.

(5.) The creatures insufficiency without Divine aid must be shown. When human resources dry up like the wady in the desert, and can no farther go, then is brought out the incomparable superiority of the ocean with its exhaustless fulness.

4. Great encouragements to persevere.

(1.) The constant presence of the Captain of Salvation. Lo, I am with you always. He was with His people when they were suffering in the iron furnace of Egypt earnestly looking on, for it was the members of His body that were suffering. He was with the Church in the wilderness, to protect and lead them; and, in every period of that remarkable history, His presence was made known as the Saviour of His redeemed ones, at one time taking them by the arms teaching them how to go, at another, bearing them as on eagles wings, and on a third occasion, rising up as a wall of fire round about them. They are sacred to Him, one and all, as those who are purchased by His blood, and whom He has received in charge to bring home in due time to glory. He utters all in one word when He says, I will never leavenever, never forsake thee (Isa. 54:10).

(2.) Divine assurance is given of victory. I will contend with him that contendeth with thee. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, for thou shalt thresh the mountains, etc. (see Isa. 41:14-15, also 10). The enemy at most shall only be able to bruise the heel; thou shalt bruise his head. On this occasion, not one of the 300 men fell down slain; nay, not one of them was wounded. God was a covering to their head in the day of battle. A thousand fell by their side, and ten thousand at their right hand, yet to them it did not come nigh; for the Eternal God was their refuge, and underneath them were the everlasting arms. Not a hair of their heads was touched. It was special, as when at the exodus from the land of bondage there was not one feeble person in all their tribes (Psa. 105:37). Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it (Mat. 16:25). Nothing is more uncertain, in most cases, than the issue of a battle. Napoleon said at the battle of Waterloo, By all the rules of war I ought to have won, but my good genius forsook me. But all who serve under a greater commander will without fail be able to finish by saying, We are more than conquerors through Him that loveth us.

The weakest saint shall win the day,
Though earth and hell oppose the way.

(3.) The good man is already begun to be victorious. He is faint, but not down. He is so far from being vanquished, that he is already pursuing. The tide of battle is turned in his favour, and ere long the field will be his own. The enemys ranks are broken, and he is a retreating foe. The Captain of Salvation has borne the brunt of the contest, and has decided the day; all that remains for His followers, is to follow up the victory. The soldier of Christ often fails to see that the position is won, for he feels himself grappling with circumstances that threaten to overmaster him, and with influences that are ever throwing him back rather than forward. Forces and events come upon him which are too mighty for his unaided strength, so that he is continually made to say, O! when shall this terrible struggle have an end! He is like a straw among the giant billows. But all is meant to teach the lesson of absolute reliance on his Saviour God, to bring him through the conflict. The rule is, that where Christ has already overcome, all His people must overcome after Him (Joh. 14:19; Joh. 16:33; Rom. 6:14; Rom. 6:4; Rom. 6:6; Rom. 16:20).

4. Many others have fought and overcome in the service of God. All the good from Abel and Abraham downward to the present hour. Many have passed through a hard struggle, but there has been only one termination in the end. This is the Fathers will that I should lose nothing (Joh. 6:39). The twelve times twelve thousand who were sealed in Revelation 7, before passing through the great convulsions recorded in subsequent chapters, all re-appear as the complete number of 144,000 (not a single unit awanting) standing with the Lamb, safe and joyful, on the heights of Mount Sion, free for ever from all the assaults of enemies, in Judges 14.

5. The reward of Gods service is unspeakably great. The worlds hero has for his prize wealth, honours, high station, a name on the page of history, an ovation from the multitude when he appears in public, perhaps a monument to tell to the future world his victorious deeds. Yet all that is but the applause of perishing men. The faithful good-doer in the service of God shall be received into the country of sinless perfection as his home, shall wear an incorruptible crown, shall have angels for his companions and ministering spirits, shall stand for ever in the presence of his Lord, shall receive robes, palms, sceptres, and harps from His royal hand, and shall rejoice for ever in His gracious smile.

5. Applications of this rule.

(1.) To the church of God collectively, in the great work of keeping up a standard for Gods truth in the world, and extending it to the ends of the earth. Gods servants are often weary and faint in their minds while endeavouring to fulfil this responsible duty; yet, though surrounded with dark clouds, and disheartened a thousand times, their resolution must be to persevere.

(2.) To any particular church or congregation, whose duty it is to shine as a light, holding forth the lamp of the Gospel to dispel the darkness of error and sin, and to persevere in doing so, even if the flame should be blown out by cold easterly winds, and nothing be left but smoking flax.

(3.) To any pious man who embraces opportunities for working among the ungodly, and who tries in the strength of his God to turn the wilderness around him into a fruitful field, but who finds the soil to be very hard, so that his work resembles that of boring through solid rock; yet, though baffled many times, he must not give up, but continue his efforts, hoping on against hope, and laying hold of promised Divine resources, and at last a great success shall come. The exhaustion of his own resources, while there is nothing but failure, proves all the more distinctly the need of prayer and the exercise of faith.

(4.) To all individual workers in the Churchto Christian ministers, to standard-bearers and office-bearers, to teachers, benevolent agents, conductors of prayer meetings, spiritual advisers, messengers of comfort, and good-doers of every class in the church as in the garden, in contrast with the open field whose aim is not only to bring in, but to build up, to nourish, to lead on, to counsel and warn, to stimulate and cheer, to admonish and to encourage. Though, both with the evangelist and the instructor, the work proceeds but slowly, and all day long they complain that they have stretched out their hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, yet the motto ever is, Though faint, still pursue.

(5.) To every good man who strives to live a consistently righteous life in an ungodly world. He has constant sacrifices to make for the sake of righteous principle, living among those who know no such principle, or who practically disregard it. His worldly interest suffers, he is assailed with sneers and reproaches, he has to count on the worlds ill-will and persecution, and he has to fight his battles for the most part alone, except such help as he gets from the Divine countenance smiling upon him. Yet, though rivers of waters run down his eyes while men do not keep Gods law, and though he often raises the complaint, Woe is me that I dwell in Mesech, &c., he must ever resolve to pursue.

(6.) To the fearer of God in carrying on the work of his personal sanctification. While the work of Christ secures to every one who rests on it a complete title to heaven, a change of personal character is not less necessary to secure fitness for that holy world. Every expectant of heavenly bliss is called upon therefore to work out his salvation with fear and trembling, for God worketh in him (comp. 2Co. 7:1, and 1Jn. 3:3). Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. He must become conformed to the image of Gods Son, and so made meet to become a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light. To get this work accomplished requires time, many wrestlings in prayer, much diligence in the use of the means of grace, and much of the Holy Spirits influences to work on the heart; yet all the while, he sees a law in the members warring against the law of the mind, &c. He is faint with struggling against the native depravity of the heart, and yet as the condition of success he must persevere.

Brevities on Perseverance.One may go far after he is tiredFrench. Perseverance is rather a state of standing still than going on; perseverance kills the gameSpanish. Hard pounding, gentlemen; but we will see who can pound the longestWellington at Waterloo. It was perseverance that made Newton, Columbus, Washington, Stephenson, Wilberforce what they were. Perseverando vinces is a time-honoured motto.

IV. The blindness and obduracy of unbelief.

Blindness of mind and hardness of heart always go together. Those who remained deaf to all Gods pleadings with His people in every age are generally said to be a people of no understanding. The men who came around the Saviour during His public ministry, and saw most of His mighty works, still remained unconvinced to the end of His Divine character. After they had seen all, they spoke as if they had seen nothing; and near the close of His ministry, they still put the question, What sign showest thou that we may believe? Having eyes they did not see, neither did they understand.
It is the same here. These men of the tribe of Gad, whose ancestors in the days of Deborah abode among the sheepfolds rather than step forward with their brethren to the help of the Lord against the mighty, now show themselves utterly unconcerned about the great deliverance which the God of Israel was working out for His people with a high hand and a stretched out arm. The mighty fact which smote on the ears of men with the force of thunder, that in one night 120,000 of the dead bodies of Israels enemies were scattered all the way from Jezreel to the banks of the Jordan and beyond it, seemed to make no impression on these callous-hearted men of Succoth and Penuel. They could not discern from this stupendous fact, that this was the hour of Jehovahs jealousy for the honour of His name, and of His indignation against the oppressors of His people.

They were thus blind because they would not see. They had long been living in the habit of rejecting the God of Israel, for we scarcely ever hear of any revival of the old spirit of loyalty to the God of the Covenant (Jdg. 5:17) on the eastern banks of the Jordan up to this period.[6] They seem to have settled down into a chronic state of apostacy, and had become stone blind to all spiritual interpretations of the events of Divine providence. Their hearts were in their pastures and their flocks. They loved this present world, and the love of the Father was not in them. The flash of light thrown upon their characters by Gideons brief interview with them revealed that.

[6] Gilead means Gad and a portion of Mannasseh (p. 283.)

1. They did not see Gods hand in what was passing before their eyes.

2. They were callously ungrateful for the solemn deliverance wrought by the Divine hand.

3. They stubbornly refused when called upon to take any hand in helping on Gods great work.

4. They measured the issues of the case by sight and not by faith.

No wonder that such obstinacy of unbelief should become a mark for the outpouring of the Divine indignation.

V. The stern character of Old Testament punishments.

Admitting that the daring impiety of these men of Succoth and Penuel was eminently provocative of the Divine anger, there is an aspect of severity in the punishment to which they were subjected, as compared with the dealings in criminal cases in New Testament times. We hear of no formal indictment drawn out against the evil doers, no jury is empanelled, no witnesses are summoned, no evidence is led, no impersonation of the law sits in the place of judgment to keep the balance even, and there is no passing of a judicial sentence founded on the evidence presented. The one moment records the act of irreverence shown to the God of Israel, the next moment tells of the sentence swift and irremediable, which is to fall on the heads of the guilty. Where God himself is judge, and where conscience is at work, roused from its sleep, there is no need for any forms of law.

But why such severity of punishment? For doubtless Gideon did not now give way merely to a feeling of personal revenge. The moment was too solemn for that. In this, as in all else that he did, in conducting this sacred transaction in the service of His God, he would be guided by the secret directions of that Spirit of God that rested upon him till his work was done. We fear that the aggravated evil of the sin is not sufficiently appreciated by those who imagine there is too much rigour in the sentence inflicted. All sin deserves death; and for daring and defiant sin to Gods own face, it is fit that there should be a special sting in the penalty to correspond with the sting in the sin. It is farther to be remembered that this was one of the days of the Lord, when judgment is laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet, in order to show, on the one hand, what is due to the majesty and holiness of God, and on the other what is due to the evil of sin (see pp. 296, 297).

The difference of tone and attitude in the Divine dealings with sin under the Old and under the New Testament Dispensations is specially to be noticed. Under the former, there had been as yet no public standard vindication made of Gods claims on His rebellious creatures, so that an aspect of severity in enforcing these claims was absolutely necessary. Now that the Lamb of God has been laid on the altar, and the great propitiation has been made, the jealous God becomes the God of peace, and He speaks of repentance and pardon through the blood of Christ (p. 165, also 1634, 1389, 3789).

Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Gideon Captures and Slays Midians Kings Jdg. 8:1-28

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.
5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?
7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.
9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.
11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.
12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,
14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even three score and seventeen men.
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.
19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth,
21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels necks.
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy sons son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly, give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

1.

What was the complaint of the men of Ephraim? Jdg. 8:1

The men of Ephraim spoke sharply to Gideon because he had not called them at first when he went out to attack the Midianites. Gideon had been assisted by men out of Naphtali and Asher, as well as those of his own tribe, Manasseh. Issachar was involved since it was in their territory that the Midianites had encamped. Manasseh was Gideons own tribe, and it is said that his own family of Abiezer followed him. The other two tribes, Asher and Naphtali, were neighbors to the north and west and might have been expected to participate in the battle. When Gideon needed help to guard the fords of the Jordan, however, he finally asked Ephraim to assist (Jdg. 7:24). The men of Ephraim evidently felt they were an important tribe and should have been called earlier.

2.

What was the meaning of Gideons answer? Jdg. 8:2

They had won honor by what they had done. The help which Ephraim gave was sorely needed and came at a crucial time. Gideon told them that their assistance was of even greater importance than the work he had done. He made this clear through a figure which was meaningful to the men of his day. He compared the full bunches of grapes which would have been gathered in Manasseh to the few remaining bunches which may have been left on the vines in Ephraim. He said that the gleanings in Ephraim were better than the main crop in Manasseh. In other words, the things left over in Ephraim were better than the main part of Manasseh. This lofty view of the goodness of Ephraim seemed to satisfy those who had chided him.

3.

Where was Succoth? Jdg. 8:5

Succoth is the place where Jacob built booths of tree branches, grasses, and reeds when he returned from Haran. The name, Succoth, (Gen. 33:17) means booths. A ruin, named Sakut, lies ten miles south of Beisan, on the west bank of the Jordan; but this is on the wrong side, for Succoth belonged to Gad (Jos. 13:27). The name may have been transferred across the river and Succoth should be located east of the Jordan and north of the Jabbok River.

4.

Where was Penuel? Jdg. 8:9

Jacob gave this name to the place where he wrestled with the angel (Gen. 32:30). The word means the face of God for Jacob thought he had seen God face to face. No mention is made of the place from the time when Jacob was there until the time when Gideon asked for help from the men who lived there. This spot is on the north bank of the Jabbok River since Jacob waited there alone after having sent the rest of the people across the river when he returned from Haran.

5.

Where was Karkor? Jdg. 8:10

Karkor was the place where Gideon surprised the two kings of the Midianites, Zebah and Zalmunna, who felt that they were safe with their army and out of the reach of Gideon. The place is not identified with certainty, but it must have been somewhere on the Mishor or Plain of Gilead. There is a tableland which rises east of the Jordan and is oftentimes referred to as the highlands of Gilead and Moab. A reference is made in Jos. 13:9 to the plain of Medeba. The Revised Version speaks of this as being the tableland. Some suggest that it corresponds to Karkar mentioned by Shalmaneser II, but this place is identified only as being south of Hamath. It is clear from the narrative that the Karkar here was east of the Jordan.

6.

Where were Nobab and Jogbehab? Jdg. 8:11

This site was one fortified and occupied by the tribe of Gad (Num. 32:35). A spot four miles north of Amman in Jordan is now called Jebeiha, and some think this is the spot where Gideon finally defeated the Midianite kings. A passage in the Pentateuch says Nobah, the Manassite, went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name (Num. 32:42). Ancient Kenath is represented by the modern Kanawat, where there are traces of the architectural magnificence which Rome lavished on her colonies. The tanks, bridges, and many houses here are solidly built. Some do not think this site is the one where Gideon finally defeated a band of the Midianites because it is not especially close to Jogbehah, but no other site with a name resembling this has yet been discovered.

7.

What is the meaning of taught? Jdg. 8:16

He disciplined them. When he asked them for help, they refused. At that time, he threatened, therefore, to tear their flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. When he came back, he caught a young man from their number. He gave him information which enabled him to carry out his threat. He taught them with thorns of the wilderness and briers. Evidently he carried out some kind of corporal punishment. There is no mention here of his slaying these men, but he did slay some of the men of Penuel.

8.

When were Gideons brothers slain? Jdg. 8:18-19

They were probably slain in battle. The Midianites had oppressed the people of Israel for a long time before Gideon arose to avenge Israel of her adversaries. He made inquiry about the activities of the Midianites in his territory and especially at the battle of Mount Tabor. When the Midianites described those whom they had slain on this occasion, he knew they were his own people. Since they had admitted their killing of these men, he deemed the kings of Midian worthy of death. Since his own son, Jether, was so young that he refused to carry out his fathers order to kill them, Gideon, himself, slew the kings.

9.

Why did Israel want Gideon to rule over them? Jdg. 8:22

Later on, the people of Israel came to Samuel and asked him to appoint a king over them. At that time, they said they wanted a king similar to those who ruled over all the other nations. God had warned them in Deuteronomy 17 that they should not put a king over them as other nations had, but that he was to be a man carefully chosen. In one of his speeches Samuel also indicated that the people of Israel had wanted a king to deliver them from the oppressing Ammonites. In the account in Judges Israel appears to have confidence in Gideon. They wanted him to rule over them since he was a man in whom the Spirit of God dwelt. It is also possible they feared the constantly recurring attacks from the surrounding peoples, and thus felt they needed a king.

10.

Why did Gideon refuse to be a king? Jdg. 8:23

The government of the times has been called a theocracy. It was a government in which God was the omnipotent power. Such a form of government brought the people into a very close relationship to God. If they had a king who sat on a throne and he symbolized the highest power among them, they would be more likely to forget that God was their ruler. On this occasion, Gideon said, the Lord shall rule over you.

11.

Why did Gideon call the Midianites Ishmaelites? Jdg. 8:24

The Midianites were descendants of Midian, who was a son of Abraham by Keturah. The Ishmaelites were descendants of Ishmael, who was a son of Abraham by Hagar. Since both groups of people were direct descendants of sons of Abraham, they were very closely related. Both were nomadic tribes and both engaged in commerce. When Joseph was sold by his evil brethren, the Midianites and Ishmaelites were identified (Gen. 37:28): There passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. Throughout the years, these people were looked upon as being rather identical.

12.

How much was the value of the gold earrings? Jdg. 8:26

The Scripture says the weight of the golden earrings which the people gave to him was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold. The word, shekels, does not appear in the original text. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia indicates that a gold shekel was worth about ten dollars. Since this volume was copyrighted in 1939, we get an idea of the worth of a dollar at that particular time. In any time, seventeen thousand dollars is a sizable amount of money, and this is the value which would be placed on the earrings which were surrendered. The ephod which was made from the gold must have been of value similar to that of some of the great crowns prepared for heads of states in modern European countries.

13.

Why were there so many ornaments? Jdg. 8:26 b

It was typical of these Oriental nomads to measure their worth by the number of jewels of silver and gold which they possessed. They did not stop to own land and build houses. They did not count their net worth in flocks and herds alone. Even those droves of camels were adorned by the chains which they put around their necks; and in every case, they displayed their wealth through the gold and the silver which they owned.

14.

How did he make an ephod? Jdg. 8:27

The ephod was a royal and priestly garment and he evidently formed one in the fashion of a coat of mail. It is not stated that he wore this ephod. It is possible he did wear it since other notable figures wore such garments (2Sa. 6:14). If he did not wear it, it must have stood in some prominent place where people could admire it and remember the victory which had been won.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(1) The men of Ephraim.The arrogance of this tribe was derived partly from its strength, and partly from the memories of their ancestor Joseph; from the double portion which Joseph had received in memorial of his pre-eminence; from the fact that Jacob, in his blessing, had preferred the younger Ephraim before his elder brother, Manasseh; and from the almost regal influence which had been so long exercised by their tribesman, Joshua. This arrogance was destined, as we shall see later, to bring on them a terrible humiliation (Jdg. 12:1). The complaint was fiercely urged, probably at the time when, by bringing the heads of Oreb and Zeeb (Jdg. 7:25), they had proved both their power and their fidelity to the national cause. What they wanted was the acknowledgment of their claims (their hegemony, as the Greeks would have called it) by all the tribes.

They did chide with him sharply.Literally, with force or violence, as in 1Sa. 2:16, so that the Vulg. renders it, jurgantes fortiter, et prope vim inferentes, strongly reproaching him, and almost treating him with violence.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

ANGER OF THE EPHRAIMITES, Jdg 8:1-3.

1. The men of Ephraim Those who had captured and slain Oreb and Zeeb.

Said This conversation occurred when the Ephraimites brought the heads of these princes to Gideon, and after the latter had crossed the Jordan. Note, Jdg 7:25.

Chide with him sharply Fiercely and violently rebuked and blamed him. Theirs were the words of injured pride and jealousy. They felt that their tribe had been ignored and neglected in this war.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Chapter 8. Events To The Death of Gideon.

In this chapter we are told how Gideon pacified the Ephraimites, who complained because they were not sent for to fight the Midianites; how he pursued the Midianites until he took their two kings; and how on his return he chastised the men of Succoth and Penuel, because they had refused to relieve his men with food while they were pursuing the enemy; how he slew the two kings of Midian; and after this conquest was offered sole-rulership of Israel; how he requested of the Israelites the earrings which they had taken from the Midianites, with which he in weakness made an ephod which proved a snare to his household and his people; how the people were in peace for ‘forty years’ during his life;, and that he had a numerous issue, and died in a good old age, but that after his death the Israelites fell into idolatry, and were ungrateful to his family.

The Pursuit of the Kings of Midian ( Jdg 8:1-21 ).

Jdg 8:1

‘And the men of Ephraim said to him, “Why have you served us like this, that you did not call us when you went to fight with Midian?” And they lambasted him sharply.’

The men of Ephraim were angry because they had not been called to the battle. No doubt they had had their share in the booty but they thought of the glory and prestige that might have been theirs. As a major tribe they treasured their position and did not want to lose it to others. It might have been a different story had the attempt been a failure. But it had been a great success. So their leaders came to him with a deputation to argue their position. They were bitter at Gideon’s failure to call them.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

Jdg 8:1-3 Gideon Reasons with the Men of Ephraim – Gideon was able to reason with this tribe diplomatically and appease their anger. In contrast, Jephthah gave this same tribe a harsh answer and had to fight them in battle (See Jdg 12:1-6). Note how well this event illustrates Pro 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Jdg 8:6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

Jdg 8:6 Comments – James Packer tells us that it was a practice of the Egyptians and Assyrians to amputate “the hands of their enemies as proof of their victories and enemy casualties.” [21]

[21] James I. Packer, Merrill C. Tenney, and William White, Jr., Nelson’s Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible (Thomas Nelson: Nashville , 1997, c1995), in Libronix Digital Library System, v. 2.1c [CD-ROM] (Bellingham, WA: Libronix Corp., 2000-2004), 303.

Jdg 8:14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

Jdg 8:14 Word Study on “he described” Strong says the Hebrew word “describe” ( ) (H3789) means, “to grave,” and by implication, “to write (describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe).” The Enhanced Strong says it is used 223 times in the Old Testament, it is translated in the KJV as, “‘write’ 210 times, ‘describe’ seven times, ‘subscribe’ four times, ‘recorded’ once, and ‘write up’ once.”

It was just as well to translate this word as “wrote” ( RSV), seeing it fits the context well; but the KJV translators doubted that the art of writing existed at this period in Israel’s history. Thus, they translated the word as “he described.”

RSV, “And he caught a young man of Succoth, and questioned him; and he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men.”

Jdg 8:23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

Jdg 8:23  And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

Jdg 8:23 “the LORD shall rule over you” – Comments – Gideon was a man of humble nature. Others, like Jephthah, wanted to rule over his fellow Israelites (See Jdg 11:9). Gideon honoured the fact that the nation of Israel was a theocracy, ruled by God.

Jdg 11:9, “And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?”

Jdg 8:31  And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Jdg 8:31 Word Study on “Abimelech” Strong says the Hebrew name “Abimelech” ( ) (H40) mean, “father of (the) king.”

Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures

Difficulties with Ephraim and the Cities Succoth and Penuel

v. 1. And the men of Ephraim, who had not been included in the order to mobilize their forces, Jdg 6:35, said unto him, Gideon, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? They demanded an explanation for having been slighted by Gideon, as they supposed. And they did chide with him sharply, attacked him in a vehement quarrel.

v. 2. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison with you? It was a diplomatic retort, for it placed the exploit of the Ephraimites in capturing the princes Oreb and Zeeb above the defeat of the entire army by Gideon’s band. Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? They had, indeed, had the gleaning of the battle, but this achievement, as Gideon intimates, is to be valued more highly than the victory of the three hundred men whom he called according to the name of his family, Abiezer.

v. 3. God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison of you? As a real hero Gideon was truly humble and thereby, above all, gained his object, that of keeping peace in Israel. Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. They were appeased, their pride and vanity was satisfied, but their jealousy was afterward rebuked most sharply by the deeds of Gideon.

v. 4. And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. Their pursuit of the enemy had rendered them weak and faint, yet they continued on their way in order to complete the overthrow of the oppressors.

v. 5. And he said unto the men of Succoth, near. which city, not far from the mouth of the Jabbok, he had forded the Jordan, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, chiefly from hunger, for they had exhausted their small stock of provisions, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. He and his band were risking their lives for all Israel, including the men of Gad, whom he was here addressing, and therefore his request was by no means unreasonable.

v. 6. And the princes, the rulers or magistrates, of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand that we should give bread unto thine army? Since bread costs money, their covetous hearts referred to the small band of Gideon as a host, and their sneering reference to the fists or arms of the Midianitish kings implied that they first wanted to see the enemy bound before them. Here was utter lack of charity combined with cowardice and even treason.

v. 7. And Gideon said, Therefore, when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers, using these as threshing-flails on their backs.

v. 8. And he went up thence to Penuel, a city some tell miles up the Jabbok, on its north bank, and spake unto them likewise; and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him, with the same exhibition of selfishness.

v. 9. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower, the strongest part of the city’s fortification, upon which they relied. Lack of courage and selfishness are the chief dangers threatening the Church of Christ from within, for they make men unwilling to fight and sacrifice for the Lord.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

EXPOSITION

Jdg 8:1

The men of Ephraim. It is possible that the transfer of the birthright from Manasseh to Ephraim (Gen 48:13-19) may have produced some estrangement between the tribes. It is also possible that Ephraim, in view of their great tribal power, and the distinction conferred upon them by the judgeship of Joshua the son of Nun (Num 13:8), and the possession of his grave (Jos 24:30), may have grown haughty and domineering, and perhaps more disposed to rest upon their former glories than to embark in fresh undertakings. Anyhow Gideon did not consult them, nor ask their aid, in the first instance. Now that the war had been so successful, the men of Ephraim were much displeased at not having been consulted.

Jdg 8:2

What have I done, etc. Gideon’s character comes out splendidly in this answer. Humble and unassuming (Jdg 6:15, Jdg 6:36, note), and indisposed to glory, he was willing to give the Ephraimites full credit for their share in the great victory; prudent, and a lover of his country, he saw the immense importance of union among themselves, and the danger of intestine divisions and discord, and so at once met Ephraim’s taunts by the soft answer which turneth away wrath (Pro 15:1). The grapes. The insertion of the word grapes, which is not in the Hebrew, rather spoils the proverb. It would run better, The gleaning of Ephraim is better than the vintage of Abi-ezer. The word vintage sufficiently shows that the gleaning meant was a gleaning of grapes. Ephraim, who came in at the end of the fight, like the gleaner when the vintage is finished, had got more glory by the capture of Oreb and Zeeb than the Manassites, who had gone through the whole campaign. The passage above referred to in Isaiah (Isa 10:25) implies that a great slaughter of the Midianites took place at the rock of Oreb.

HOMILETICS

Jdg 8:1-3

The blindness of self-love.

Nobody admires pride, envy, jealousy, and petulance, when they see them pictured in the character and conduct of other men. Everybody, on the contrary, recognises the beauty of humility, gentleness, and forbearance, and admires self-control and patience under provocation, and the postponement of private feelings to the public good. How is it that we so often yield to the passions which we condemn in others, and so seldom and so imperfectly practise those graces of which we see the beauty and excellence? Lord, help us to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and to put on the new man, which after thee is created in righteousness and true holiness. Help us to be what we approve, and to leave off in ourselves what we disapprove in others.

HOMILIES BY A.F. MUIR

Jdg 8:1-9, Jdg 8:13-17

Dealing with obstructives.

Ephraim, Succoth, and Penuel.

I. THEY OUGHT NOT TO BE SUFFERED TO INTERFERE WITH THE CHIEF ENDS AND PRESSING CLAIMS OF DIVINE SERVICE. Gideon hastens after the routed and retreating foe. The sullen apathy of Ephraim, the refusal of Succoth and Penuel to meet the demands of patriotism and humanity, do not turn him aside. When the last blow has been struck and the power of Midian is laid low he will return and mete out to each according to their deserts. This is an illustration of how side issues may often arise, and of the manner in which they are to be dealt with. It is seldom that the difficulties and oppositions of life, however annoying and restraining they may be, can utterly prevent the graver duties or excuse dilatoriness. Frequently the petty nature of the opposition is revealed by steadfast continuance in the path of duty, and solitary resolution. We must do what we can, leaving with others the responsibility for their own conduct. The greatest workers in Christ’s vineyard have had to labour and live on amidst misunderstanding, obloquy, and hindrance; but their work has been achieved nevertheless, and its moral effect has been all the greater.

II. WHEN THE PROPER TIME ARRIVES THEY MUST BE DEALT WITH ACCORDING TO THE NATURE AND DEGREE OF THE OPPOSITION. A wise discrimination is needed. Where gentleness will avail, harsh measures are to be avoided. Gideon knew the haughty character of Ephraim, the wound their ambitious spirit had sustained when the leadership was wrested from their hands, and so he exercised forbearance, and was gentle and pacific. Civil war was averted when it might have involved national ruin, and the generous side of Ephraim was appealed to. “A soft answer turneth away wrath.” After all, Ephraim had atoned for past misbehaviour by the timely and effective service rendered even in the face of an unexplained misunderstanding. It is wise to credit our opponents with the best motives, and to speak gently and reasonably, abstaining from self-glorification. But where the hindrance had been a national crime and a violation of the first principles of humanity a different course was pursued. Here the functions of the judge were called into exercise. The punishment was stern and exemplary, but carefully meted out. Succoth and Penuel are visited with prompt and terrible recompense. But the princes and elders are punished, as being the chief culprits; the common people, who were helpless, were spared. All heresy and schism, unholiness of life, spiritual opposition, etc; is not to be regarded in the same light. Gentleness may win a brother. A little blame may rest with ourselves. Allowance is to be made for the failings of human nature. But we are to have no fellowship with the profane, the blasphemer, the unbeliever, etc. Difference of opinion may co-exist with real co-operation and fellowship.M.

Fuente: The Complete Pulpit Commentary

CHAP. VIII.

Gideon pacifies the Ephraimites; he takes the two kings, Zeba and Zalmunna, prisoners. He refuses the kingdom offered to him, and dies, being the father of seventy children.

Before Christ 1267.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Ephraims proud complaint and Gideons wise forbearance

Jdg 8:1-3

1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not when [didst not call out1 to us that] thou wentest [wast going] to fight with [against] the Midianites? and they did chide [quarrel] with him sharply 2[vehemently]. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes [omit: of the grapes] of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? 3God hath delivered into your hands2 the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger [excitement]3 was [omit: was] abated toward [against] him, when he had [omit: had] said that.

TEXTUAL AND GRAMMATICAL

[1 Jdg 8:6.Dr. Cassel: Hast thou the fist of Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, etc. Bertheau and Keil, in their commentaries, have the same rendering, merely changing Luthers plural, Sind die Faste, to the singular. is properly the hollow hand, the palm; accordingly the Dutch Version renders, rather awkwardly to be sure, Is dan the handpalm tan Zebah en Tsalmuna alreede in uwe hand, etc. The word fist, even if it did not somewhat alter the metaphor involved, lacks dignity in modern English, although it avoids the tameness of using hand twice. For an independent version, De Wettes would be better: Hast thou then Zebah and Zalmunna already in thy hand, etc.Tr.]

[2 Jdg 8:10.: singular, with plural suffix. Cf. Ges. Gram. Sect. 93, 9.Tr.]

[3 Jdg 8:13. . The above rendering takes no account of the . At would be better than from. It is literally, from at the ascent of the sun. It indicates the point to which Gideon came, and at which he turned back.Tr.]

EXEGETICAL AND DOCTRINAL

In his dealing with puffed-up Ephraim, even more than by his victories, Gideon approves himself as a true warrior of God, wiser in his humility than his dazzled countrymen in their pride. The service rendered by Ephraim in slaying Oreb and Zeeb, was after all of but secondary merit. They had only smitten an already shattered and terrified enemy: had only captured the game which another had chased into their hands. Where was Ephraim when Midian in full force encamped himself in the country? But inferior merit is the more arrogant. The tribe is so intoxicated by the easy victory over the two princes, that it presumes to reprimand Gideon for beginning a war without them, and thus undertaking to deprive them of the laurels which they would certainly have won. So little does Ephraim understand the true strength with which Israel has conquered, that he accounts it an insult to himself on the part of the smaller tribe to have conquered without him. The pride of the mighty men of the world could not be more clearly depicted. They contend with him vehemently (), just as the men of Nineveh, repenting, cry vehemently (, Jon 3:8) unto God. They address the great hero fiercely and vociferously. His answer is admirable. He might have humbled them by a few words about his deed; but he will have no strife where Israel needs unity. He says nothing of his own great victory. He does not irritate them by referring to their previous inactivity, although their tribe was so great; or by reminding them that after all he had sent them the word which enabled them to capture an enemy whom he was pursuing. On the contrary, he quiets them by extolling their great merits. He may not conceal that the victory was gained without them; but, his vintage, is it not less than their gleaning? What comparison is there between his spoils and theirs? He, still on this side the Jordan; they, already adorned with the trophies of the Raven and Wolf! He lets them know, however, who it is that really gives victory, namely Elohim. But here also the nice discrimination shows itself, with which the terms Jehovah, ha-Elohim, and Elohim alternate, according to the spiritual position of the persons addressed or spoken of. To Ephraim, Gideon says that Elohim gave them victoryas he sometimes gives it even to heathen. He uses this term be cause they lacked humility and faith to know that Jehovah, ha-Elohim, the true God of Israel, gives strength to his people, and that, thus endowed, it is of no consequence whether the militant tribe be great or small (cf. Jdg 8:6, etc.).

What have I done now in comparison with you? The vain tribe, which only smarted at the thought that an insignificant member of Manasseh should reap greater glory than Ephraim, is quieted when this person himself disclaims the glory. Vanity that prides itself on seeming merits, is always contracted. The Ephraimites do not understand the modesty of Gideon, which, in denying, as it were, his own real merits, necessarily pours the contempt of irony on their pretended deserts. But Gideons object is gained. They allow themselves to be pacified, and go home to bask themselves in the sunshine of their achievements. Gideon, for his part, teaches that victory alone does not suffice to save a people; but that he is the real hero who is truly humble, and for the sake of peace overcomes himself. To conquer, he must know how to bend.

The narrative stands here in its proper place. It does not presuppose anything that happened later; but connects, historically and morally, what goes before and what follows after. Gideon is still in the midst of his campaign, when Ephraim attacks him with its pride. But his subsequent career of victory, speaks louder than envy. The statement of Josephus (Ant. v. 6, 6), that Ephraim was afterwards punished for its pride, rests on no Scriptural authority; but the confusion to which they are put by the subsequent deeds of Gideon, to whom after all they were indebted for their own achievement also, is a discipline of the sharpest kind.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Ephraim is jealous of Gideon. Jealousy is a quality which only seeks its own. It is a characteristic of unbelief, which envies God his power and love.

Starke: He acts wisely, who prefers to forego somewhat of his own rights, rather than by a contrary course to invite the opposition of others, and so debar himself from attaining a greater good.Gerlach: Gideons answer, as modest as it was prudent, quiets the Ephraimites. He appears here, as afterwards, as a high-minded man, free from low ambition and domineering tendencies.

[Bp. Hall: I did not hear the Ephraimites offering themselves into the front of the army before the fight, and now they are ready to fight with Gideon because they were not called to fight with Midian: I hear them expostulating after it. After the exploit done, cowards are valiant. Their quarrel was, that they were not called. It had been a greater praise of their valor to have gone unbidden.. None speak so big in the end of the fray as the fearfullest.The same: Ephraim flies upon Gideon, whilst the Midianites fly from him; when Gideon should be pursuing his enemies, he is pursued by brethren, and now is glad to spend that wind in pacifying of his own, which should have been bestowed in the slaughter of a common adversary. It is a wonder if Satan suffer us to be quiet at home, whilst we are exercised with wars abroad. Had not Gideon learned to speak fair, as well as to smite, he had found work enough from the swords of Josephs sons; his good words are as victorious as his sword; his pacification of friends, better than his execution of enemies.Scott: In those things which pertain to the truth, authority, and glory of God, Christians should be unmoved as the sturdy oak; but in the little concerns of their own interest or reputation, they should resemble the pliant willow, that yields to every gust.Henry: Very great and good men must expect to have their patience tried, by the unkindnesses and follies even of those they serve, and must not think it strange.Bush: The incidents mentioned afford a striking illustration of two emphatic declarations of Scripture: 1. That only by pride cometh contention; and, 2. That for every right work a man is envied of his neighbor.Tr.]

Footnotes:

[1]Jdg 8:1. . It is not necessary to take in a temporal sense, which at all events it has very seldom. The is followed by the objective clause of that which the persons addressed are notified of.

[2][Jdg 8:3.Into your hands, with emphasis. Hence the Hebrew puts it first: Into your hands (lit. hand) God gave the princes of Midian, etc.Tr.]

[3]Jdg 8:3. , like , Psa 37:8. denotes violent, panting excitement

Fuente: A Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical by Lange

DISCOURSE: 268
GIDEON PACIFIES THE EPHRAIMITES

Jdg 8:1-3. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served its thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abi-ezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

WE are apt to admire great military exploits, and to account men honourable in proportion to the victories they have gained: but there is a victory over ourselves that far more dignifies a man, than the most extended conquests over others. We certainly regard Gideon as one highly renowned in the feats of war: but his defeat of all the Midianitish hosts with only three hundred men, armed with pitchers, lamps, and trumpets, is less worthy of admiration, than the self-possession he exercised towards the offended and objurgatory Ephraimites. Solomon has weighed as in a balance the different characters, and has decided in favour of him whose victory is over his own spirit: He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city [Note: Pro 16:32.].

In the transaction before us we see,

I.

Whence it is that unreasonable men take offence

There is scarcely a society or even a single family to be found, where the different members walk in perfect harmony together: in most circles there are frequent disagreements: one or other of the members is unreasonable in his expectations, and by the unquietness of his own dispositions spreads dissatisfaction and disquietude all around him. The inquiry, Whence come wars and fightings among you? St. James answers by an appeal to our own experience; Come they not hence, even from the lusts that war in your members [Note: Jam 4:1.]? The chief sources of offence are discernible in the conduct of the Ephraimites. It arises,

1.

From the pride of our own hearts

[The Ephraimites had evidently a high conceit of their own dignity, and were offended that Gideon had not paid as much deference to them, as they supposed themselves entitled to. And from this root of bitterness it is that so many disputes arise. Only by pride cometh contention, is the testimony of God himself [Note: Pro 13:10.]. See the proud man, swelling with a sense of his own importance: if you differ from him in judgment, or act contrary to his will, yea, if you do not comply with his humour in every thing, he is quite indignant, and bursts forth into a rage. Even the best-meant endeavours cannot always please him: as an inferior, he cannot brook the least restraint: as a superior, he never thinks that sufficient homage is paid him: and as an equal, he cannot endure that others should exercise the liberty which he arrogates to himself [Note: Pro 28:25.]. To what an extent this domineering principle will prevail, we may see in the instance of Nebuchadnezzar; who, because of the conscientious refusal of the Hebrew youths to bow down to his idol, was full of fury; and the form of his visage was changed against them; and he ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, in order to destroy them [Note: Dan 3:19.]. Truly there is no principle in the heart more adverse to the peace and happiness of mankind than this.]

2.

From envy at others

[Great honour accrued to Gideon and the Abi-ezrites from the victory that had been gained: and the Ephraimites were grieved that others should possess a glory, in which themselves had no share. Hence they broke forth into revilings against Gideon. The same principle also prevails more or less in all: The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy [Note: Jam 4:5.]: and how nearly it is allied with wrath, we see from those words of Eliphaz, Wrath killeth the foolish man; and envy slayeth the silly one [Note: Job 5:2.]. The examples of Cain [Note: Gen 4:5.], and Josephs brethren [Note: Gen 37:11; Gen 37:18.], and Saul [Note: 1Sa 18:8-9.], sufficiently mark the murderous tendency of this malignant passion. One evil peculiar to it is, that it makes excellence itself the object of its attack; as Solomon has observed, For every right work a man is envied of his neighbour [Note: Ecc 4:4.]. Hence that pointed question, Who can stand before envy [Note: Pro 27:4.]? Not the benevolence of the Apostles, nor the blameless conduct of our Lord himself, could ward off its malignant shafts: and wherever it exists, it will be attended with strife, railings, evil surmisings, and perverse disputings [Note: 1Ti 6:4; Jam 3:16.].]

3.

From impetuosity of spirit

[The Ephraimites would not give themselves any time for reflection or inquiry, but instantly began with violent invectives. It should seem that they were a hasty people, full of pride and wrath: and on another occasion precisely similar to this, they suffered for it in no slight degree; for no less than two and forty thousand of them were slain in consequence of it [Note: Jdg 12:1-7.]. Had they been at the pains of making inquiry, they would have found that Gideon had committed no offence at all: he had acted altogether by the direction of God: and so far was he from being at liberty to increase his army by the accession of the Ephraimites, that he was necessitated to reduce the thirty-two thousand troops which he had raised to three hundred. Thus it is that innumerable quarrels arise, when a moments inquiry would shew, that no reason for them exists, or at least no reason for such resentment as is felt by the offended person. Behold David, when Nabal had refused him the refreshments which he desired: nothing short of the death of Nabal and all his adherents was deemed a sufficient atonement for his offence. But when Abigail had brought David to reflection, he found that his vindictive purposes were highly criminal; and that, if his anger was not groundless, it far exceeded that which the occasion called for [Note: 1Sa 25:32-35.]. In a word, this hastiness of temper prevents men from listening to the dictates of reason, and makes them deaf to every consideration of truth and equity.]

The readiness with which unreasonable men take offence, makes it important to inquire,

II.

How judicious men may pacify it

Truly admirable was the conduct of Gideon on this occasion: and his success may well recommend it to our imitation. Indeed the general rules deducible from it are as good as any that can be suggested. When a person is offended at us without a cause, we should endeavour, as far as circumstances will admit of it, to calm his mind,

1.

By patience and forbearance

[Not a word of recrimination dropped from the mouth of Gideon. He might perhaps have justly said, that when the Ephraimites knew his determination to oppose the Midianites, they had never offered their services, or come forward to assist him in the undertaking: but, when the danger was over, they were ready to impute evil to him for omissions which were chargeable only on themselves. But he did not so much as glance at any thing that might either betray irritation in his own mind, or strengthen it in theirs. Though they did chide sharply with him, he bore it with a meekness that was truly amiable and praiseworthy. Now this was an excellent way to conciliate their minds, even if he had deserved all the blame that they imputed to him: Solomon justly observes, that yielding pacifieth great offences [Note: Ecc 10:4.]. It is recrimination that fans the flame, and causes it to burst forth into destructive quarrels. The common progress of disputes may be seen in the case of Israel and Judah after the death of Absalom; where, each of them justifying his own cause, the result was, that the dispute on both sides grew, till the accused were more incensed than even the accusers; and the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel [Note: 2Sa 19:41-43.]. Silence therefore is the best remedy, at least till the offended person is so far calmed as to listen readily to the voice of reason: and though the advice of Solomon appears at first sight as paradoxical and absurd, yet it is the best that can be offered; Leave off contention before it be meddled with [Note: Pro 17:14.]: for it will be difficult enough to leave it off when once it is begun.]

2.

By humility and self-denial

[Gideon might justly have said, If God has been pleased to honour me, why should that give any umbrage to you? But he forbore to take to himself the credit that was his due, or to claim from them the approbation he had merited at their hands. Thus he hid from them the light which had pained their eyes, and cast a veil over the actions which had provoked their jealousy. This was a striking instance of that charity which vaunteth not itself, and seeketh not her own [Note: 1Co 13:4-5.]. This is a disposition which tends no less to the preservation of our own happiness than it does to the conciliating of those who are offended at us: for when once we are willing to forego the honour to which we are entitled, it will appear a small thing to us to be censured without a cause; seeing that such censures only reduce us to the place which we were previously in our own minds prepared to occupy. And it will almost invariably be found true, that, as men are ready to hate those who arrogate honour to themselves, so will they be more easily reconciled to those who are humble and unassuming.]

3.

By commendation and love

[Gideon, instead of loading his adversaries with blame, was glad to search out causes for commending them. The Ephraimites, though they offered not themselves in the first instance, were of great service in pursuing and destroying the routed foe. They took the two hostile princes, Oreb and Zeeb: and though this was only the gleaning of Gideons vintage, yet does Gideon speak of it as incomparably greater than any thing that had been done by him. And it is particularly deserving of notice, that this was the word which produced the desired effect; Then their anger was abated, when he had said that. Thus it appears, that a soft answer turneth away wrath [Note: Pro 15:1.]; and that, if we would blunt the edge of other mens displeasure, we should study to conform ourselves to that sublime precept; Let nothing be done through strife and vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves [Note: Php 2:3.].]

On this subject we would found a word or two of advice
1.

Be cautious not too hastily to take offence

[Innumerable circumstances may exist, which, if known to us, would, make us form a very different judgment of men and things, from that which at first sight we have entertained [Note: See this illustrated Jos 22:11-34.]. To weigh, and consider, and inquire, is the part of true wisdom: but to be precipitate is a certain indication of folly [Note: Ecc 7:9.] ]

2.

If offence be taken at you, labour to the uttermost to pacify it

[This was a leading feature in the character of Jesus [Note: Jam 1:19-20.]; and it must be so in that of all his followers [Note: Eph 4:1-3 and Col 3:12-13.] To feed our enemies, and heap coals of fire on their heads, is the Christians duty: therefore, Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good [Note: Rom 12:20-21.].]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

CONTENTS

This Chapter is but a continuation of the history of the battle, and success of Gideon, related in the former. It forms indeed the sequel of Gideon’s life. The consequence of his victory excited the displeasure of the Ephramites, because he called them not to the battle. Gideon softens their displeasure by his mild answer. Some other events are related which took place after this victory. Gideon declined the government of Israel, but by his prudent conduct preserved, under the Lord, peace to Israel forty years, and died full of honor. These are the principal things recorded in this Chapter.

Jdg 8:1

What cause so good, or what conduct so unexceptionable, but will meet with envy, and the baleful effects of our corrupt passions. But Reader! was not this displeasure of the men of Ephraim principally against God, by whose order Gideon had done what he had done? See the fruits of the same unrenewed spirit in the age before. Num 16:11 .

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Jdg 8:3

Sometimes men of great strength of will and purpose possess also in a high degree the gift of tact…. In nearly all administrative posts, in all the many fields of labour where the task of man is to govern, manage, or influence others, to adjust or harmonize antagonism of race or interests or prejudices, to carry through difficult business without friction and by skilful cooperation, this combination of gifts is supremely valuable.

W. E. H. Lecky.

Jdg 8:4

In his Life of Coriolanus, Plutarch tells how the Roman troops rallied round M. Coriolanus in the attack upon the Volscians and drove the latter off in confusion. ‘As they began to pursue them, they begged Marcius, now weary with toil and wounds, to retire to the camp; but he, saying that “it was not for victors to be weary,” joined in the pursuit. The rest of the Volscians were defeated, many were slain, and many taken.’

Strength of endurance is worth all the talent in the world.

Byron.

References. VIII. 4. Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xl. No. 2343. E. Blencowe, Plain Sermons to a Country Congregation (1st Series), p. 83. J. Baldwin Brown, The. Higher Life, p. 288.

Jdg 8:7

If a Te Deum or an O, Jubilate were to be celebrated by all nations and languages for any one advance and absolute conquest over wrong and error won by human nature in our times yes, not excepting

The bloody writing by all nations torn

the abolition of the commerce in slaves to my thinking that festival should be for the mighty progress made towards the suppression of brutal, bestial modes of punishment.

De Quincey.

Reference. VIII. 18. A. Gray, Faith and Diligence, p. 124.

Jdg 8:20-21

This passage is curiously applied by Cromwell in his fourth speech to the English Parliament of 1655, when bitterly denouncing the Anabaptist Levellers and their intrigues. These men, the Protector complains, ‘have been and yet are endeavouring to put us into blood and into confusion; more desperate and dangerous confusion than England ever yet saw. And I must say, as Gideon commanded his son to fall upon Zebah and Zalmunna, and slay them, they thought it more noble to die by the hand of a man than of a stripling which shows there is some contentment in the hand by which a man falls; so it is some satisfaction if a Commonwealth must perish, that it perish by men, and not by the hands of persons differing little from beasts!’

As the Man Is, So Is His Strength

Jdg 8:21

It is a strange and tragic history that of Gideon, the fifth, and for many reasons the greatest of all the judges of Israel. Like many a wise saw of the olden times, the text contains much truth in small bulk.

I. Plainly, the first meaning of it is, that as a man is physically so is his strength. Now, it is perfectly true that we cannot give to ourselves a handsome mien, nor add one cubit to our stature; nevertheless, it is equally true and of none more true than young men that we can do much to promote our health, to build up our constitution, and even to give dignity to our physical presence. Given a smart and gentlemanly exterior, a young man’s chances of preferment are decidedly greater, and the axiom generally holds good that, as a man is, even in outward physique, so is his success and strength.

II. Take it in another way: as a man is intellectually, so is his strength. I use the word ‘strength’ here as meaning power of work, capacity for accomplishing the ends of life, and making the world the better for his existence. You want to have your eyes open and your wits awake; to be sharp, and ready, and active. The quick-witted Jack will generally have the advantage over the slow-witted giant. The commerce of England is not indeed in the hands of scholars; but it is, for the most part, in the hands of shrewd, clear-headed practical men, who understand their business, and know how to push it. Thus intellect becomes an equivalent of strength, mind means money.

III. This old adage admits of a yet higher application. Indeed, in no sense is it more widely and markedly true than this; as a man is morally and spiritually, so is his strength. Character and faith, more than anything else, determine your power of overcoming difficulty and of accomplishing good. This is the sure gauge of your personal force in society and in the world. Without a moral backbone you may as well be a jelly-fish, for any real, solid good you will accomplish. There must be a foundation of stern principle, or you will be weak as water. A man with a resolute conscience will always be a power.

J. Thain Davidson, The City Youth, p. 68.

Jdg 8:33

Writing to Mr. Cotton, a Boston minister, in 1651, Cromwell, after recounting the Puritan successes, adds significantly: ‘We need your prayers in this as much as ever. How shall we behave ourselves after such mercies?’

Jdg 8:34

In his account of a Mr. Rowlandson, the old, avaricious, and intemperate curate of Grasmere, Wordsworth describes how ‘one summer’s morning, after a night’s carouse in the vale of Langdale, on his return home, having reached a point near which the whole of the vale of Grasmere might be seen with the lake immediately below him, he stepped aside and sat down on the turf. After looking for some time at the landscape, then in the perfection of its morning beauty, he exclaimed “Good God! that I should have led so long a life in such a place!” This, no doubt, was deeply felt by him at the time, but I am not authorized to say that any noticeable amendment followed.’

A man would wonder to heare Men Professe, Protest, Engage, Give Great Wordes, and then Doe just as they have Done before.

Bacon.

Fuente: Expositor’s Dictionary of Text by Robertson

Gideon

Judges 6-8

AT the close of the song of Deborah “the land had rest forty years.” The sixth chapter begins with the usual black line: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” These comings and goings of evil in human history seem to be fated. Men never get so clear away from evil as never to come back again to it; at any moment the course of life may be reversed, and the altar, the vow, the song, and the prayer may be forgotten like vanished summers. This makes the reading of human history a weary toil. We have only to turn over a leaf, and the saints who have been singing are as active as ever in evil. It would be difficult to believe this if we did not know it to be true. This Bible-history is indeed our own history written before the time. Our life seems to be spent upon a short ladder, in going up, in coming down: in going up to pray, in coming down to sin, and drying the tears of penitence; and climbing again, and then coming down; miles short of heaven. The weariness is not in the literature it is in the fact. We are many men: when we would do good, evil is present with us; when we would do evil, the angel looks at us and reproaches our purpose. The history of Israel is the history of the world. Israel was given over to the hand of the Midianites seven years. This was not, as in the former case, an oppression; it was an attack. In our last study we saw Israel oppressed; here we see a foreign invasion, crowding upon the land inhabited by Israel. Whether in this way or in that, God will not let the battle end until he has punished evil and destroyed it. He is continuing the same policy now. Seated in the heavens, he is watching the earth as if it were the only world he had, blessing the good, punishing the evil, threatening everything that is of another nature than his own, and keeping perdition for those only who must inevitably be lost. In the olden times there were oppressions, invasions, assaults, and the like; today Providence seems to be operating by subtler methods, but always operating to the same end: to punish the evil, and bless the good. A very vivid picture is given of the state of Israel in chapter Jdg 6:2 . Israel was dwelling in “the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.” The proud and princely Israel was burrowing in the torrent gullies, instead of building cities that should have lifted their towers and spires like ascending psalms to the approving heavens. Think of it well! It is the same today. Men who might have been in the thoroughfare are hidden away in some distressing obscurity. Men who ought to have been foremost are left so far behind they can hardly be seen, dim spectres in the far-away distance. The Midianites were coming up like locusts. No sooner did the Israelites sow their seed than the Midianites had their eye upon it; and it was only by strategy, cunning almost surpassingly human, that Israel could save a handful of corn for itself. Israel was “impoverished.” A very remarkable word is that. It means that they were like a door swinging on broken hinges. Israel, the redeemed people, Israel without whom there might have been no history, Israel had so sinned as to be at last like a door swinging on hinges that were broken: the door could not be shut, the door was no security, the door was a perpetual irony, yea, a daily reproach and taunt. There is a poverty that is the result of what we call misfortune; that is to be pitied and to be assisted: there is a poverty that is only the social and punitive side of sin; that is to be recognised as such a black blot on the snow of God’s holiness, a sad brand on the righteousness of things. Or the figure may be changed, for it is a double one. Israel was like a sear leaf, just hanging by one frail thread to the branch, all the juice gone, all the beautiful green dead for ever, all possibility of fruitfulness exhausted; and there hung great Israel, a leaf sear, yellow, dead, just hanging to drop! We must realise this condition of things before we can understand the arduousness of the mission of Gideon. If we do not understand the situation we cannot understand Gideon’s distress, hesitation, hopelessness. The times were out of joint. All things beautiful were dead. The whole time was given over to idolatry. There was but one man who kept to the true faith, and he seemed to worship in secret; he alone was not swallowed up in the great idolatrous passion; his father had gone religiously astray, but he himself still thought of old histories, and had in him flickering, but, oh, quite dyingly, some hope of returning faith.

Then came the inevitable “cry “: “The children of Israel cried unto the Lord” ( Jdg 6:6 ). It was a mean prayer. Some cries must not be answered; they are unworthy screams or utterances of selfish desire. The Lord will not be too critical about these “cries,” for who then could stand before him and hope for any thing from his hand? What prayer is there worth being heard, not to say worth being answered? Search it, probe it, and what is it but religious selfishness a plea for self? But men must pray as best they can. We cannot expect perfect prayers from imperfect men. In the cry there may be something which God can hear to which he will make response. But prayers are not answered, because they are not prayers; they are self-excuses, self-pleadings, desires inspired by selfishness: so they are narrow, shortsighted, out of the rhythm of the music of the universe, notes that cannot be smoothed into the general utterance of the divine purpose; they may do the suppliant good by heightening his veneration or exciting within him some inexpressible desires, but as words they fall back again like birds whose wings have been broken.

Israel cried unto the Lord. What was the divine answer to that cry? It was a prophet. Jewish legend says it was Phinehas, son of Eleazar. The prayer was answered by a man: “The Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel” ( Jdg 6:8 ). A “prophet” is a teacher, a man who sees the largest relations of things, one who lives above the cloud and can see what is going on underneath it; a seer, a man of penetrating vision, a man whose eyes are within, and from whom God has hidden nothing of wisdom, grace, purpose, and issue. The age must be prepared for its prophets. When the age is haughty, self-contented, self-idolatrous, prophets go for nothing; they are the object of sneering remark; they may be caricatured, they may be turned into food for merriment; but when the age becomes like a door swinging on broken hinges, or like a sear and yellow leaf when all hope has died out of it, then men ask if there be not a prophet, or one who can pray a seer who can penetrate beyond appearances and discover germs of life or hints of hope? It was so now. The prophet came, and delivered a judicial speech:

“Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; and I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites [the Amorites were the highlanders of Palestine, and as they were the strongest of all the Canaanitish tribes they are often spoken of as representing or including the whole of them], in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice” ( Jdg 6:8-10 ).

Here you find a reminder, that is to say, a reference to history. Memory was awakened and turned upon the days that had gone, God works through recollection. Marvellous are the miracles which God works by the power of memory: memory goes back, and brings to mind things forgotten, uses them in the light of today, observes their action upon the circumstances which make up the immediate present; and oftentimes a man needs no hotter hell than an awakened and stimulated memory. The recollection was followed by a reproof: “But ye have not obeyed my voice,” saying in effect: I have not changed; I was continuing the line; my purpose was one of deliverance and success and honour for Israel, but ye failed in obedience: first you became reluctant, hesitant, then weary, then you complained of monotony, then you said the yoke galled your shoulders, then you fell clean away, then you built Asherah and worshipped Baal; this is the reason of all that has come upon you; blame yourselves: for men who fall away from the road of obedience fail of the heaven of blessedness.

All this is intelligible. We have been accustomed to these reminding and accusing voices ourselves, and we do not hear in them anything that startles our reason or taxes our faith. Now the prophet is succeeded by an angel. A most mysterious instance occurs, challenging our faith in its loftiest moods. Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. He was in a little sheltered corner, not daring to use a flail, perhaps, lest the beat of it should attract the attention of some listening Midianite; Gideon was almost rubbing the wheat between his hands. He was in a little cave rather than in a winepress, which is hardly the literal translation. He was in a corner by himself, rubbing out the wheat which he had industriously sown, painfully watched, and honestly gathered. It was weary work for Gideon. He felt that he was a prisoner, almost stealing his own bread. This is not unknown to ourselves. Men sometimes have to hide their food from their own relations. Some men dare not even seem to be prosperous, because they know what havoc would be wrought by those who have been watching their honourable and successful labours. Men sometimes have to hide themselves from their own flesh, and to rub out their little handful of wheat behind some sheltering crag. Some men are bound to look poor, because they know they would be fleeced and robbed. Is that not strictly according to our own personal experience? This is the picture presented by the position and action of Gideon [hewer]: a hidden man, doing an honest work in the quietest possible way, only thankful if he can get his wheat turned into bread to satisfy his hunger. Watch Gideon, the one religious man of the place and time. If any one were to come from heaven now, he would come to Gideon. Like descends upon like. “And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah [in Western Manasseh], that pertaineth unto Joash the Abi-ezrite.” For a time the angel was silent. How will he speak to a weary man? He will say to him: Poor laden one, this is sad work for Israel; poor weary Gideon, I am sorry for thee in my heart; Gideon, thou shouldst have been out in the open air swinging thy flail and separating the chaff from the wheat right cheerfully and hopefully poor Gideon! Such sympathy would have overborne the man; it would have been the one drop that would have made the cup of his sorrow overflow. No, there must be sharp reaction; a note must be struck that will awaken the man wholly: he must not continue his dream-trouble, he must have his sleep driven away. What said the angel? “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” The speech seemed to be ironical. Gideon had about him the look as to weariness of a man who was exhausted. But he was a king, and he had a kingly presence, a face that only needed to be awakened to answer the angel’s own in the likeness of kinship. There was no fairer man than Gideon in all the land; the make of him was a miracle of God. When he stretched himself right out to his full compass and looked his best self, one could understand how it was that he had “faithful among the faithless been,” and had kept Jehovah’s altar even amid the riot of the Baal-worshippers. Who shall say there is no kinship between angels and men? Who has wisdom enough to declare that there is no connection between the spiritual life or lives of the universe? It is not only a higher faith but a nobler reason which would say: All we, men, women, children, angels, spirits of the blessed, are one, warmed with one fire, radiant with one glory, expectant of one destiny. We cannot settle anything about this angel that is definite and final. What do we know that is at all of the nature of counterpart? We know something about unexpected meetings, strangers speaking to us, and yet so speaking that we know them, speaking to us in our mother tongue, speaking to us words which we have wanted to hear but dare scarcely speak to ourselves; people making beginnings which have had happy endings; that we know right well. We know something of unforeseen opportunities: the cloud has suddenly opened, and we have seen where we were. Clouds often do open quite suddenly. We have seen the mariner watching for the sun for days: the mariner is ready, his glass is in his hand; if there be but one little rift in that great cloud, he will avail himself of the opportunity to know where the sun is that he may know where his ship is. A rift has come, a sudden chance; it was but a moment, a glimpse, but in that moment there was communication between earth and heaven. So far we are upon familiar ground. We know something of unaccountable impressions also; and sometimes we utter prayers that angels might have inspired, for the prayers have surprised ourselves and made sudden Sabbath in the midst of the tumultuous week. If then we know something of unexpected meetings, unforeseen opportunities, and unaccountable impressions, we seem to be not far from the angel vision, the angel touch.

When Gideon heard the angel’s message, he said, in a tone we cannot reproduce, a tone made credulous by incredulity, yet with some resonance of strength in its very halting and shaking, a tone representing a strange struggle between hopelessness and faith, experience and possibility, “Oh, sir” for the term Gideon used in the first instance was but a term of courtesy and not a title of religious veneration “Oh, sir, if the Lord be with us” but the angel did not say so; the angel said “thee.” Who can listen critically? Who can distinguish between person and number in the grammar of an angel?

“Oh, sir, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? [see Deu 21:17 ] and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” ( Jdg 6:13 ).

It was a right answer so far. It was better that Gideon should know the exact circumstances. “To know ourselves diseased is half the cure.” Gideon must not have any false hopes. He must not be taking up any broken splinters of wood and saying: These splinters will be swords which we shall thrust through the bows of the enemy. It is well that he is driven into obscurity, that he is made to do his work with the utmost quietness, that he is compelled to act almost as a thief on the threshold of his own house. To be down so far is to be in that darkness which oft precedes the dawn.

What did the angel do? The angel did two things. (1) He “looked.” Who can interpret that word? Some biblical words must remain without interpretation. Sometimes in translating books from foreign languages into our own we are obliged to quote certain words and let them remain untranslated; we hover over them, point to them, give clumsy paraphrases of their possible meaning, but think it better after all to set down the word itself, for it has no equivalent in our own language. It must be so with this word “look.” That look begat attention, inspired confidence, elevated thought, stimulated veneration, and looked Gideon into a new man. There are looks which do so. There is one look which is yet to do this in all the fulness of its meaning: the day is to come when we shall be like Christ, for we shall see him as he is. These are spiritual looks that we read of in the Old Testament, and that we have experience of in the current of our own lives. (2) The angel, however, not only looked but “said” changed his tone, used human speech, addressed the man in his mother tongue. He said, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” ( Jdg 6:14 ). But Gideon was astounded, and said in effect: Impossible

“Oh, my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family [my thousand] is poor [the meanest] in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” ( Jdg 6:15 ).

This is quite in the line of biblical history. Sarah “laughed” when the angel said that she should be the mother of one who should be supreme in history; Moses was shocked when he was told that he, a wandering, stammering shepherd, should face the Pharaohs of Egypt and demand justice to Israel; Paul was amazed that he should be chosen for great missions of deliverance. Speaking of Gideon, the quaint commentator Trapp says: “He was well-descended, but had mean thoughts of himself. True worth is modest. Moses had distributed the people into thousands as Alfred did the English into shires, hundreds, and tenths, or tithings, whereof the ancientest were called the tithing men.” Such was Gideon’s view of himself and his chiliad, or thousand. But there is the accusing and stimulating question: “Have not I sent thee?” accusing men of unfaith in a tone that stimulates them to seize their grandest opportunities. Are there not new births? Are there not vivid realisations? Are there not new selves? Behold, the angel must confirm his own message and vindicate his own revelation.

What is the application of all this to ourselves in addition to what has already been said? Are we not often hopeless? We say Jesus Christ is in a minority. Put down the great leaders of the world’s religions, and Jesus Christ must statistically take his place near the bottom of the list. That is the arithmetical condition of affairs today. Even if every man in the church be a sound man, yet, reckoning up the sum-total, the figures often sink into insignificance. But are there not these two great lessons lying upon the very face of the history, namely, that we grow in social power as we grow in spiritual consciousness? Just as Gideon saw the angel and was conscious of a divine presence did he grow in social power. He was warmed into a larger self. It is when we see God most clearly that all difficulties vanish from our sight. See God, and you need behold no other sight to make the soul majestic and clothe the life with social beneficence. Fear God, and have no other fear. Be sure that the heavens are with you, then be confident that the harvests of the earth will he gathered even to the last grain of wheat, and the enemy shall not prevail in any degree. Then there is a second lesson lying upon the same line, namely, that we need not be socially great to be spiritually useful. Gideon said, “Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” “Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;” and anything but blessed are they who say, “We are rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” knowing not that they are poor, and blind, and miserable, and naked. It is like God to choose the poorest tribe and the poorest man in the tribe. When did God change that plan? When did he vary that mysterious policy? Is it not that no flesh may glory in his presence? Not many wise, great, mighty, noble are called, but God has chosen the weak things to trouble the strong, yea, things which are not things which seem to have no existence to bring to nought things that are: ghostly ministries operating upon material fortresses, spiritual agencies crumbling down temples in the night-time, mysterious influences rending the mighty and bringing down that which is high.

Selected Note

Palestine, which is only about the size of Wales, and was still largely held by the former inhabitants, was subdivided by the Hebrews into many tribal governments, as England in the Saxon period was broken up into Essex, Wessex, Mercia, Kent, Sussex, and several other kingdoms; and was, hence, in constant danger of inroad and subjugation. To the nomadic tribes of the desert, which stretched to the borders of the land on the east and south, the valleys of Gilead and Bashan, and the fertile plains of Central Canaan, were an irresistible temptation, stretching out as they did like paradises of green, before eyes wearied with the yellow sand or dry barrenness of the wilderness. Israel itself, when only so many wandering tribes, had forced a way into these oases, and had held them, and there seemed no reason why other races should not, like them, exchange the desert for a home so fair, at least during the summer and harvest of each year, by overpowering Israel in turn.

The forty years’ rest after Deborah’s triumph was rudely broken by inroads excited in this hope. A great confederation of the Arab tribes, like that which, at an earlier day, had given the Shepherd Kings to Egypt, poured into Palestine. Midianites, Amalekites, and all “the children of the east,” far and near, in countless numbers, with immense trains of camels, and of cattle, and flocks, streamed up the steep wadys from the fords of Jordan, and swept all resistance before them, from Esdraelon, on the north, to Gaza, on the extreme south. No sooner had the fields been sown each year, than these wild hordes reappeared, covering the hill pastures and the fertile valleys, in turn, with their tents; driving off every sheep, or goat, or ox, or ass, they could find, and seizing all hoards of grain they could discover, saved from the few fields that had escaped destruction by their endless flocks and herds. No visitation could be more terrible, for there was neither food nor live stock left in the land. Fire and sword spread terror on every side; desperate resistance by isolated bands of Hebrews only led to the massacre of these brave defenders of their homes, and at last safety and even existence seemed possible only by the population taking refuge in the numerous caves of the hills, and in strongholds on hill tops.

Geikie.

Prayer

Almighty God, come to us as thou wilt a great fire, or a great wind, or a still small voice. We shall know thee when thou comest, for we are akin to thee; thou didst make us and put thy name upon us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made; we are a continual surprise unto ourselves: sometimes we are self-afraid; sometimes we are tempted to be as gods. Now we know ourselves to be but men, and we sigh about our frailty, and say we are as a withering leaf, as a speck of dust blown about by the wind, a vapour that cometh for a little time and then vanisheth away; then in some other mood, created by thyself, we lay our hands upon all heaven and claim it as an inheritance in Christ Jesus, saying, This is the meaning of his blood, this is the true interpretation of his Cross, glory, honour, immortality; service without weariness, worship accompanied by growing knowledge, trust in God untroubled by a doubt. Whether we are in this mood, or that, low down or high up, moaning about our littleness or rejoicing in our spiritual sonship, take not thy Holy Spirit from us: Holy Spirit, dwell with us! As for these varying tempers and conditions of ours, are we not still prisoners of time, bondmen of the flesh? Are we not oppressed by circumstances we cannot control? But of all these we shall presently be rid, and then we shall claim thy great creation for the development of our powers, for the continuance and consummation of our worship. For all high religious feeling we bless thee; for all sweet Christian hope we thank thee: whilst the angel of hope shines within us and sings its sweet song of heaven, we know nothing of death or of restraint or of littleness; we are already in the celestial world mingling companionlike with the angels. Read thy book to us thyself, with thine own voice, in thine own tone, and the tone shall be explanation: we shall know what thou meanest when we hear thine own voice. Above all things give to us the seeing eye, the hearing ear, and the understanding heart, when we come into the sanctuary of revelation, lest we exalt ourselves and say our own right-hand hath gotten us what spiritual prey we have: rather would we say, This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes, is not his love a continual wonder? Is not his grace a perpetual revelation? Hold us, Mighty One, today and to-morrow, and on the third day perfect us. Amen.

Gideon ( Continued )

Judges 6-8

WHEN the angel “looked” at Gideon the good man’s heart was troubled, and yet his hope was revived. His faith went so far that he would submit to receive some test and proof that the angel was in very deed the messenger of God. It is something to have got so far along the road of the better land; anything in this direction is better than deafness, blindness, and utter indifference. Gideon said, “If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me” ( Jdg 6:17 ). According to the laws of Oriental hospitality, Gideon withdrew to prepare refreshment for his wondrous visitor: “Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee.” And the angel said, “I will tarry until thou come again.” “Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour:” unleavened bread being more easily-prepared than any other “the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.” The angel said, “Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.

“Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight” ( Jdg 6:21 ).

Now there came a practical test to be applied to Gideon. Sooner or later that test comes to every man. If we put God to the test, what if God should in his turn put us also upon our trial? The test to which Gideon was about to be put was a practical one. As the foreign invasion of Midian was traceable to Israel’s evil-doing, so the beginning of the divine deliverance must be moral, spiritual, and religious. That same night the Lord said to Gideon: Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, attach it to the altar of Baal by rope or iron, and drag it down. That was a negative beginning. We must get down the old altar before we put up the new one. “And” when thou hast done this

“build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place [build an altar with the wood laid in order]; and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down” ( Jdg 6:26 ).

Gideon made one reservation. We do not wonder that he should have done so. He said, in effect: I cannot do this in the daytime; I will do it by night. Who can blame him? Who will call him coward? It was a natural device. Men cannot be courageous all at once. Some men need to be trained and nursed into courage; be gentle with them, patient and hopeful, who can spring into lionhood all in one sudden moment? “Gideon took ten men of his own,” rather than “ten men of his servants,” and pulled down Baal’s altar by night. When night gives up her history, it may be found that many a man has attempted to begin a better life under the cover of darkness. We should not taunt men for want of boldness in spiritual things; sometimes they are bolder than we have imagined them to be: they may even have attempted to pray aloud when no one was present. That is a trial of a man’s spiritual sincerity. It is not every man who can listen to his own voice in prayer and continue the supplication with any composure. A man’s first audible prayer might smite himself down as by a great thunder-stroke: the voice seems so loud, the exercise so audacious; it is as if the universe had halted to hear the new appeal. Who shall say that men who are dumb in church have not tried in darkness and in loneliness to sing some little hymn of praise when they were quite unheard? Who knows what papers have been written, what plans of battle have been drawn up, at night-time, wherein men said they would certainly begin at this point, or at that point, to renounce a companionship, to change a custom, to release themselves from the tyranny of a habit: next time they would say No to the invitation which sought to seduce them to evil-doing. Who is not courageous when he is alone? Who is not most eloquent when there is none to hear him? We must not, therefore, fall foul upon the memory of Gideon and charge him with want of courage.

But the morning came. What the city then saw! The cathedral, so to say, was pulled down! When the men of the city arose early in the morning they missed the altar and the Asherah, “and they said to one another, Who hath done this thing?” And inquiry resulted in the information that Gideon the son of Joash had done it.

“Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it” ( Jdg 6:30 ).

Joash was not a born Baal-worshipper; the foreign religion sat uneasily upon him. He had inwardly no great respect for Baal; outwardly he was addicted to his worship, but really he had serious misgivings about Baal’s godhead. What if all idolators be afflicted with the same scepticism? Scepticism does not grow in the Church with relation to the true God alone; unbelievers in the true religion have scepticism often with regard to their own: they cannot tell what to make of their dumb gods; they have great philosophies about them, but no direct consequence comes of it all; so when an assault is made upon them the resistance is but reluctant or careless. Joash was a wise man; he said: Men of the city, hear me: my son has torn down the altar of Baal; if Baal be a god in very deed let him avenge the wrong himself; do not you interfere as to Baal’s sovereignty and godhead: in so far as Baal is a true god he will see to it that the man who insulted his altar shall be punished for his sacrilege and audacity. The men thought this was a good answer, and they accepted it. This is the challenge of the God of the Bible. God is always challenging the false gods to come forward and show what they can do. God mocks them, taunts them, tells them they are nothing, says they are things made out of iron and stone and wood, and not a single thought is in their carved heads. This is the challenge of Elijah; said he, “The God that answereth by fire, let him be God,” whatever his name be; this is not a test of names, forms, ceremonies, dogmas: if Baal be God, let us all worship him, and if the Lord be God, let us bow down in adoration before him: “the God that answereth by fire, let him be God.” The position taken up by Joash is the position we should all take up with regard to religious things. Let God defend himself. The Christian religion is never so humiliated as when men attempt to defend it. God needeth not to be ministered unto by men’s hands; nor does he require the patronage of trained intellect and swift and eager mind. God is continually vindicating himself in his providence. God’s appeal is: Look at the world; look at it in great breadths of time; not in a handful of days, or in a nameable measure of months, but look at it in the light of centuries; give yourselves field of vision enough; look at the distribution of men, and the distribution of all natural products; consider the occasion well: see what boundaries are set, see what issues are inevitable, observe how ambition is cut in two at a certain point, and must begin again to raise its shattered head; watch all the ebb and flow of civilisation; observe keenly as well as widely; and if providence be not its own vindication, it is useless for any man, however swift of thought or copious in expression, to attempt to vindicate what the facts themselves do not support. Christian teaching will be strong in proportion as it takes this ground. We are not engaged in matters that can be settled by words. We look abroad and see a law operating a law of restraint, a law of culture, a law of rewards and punishments; we try to check it, modify it, avert it, but it comes on with quiet irresistibleness an infinite force: who can ascend beyond a certain height? or who can descend without being suffocated? Who can stretch himself out so as to touch the horizon? and who has not chafed as Job chafed when he said, “Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?” If a man would take this wide vision, and bring into focus all these infinite relations, let him look carefully at his own life; let him, as it were, write his own story in his own language, and see how the chapters fall into happy sequence. See what training the man has had, what narrow escapes, what afflictions, what deliverances, how disappointments have been turned into the roots of prosperity, and how the grim discouraging negative has been the beginning of boldest and most successful endeavour; and when the reviewer has concluded his retrospect, let him say if he can, “All this was of chance, and luck, and incalculable fortune.”

Gideon, however, was punished by the people in some degree. The people must interfere a little, even in the case of avenging insults offered to Baal. So they called Gideon by a new name, they called him “Jerubbaal.” The least one can do is to give a reformer a nickname. If we may not smite him, we may at least throw some appellation at him which we hope the enemy will take up and use as a sting or a thong. So Gideon was called Jerubbaal literally, “Baal’s antagonist”: let Baal strive, let Baal take up his own cause; Gideon is the man who has defied the gods. That was not a severe punishment for the beginning of a revolution. The name itself was taken up afterwards and sanctified. There is nothing the enemy can do that God cannot turn into happy issues. Now came the open conflict:

“Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel” ( Jdg 6:33 ).

They were there first. They said, They will be well off who are soonest in the field. What had Gideon to present in reply to this tremendous muster? The story reads well at this point: “But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon,” and he was a thousand men in himself. Inspired, he knew no fear; the tabernacle of the living God, he trembled not before the wind and the tempest. We need inspired men, mad men, enthusiasts, men who know not whether they are fasting or feasting, men who use the world as not abusing it, who hold every thing lightly but their trust from the living God. Gideon “blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer” his little flock “was gathered after him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh” the people of the tribe “who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher” who once proved faithless “and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali” who had won immortal fame in the battle last fought by Israel “and they came up to meet them” ( Jdg 6:34-35 ). Spiritual endowment is power. It is of no consequence how many swords the Church has if it has not the living God: “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword.” Christ’s kingdom is not of this world: it is a kingdom of thought, feeling, love, sacrifice; be true to that spirit, and none can stand before you.

Now Gideon became afraid again, and must therefore be encouraged by another sign from heaven. We must not blame him. He is not the less earnest that he wants to be assured that he is right. Gideon invented a little test for God:

“Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said” ( Jdg 6:37 ).

Did God reply? God accommodated himself to human weakness as he has always done. Gideon arose early in the morning, “and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water” ( Jdg 6:38 ). [“Wool, as a good radiator of heat, would, under ordinary conditions, receive a plentiful deposit of dew, but so would the surrounding grass and soil. The second miracle was still more remarkable, inferior radiators receiving dew, when a better radiator, wool, remained dry.”] Gideon was half persuaded: Now, said he, if the reverse process can be completed, I shall be strong in faith, giving glory to God:

“Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece and upon all the ground let there be dew. And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground” ( Jdg 6:39-40 ).

[“The double sign in connection with the fleece, which Gideon asked of God, is an illustration of a tendency in him to ask for signs: and nothing could be more ingenious, nothing more satisfactory, than the alternate wetting by dew of the fleece and of the whole ground. Possibly he was led to use such boldness in repeated pleadings with God, by the example of Abraham’s repeated requests when interceding for Sodom ( Gen 18:23-33 ). And he may have asked for the dew first to concentrate on the fleece, then to spread out over the ground, as he saw how the grace bestowed first upon himself, was spreading out over Israel.”

Douglas. ]

We may not set these fancy tests. They were proper enough at the time when Gideon applied them. The day was not then so far advanced; it was quite early morning, grey twilight, and men did not see clearly, so they asked for much assistance to their vision; and God graciously answered them. Even in apostolic days the freak of the lottery was tried, and we hear but little of the happy consequences which flowed from the adventure. We have nothing to do with putting tests for God now. Why? It would seem a natural and beautiful thing to say, as Gideon said, If the fleece be wet, or if all the earth be wet, and the fleece be dry, then God is with me, and the right way is open before mine eyes. Why may we not submit God to these tests? because the day is far advanced. This is the age of the Spirit, the age of true spiritual or religious faith. We have now to be guided by those inward and spiritual convictions which often have no words for their adequate and precise expression. We are to be students of providence. Providence itself is a succession of trials, tests, proofs. We are to see how things go, to watch their origin, sequence, consummation. We are to get rid of the superstition that life is a series of isolated incidents. Instead of being right in this particular case, or that, we ourselves are to be right, and all these things shall be regulated for us. The man who is anxious to know merely detailed right has not entered into the Spirit of Christ. He is a man who would keep a book regarding himself, and separate or distribute his life into independent lines and items. That is the Baal we must cast down, the Baal of being right in instances, in mere details, and writing a little maxim-bible of our own. What, then, is the great aim of Providence today? To make right men, to create new and clean hearts and spirits, to make the soul right. Is that represented to us in any formal, quotable words? Surely: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Expand that thought, and what happens but this great philosophy of life, namely: Be right in your soul, be right in your purpose, have a single eye, do not be playing a double game; “do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God; “and as for the details of this opening life, they will fall into great laws of divine Providence, and will be ministers of grace to the trusting soul. What an insidious sophism lurks in this thinking, namely, that if we could have lotteries by which to test individual actions we could not go wrong. So long as you are meddling with individual actions, and trying to be guided by a kind of travelling time-bill, you cannot be right. Here is the distinctive glory of Christ’s religion. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The man does not say, What shall I eat; what shall I drink; wherewithal shall I be clothed; what shall I do to-morrow; and on the second day how shall I be occupied; and in what spirit shall I encounter such and such a possible occasion? That is to live a little life, to split up, and separate, and individualise, and to act cleverly, not religiously. Life is not to be a system of scheming, managing, arranging, balancing, outwitting those who are half-blind, outrunning those who are cripples or unable to run; life is a religion, a consecration, a spiritual sacrifice, a continual living in the sight and fear and love of God; that being granted, all the rest comes in musical sequence, everything else conies and goes by a rhythm divine in its swing and throb. Foolish are the men who want to be right in particular instances, who desire above all things not to be outwitted on set occasions. There was a time in human history when such desires were natural and wholly seasonable, but that time is not now; for Christ is amongst us, and says to us: Children, be the children of your Father in heaven; be ye holy, as your Father in heaven is holy; be ye perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect; trust your Father, little flock; be not disheartened; live in your Father’s good pleasure: seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all details will settle themselves. Why, who would kindle a little fire in his own field to dissolve the snow, and say he will have at least a little garden there? Is the great snow to be broken up into patches in that way, and are we to have little summers and little forces of nature, and little clever attempts to grow something under the most discouraging circumstances? Do not interfere with God’s law in that way. God will send a south wind and a warm sun, and the snow will flee away. There must be a great astronomic movement a high, mighty far-reaching movement, a change of atmosphere: and that will drive back the winter, and in due time “throw a primrose on the bank in pledge of victory.” So must it be with the winter-bound heart of man. It is not by lighting little fires here and there so as to warm great feeling, or create a momentary benevolence, or rise into a temporary ecstasy; the Spirit of the living God must descend upon the whole man, must take possession of the heart; and, reigning there, ruling there, working out the mystery of inspiration there, all the life shall bud and blossom, and be gracious and hospitable as summer. This is the better plan; this is the grander philosophy of life. We do not pronounce judgment upon Gideon in any adverse terms; he did what he could. God smiled upon his infantile endeavours; the great day of spiritual inspiration had not then fully come. Gideon’s purpose was to know whether God was with him. The purpose is eternal the method of discovery was temporary. Let us also know whether God is with us, not in this particular case, or in that particular case, but whether God is with us in very deed within, ruling the mind, and heart, and will, and judgment of the whole soul; and then if we go downhill, it will be downhill on the highlands: even the valleys are lifted up in these great heights; and if we do stumble, we shall rise again yea, though we fall seven times, the eighth endeavour shall bring us home. He who lives upon any other principle lives a sharper’s life, often very clever, often very skilful, a good deal may be said in defence of it as to particular instances and individual successes, but he is a charlatan, an empiric, an adventurer; he is setting traps for God, and fancy devices wherein to entangle the Eternal. The great life the grand, true, simple life is to be in Christ, in God, as to thought, feeling, purpose: then let the days bring with them what they may, all their bringing will be overruled and sanctified, and even our very faults shall help us in our higher education.

Selected Note

” Cast down the altar of Baal ” ( Jdg 6:30 ). The word ba’al , as it signifies lord, master, is a generic term for god in many of the Syro-Arabian languages. As the idolatrous nations of that race had several gods, this word, by means of some accessory distinction, became applicable as a name to many different deities. Baal is appropriated to the chief male divinity of the Phoenicians, the principal seat of whose worship was at Tyre. The idolatrous Israelites adopted the worship of this god (almost always in conjunction with that of Ashtoreth) in the period of the Judges ( Jdg 2:13 ); they continued it in the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh, kings of Judah (2Ch 28:2 ; 2Ki 21:3 ); and among the kings of Israel, especially in the reign of Ahab, who, partly through the influence of his wife, the daughter of the Sidonian king Ethbaal, appears to have made a systematic attempt to suppress the worship of God altogether, and to substitute that of Baal in its stead ( 1Ki 16:31 ); and in that of Hoshea ( 2Ki 17:16 ), although Jehu and Jehoida once severally destroyed the temples and priesthood of the idol (2Ki 10:18 , sq.; 2Ki 11:18 ).

Prayer

Almighty God, thou hast made the sanctuary a place of explanation: within thy house we understand all that is needful for us to know. Outside of it we cannot tell what things really are; we are in the midst of tumult and strife and anger; wrath and malice and bitterness exclude thy presence, but when we come into the house of God we see in the true light, we know somewhat of thy meaning, we are privileged to behold the outworking of thy purposes, and as we look we wonder, and as we wonder we pray, and our prayer speedily becomes a song of praise, because we see that the Lord reigneth and that the end of things is in his hands. Enable us often to come to the sanctuary. Blessed be thy grace for establishing it, so that now we may say, the tabernacle of God is with men upon the earth; God’s house is in the midst of our dwellings. When we come into the sanctuary may we find the spirit of the house there, the spirit of reverence and love, the spirit that loves the truth and follows after it and will eventually establish it; and being in the spirit in thy house, may thy book appear to us in all its breadth and lustre: wide as the great heaven, brighter than the sun when he shines in his strength; and may our hearts be comforted by the messages which they most need; and if first we must be humbled and chastened, stripped and impoverished, that we may know our right condition, thou wilt not end the process there, but having shown us our blindness and nakedness and wretchedness thou wilt give us fine gold, and ointment wherewith to anoint ourselves, and truth upon truth, until the soul is filled with the riches of Christ. So let it be now and evermore. May the sanctuary be a place of elevation whence we can see afar, and a place of revelation where we can see sights let down from heaven and hear voices meant for our instruction and comfort. To the sanctuary we bring our sin. Here we leave it, because the Cross is here; we may not need not take it back with us; for the blood of Jesus Christ thy Son cleanseth from all sin. Here let our sin be crucified; here let our sin be pardoned.

This prayer we pray at the Cross; and we tarry at the Cross until the answer come. Amen.

Gideon ( Continued )

Judges 6-8

THERE are critical words in every life, and critical moments. Everything seems to happen all at once, a curious sense of suddenness affecting the whole life. The word “then,” with which the first verse of the seventh chapter opens, marks a critical point of time. How easily the word is written; and how easily said; but all Gideon’s life seemed crowded into that ardent moment. So it is with our own lives. We crush the whole life into one day. Or we seem to see for what our whole life has been preparing by the light which shines upon one special moment. The time of battle had come; but the time of battle came in the case of Jerubbaal, as we have seen, after long and singular preparation. All that is happening should be regarded as of the nature of preparation. We should ask ourselves now and again, even amid the monotony of life, What is the meaning of this rest? What is the point of this delay? God always has a purpose, and we ought to find it. Why all this schooling, this long and weary study, this knocking night and day at Wisdom’s door? These intellectual inquiries touch the very region of prayer. What is the meaning of all these providences? In all these undulating lines of life read the philosophy and purpose of heaven regarding human service and destiny. Why these sharp trials, these rains of sorrow, these rivers of grief? Why these bereavements, losses, deprivations, disappointments, surprises? Has the tale no end? Is there no point of fire, no final climax? Is it all tumult, change, gain, loss, pleasure, pain, on and on, and the last pain the greatest, the pain of saying farewell before dropping into eternal silence? This cannot be. The question, then, should come to every man when he is seeing visions, hearing voices he never heard before, receiving unexpected and startling visits, What is the meaning of it all? This means action: presently the story will open upon the battle chapter. Surely some of us have had preparation enough. Long since we ought to have been in the thick of the fight, Why all this book-reading? Is there room in the crowded memory for one more volume? Surely we may say to some students, Why continue the bent head, the midnight lamp, the vigil out of season? What is the meaning of all this? The battle waits, or the battle might now begin: the world might turn round and ask, Are you not ready now to speak some gospel word, or at least look some look of hope, lifting upon our weariness eyes that might be as revelations and encouragements. It is weary work to watch how long some men are in putting on their armour. It tires the soul to see how long some men are in whetting the sickle, whilst the white harvest almost withers because of their unaccountable, if not criminal, delay. The critical morning dawned upon the life of Gideon. He took up his new name, having no objection to it. When his fellow-citizens called him Jerubbaal, he said, in effect: So be it: that name expresses my relation to the false god exactly, namely: “Let Baal strive;” or “Let me be Baal’s antagonist:” I yoke a bullock to the god, and drag him down; now let my father’s advice be accepted, and let Baal defend his own case. It is wonderful to notice how many of these Old Testament people take their new name with fine grace, as if with deep sense of the fitness of the larger appellation. We, too, are called upon to pass into new names, or new categories: have we done so? Have we been called Christians? Or are we hiding the new faith under the old name, so that the people know not that a change has taken place in our title? “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” Yet some of us have hardly dared to claim and wear the name. If to some there belongs a name of controversy, battle, antagonism, take it up: it suits the times; the world wants warriors. Take the name which God gives you, or which is brought to bear upon you by the order of his providence. When does God give a less name than the old one? He adds a syllable, and thereby adds a destiny: he changes one letter, first or last, and therein changes the course of a lifetime. “Jerubbaal, who is Gideon,” took his place at the head of his people, “rose up early.” When did the great worker ever rise up late? Early-rising is a necessity of divine vocation. There need be no mechanical arrangement about it. The work is terrific, and the worker is straitened until it be accomplished. There is an impatience that is inspired. Gideon and his people “pitched beside the well of Harod,” that is, beside the well of “trembling,” beside the well of “fear.” It is well to begin at that point. Many a man who has begun his work nervously has turned out at the end to be quite a giant. Take heart; you are indeed now at the well of Harod, at the waters of fear and trembling, but if you are there on God’s business, have no vital fear; you may shake off all fear and pray in the church as a child might pray at home, and fight in the field as consciously called of God to do the work of battle. We must not pour contempt upon men who are nervous, timid, hesitant in their first speech, afraid to pray their first audible prayer. History ought to have taught us a good deal upon such matters. Men who have begun thus have ended in great renown. Everything depends upon our spirit, upon our reliance upon the living God, upon our knowing that the work is not ours but the Lord’s.

This would seem to have been the course of the divine thought, for “the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many.” They are but thirty-two thousand in all; yet they are too many. But how can they be too many, for the Midianites are a hundred and thirty-five thousand strong? That, said God, is making a human calculation. We get wrong by applying human arithmetic to divine decrees; or we get wrong by trying to measure God’s eternity by the tape of our time. He was an inspired man who invented the phrase “for ever and ever.” That is the point at which time gives up the race, falls down dead, and lets eternity stand in its nameless mystery. But today we will play the arithmetician, and deal in figures and tables and returns audited and well avouched. When will we, can we, learn that all numbering is with the Lord, and that because the battle is his he will fight it as it pleases him? Israel would make a wrong use of numbers, as most men do. Israel would say, “Mine own hand hath saved me: I was thirty-two thousand strong on that memorable day, and that was force enough to slay the Midianitish power.” God will stain the pride of all glory. God will not allow any flesh to glory in his presence. If we are gospel preachers, “we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Human ambition must be restrained.

The so-called law of cause and effect, which has victimised so many men in the spiritual universe, must be upset and contemned. When the Church comes into this temper we shall hear news of victory: God will surprise his trustful Church with tidings of great joy. Two-and-twenty thousand men returned unto their houses because they were fearful and afraid. Do not contemn this cowardice, for it is the very colour and temper of our own time. Many men are bold the day after the battle; many have nearly said the word of courage, the word of just reproof. Are not the greatest numbers most cowardly? In a sense this is true. If they could fight as a crowd they would be partially courageous: but real fight comes to man by man, assault and answer. So two-and-twenty thousand men said, We had better continue in oppression, in slavery, in loss, than challenge these unequal odds. But the Lord said, “The people are yet too many;” and the number was reduced to three hundred men by a very curious and interesting test, namely, the different methods in which water was taken. Are there no such tests now? We suppose that this test has passed away and settled in venerable history, to be occasionally exhumed and wondered about: the particular instance itself may no longer be literally repeated, but the principle that is in it is the principle which is operating in the very men who deny the accuracy of the literal incident itself. Men are chosen now by curious signs. We do not know how we are chosen to any particular work; but it may be found incidentally that some little unexpected circumstance, of which we took no note or heed, determined our being where we are. Men who want servants, lieutenants, allies, co-operative assistants, are looking round; the people upon whom they are looking may be unaware of the critical inspection, but it is proceeding nevertheless. Those who are looking on say, He walks lazily, his gait is lacking in energy; he will never do for my particular work. Or: See how he walks; what fire there is in him; every action is half a battle; he needs but to be put in the right circumstances, and he will turn out a satisfactory man; or: He talks too much; his speech is without pith or regard to the number of its words; he patters and gossips and is cursed with a detestable fluency: listen; he never ceases, he never pauses, he evidently loves to hear himself chatter, he will never do. Or: He is an excellent listener; he does not commit himself: observe, he never plunges into anything that he cannot fully grasp and comprehend; he looks more than he speaks; not a word escapes that listener: when he does speak there is marrow in his speech; he is young, but he will get over that disadvantage; he shapes well already. This process is going on through all society. Men are noting one another; seeing whether they lie down upon the ground and devour the water, or whether, being men in wise haste and under self-control, they lap it, and pass on. The little local incident has changed, but the principle of curious and even eccentric election is operating in all life, and the men who deny the Bible live over again its most curious instances.

Gideon was one of those men who require continual encouragement. It was not enough to say to him once for all, “I will be with thee;” he did not doubt the divine presence: but see how Israel had been weakened, impoverished, crushed, these last seven years by the invasion of the Midianites; see how they dare not thresh their corn in the open field or accessible winepress, but had to beat it out in the concealment of the crags and rocks; observe how Israel had to listen and look to assure himself that no Midianite was looking on before he rubbed out his handful of corn and got it ready for the baking; then say if a man could instantly become a great religious and courageous character; and then see how loving it was of God to deal with him according to his weakness, to encourage him, little by little to lead him on. Why, this is the Christly spirit: he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; he has the tongue of the learned, and can speak a word in season to him that is weary; he will not urge his omnipotence against our nothingness, but will accommodate his approach, and breathe upon us quietly, and send to our sinking spirits a still small voice. So Gideon needed to be encouraged again. The Lord said to him: I have made a man down in the Midianitish camp dream a curious dream; I will so operate upon him that he will begin to talk as it were in a half-sleep: go down and listen. Gideon looked afraid; the Lord noticed the blanched face and said: If thou fear to go down alone, go thou with Phurah thy servant; two may be better than one. This is an anticipation of the time when the Lord sent out his servants “by two and two.” Gideon took heart when he was allowed to take a servant with him.

“Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed [the same word is rendered harnessed inExo 13:18Exo 13:18 . The probable meaning is arrayed in divisions] men that were in the host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers [locusts. Compare Num 22:4-5 ] for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude” ( Jdg 7:11-12 ).

When Gideon came near a man told a dream to his neighbour; he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread” such bread as Israel has been reduced to, the bread of poverty “tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.” It is an extraordinary dream; what is the meaning of it? The other man had the faculty of interpretation; he said, “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel.” Once let the enemy have within him the fear that the opposing host will succeed, and the battle is won. Battles are lost and won in the soul. The Church has feared, and the Church has lost.

The battle opened. Israel, represented by three hundred men, did according to the instructions of Gideon: “When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” and that will correspond in instructive harmony with the dream which I have overheard; the name of Gideon has entered into the speech of the Midianites; associate that name with this great battle, and say, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” So the battle opened. “And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon;” and as the torches were shaken in the air, for they were torches rather than what we understand as lamps, and as the sound came from every quarter at once, Midian was afraid, and Midian was destroyed. Make the most of yourselves. You are but three hundred, but symbolically you are all heaven. This manner of assaulting the enemy is no dramatic manner, no pretence or affectation; this is a battle which is being fought on divine principles: therefore, if three hundred men seem to be three millions, they are such, multiplied by themselves and multiplied by infinity in their symbolical and representative capacity.

Gideon took princes that day, even “Oreb and Zeeb,” the Raven and the Wolf. The heads of the raven and the wolf were brought to Gideon on the other side Jordan, see him with the one in one hand and the other in the other. It was an old and barbarous plan to bring the head of the enemy to the hand of the conqueror. It is not a thing to be reproduced or countenanced by Christanised civilisation; but it was the ancient mode of warfare, and must be judged by the morality of the age. This is typical. “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? “He has trodden the winepress alone. He is mighty to save; he is mighty also to destroy. “His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.” In this faith all Christians live and work, serve and suffer, and, blessed be God, the inspiration is in us also. Men call themselves by symbolical names, as Midian was called “the Raven,” but God’s hand is in the heavens, and the air shall be cleansed of his enemies: “the Wolf,” but God’s eyes are in the forest and the jungle and the wilderness, and he will destroy the ravenous beast. Men have called themselves by ideal and typical names, as the “Gracchi” the jackdaws. We respect them under the name of the Gracchi, because we do not know what it means, but when it is understood that the interpretation thereof is “jackdaws” we feel that we ourselves might encounter them in battle. The Aquilini the eagles. So our great warriors have called themselves bull, and wolf, and lion. All these names have histories behind them; but we can never fight with names only: they must represent realities, spiritual inspirations, moral convictions, gospels we have died for, heavens we have seized with crucified hands; then the battle will go the right way. Enter the fight and always turn your eyes to the blood-stained banner on which is written, as with pen of lightning, The battle is not yours, but God’s. Fighting under that banner and in its spirit, the fight can have but one end grand, complete, eternal victory.

Prayer

Almighty God, evermore be with us; evermore give us the bread of life: evermore keep us within the hollow of thy hand. We have learned to distrust ourselves. We have hewn out to ourselves cisterns, but have found them to be broken cisterns that could hold no water. We have thought to plant gardens and sow fields of our own, and behold thou hast withheld thy sun, and all our efforts have perished in darkness. So now, if thou wilt not disdain so mean an offering, we would, under the drawing of a power not our own turn to thy grace, and offer ourselves in sacrifice unto thee: do thou now accept the oblation and give us answers from heaven. We thought our life would never end, and behold we have come to know that it is but a breath in our nostrils. We said of our strength, It is enduring, and cannot fail; and behold, whilst the boast was upon our lips our juice was dried up and there was no sap in all the life. We all do fade as a leaf. We are but as the wind, blowing for a little time: or a vapour dying upon the breeze. We cannot tell what we are, for there is no language that can set forth our poverty, and feebleness, and littleness; yet, when we come to know thy Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and by living faith in him enter into the mystery of his being, then are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but our hope is that we shall be like our Saviour, for we shall see him as he is. So we are little, and great; worthless, yet all-worthy; children of time, yet sons of immortality. Help us to understand somewhat of this mystery, to accept it, to walk in its spirit, to pray mightily unto God that we may grow in all purity, nobleness, and holy power. Thy hand has been outstretched to us in all goodness; no good thing hast thou withheld from us. If we judge by thy rain we cannot tell the just from the unjust; if we judge by thy sunshine we know not the difference between the good and the evil: for thou art kind unto all, and thy tender mercies are over all thy works; the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever, and to his love there is no measure. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. We confess our sins, and mourn them with bitterest lamentation, and seek thy pardon at the cross. God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ: it is the hope of the sinner; it is the way to heaven; it is the very glory of the divine love. Help us to handle our life with great sagacity, understanding the mystery of it as revealed in thy holy book; may we see its littleness, yet its infinite possibilities; may we judge between that which is for a moment and that which is for ever; as wise builders, may we build upon the rock and not upon the sand; may it be found at last that through apparent folly we have been practising the most solid wisdom, and though men have imagined that we had forgotten that which is temporal, yet by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all the lower worlds and their meaner concerns have been put under our dominion. We give one another to thee. We would be wedded unto the Christ of God; we would serve him with all faithfulness, love, sincerity, and hopefulness: may he accept our offering. We bless thee for all good men, whose word is their bond, whose signature is never forsworn, who know what is righteous and do it at the cost of life itself. We thank thee for all patience, as shown in the house, in the business, in the church, in every sphere of life divine patience, motherly, womanly, Godlike. We ask thee to be with us in all our special troubles and turn them into special joys: may our losses be the beginning of our gains, and through our failing health may we see the meaning of immortality. Guide the blind; save the helpless; give speech unto the silent; and be the friend of the friendless. Thus may we live in thy fear, in thy Spirit, in thy love, triumphing over life, time, space, death, already knowing that our citizenship is in heaven. Amen.

Gideon ( Continued )

Judges 6-8

IN the eighth chapter we have quite a gallery of portraits. We may call these allusions to character, aspects, rather than full delineations. Unless we look very vigilantly we shall miss a good deal of the colour and meaning of this panorama, for the action is extremely rapid. You find a character in a line; a history in a sentence; the whole man almost in one trembling or urgent tone. Everything in this chapter is of the nature of condensation. More matter could not be put into this space. Hardly a word could be omitted without interfering with the solid integrity of the composition. He who built this chapter was a master-builder. What fire there is in it; what anger; yea, what zeal; what delay inspired by impatience! thus constituting an almost contradiction in terms. Here is a man too impatient to do what he wants to do at the moment, but he says, I will do it by-and-by; when the greater purpose is accomplished the smaller design shall be fulfilled. But we anticipate. Let us travel the road step by step.

Take Gideon’s answer to Ephraim as showing that not only was Gideon a great soldier but a great man. That is the secret of all official greatness namely, greatness of manhood. There can be no great officer in any sense except as expressive of a reserve of strength, a great manhood. There can be no great soldier, great statesman, great preacher, great business man, without there being behind all that is official and visible a great wealth of nature, a great fulness of life. The men of Ephraim did chide sharply with Gideon, saying, “Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? “We shall see presently that Ephraim was both a bully and a coward. He is proud of having descended from Joseph, and proud of being connected with the illustrious Joshua; but in himself there was more foam than ocean, there was more splutter than divine energy. Ephraim was always finding that he had been left out in the cold. In a page or two we shall see that he met with the man who had the right answer to that foolish self-idolatry. Gideon will reply softly and gently, but Ephraim shall not always have it thus; he will ask this very question again of another man, and we shall see how that sterner man will answer him. Ephraim represents the kind of man who conies in after the battle has been turned to victory and says what he would have done if he had been invited. Ephraim represents the man who is always a day after the fair, a day after the battle, he who comes in when the sun of prosperity is shining and says that if only he had had an invitation he would have been the first subscriber to the fund, the most liberal supporter of the movement, the most energetic member of the faith. Presently he will tell Jephthah that, and Jephthah will answer him otherwise than Gideon replied. It was well that Gideon, whose name means “Hewer,” should show that he was as gifted in the quality of self-control as were his three hundred followers. His answer is intellectually energetic, and in it far away in it is just a little suggestion of irony and the kind of flattery which has a sting in it. It was a wonderful answer. Haughty, proud Ephraim apparently could have crushed the Hewer and his three hundred men; so Gideon said: What have I now done in comparison with you? think how little I am! Why, you misspend your anger in being at all annoyed by anything that was in my power to do. Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than all the vintage of the house to which I belong? the few odd grapes you leave on the vine, are they not of more value than all the grapes that ever cluster on the vines of Abi-ezer? It was well to put the inquiry so. There is a skilful use of interrogation. The form of question has been adapted to strange uses. Gideon reminded Ephraim of what had been done, though even that was only done incidentally. Then he asks the other question: And what was I able to do in comparison with you? You are such a great people; if I had asked you to join in a war you might have contemned so insignificant a creature; look how tall you are, and how scarcely visible I am! “Then their anger was abated,” showing that it was a bully’s anger, and not a hero’s. Their anger was abated when they were flattered. Yet this is the soft answer that turneth away wrath. The question well-planted, quite a thorn of a question, yea, a sharp sting; yet Ephraim, being of the mean quality he was, accepted the flattery and felt not the reproach. We almost long for Ephraim to come into contact with the other kind of man. Ephraim finding how this movement ended will try it again. Ephraim looked so well. What he would have done if he had only been invited! We wait for the man who can see through his falsehood and answer it with slaughter.

Was Gideon, then, soft and foolish? Has he lost the pith of his character? Take his treatment of the men of Succoth. Gideon asked that they would give loaves of bread unto the people that followed him, “For,” said he, “they be faint.” He seemed to ask for the people and not for himself: I am pursuing after kings give the people loaves of bread that they may be able to keep up with me in this fierce haste. The princes of Succoth took advantage of weary men. There are cruel hearts that can take advantage of the hunger of other men hearts that can say, Now is our opportunity; whilst they lack bread and are suffering from hunger, now we can vaunt it over them, now we can tread upon them. The princes of Succoth said, Your victory is not yet complete; you have to fight Zebah and Zalmunna before you can say the battle is ended; when Zebah and Zalmunna are in thy hands, then come, and we will give you bread enough; but do not suppose that you have found those whom you are only pursuing. Gideon was instantly fed with a nutriment that made him strong; forgetting his weariness, he said, “When the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” And he made the same answer to the men of Penuel: “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.” So we must not argue that because a man gives a civil answer to a violent assault, therefore he is of mean quality, and is craven in spirit, and afraid of that which is high and mighty. The quiet answer is an illustration of self-control; the soft reply, the gracious retort, shows that the heart is trusting in the living God, and not in any accidental strength: they who dwell in the tower of heaven can speak quietly from the window to those who are looking up and who are expressing dislike far down at the base. In quietness possess your souls, and in sweet patience. Never answer fury with fury. The princes of Succoth and the men of Penuel were cold in their cruelty, mocking in their hostility; they were not in red-hot anger, but they were taking advantage of temporary weakness. Such persons were answered with fire red-hot. Gideon was thus a manifold character: a quiet man, few in words, threshing out his corn behind the rock that no Midianite might see him, quietly proceeding about his domestic affairs; suddenly taking fire when the touch from heaven came upon him, and a voice other than human told him he was a “man of valour,” right mighty in battle, but most suave and gentle and gracious in the presence of unreasonable men, who did chide with him sharply for what they supposed to be an omission of duty or a breach of courtesy; then flaming up again into the very divinest anger because men refused weak soldiers bread, and mocked pursuers because they appeared to be unable to complete the journey. “I will tear your flesh;” literally, I will thresh your flesh, as he had been found by the prophet and the angel threshing his corn; “I will break down this tower,” and those who are in it must take the consequences of its overthrow.

Was Gideon selfishly ambitious? To this inquiry there is a sublime reply. When the men of Israel saw the prowess of Gideon they said, “Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian” ( Jdg 8:22 ). That was his opportunity. All great prophets and soldiers have had such chances; John the Baptist had when he was asked if he was “that prophet.” Then, everything depended upon his answer; and he answered, “I am not” The people would have taken Jesus and made him a king “by force,” but he stood back from the mob and disdained their crown. “And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you” ( Jdg 8:23 ). There is the real quality of the man. Probe him where you will, you find his motive to be inspired by a consciousness of God’s sovereignty and control. Gideon might have been a king, but was not; and, because he was not, he really was. There are many kingships, some crowned, some uncrowned; some material, imperial; some spiritual, intellectual, moral: the crown is in the man rather than upon him; if only upon him, the wind may blow it off, or some fool’s hand may suddenly dash it to the ground. Gideon believed in what is known as the Theocracy, that is, the reign of God, God’s kingship of Israel, God’s headship of the Church, God’s defence of all faith, truth, righteousness. It is not every man who can start a victorious war so nobly. Gideon lost nothing in the fight, but gained all things. So may we. Life is a battle. Every day has its controversy, its sharp tug, its fierce wrestling, its great conflict a conflict within or without; a temptation addressed to the soul, or a fury assailing the estate. How are we to come out of the great combat; to bring out of the onslaught a clear character, a clean heart, a right spirit, a motive undamaged, and a probity unstained? that we may so come out of the clash of arms and the spiritual assault should be our continual prayer. “Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand.” Stand therefore, panoplied from head to foot, the left hand as the right, and the eyes fixed now on God, now on the foe.

Was Gideon, then, perfect? Is he by all these just encomiums removed from competition and enshrined in altitudes absolutely inaccessible? Is he an historical figure to be almost worshipped? Is he bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, snared by the same gins and traps, and falling now and again under the same blandishments? The perfect man, whom we feel to be so per-feet as to lose touch with our humanity, really would do us more harm than good. Gideon was no perfect man. He had a vulnerable heel; there was a bruise upon him which showed him to be mortal. Having had the offer of the crown and the throne and the rulership that was to be hereditary, Gideon said, No, but “I would desire a request of you.” What is that? said Israel cheerfully. I would request” that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey” (for they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites). Gideon could make some use of these little crescent-shaped ornaments. “And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment” perhaps the very overcoat that Gideon himself wore “and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold;” and, being in the giving mood, they said, Give him “ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian,” and add to the store “the chains that were about their camels’ necks.” We do not blame them. They were royal-hearted in their liberality; therefore they gave with both hands. Gideon had but to make his mind known, and the people who followed him instantly responded with abounding, yea, with redundant generosity. Wherein, then, was the littleness of Gideon or his imperfectness? It was in the use which he made of the golden store: “Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither and whoring after it” lusting after it, desiring to make an idol of it and worship it “which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house” ( Jdg 8:27 ). We did not expect this. Yet we might have expected it had we studied human nature closely. The very man who pulls down one idol sets up another. Gideon had an eye for colour. He liked the sleeveless coat of the priest. He noted its beautiful structure, its marvellous adornment, its oracular gems; and he was minded to make an ephod of all the gifts the people had given. This ephod became an idol, a charm, an amulet. It was looked at as if the very spirit of Gideon was in it. He who disestablished the national idol set up an ephod of his own! Alas for human inconsistency! The same Gideon, the man who took one of the bullocks and yoked it to Baal and dragged down the helpless god manufactures a little idol of his own! It was a shame; and yet it seems to be partly well, for now we can join Gideon at the point of his imperfection; perhaps we can get further into his character, and pray with as intense an energy, and grasp the eternal with as strong a faith. Take the man in the entirety of his character, in the sum-total of his being, and not in points and phases. Is it not so with all great reformers? The men who can finance the affairs of Europe can very seldom pay their own private accounts! The great and mighty reformers who could reconstruct the universe sometimes omit to wash their own hands! Are we not all human? Is it not perfectly possible to be both great and small to have dragged down a god and to have set up an ephod?

Now surely Israel will be good. Israel has had schooling enough, and the time has now come when Israel will take up the policy of good behaviour, and be honest and true evermore. “Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites” ( Jdg 8:32 ). Now Israel will remember the old man’s grave, and never be insincere or faithless any more. The thirty-fourth verse will disillusion us: “And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side.” Well, they may have gone down theologically, but still they are men. Agnostics claim to be men, and honourable men. History has never been very much on the side of those persons who imagine that theology can be given up and yet morality retained. We are bound to accept the evidence of the ages. What was the case of the children of Israel? They “remembered not the Lord their God,” but they remembered Gideon. They will be kind to his children. They will say, We may have changed our theological views, but we are still men; we may have left the church, but we are still honourable citizens. The thirty-fifth verse will disenchant us: “Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.” The retirement from the soundly religious point of view is accompanied by lapses of another kind. A man cannot close the Bible and say, Though I have abandoned that book, yet I am as honourable and true and pure and good as I ever was. If so, then history has been inverted; the facts of the centuries have been proved to be false. A man cannot give up prayer, and give his attention in any profound and enduring sense to the culture of a noble life. A man cannot love his neighbour until he has loved his God. There is logic in the sequence of the commandments: the first, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God;” the second, “and thy neighbour as thyself.” It is a very dangerous thing for any of us to attempt today, in the face of so vast a body of historical evidence, to say that we will give up the Church, the sanctuary, the altar, the Bible, and be as good as we ever were. It is like the train saying, We will give up the engine, and travel just as easily and swiftly as we ever did. It is like the spring flower saying, I will give up the sun, and be as beautiful, delicate, and fragrant as before. It is like the body saying, I will stop the pendulum of the heart, and be as vigorous, strong, and energetic as I ever was. Do not attempt the risk; do not rush upon the mad adventure. The stream can only run in proportion as the fountain is filled and flowing; the earth is nothing of itself, but, being attached to the sun, being a little tiny servant in the great astronomic household, it swings on usefully, and yields us enough for the body. Said Christ, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” “Abide in me, and I in you.” “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

Gideon ( Continued )

Judges 6-8

( A Varied Treatment )

“And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years” ( Jdg 6:1 ).

GOD punishes indirectly as well as directly. He has agents strange, rude servants of his, who unconsciously do his will. He can turn the wrath of man as it doth please him. According to the text it hath pleased God sometimes to punish man by man. Instead of calling Israel up into a mountain apart, and there with some great scourge chastising Israel for iniquity, he chooses to hand over his people to the rod of the tyrant; he allows Midian for seven years to torment Israel. We can punish one another. We do not know always what we are doing; sometimes in our apparent lawlessness and riotousness we are actually carrying out some divine decree, and God has chosen us, in the very intensity of our madness, to do some terrible thing for him, that some side or other of his holy government may be fully vindicated.

“And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds” ( Jdg 6:2 ).

If we had looked at the dens, and caves, and strongholds, we should have said: “Some wild beasts have made these; we see the marks of their great paws; see how they have torn the mountains and made themselves beds and chambers in the strongholds.” So rudely and mistakenly do we interpret some things. The rough homes, these poor hiding places, that the wind could get at so fiercely, and the storm could rage in, were made by men. They who ought to have made the Most High their refuge, who ought to have made God himself their sanctuary, dug in the earth for a home and sought shelter among the rocks, when they might have rested in the secret places of heaven. We are doing every day in so far as we are doing wrong very much of the same thing. We are seeking to ourselves hiding places, we are planning for our own security, we have taken the defence of our life into our own hands, and we have said to money, “Thou shalt be my sanctuary;” to the poor power of our own arm, “Thou shalt be my defence,” and we have said with pagan Ajax to his sword, “Thou art my God.” Alas! poor man, thou hast been burrowing in the dust, scratching in the mud, hollowing out the rocks for a resting place, when God has asked thee to find security in his own power, quietude in his own peace, amplitude and beautifulness of home in his own infinite love. Think of a man tearing the mountains to pieces that he might get security from an enemy; think of a man tearing the rocks out of their places that he might hide himself from some storm of human fury! To such straits men are driven. Oh, that in being so driven they might catch some notion of the great moral purpose which is being worked out even by their torment and homelessness!

“And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites” ( Jdg 6:6 ).

Then comes a most beautiful arrangement: Gideon was threshing wheat, and as he was pursuing his business the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.” God answers the prayers of the many by touching the life of one. As God had tormented man by man, so God will redeem man by man. This is a great mystery; but it is a mystery of love, it is a secret of the divine education of the world. As God did not take Israel apart into the wilderness, or to the top of a mountain and there scourge him with his own hand, so when he comes to deliver, he will make arrangements which show that in all his government of mankind he proceeds upon the principle of mediation; he saves us by making us to one another instruments of salvation. He blesses man by man, he redeems man by man, the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. What was Gideon doing? Threshing wheat. It seems a long way to us because we will look at things only in their outward relationship from threshing wheat to the command of a delivering army. It is a long way, if we measure the thing superficially and externally. But to God it is all one, whether you are blacking a shoe or studying a star; whether you are threshing your father’s wheat when he had many servants and might have sent one of them to thresh it, or whether you are wearing the crown of God’s empire. He says to a man, “A thousand men can plough that furrow, but one only here and there can do the work which I have for thee to do. Come away from the sycamore tree; come away from the receipt of custom.” God calls men by his great and wondrous word from one duty to another. All duties, humble and lofty, obscure and imposing, stand equal before God, if so be we have a servant’s spirit and a son’s love. My friend, there is a call comes to you through your business every day. When you are threshing your wheat, God speaks to you; when you are counting your money, an angel finds you. When God wants a man he knows exactly where to find him. So let me rest content in my sphere. Why should I be chafing myself? Why should I be complaining of the iron bars that cage me in? If God wants me to do some greater work, he knows where I am, and what I can do, and what I am capable of attempting, and at his own time and in his own way he will come for me and promote me to rulership and empire. If I seize that principle, I am strong; I have repose, I have quietude; but if I let go that, I find I am the victim of everything that may happen; the Bible is a chapter of accidents, and verily it is the Bible of a fool!

So Gideon, startled at his work by the presence of an angel, said he did not see how God could be with Israel.

“If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” ( Jdg 6:13 ).

Gideon approached the proposition of the angel very cautiously. He said, “If thou art an angel of the Lord, give me some proof of thine identity as such.” He put God to the test. He was so startled by the revelation of God, that he was to be the deliverer of Israel, that he proposed test after test. He was a cautious man. Let us beware lest our caution be mere pedantry, and lest it degenerate into sophism. It is right to be cautious. Make sure, in the first instance, and then, having made your ground secure, proceed, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against you. But Gideon, having put the angel to the test, was in his turn put to the test. The angel told Gideon that he was to do a work at home. The idol had been worshipped by Israel, and now the idol was to be torn down. The angel said unto him, “Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock, of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: and build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove that is by it” ( Jdg 6:25-26 ). What was the meaning of all this? “Gideon, you must be tested.” He who would make great revolutions must begin at home; he who would go out and strike a foreign enemy must begin reformation within his own circle. If you are going to fight the Midianites successfully you must reform at home. Take down the idol that thy father hath set up; tear down the idol from the elevated place; begin at home. He who begins there will fight well abroad. But if a man shall leave the idolatry in his own house, and go to fight some enemy that is on the outside, behold his victory shall perish, his renown shall be but the flash of a moment, and he shall have no real and abiding success. So must it be with us; we must go into our own hearts and do the great work of demolition there, so far as the empire of the devil is concerned, before we go out to revolutionise, to correct and to educate the public. How is it with our home life? How is it with the condition of our hearts? Are we preaching against idolatry in others and yet falling down before Baal ourselves? Are we filled with righteous indignation because of the evil doing of persons who are far away, whilst we ourselves have temples in our hearts set up to the idol gods? These inquiries search the very secrets of our lives; these questions are like the candle of the Lord held over the depths of our own being. Gideon will have a powerless arm when he challenges the Midianites if he go not forth and begin this moral revolution at home.

How did Gideon proceed? He was cautious here again. We shall find that caution was a characteristic trait in Gideon. He did not like to do this in the daytime because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city. So what was he to do? The angel had appeared unto him, and a new light had shed itself over his life; a great destiny was proposed to him; he himself had suggested a test of the credentials of the angel, and had been satisfied with that test; in his own turn he himself was to be tested. Now what did he do? He said, “If I go out in the daytime the men of the city will seize me. What am I in their hands? Yea, my own father’s household will fall upon me, and I shall be crushed by their cruel power. What shall I do? “And because he could not do it by day he did it by night. Earnest men can find opportunities if they want to do so. He is making a frivolous and impious excuse who says, “I do not like to do it; I am afraid to attempt it; I shrink from going forward; I prefer a modest retirement;” and so lets the work and the call of God slip out of his fingers. If you cannot do it in the morning brightness, you may do it in the evening twilight; if you cannot do it in the noontide glory, you may do it in the midnight darkness. Earnestness always finds opportunities; earnestness always finds the sycamore tree up which it can climb and see Christ. There is always a course open to tact, to reality, to sincerity, to determination. If any man is saying that he cannot make his way through all the difficulties that beset his life so as to get near to God, in the name of all history that is true, in the name of all history that is holy, in the name of all history that is worth preserving, I charge him with a mistake or a lie.

There was sad excitement on the morning of the next day. People finding that Baal had been overthrown were all astonished, and inquiry proceeded. How had this thing been done so suddenly? Done in the night-time? When it was discovered who had done it, they went to the father of Gideon and said, “Now shall thy son be slain for this. Bring out thy son that he may die, because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.” And Joash was changed in a moment: you can touch a man through his child. You can touch his keenest sympathies. When they proceeded to lay a bloody hand upon the head of Gideon, he said, “If Baal be a god let him plead for himself.” A grand tone, a right tone! If Baal be a god let him plead his own cause. What is a god worth if he cannot gather himself up again when somebody has thrown him down? The grandest things have been said by men when they have been cut to the quick, when their child’s life has trembled in the balance. Joash was a new man from that moment. He made the grandest proposition that ever was made in the whole kingdom of idolatry. He saw Baal on his face. He said, “If Baal be a god let him get up again!” This is exactly what we say to all the gods of England. Have you been trusting to money, to power, to health, to friends, to luck, to chance? Let them help you in the hour of extremity, but, beware, there was once a scornful laugh among the nations, a scornful laugh ringing along the courses of the whirlwind: It was this, “Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off!” Samaria had worshipped the calf; God had risen in judgment to vindicate his government, to vindicate his claim to human attention, and when Samaria went to the calf it turned Samaria off. He is but a poor god who cannot save us in extremity who cannot speak for himself in whose arm there is no. power of self-defence.

Gideon, having been satisfied that he was called of God to do this great work, betook himself to it. But there was one difficulty in the way, a strange difficulty, too, and peculiarly worthy of note. The Lord said, “Gideon, the people that are with thee are too many.” When did God ever complain of having too few people to work with? Tell me. I have heard him say, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.” I have heard him say, “One shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight” But I never heard him say, “You must get more men, or I cannot do this work; you must increase the human forces, or the divine energy will not be equal to the occasion.” I hear him say, in the case before us, “Gideon, the people are too many by some thousands. If I were to fight the Midianites with so great a host, the people would say, after the victory had been won, ‘Mine own hand hath saved me.'” Now the Lord proposed that a proclamation should be made unto the people, saying, “Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead.” How many of the people think you returned? Twenty-two thousand went off at once. You cannot do much with a crowd. The crowd never did anything for the world or for itself. Twenty-two thousand went away, ten thousand remained. Now the Lord will say ten thousand is just enough. No. He said, “Gideon, the people are yet too many; they will still boast of their numbers, and they will take all the credit to themselves, if I delivered Israel from the Midianites by their instrumentality; we must have fewer still.” So they were taken down to the water, and every one that lapped of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth he was set by himself, and he alone was taken; and out of the thirty-two thousand Israelites, but three hundred men were called upon to do the great work. Most people are afraid. It is only a man here and there can set himself up with true courage; there are only about three hundred out of every thirty-two thousand that are worth anything for real fighting, for real endurance, for real enterprise. The work of the world has always been done by the few; inspiration was held by a few; wealth is held by a few; poetry is put into the custody of but a few; wisdom is guarded in her great temple but by a few; the few saved the world; ten men would have saved the cities of the plain; Potiphar’s house is blessed because of Joseph; and that ship tossed and torn upon the billows of the Adriatic shall be saved because there is an apostle of God on board. Little child, you may be saving all your house your father, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters. Young man in the city warehouse, a blessing may be coming upon the whole establishment because of your prayer and sobriety, truthfulness, honour, and religious faith. We cannot tell how these things work. There is a secret behind all appearances, and we know not the meaning that underlies all the unrest, and storm, and confusion of life. Still, we may be of some use in other ways. If we cannot go forward to the fight, we can go back to the fields and plough. If I am not one of the three hundred men that can go and take Midian captive, I may be a quiet, homely man, who can repair a fence, or set a gate in order, or plough a furrow, or continue and complete the work which was interrupted by the calling away of the three hundred men. We can all do something. Cyphers are inexpressive and worthless by themselves, but when a unit is put at their head, they are gifted with articulation and value. So let the three hundred mighty ones lead the world; and those who can fight, and think, and scheme, and govern a state, and make law, and write books, go on, and God bless them! But let us who are of a humbler mould and poorer nature know that still there remains some kind of really useful good work for us to do. “Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing!”

What does this teach us? What is the application of this to the men of today? It is this: that human history is under divine control. God’s eye, though in heaven, is looking upon the children of men. Afflictions do not spring out of the dust. If the rod be laid heavily upon our backs, it is because God would take out of us some desire that is evil, punish us for some way that is corrupt, seeking thus to recover us from the error we have committed. This history further teaches that the Lord himself finds a deliverer. Israel did not call upon Gideon, Israel did not call a council of war, and by some lucky stroke of genius deliver themselves. The Midianites were to be overthrown. This was a divine proposition, this was the arrangement of God. Salvation is from on high; deliverance is from the Lord of hosts. When there was no eye to pity, when there was no arm to save, his own eye pitied, and his own arm brought salvation. What is true in this little local case is true in the great and universal condition of humanity. The Redeemer is from heaven; the Deliverer is not a creation of earth. He who delivers mankind comes from the depths of eternity, having the ancientness of unbeginning time upon him, and the power of omnipotence in his arm. We cannot be delivered by ourselves. “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” God hath laid help upon one that is mighty, and the name of that one is Jesus Christ, God the Son, who came into the world to save sinners, and redeem from a worse than Midianitish bondage.

Then God by all this teaches us that no flesh shall glory in his presence. Man shall not arise, and say, “We have devised a scheme of salvation; we have bought ourselves with gold of our own coining; we have found a file, by the use of which we can cut in twain the iron chains that bound us.” God does the work. Our salvation is of his own mercy, of his own grace and power. It hath pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. He hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. It hath pleased God to withhold the battle from the strong and the race from the swift, and give honour to whom he will, that no flesh shall glory in his presence!

See, yonder a man glorying in God’s presence. He lifts up his hands, he lifts up his eyes, he lifts up his voice and says, he is “not as other men.” He tells God how clean his hands are, how often he washes them, and to what perfection he has brought his character. There is also another man with downcast eyes, who has smitten his bosom, and who can only say with a sob, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” He is the man who takes heaven back with him to his home. But where there is a spirit of self-trust and self-glorying, there can be no true honour, there can be no true salvation. It is when I am nothing, when I renounce myself, when I cast my whole life upon the Son of God, that I know what it is to be gathered into the love of God, and to be hidden in the sanctuary of his power. The day of salvation is come, the Deliverer is amongst us. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus is come into the world to save sinners. There was a man in the ancient time, who, having been called to a charge, allowed his charge to slip from him, and when he was asked the reason, he said, “As thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone!” Let us be busy here and there, and yet mind the great business. Let us be threshing our wheat, and still be willing to show hospitality to the angels of God. Let us be doing the duty of the passing day, and yet let our doors be ajar that God may come in whenever it doth please him to visit us in our low estate!

Selected Notes

Though he resisted the offer of a throne, Gideon fell into the error of meddling with the priestly office; a snare into which he may have been betrayed by the command, which he received and obeyed, to build an altar in his city of Ophrah, and offer on it a sacrifice to Jehovah. This isolated act, connected with his rescuing the people from the worship of Baal, and, with the manifestation of the Angel of Jehovah to him (compare and contrast 1Ch 21:28 , 1Ch 22:1 ), was perhaps made the beginning of a system of sacrifices there; at all events, he prepared an ephod, the well-known high-priestly garment used in consulting God (Exo 28:6-30 ; 1Sa 23:6 , 1Sa 23:9 ). Whether he meant no more than to have a memorial of the divinely-appointed ephod, and the way of approaching God by it, as the eastern tribes had built an altar merely for a memorial ( Jos 22:26-29 ), it is impossible to tell; even so, there was a serious risk that he might go farther than he intended. But it is an old opinion that the high priests at Shiloh had early lost the confidence of the people, and had sunk into insignificance; certainly they are never mentioned or referred to in the Book of Judges, after Aaron’s grandson the illustrious Phinehas ( Jdg 20:28 ); and long before Gideon’s time there had been a schismatical and even idolatrous priestly system set up by the tribe of Dan in the town to which they gave their patriarch’s name, and this, too, arose out of an unlawful family sanctuary and its ephod (Jdg 17:5 , Jdg 18:30-31 ). There is no warrant whatever for imputing the same sin to Gideon; yet he did something which looked in that direction, possibly bringing the high priest from Shiloh to use his ephod at Ophrah, possibly using it himself. Even if he himself escaped the more serious consequences, yet ( Jdg 6:27 ), all Israel went a-whoring after it there, and it became a snare to himself and his house, with evil lurking in it, and ere long bursting forth with lamentable results. The high priest’s ephod, with all its attendant ornaments in the breastplate, and with its precious stones, must have been very costly; we need feel no surprise that Gideon laid out upon his ephod 1,700 shekels of gold, or about 53 lb. avoirdupois; nor that so much gold was obtained from this vast multitude of the enemy, since the Arabs to this day manifest an extraordinary love for golden ornaments. Perhaps Gideon thought himself like Moses, when he received the contributions for the tabernacle ( Exo 35:20-23 ), many of those also being the spoils taken from their oppressors; while the men of war who willingly responded to his request may have felt like their ancestors when they made a similar free-will offering after an earlier Midianite war ( Num 31:48-50 ). There were other dangers in Gideon’s position, of which his polygamy is an evidence. Even had he been king, the law of God against multiplying wives was explicit ( Deu 17:17 ): yet though he refused to be ruler, in those forty years of rest and prosperity, he must have assumed something of royal state in its worst oriental form, with a harem. And there is enough in the language of the original (comp. Neh 9:7 ; Dan 5:12 ) to lead to the conjecture that the name Abimelech, “A king’s father,” was one which he gave to his concubine’s son in addition to the name given to him originally, one of those epithets or descriptive names which were common among the Jews: if so, the lad was one of those spoilt children like Adonijah ( 1Ki 1:6 ), who brought misery and shame upon their families. Gideon himself died “in a good old age,” an expression used elsewhere only of his father Abraham (Gen 15:15 , Gen 25:8 ), and of David ( 1Ch 29:28 ); but his death was the signal for the renewed outbreak of all evil. It seems to have taken the form of open apostasy, substituting “Baal of the Covenant” as their covenant God instead of Jehovah; though possibly there was an attempt to combine the worship of the two. And when the people did not remember Jehovah their deliverer no surprise need be felt at their thankless forgetfulness of his earthly instrument and representative, whose two names seem united into one at ver. 35, as if to recall and combine all that he had procured for Israel both of temporal and of spiritual blessings. R ev. Principal Douglas, D.D.

” And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites ” ( Jdg 6:6 ). The Midianites had oppressed Israel so grievously that the people were forced to flee from the open country, and to seek an asylum in mountain fastnesses, in caves, and in fortified cities (vi. I, 2). Midian was now at the head of a great confederacy, comprising the Amalekites and the leading tribes of Arabia, called by the sacred historian Beni Kedem (“children of the East,” [ Jdg 6:3 ]). In early spring the confederates assembled their vast flocks and herds, descended through the defiles of Gilead, crossed the Jordan, and overran the rich plains of central Palestine, plundering and destroying all before them ( Jdg 6:5 ). In their distress the Israelites cried unto the Lord, and he sent a deliverer in the person of Gideon (8-13). The invaders were concentrated on Esdraelon their flocks covering the whole of that splendid plain, and their encampment lying along the base of “the hill of Moreh,” now called little Hermon (Jdg 6:33 ; Jdg 7:1 , Jdg 7:12 ). Gideon assembled his band of warriors at the well of Harod, or fountain of Jezreel, situated at the foot of Gilboa, and famed in after days as the scene of Saul’s defeat and death ( Jdg 7:1 ). Gideon having collected the forces of Israel, followed the fugitives across the Jordan, up the hills of Gilead, and away over the plain into the heart of their own country. There he completely overthrew the whole host ( Jdg 8:12 ). The power of Midian was completely broken. In a single campaign they lost their princes, the flower of their warriors, and their vast wealth. “Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so they lifted up their heads no more” ( Jdg 8:28 ). Their name as a nation appears no more in history.

Prayer

Almighty God, is not all our life a parable, full of instruction, full of rebuke, yet full of comfort? Thou art always coming to us in figures and incidents, and in things we cannot explain, mysteries that darken upon us, and lights above the brightness of the sun. Thou dost whisper to us in the night-season, when the darkness is round about us like prison walls; then thou dost call us out into the warm morning, into the liberty which is beyond, large and glorious liberty. Thou dost teach us by our disappointments and sorrows: our losses thou dost make eloquent with instruction; and, behold, night and day thy purpose is to make us wise unto salvation. O that we had the hearing ear, the understanding mind, the attentive heart; then thy gospels would not be lost upon us, but would be to us as light from heaven. Make thy word live as we read it May we know it to be true because of the answering voice within. May our judgment witness, and our conscience testify, that this is none other than the voice of the living God. So shall our life be strengthened, beautified, and introduced into great freedom. We come before thee evermore to seek thy pardon, for our sins are as numerous as our days: we spoil every hour by some touch of rudeness, some act of violence, some aversion of soul from light and truth. But that we know this sinfulness is itself a blessing: if we confess our sin, we know that whilst we are confessing it at the cross of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Saviour, thou dost look upon him rather than upon us, and for the sake of his work thou dost pardon the iniquity which we repent This is our joy, this is the good news from heaven: we accept it, and answer it, and are glad because of thy forgiveness. Direct us all our days. Their number dwindles; their light is uncertain; their messages are more urgent. Help us to seize the passing time, and inscribe it with love and service and sacrifice. Dry the tears of our sorrow. Lift the burden from us when it is more than we can carry. Attemper the wind to the shorn lamb. Undertake for us in all perplexities and embarrassments and difficulties, and give us the joy of those whose perfect trust is in the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen.

Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker

XXVIII

DEBORAH’S SONG (Concluded); MIDIAN AND GIDEON

Jdg 5:23-8:35

DEBOBAH’S SONG Concluded

In Jdg 5:23 a curse is denounced on Meroz and in Jdg 5:24 a blessing pronounced on Jael. Now, is this imprecation on the one hand or this benediction on the other hand merely an expression of Deborah’s personal enthusiasm and aroused patriotism, or must we attribute it to the inspiration of God?

Ans. The whole context shows that she is not only speaking as a prophet under inspiration (compare Jdg 4:9 , “Jehovah will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman”), but quoting the very words of Jehovah, Jdg 5:23 .

2. Then would you approve the morality of Jael’s apparent violation of the laws of hospitality held so sacred in the Orient, and of what seems on its face to be assassination?

Ans. Yes, what Jehovah himself commands and blesses is not to be judged by man according to human standards. The avenger of blood was not an assassin but commissioned as a sheriff. So the case of Ehud. So the destruction of the Canaanites. So the flood. So the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. But may not Jehovah in a governmental sense avail himself of wicked instruments overruling the evil but not approving it, as in the case of Joseph’s brethren, Gen 42:21 ; Gen 45:5 , of the remarkable case of the Assyrian, Isa 10:5-15 , and in the case of the betrayers and crucifiers of Christ, Act 2:23 ?

Ans. This is all true but cannot under a fair construction of our text apply in the case of the inspired curse on Meroz and the inspired blessing on Jael, especially since it was “the angel of Jehovah” who curses and blesses and Deborah only quotes Jdg 5:23 . Compare the blessing on Jael with the blessings on Mary, the mother of our Lord, Luk 1:41-42 , by Elisabeth and Mary’s own saying, Luk 1:48 .

4. But is not the doctrine dangerous in the hands of fanatics as in the assassination of William of Orange and Henry of Navarre?

Ans. All doctrines are dangerous in the hands of fanatics and are liable to fearful abuse. To assume, without warrant, to act in Jehovah’s name in either blessing or cursing or to cloak private revenge under religious sanction is a blasphemous usurpation of divine prerogative. See Rom 12:19 . God only can bless or curse. See specially the case of Balaam, Num 22:5-6 , and Num 23:7-8 ; Num 23:11-12 ; Num 23:20 ; Num 24:10-12 . It devolves upon him who assumes to bless or curse or slay in God’s name to give miraculous proofs as signs of his credentials.

5. But is it ever true that an individual or a people may dispense with ordinary forms of law?

Ans. It is true that under extraordinary conditions in which ordinary forms of law are not available the law of self-preservation may justify a father in protecting his family from burglary, assassination, and dishonor, and there have been extraordinary cases where there was no law to protect life or property, the right to social government inhering in the people justified extraordinary means of social protection, until ordinary forms of legal protection should be created. This doctrine also is liable to terrific abuses, but it is a true doctrine under the real conditions which demand it.

6. What can you say of the morality of Deborah’s exultation over the hopeless waiting of Sisera’s mother for the return of her son?

Ans. It is of a piece with the rest. A mother watching through the lattice for the return of a son who for twenty years has ground an oppressed people to powder, and who is delighting herself with the expectation of a robber’s spoils and of captive maidens to be devoted to bondage and dishonor, cannot reasonably hope that the delivered people will condole with her disappointment. Nor can it be evil to rejoice at that disappointment. See Rev 19:1-8 . The joy of Deborah was a righteous joy. The sentimental deprecation of some commentators on this point is sickly, namby-pamby, goody-goody gush, very far from piety. It is such a weakness as would weep over the ultimate downfall of the poor devil!

MIDIAN AND GIDEON JUDGES 6-8

7. What the occasion of the next oppression of Israel, how long the oppression, who the oppressor and where his territory?

Ans. See Jdg 6:1 , and map.

8. Trace the origin of the Midianites and show their kinship to Israel and the past connection of Joseph and Moses with them and what part of them was associated with Israel in travel and settlement in Canaan.

Ans. Examine Gen 25:2 ; Exo 3:1 ; Exo 18:1-27 ; Num 10:29-32 ; Num 12:1 ; Num 22:4-7 ; Num 31:1-12 ; Jdg 1:16 ; Jdg 4:11-17 ; Jdg 4:24 , and then make your own reply.

9. Why are Midianites used synonymously with Ishmaelites both here (Jdg 8:24 ) and in Gen 37:25 ; Gen 37:28 ?

Ans. They were close akin, occupied the same territory and had the same customs of desert life, were intermingled as one people.

10. What other tribes or nations were associated with Midian in this invasion of Israel?

Ans. Consult Jdg 6:3 , and Jdg 8:24 , and reply.

11. What characteristics show them to be the true children of the East?

Ans. (1) Their methods of travel and making war, Jdg 6:5 .

(2) Their ornaments, Jdg 8:24-26 .

12. What the sweep of the invasion and the extent of the desolation wrought?

Ans. Consult Jdg 6:2-6 and answer.

13. To whom did Israel cry for help and the method of response?

Ans. Consult Jdg 7:7-10 , and reply.

14. After the rebuke of Israel’s sin through a prophet how does Jehovah intervene?

Ans. He comes to call and qualify a human deliverer, Jdg 6:11 .

15. Comparing Jdg 6:11 , with Gen 15:1 ; Gen 18:2 ; Gen 21:17 ; Exo 3:2 ; Exo 23:20 ; Exo 23:23 ; Exo 33:2 ; Jos 5:13 ; Jdg 13:3-7 , what are these appearances of the “angel, or Word of Jehovah”?

Ans. They were real Theophanies or pre-manifestations of our Lord. Compare Joh 8:5-6 and Heb 9:26-27 .

16. State the circumstances of Gideon’s call, its miraculous sign, its commemoration, the meaning of Jehovah-Shalom and cite other significant combinations of “Jehovah” with a modifying word and the meaning of each.

Ans. For all but the last item see Jdg 6:11-24 . For the last item see Gen 22:14 ; Exo 17:15 ; Jer 23:6 . On the last item: Jehovah-Jireh The Lord Will Provide, Gen 22:14 . Jehovah-Nissi The Lord our Banner, Exo 17:15 . Jehovah-Shalom The Lord our Peace, Jdg 6:24 . Jehovah-Tsidkenu The Lord Our Righteousness, Jer 3:6 .

17. How does the New Testament comment on Gen 18:1-8 , and Jdg 6:18-19 ?

Ans. Heb 13:2 .

18. Compare in the following cases the different ways in which men receive God’s call to service.

(1) Moses, Exo 3:10-11 ; Exo 4:10-13 .

(2) Gideon, Jdg 6:15 .

(3) Samuel, 1Sa 3:4-10

(4) Saul, 1Sa 10:22 .

(5) Jonah, Jon 1:3 ; Jon 3:2-3 .

(6) Isaiah, Isa 6:8 .

(7) Jeremiah, Jer 1:6 .

(8) Amo 7:14-16 .

(9) Paul, Act 26:19 ; Gal 1:15-16 .

19. How was Gideon directed to make a square issue and fulfil it?

Ans. Jdg 6:25-27 .

20. Explain different renderings in common and revised versions of “cut down the grove,” “cut down the Asherah” in Jdg 6:25 .

Ans. Form your own answer.

21. Wherein the great courage of Gideon in this act?

Ans. It was against his own family and city.

22. What the reply of Gideon’s father to the demand of the city that Gideon be delivered up to die?

Ans. Jdg 6:31 .

23. What new name was given to Gideon and of what was it a standing memorial?

Ans. The name of Jerubbaal and it is a standing memorial of the fact that throughout his life Gideon was against Baal and that if Baal could not defend himself he was no god.

24. Compare this case with the remarkable case in 1Ki 18:17-20 .

Ans. Form your own answer.

25. How did both sides respond to Gideon’s issue?

Ans. Jdg 6:33-35 .

26. What the two confirmatory signs of victory given to Gideon?

Ans. Jdg 6:36-40 .

27. What and why the two eliminations of Gideon’s army?

Ans. Jdg 7:2-8 . The first elimination was this: God said, “These 32,000 you have here are too many. The battle must be the Lord’s battle and you have too many men.” The first elimination was to send home every man that was afraid. You know men get scared when they jam right up against a formidable army. The first elimination was that every one of the 32,000 that was scared might fall out, and 22,000 fell out. God looked at the 10,000 and said, “There are still too many. Now bring the 10,000 down to the creek and let me see them drink water,” and every one but 300 when they got there laid down their equipments and kneeled down and deliberately took a drink. But the 300 waded in and lapped up the water as they marched through, and never stopped walking. God said that the 300 that lapped the water like a dog were his crowd. Why? They had before them, after the battle, a march that would try the souls of men. Gideon will never let up pursuing them, across the Jordan and way out into Midian, and soldiers that have to lay aside their equipments and lie down and grunt, they never will overtake a fleeing enemy, and he needed people that wouldn’t lose time. I once heard an infidel say that that was the sorriest test he ever heard of. I always thought it a remarkable test. It was precisely the kind of a test that was made by an old Indian fighter. He said, “I am going to pursue the Indians into the mountains; whoever cannot load your gun as you go must drop out; you must be able to load your gun as you go.”

28. What additional sign of victory?

Ans. Jdg 7:9-14 . Gideon and one man marched up and took a close look at the enemy and heard one of them say, “I have dreamed. I dreamed that we would be destroyed by the sword of Gideon.” There is the mighty spirit of God sending a dream to a man as he sent a dream to Pharaoh.

29. What the arms of Gideon’s 300, his method of battle, the war cry and the result?

Ans. Jdg 7:16-23 . Army trumpets, lamps, and pitchers. The trumpets to blow, the pitchers to hide the light until the time came. They put the light down deep in the pitchers so they could slip up to the enemy, then at a signal they broke the pitchers and the 300 trumpets blew and the war cry came from three directions, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” You see he divided his men into three companies; let a big crowd of men wake up in the night with 100 lights burning on the right, 100 on the left and 100 behind and three divisions shouting, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon,” it would scare them nearly to death. The result was that they just ran until they dropped. That great big army, a multitude, running away before trumpets, lamps, and pitchers and the war cry.

30. What great sermon by great men have been preached from two texts in this paragraph?

Ans. I will give you two and let you think of a dozen more. Spurgeon has a sermon, indeed a series, on “Lamps and Pitchers.” Then John A. Broadus preached at the convention at Atlanta on “The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon.”

31. What other cases can you cite of using insignificant weapons to achieve great victories?

Ans. I will tell you of a few and you must think of some more. The ox-goad in the hands of Shamgar, the jawbone of an ass in the hands of Samson, and the sling and pebble in the hands of David.

32. What precautions of Gideon to cut off the retreat of the enemy?

Ans. He sent a rapid messenger to the tribe of Ephraim and they fell into line and captured two of the kings and killed a great multitude of the people.

33. Considering the case of Ephraim in dealing with Joshua, Gideon, and Jephthah, what the description of that tribe by a later prophet, and what the meaning of the metaphor?

Ans. Hos 7:8 : “Ephraim is a cake not turned.” You read those three passages about Ephraim and you will think of that prophets metaphor. He was just cooked on one side. Did you ever eat a piece of bread that was cooked on one side and raw on the other? That is the description of Ephraim.

34. What kings commanded the Midianites, and their fate?

Ans. Zabah and Zaimunna, who were slain by Gideon.

35. State the case of the cities of Succoth and Penuel and give your judgment of Gideon’s punishment of them.

Ans. When Gideon’s men came with their tongues out from thirst, having come all the way from the battlefield east of the Jordan, they said, “We are soldiers of Gideon and dying of hunger and thirst; feed us,” and those cities from financial and prudential reasons thought maybe the other side was going to capture them, so they went against the starving army and refused them bread and drink. Gideon said that when he came back he was going to make scourges out of the bushes with thorns and punish them and plough up their foundation. Later he did exactly what he said he was going to do.

36. What great sin did Gideon commit?

Ans. I wish that he had stopped without committing that sin. He commanded that the earrings, raiment, and the chains that were about their camels’ necks (as is characteristic of desert people) should all be poured into a sack and out of that he would make an ephod. What is an ephod? It is a garment like a Mexican blanket with a hole in it to put down over the head. The one for the high priest, on the breast, had a plate and two jewels, one on each side, and it was worn when the priest went to consult the oracles; whenever a question came up the high priest put on this robe and the oracle would answer. And the record says, “All Israel went a whoring after the ephod of Gideon.”

37. How long did peace last from this deliverance?

Ans. Forty years; it was just a day or two that that fight lasted and forty years of peace followed one brief fight.

Fuente: B.H. Carroll’s An Interpretation of the English Bible

Jdg 8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

Ver. 1. Why hast thou served us thus? ] Nay, why have you served me thus? might Gideon for better cause have said: and how is it that you came no sooner to mine assistance in so common a cause? But none are so ready to except and exclaim, as the most faulty.

And they did chide with him sharply. ] Heb., Strongly. They should rather have cried him up for his valour, and blessed God for his victory. But this is merces mundi, the world’s wages: and these Ephraimitcs, pricked on by pride and envy thus to brawl and lay about them, had they not met with a man of a milder temper than themselves, had occasioned a far worse war than the former. If two fires meet, it must needs be a great combustion: it proved so in Jephtha’s days, Jdg 12:1-6 and these proud Ephraimites met with their match.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

chide. This was the beginning of the strife which ended in the division of the kingdom (1Ki 12).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Shall we turn in our Bibles to the book of Judges, chapter eight?

The Ephraimites were troublemakers. And in chapter eight we find them giving Gideon a bad time. But we see with what splendid diplomacy Gideon deals with these Ephraimites. They came to Gideon and they began to chide him sharply because he had not called them to go with him against the Midianites. Now it is interesting to note that they came to him after Gideon had the victory and it was assured that Gideon had the enemy on the run. Then they came to him and said, “Why didn’t you call us to come out and help you against these Midianites?” And they really began to give him a bad time, “chided him sharply.” But Gideon said, “Well, what have I done compared with what you have? Actually you captured the two kings. And really, what have I done in comparison?”

Well, Gideon only wiped out a hundred and twenty thousand of them. And so, as yet, very diplomatically he handles the situation very well. These guys are hot-tempered. They come and they start making this ridiculous kind of an accusation. And Gideon, I feel, handles this situation very, very well. Perhaps a little bit too well as far as the Ephraimites themselves are concerned, because later on they tried the same trick with another fella Jephthah and he didn’t handle it so well. But Gideon was very gracious in his dealing with them.

Verse two,

He said, What have I done in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? ( Jdg 8:2 )

In other words, you guys came in and the gleanings that you got, the leftovers, are really better than the vintage that we took.

And have, God has delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: what was I able to do in comparison to you? Then their anger was abated towards him, when he said that ( Jdg 8:3 ).

So, it was just a very gracious thing on the part of Gideon. I look at Gideon and I must admire the man. There is, I feel, a true humility in this man, admirable quality. When the Lord actually called him to lead the Israelites against Midian you remember, he said, “Lord, I can’t do that. My father’s house you know is really nothing and I am the least of my father’s house. Who am I to do this?” And yet, he was the kind of fellow, when convinced of the call of God, went at it in a very sincere way. Now he could really be glorying in the victory of the Midianites, take this as an opportunity to really, you know, pride himself. It wasn’t so.

Now, perhaps he learned and learned well, the fact that God wanted the glory in the battle. You remember that’s why God narrowed his army down. That’s why God cut them down from twenty-two thousand to three hundred, in order that God would get the victory for whatever was accomplished.

So Gideon came to Jordan, he passed over, with three hundred men that were with him, who were faint, still they were pursing the enemy ( Jdg 8:4 ).

For there was still some fifteen thousand of the enemy still alive. They’ve wiped out a hundred and twenty thousand, fifteen thousand were still alive and so he’s pursuing. That’s pretty brave thing, with three hundred guys you’re chasing fifteen thousand, you know. That’s all right as long as they’re running but what if they turn around? And it’s really a very commendable thing that he is still doing but his men are tired at this point.

Now an interesting thing to me is that there are still three hundred. Up to this point he hasn’t lost a single man in this battle. God has done a pretty thorough job in wiping out the enemy, and no wonder Gideon was not about to take the credit and is willing to let other men glory but he wouldn’t glory himself.

And so they came to the city of Succoth and they said to the men of Succoth, “Hey, give some bread to my men because they are faint and all.” And they said, “Look fella, is the enemy in your hand? No way, just fifteen thousand of them go by, there’s only three hundred of you guys and we don’t want to be guilty of helping you because if we help you, then if you be defeated by them, they’ll come back and get us. And so they refused to feed Gideon’s men.

And Gideon said, “When I return with their heads, I’m gonna drag you guys through the cactus.” And so he went on to the next city of Penuel, and he asked the men of Penuel, he said, “Give my men some food, they’re fainting and we’ve still got the enemy to wipe out.” And they said, “The enemy isn’t yet delivered in your hand. We’re not gonna help you.”

Gideon says when I come back from the victory I’m gonna tear down your tower. And he with his three hundred men pursued them, the remainder of the Midianites, about fifteen thousand of them, and they wiped them out.

Verse ten, there is already fallen about a hundred and twenty thousand that drew their sword. There were about fifteen thousand that were now in Karkor where their leaders Zebah and Zalmunna.

So Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in the tents on the east of Nobah, and he smote the host: for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. And Gideon the son Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, And they caught a young man from the city of Succoth, and he said: Describe to me the leaders of your city, [the mayor and the city council] ( Jdg 8:11-14 ).

And so the young man described for them the elders, the leaders of the city and so he went into Succoth and he took these guys and drug them through the cactus, through the thorns and the briars to teach them a lesson for their failure to help them when they were in need. Then they came to Penuel, and they broke down the tower of the city and smote the men of Penuel for their failure also to help them in their time of need.

Then he said to these two Midianite kings, “Describe for me the men that you killed over near Mount Tabor.”

And they said, “Well actually, they look sort of like you, good-looking, they sort of look like sons of God.”

Gideon said, “They were my brothers. If you would have spared their lives I would now spare yours but you killed my brothers.” And so he said to one of his young boys, he said, “Rise up and kill these fellows.” Well, his boy was quite young, probably a teenager and he was, well you know here are kings and for me to just kill them and so his boy hesitated.

And so the two kings said, “Fall on us, you know. Go ahead” And yet he hesitated to do it. And so Gideon himself killed the two kings of the Midianites that he had taken captive.

So then the men of Israel [verse twenty-two] came to Gideon, and they said to Gideon, Rule over us, you, and your sons, and your son’s sons ( Jdg 8:22 ):

In other words, they wanted to set up now a dynasty and a monarchy. They wanted now the family of Gideon to become the king over Israel and his sons and his grandsons. But Gideon shows remarkable character. Here he is, you know, the popular movement. “Gideon, draft Gideon for the king.”

And Gideon answered them, I will not rule over you, and neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you ( Jdg 8:23 ).

So I see very much in the character of Gideon as a very commendable thing. He did absolutely the right thing. “The Lord rule over you. I’m not going to nor my son.” And so Gideon then asked the men for his share of the victory in the loot. He said, “I’d just like the golden earrings.”

Now these Midianites were Ishmaelites and they all of them had gold earrings, pierced ears with a gold ring in their ears. And so they dumped them all on Gideon. And man at the price of gold today he would have been a wealthy man because it was seventeen hundred shekels of gold that these earrings weighed when they tossed them all in. A hundred and twenty thousand earrings that would be a pretty good hit really on the gold market today.

So Gideon them made an ephod out of these ( Jdg 8:27 ),

It’s sort of a gold kind of a robe out of them. But this gold robe that he made became a snare. It became a tourist attraction. People used to travel down to Gideon’s house to see this golden ephod that he had made out of the earrings of the Midianites. And the people began to worship it. They made it sort of an object of worship; thus, it became a snare unto Israel. Now I don’t think that Gideon had that in mind at all, that the people would make sort of an idol out of this golden ephod that he made from these earrings but nonetheless the people did. Now at that point, I think, was where Gideon did make a mistake. When he saw how the people were, you know, sort of revering this gold ephod he should have just tossed the thing in the fire, melted it down and made a gold brick or something. And so if he was guilty of any mistakes it was this: his allowing the ephod to remain after the people had made an idolatrous kind of a symbol of this ephod.

And thus the children of Midian were subdued, and they did not lift their heads up against the Israelite. And there was quiet in the land for forty years during all of the days of Gideon. And Jerubbaal [who is Gideon and he received that name when he knocked down the altar of Baal that belonged to his dad] the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house ( Jdg 8:28-29 ).

Now he was a pretty prolific guy, he had seventy sons begotten for he had many wives.

And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name was called Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah which is of the Abiezrites. So it came to pass, that soon after Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again, and went whoring after Baalim, made Baalberith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all of their enemies on every side: And neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, or Gideon [in namely in this], that according to all the goodness which he had showed in Israel ( Jdg 8:31-35 ). “

Fuente: Through the Bible Commentary

Jdg 8:1. And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

We have some friends, like these men of Ephraim, who do not like being left out of the battle for the Lord. They say, Why are we not asked for our help? Why are we not allowed to take our share? These are very good people; but we have known some of them who have made these enquiries rather late in the day. These Ephraimites knew all about the war, and they might have volunteered to help Gideon, and we should have been glad of the earlier help of some who tarried till the victory was won.

Jdg 8:2. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you?

Gideon answered them very kindly and very wisely. He flattered them he attached great importance to what they had done, and took little credit to himself for his valiant service. In this he showed his self-command and his discretion. When persons chide sharply, it is a pity to chide back again; the best way of dealing with them is with a soft answer to turn away their wrath.

Jdg 8:2-5. Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

This was a very natural and a very reasonable request. Gideon did not ask the men of Succoth to come with him, nor even to give a lodging to his soldiers. The fear of Midian was upon Israel, and the people were afraid to do anything against their oppressor, but surely they might have relieved the hunger of their fellow countrymen. Instead of doing so, they answered Gideon with arrogant and cruel words.

Jdg 8:6. And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

As much as to say, What have you done, after all? There are fifteen thousand men with Zebah and Zalmunna, and there are only three hundred of you. You have not even captured the leaders yet. They forgot that Gideons band had slain a hundred and twenty thousand already; they underrated and mocked him, and would not give him the help he asked.

Jdg 8:7. And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

Some have said that this showed resentment and harshness, but when a man is at war, he is not in the habit of sprinkling his adversaries with rosewater. War is in itself so great an evil that there are many other evils necessarily connected with it. It seems to me that if, when Gideon was trying to deliver his own countrymen, they scoffed at him, and refused him bread for his soldiers in the day of their hunger, they deserved to be punished with great severity.

Jdg 8:8-9. And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

They took liberty to speak rudely because theirs was a fortified city, guarded by a strong tower, and Gideon, nothing doubting that he would come back that way, God having given him the victory, said, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.

Jdg 8:10-11. Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure.

He went by an unusual route, and took them at night again unawares when they felt perfectly safe, and were sound asleep: for the host was secure. As I read these words, I think, what a pity it is ever to fancy ourselves secure while we are really in peril! Carnal security is a great danger. To be safe in the arms of Jesus, is a most blessed condition; but to be secure in self-confidence, is a thing that hath a curse upon it.

Jdg 8:12. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

There was an end of the tyranny of the Midianites. Gideon slew great numbers of them, and drove away such as yet remained alive.

Jdg 8:13-17. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, and caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof even threescore and seventeen men. And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

He probably slew the most public revilers, the leading men of Penuel, even as he had chastised the princes and elders of Succoth with thorns and briers. I have often observed that you and I have been taught a great many things with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. If we refuse to help Gods weary and tried people, it is highly probable that, one of these days, we may have to learn a great deal from the thorns of the wilderness and from the briers. Do we ever learn much apart from the thorns of the wilderness? Surely, trials and troubles have been our great instructors from the first day even until now.

Jdg 8:18-19. Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. And he said, they were my brethren, even the sons of my mother:

In the East, there is much greater affection between those who are the sons of one mother than between those who are only sons of one father.

Jdg 8:19. As the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

But now it devolved upon him to be an avenger of blood according to Oriental law, and to put to death those who had slain his brothers.

Jdg 8:20-22. And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels necks. Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy sons son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

There was always an itching among the Israelites to have a king, an earthly monarch to rule over them; but God did not so design it. It was want of loyalty and love to God that led them to make this request.

Jdg 8:23-27. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels necks. And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

He did not set up an idol, but he made an ephod, an imitation of that wonderful vestment worn by the high priest. Perhaps he made it of solid gold, not to be worn, but to he looked at, simply to remind the people of the worship of God, and not to be itself worshipped. But ah, dear friends, you see here that, if we go half an inch beyond what Gods Word warrants we always get into mischief! You hear people say, We have such and such symbols, not to worship, but to help us in worship. Ah, yes; but the tendency of the symbol is to act as a dam to the stream of devotion, and to make it end there! God forbid that we should ever violate the rules that Christ has laid down for us! The slightest deviation from the simplicity of the gospel may lead us away into sheer apostasy? Whence have come all the errors of Rome but from little accretions and alterations? A little ornament here, a little symbol there, and a little variation of truth yonder and the gigantic system of Romanism has thus been created. Gideon probably meant well, and we may do wrong even though we mean well. May the Lord preserve us from the smallest departure from the way that he has marked out for us in his Holy Word! Amen.

This exposition consisted of readings from Jdg 7:19-25; Jdg 8:1-27.

Fuente: Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Following the deliverance from the oppression of Midian, Gideon had to deal with internal troubles. The people of Ephraim objected that he had not called them to his help. The men of Succoth and Penuel had refused help in an hour of crisis. Gideon’s method with Ephraim was conciliatory and that with the men of Succoth and Penuel was severe.

The last things we read about Gideon are full of interest: one is characterized by great nobility, the other is a revelation of weakness which issued in trouble. When the people virtually desired to make him king, he refused and in his refusal manifested his disinterestedness and his recognition that God was sufficient as King. On the other hand, his making of an ephod suggests that he took to himself some of the functions of the priesthood. While this was probably done out of a sense of the religious failure of the people, the effect produced was evil and resulted in deterioration of the character of Gideon himself.

Fuente: An Exposition on the Whole Bible

a Soft Answer Turneth Away Wrath

Jdg 7:24-25; Jdg 8:1-12

The fleeing host made for the three fords of the Jordan, and with all haste Gideon summoned the tribes to anticipate them. The way of the victor was not without its drawbacks and discouragements. Ephraim was wroth; Succoth and Penuel were contemptuous; his own men were faint, though pursuing. But the faith that had won the great victory never wavered. Gideon endured as seeing Him who is invisible. From the eternal source of patience and hope he derived the grace of continuance. This is what Paul also learned and taught in after-years, 2Co 6:4, etc.

When the soul is leaning on God, drawing on his resources and affirming his sufficient grace, it can afford to answer Ephraim pleasantly; it will not shrink from rebuking cowardice in Penuel and Succoth; and it will hold on its victorious way, until the last enemy is destroyed and it enters the presence of God to receive the Well done! Discouraged soul, get alone, shut your door on all other thoughts, and say over and over to God the words with which the good Asaph ends Psa 73:23-28. Let these fill your heart with music till you are strong again.

Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary

Jdg 8:4

I. Faintness comes to the body by long travel. These men had come a considerable distance, and distance will vanquish the strongest in the end, if there is not adequate renewal of the strength by food and rest.

It is so with the soul. There is a mysterious spending of its substance and vitality day by day in thought, emotion, will, effort. And if, through long travel, the waste is more than the recruiting, then comes faintness. God takes forty, fifty, sixty years for the ripening of one soul. He takes seven, three, or only one for the perfecting of another. No man can measure God’s work clearly in the soul of another, or even in his own.

II. Faintness comes to the body by rapid movement. These men had come fast as well as far. All earnest natures tend to go by rapid movements, and are in consequence subject to sudden exhaustion. The fainting is the natural fruit of the effort.

III. Faintness comes to the body by the difficulty of the ground that has been trodden, or of the work that has been done. Some Christians go to heaven by the way of the plain, and some by the mountain roads. The mountain men are often faint, and hardly “pursuing.”

IV. Faintness comes to the body through lack of sustenance. The soul, like the body, will faint if it is famished. Jesus feeds His flock like a shepherd.

V. Faintness may come to the body by sickness, by disease.

The soul sickens and grows faint when in any way, in any place, it inhales the poison of sin.

The grand word of the text is “pursuing.” To pursue in weakness is even better, in some senses, than to pursue in strength. It shows that the life-purpose has taken full possession of the soul, and that God Himself is inspiring it.

A. Raleigh, Quiet Resting Places, p. 163.

References: Jdg 8:4.-J. Baldwin Brown, The Higher Life, p. 288; E. J. Hardy, Faint yet Pursuing, p. 31; E. Blencowe, Plain Sermons to a Country Congregation; 1st series, p. 83; Parker, vol. vi., p. 165. Jdg 8:12, Jdg 8:17.-Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iv., p. 391. Jdg 8:20.-Parker, vol. vi., p. 165; Homiletic Magazine, vol. x., p. 80. Jdg 8:28.-Homiletic Quarterly vol. iv., p. 393.

Jdg 8:21

The purport of these words is not obscure. The desert chieftains meant that, since they must die, they would rather fall by the hand of a strong man and a great commander such as Gideon, than by the hand of a mere stripling like his son; and that, first, because his stout arm would be more likely to despatch them quickly, and save them from a lingering and painful death; and secondly, because such an end would be less ignominious. Like many a wise saw of the olden time, the text contains much truth in small bulk.

I. Plainly, the first meaning of it is, that as a man is physically, so is his strength. Gideon belonged to the order of nature’s nobility. He was a man of splendid figure and bearing, of a tall and commanding presence. Whatever work he undertook, he would do with thoroughness and effect. Although it is true that men cannot give to themselves a handsome mien, or add one cubit to their stature, it is equally true that they can do much to promote their health, to build up their constitution, and even to give dignity to their physical presence. The axiom generally holds good that as the man is, even in outward physique, so is his success and strength.

II. Take it in another way: as a man is intellectually, so is his strength. I use the word “strength” here as meaning power of work, capacity for accomplishing the ends of life, and making the world the better for his existence. In real power of work the skilled artisan leaves the mere labourer far behind, and the thoughtful clerk the mere mechanical penman; so that as a man is in intelligence, so is his strength.

III. As a man is morally and spiritually, so is his strength..

Character and faith, more than anything else, determine your power of overcoming difficulty and of accomplishing good. There must be a foundation of stern principle, or you will be as weak as water. A man with a resolute conscience will always be a power. There is no strength in the world like the strength imparted by a faith which lays hold of the risen and all-sufficient Redeemer.

J. Thain Davidson, The City Youth, p. 69.

References: Jdg 8:21.-E. Paxton Hood, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xix., p. 264. Jdg 8:22-35; Jdg 8:9-Homiletic Quarterly, vol. iv., p. 303.

Fuente: The Sermon Bible

CHAPTER 8 Internal Strife, Gideons Failure and End

1. The strife (Jdg 8:1-9)

2. The complete deliverance (Jdg 8:10-21)

3. Gideons failure and end (Jdg 8:22-32)

4. Israels failure after Gideon (Jdg 8:33-35)

Internal strife follows. The two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, were slain (Jdg 7:25). Oreb means raven and Zeeb means wolf. Oreb, the raven, is slain on the rock and Zeeb, the wolf, at the winepress. The raven, the bird which represents darkness and evil, is the type of corruption; the wolf is the destroyer of the sheep. The rock and the winepress typify the Lord Jesus Christ and His Cross. There the victory over both was won.

The internal strife was born in selfishness. Ephraim chided him sharply, because he had not called them to the fight. Gideons wise and gracious answer averted the threatening dissension. How beautifully it illustrates Php 2:1-5. All church strifes begin with self-seeking vain-glory. The remedy is in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better than themselves.

A greater victory follows after the internal strive had been overcome. The men of Succoth and of Peniel, Israelites, mocked Gideon and refused him help. They were really secret allies of Midian. After the victory these mocking, half-hearted Israelites were whipped by Gideon with the briers and thorns of the wilderness to teach them the needed lesson. How often we also in half-heartedness, world-bordering and being occupied too much with earthly things, need the thorns and briers, anxieties, disappointments and sufferings to bring us into line.

When they wanted to make Gideon king he refused. But while he refused that honor he tries to grasp another, the priesthood. He gathers the gold to make a priestly ephod and put it in Ophrah. It became a snare for all Israel as well as for Gideon, for they went a whoring after it. The gold was taken from the enemy. It was a self-glorification of the victor Gideon. He and all Israel forgot that the glory belonged to Jehovah. Gideon claimed an honor which did not belong to him. Even so it has been done on Christian ground. A false priesthood with man in place of the Lord and His work, the instruments used in the power of the Spirit of God exalted instead of Him who furnished the instrument, these are the lessons which may be traced here in Gideons sad failure. How many a servant of Christ, forgetting 1Co 4:7 : And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? has fallen into the same snare, and as a result lost his power and blessing! The many wives of Gideon and the concubine of Shechem tell the other side. Amalek (the flesh) spoiled him. Like priest, like people. Israel went whoring after Baal and forgot once more Jehovah.

Fuente: Gaebelein’s Annotated Bible (Commentary)

Ephraim

Cf. Jdg 12:1; 2Sa 2:8; 1Ki 12:16. Here begins that deep-rooted division in Israel which culminated in the division of Solomon’s kingdom under Jeroboam and Rehoboam.

Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes

the men: Jdg 12:1-6, 2Sa 19:41, Job 5:2, Ecc 4:4, Jam 4:5, Jam 4:6

Why: etc. Heb. What thing is this thou hast done unto us, sharply. Heb. strongly.

Reciprocal: 1Sa 24:14 – a flea 2Sa 19:43 – the words Pro 13:10 – with Pro 15:1 – soft Pro 15:18 – he Pro 17:14 – leave

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Gideon soothed the hurt feelings of Ephraim by telling them that, though they were called late to the battle, their grape gathering had been more fruitful than all the vintage of Abiezer. Gideon and his exhausted troops crossed over Jordan still in pursuit of the enemy. They asked for bread from Succoth and Penuel, neither of which would provide it for fear of Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. Gideon made a surprise attack on the kings with their 15,000 remaining troops and took both of them captive. He then went back and whipped the leaders of Succoth with thorns from the wilderness, destroyed the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. He killed the kings because they had killed his brothers at Tabor ( Jdg 8:1-21 ).

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Jdg 8:1. Why hast thou served us thus, &c. Why hast thou neglected and despised us in not calling us in to thy help? This they considered as very contemptuous treatment, since Gideon had sent to other tribes, that were meaner, and not so able to assist him as themselves. These were a proud people, puffed up with a conceit of their number and strength, and the preference which Jacob gave them above Manasseh, of which tribe Gideon was, who, by this act, had seemed to advance his own tribe, and to depress theirs,

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jdg 8:16. He taught the men of Succoth. The LXX read, he threshed them. This little city of forty or fifty families was blinded, in giving this answer to Gideon. Soldiers fighting for their country have at least a right to demand bread. Now the backs of the elders must atone for the insolence of their tongues.

Jdg 8:21. The ornaments on their camels necks. They were caparisoned in the most gorgeous manner.

Jdg 8:22. Rule thou over us. The Hebrew government was a theocracy, supported almost without costs; but carnal men and wicked factions are not worthy of such an order of things. As their king, God was never wanting, when they addressed him as such: the calamities which befel the nation arose from the apostasy of the people. Gideon, aware of this, declined a monarchs sceptre, and gave the glory to the Lord.

Jdg 8:23. I will not rule over you. Semiramis had formed a great empire, but Gideon shunned the sceptre: he did not raise a standing army, nor put garrisons in Ishmael, Ammon, and Moab. He was content with Jehovahs presence as a wall of fire.

Jdg 8:27. Gideon made an ephod. Exo 28:6. The ephod contained the breastplate, which Abiathar was careful to take when he fled to David. Gideon with all this gold established a sort of chapel royal, that he might in case of need enquire of God; and which no priest was allowed to do without the knowledge of the king.

Jdg 8:31. His concubine; a woman whose marriage was not registered; by consequence, neither she nor her children were entitled to the inheritance and wealth of their father. Such children are generally ill educated, as the sequel will prove.

REFLECTIONS.

Gideon in the full career of victory found his joys disturbed by the menaces of his brother Ephraim, and menaces of immediate death. This tribe claimed priority over Manasseh, because of Jacobs blessing, and because of its own strength. Having distinguished themselves in the pursuit and slaughter of the enemy, they became insolent with the Lords appointed judge. How uncertain are all our earthly joys; and how calamitous is the situation of princes and rulers when surrounded by factions of proud and turbulent men. And it is no small mark of Gideons prudence and goodness, that he pacified them by a modest answer.

The princes or elders of Succoth and Penuel being situate contiguous to the enemys country, acted the part of selfish prudence. They did not believe in Gideons call and mission; they knew that Zebah and Zalmunna were still in the land with an army. Hence they denied bread to the victorious, who were expelling an enemy that consumed the land. This was a foul crime; it was death by the well-known and existing covenant of the Israelites; nor was the punishment long delayed. Before the sun was up next morning, Gideon was under the wall of Succoth, with the two captive kings in whom they had trusted. How soon was their unbelief put to shame; and how soon the angry army inflicted the vengeance on their backs, which hunger had denounced the preseding day. How weak are they who put confidence in princes, not in alliance with heaven. Let us learn to be on the Lords side, whatever adversity or clouds may for the moment surround his cause.

Zebah and Zalmunna having seen the loss of their whole army, must now in turn drink the bitter cup of death. Gideon finding that his brethren did not return to share the joys of victory, suspected them to be slain at Tabor. Hence, as they showed no mercy to their captives, they could expect no mercy from him. Oh how bitterly would they lament engaging in this invasion, which terminated in the loss of their lives: and how mysterious is the providence of God, which by the vicissitudes of war makes one wicked nation a dreadful scourge to another. Gideon having vanquished kings, and acquired salvation and glory for his country, was offered the throne of Israel as the reward of his victories. This through piety he refused; for he regarded the Lord as Israels king; and considered the patriarchal rights, and the municipal privileges of every city as ordained of God. He therefore retired to his own paternal cottage, and refused for himself all regal and pecuniary rewards. What proofs of disinterestedness, of wisdom and heroic virtue! How marvellous that this man, so weak but a few days ago, should now be so strong. What an act of faith that God would at all times raise up for the people a military judge or deliverer, whenever the invasion or menaces of the neighbouring nations should so require. Hence he would neither take advantage of his peoples good-will in the moment of popular enthusiasm, nor expose his sons to the temptations of royalty. Yet the very name that Gideon was still alive intimidated every heathen prince, who might otherwise have been disposed to molest the Hebrews. Unable at that time to remove the ark to the city, he requested the earrings in order to make an ephod, that in cases of necessity he might consult the Lord, and in all things do his will. This was contrary to the law, and yet it was in some sort sanctioned by example, for in many of the tribes an independent government prevailed, and they offered sacrifices on the high places where Abraham and Isaac and Jacob had been accustomed to worship.

Lastly, we have to blame this illustrious man for being too fond of a patriarchs fame, though he had declined the honours of a king. He multiplied his wives, and saw seventy sons rising around his various tables. This was his sin, and it caused the special favours of his family to be blasted. These sons were all slain by one that was illegitimate; for how should the righteous Judge of heaven and earth entail his blessings when men depart from his precepts? Hence, though the example of Gideon, and other judges, be set before us by St. Paul, it regards only the great acts of faith and virtue, not their failings and their sins.

Fuente: Sutcliffe’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Jdg 8:1-3. The Ephraimites Appeased.After defeating the mighty foreign foe, Gideon had to settle a domestic dispute which might easily have become serious, and he again proved himself equal to the occasion. He is a man of wit and humour as well as of military prowess. He knows that a soft answer turns away wrath, and he can make the tongue as effective a weapon as the sword. He stoops to conquer. When the jealous Ephraimites complain that he has not given them the first place in his army (which would have entitled them to the best of the spoils), he returns a humble answer, in which they do not perceive any flavour of delicate irony. How should he ever compare his little clan with a mighty tribe? The mere gleanings of Ephraim are more than the vintagethe whole harvestof Abiezer. We shall find later that while such treatment appeased the Ephraimites it did not cure them. Jephthah had experience of the same jealous temper, and was not so patient with it (Jdg 12:1-6).

Fuente: Peake’s Commentary on the Bible

GRIEVOUS WORDS AND A SOFT ANSWER

(vv. 1-3)

But the men of Ephraim were resentful that Gideon had called them so late rather than when he began his campaign against Midian (v.1). They did not stop to consider that it was God who ordered the assault on Midian.They probably did not know that God had reduced the army to 300 rather than increasing it by the inclusion of Ephraim.Gideon could have pointed these things out to them, but instead he took a wiser way of using a soft answer to turn away their anger.

If they thought that Gideon was seeking honor for himself, such an attitude on their part would melt away when Gideon told them that he had done little in comparison to Ephraim. They had taken a part that was most important in completing a victory over the enemy. Why should they feel as though they had been left out? God had used them to destroy the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, so that Gideon asks them what he had done in comparison to them? This humble attitude of Gideon produced good results, for the anger of the Ephraimites subsided. Thus, strife in the camp was averted and the armies left free to finish their work.

COMPLETING THEVICTORY

(vv. 4-21)

Gideon with his 300 men pursued Zeba and Zalmunna, kings of Midian, becoming weary after a long day’s conflict. Crossing the Jordan, they came to Succoth, a city of Israel, and there asked for bread for the army (v. 5). Certainly they were entitled to this, for they were fighting Israel’s battles. But the leaders of the city, haughtily refused, saying, in effect, that if they had already defeated Zeba and Zalmunna they might have reason to expect food from Succoth (v. 6).

Gideon therefore warned them of what he would do when he had captured these two kings. He would return and tear the flesh of the leaders with thorns and briars (v. 7). This would not be pleasant, but it was a righteous revenge.

Another city in Israel, Penuel, when asked for food, spoke in the same insulting way to Gideon. How sad it is when God’s people not only give no support to those who are fighting God’s battles, but rather insult them! In the case of Penuel, Gideon tells them that when he returned he would tear down their tower. The tower was for the purpose of watching against enemy attacks, but Penuel had no concern for opposing the enemy. Then of what use was their tower?

Zeba and Zalmunna were in Karkor, with15,000 men, for 120,000 of their army had been killed, an amazing decimation (v. 10). The 15,000 were evidently practically paralyzed with fear and unable to resist the assault of 300 men! They had traveled some miles, and felt secure from further conflict (v. 11), then when attacked were totally routed. Of course it was the Lord who gave the victory, and they took captive the two kings, Zeba and Zalmunna (v.12).

Returning from the battle, as they neared Succoth, Gideon caught a young man who was resident in that city, to learn from him who were the leaders and elders of Succoth. He was given 77names (v.14).Therefore he faced these leaders with the fact of his now having captured Zeba and Zalmunna, reminding them of their insulting words (v. 15), and “taught” them with thorns and briars of the wilderness, as he had promised (v. 16). This meant they were physically torn by the thorns and briars (v. 7), certainly a painful infliction, to say the least!

Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city (v. 17), likely meaning the leaders among them. We are not told why there was a difference between the punishment given to the men of Succoth and those of Penuel, but no doubt Gideon had a reason for this.

Following this Gideon asked Zeba and Zalmunna what kind of men they had killed at Tabor. This killing must have taken place some time before, but we have no record of it. They answered that those men resembled Gideon, their appearance being as sons of a king (v. 18). So Gideon tells them they were his own brothers, and if Zeba and Zalmunna had let them live, Gideon would not kill them (v. 19). Gideon may have been too partial in saying this, for these kings were enemies of God, which is more serious than their attitude toward individual Israelites who were Gideon’s relatives.

He gave orders to his eldest son to kill the two kings, but being young, he was not a hardened warrior and would not attempt such work (v. 20). Zeba and Zalmunna then told Gideon he should kill them, for they say, “as a man is, so is his strength.” Gideon responded by killing them both, then took as spoil the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks. There is some significance in this, little as we might perceive it.

A GOLDEN EPHOD

(vv. 22-28)

Gideon had earned the respect of Israel, but just as the people who had witnessed the Lord’s feeding of the five thousand wanted to take Him by force to make Him a king (Joh 6:15), so the men of Israel wanted Gideon to reign over them and his sons to succeed him in reigning (v. 22). They thought this was the way to perpetuate the blessing that God had brought to them through Gideon. But this would be confidence in the vessel, not confidence in the Lord. Gideon perceived this immediately and refused their proposition, telling them the Lord should rule over them, not Gideon or his sons (v. 23)). This was wisdom and faith that would have been most fruitful if Gideon had left it at that.

However, Gideon made a very grave blunder in another direction.He requested (not demanded) that the people should give him the golden earrings they had taken as plunder from the Midianites. They willingly did so, and with this large amount of gold Gideon made an ephod and set it up for public display in Ophrah, his own city (vv. 25-27).

He had certainly not enquired of God as to this matter, but evidently thought it was a nice religious symbol of God’s approval. How deceiving was such a thing! An ephod was the most important article of the high priest’s clothing, the vesture in which the breastplate with its twelve precious stones was set (Exo 39:2-21). But Gideon was not a priest. Nor did God ever suggest an ephod being set up by itself: it was to be worn.

The sad mistake of Gideon in making a golden ephod involves a most serious lesson for believers today. One may rightly realize he is not to be a ruler over God’s people, and yet assume the place of being their spiritual adviser, the one through whom the people may receive their spiritual instruction. Thus many today want to give to a godly man the honor of being called “reverend,” expecting him to be more spiritual than others. With such an arrangement the people excuse themselves from requiring the exercise of being in God’s presence for themselves, to receive instruction directly from Him. This dependence on a man is a worse evil than people think. It is really idolatry, just as the people came to Gideon’s house to honor the golden ephod. Gideon would say that the ephod was intended just as a reminder of God’s authority, but God commanded Israel only to make a linen ephod, and that to be worn by a priest, so that the golden ephod actually became an object of worship to Israel (v. 27). However, the land remained in peace for forty years in the days of Gideon (v. 28).

GIDEON’S DEATH

(vv.29-35)

Gideon then lived in his own house, with no more exploits to occupy him. We are told he had seventy sons, his own offspring, because he had many wives (v. 30), as well as having a concubine who bore him one son named Abimelech. God had said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24), so that having more than one wife was contrary to God’s will, though many believers in the Old Testament did so.

Gideon died at a good old age (v. 32), and as soon as he died, Israel again reverted to their idolatrous worship of the Baals, and particularly Baal-Berith, meaning “lord of the covenant.” This speaks of Israel being degraded to a covenant relationship with God which is not God’s covenant at all, but rather a promise of serving the Lord that is merely of the flesh. God’s covenant with Israel was that of the law of Moses, but false lords advocate a falsified covenant. Thus Israel was guilty again of not remembering the Lord God who had delivered them from their enemies, and forgot Gideon and his house (vv. 34-35). It is with good cause that Christians are told, “Remember those who rule (or have taken the lead) over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Heb 13:7). Paul speaks here of those leaders who have passed away. We are not to forget their faith and their example.

Fuente: Grant’s Commentary on the Bible

8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, {a} Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.

(a) They began to object, because he had the glory of the victory.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

The resentment of the Ephraimites 8:1-3

Gideon had not invited the men of Ephraim to join him when he recruited the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali (Jdg 6:35). Presumably he did not invite them at the Lord’s command since he did not need more soldiers. The men of Ephraim took this omission as an insult (Jdg 8:1). [Note: See John H. Paterson, "The Touchy Tribe," Toward the Mark 16:6 (November-December 1987):110-13.]

The leaders of this tribe protested Gideon’s action, ". . . less from any dissatisfied longing for booty, than from injured pride or jealousy, because Gideon had made war upon the enemy and defeated them without the co-operation of this tribe, which was striving for the leadership [in Israel]." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, p. 351.]

". . . nothing is more common than for those who will not attempt or venture anything in the cause of God, to be ready to censure those who show more zeal and enterprise than themselves." [Note: Bush, p. 107.]

Gideon responded diplomatically and satisfied the Ephraimites (Jdg 8:2). The "gleaning" of Ephraim refers to the lives and spoils the Ephraimites took from the fleeing Midianites, and the "vintage" of Abiezer refers to the Midianites that Gideon and his 300 men had defeated and slain. The Ephraimites’ victory was greater too in that they had killed two Midianite commanders, Oreb and Zeeb.

It is significant, however, that Gideon based his appeal on psychology rather than theology. Why did he make no reference to God’s direction of him or God’s provision of victory (cf. ch. 5)? Having participated in a great deliverance, Gideon seems to have begun to exclude the Victor from His own victory.

"When the plot resumes, something seems to have happened to the character of the hero. In chaps. 6-7 we have witnessed his transformation from a fearful private citizen to a fearless agent of God, willing to take on the enemy against all odds, not to mention a sensitive diplomat. But the portrait of the man the author paints in this chapter creates a radically different impression in the reader’s mind. If Jdg 8:1-32 had been handed down without the literary context in which it is embedded, modern readers would reject Gideon as a tyrant, arbitrary in his treatment of the enemy and ruthless in his handling of his own countrymen. Instead of ’hacking’ and ’contending’ with the enemy, Gideon/Jerubbaal ’contends’ and ’hacks’ his own people." [Note: Block, Judges . . ., p. 287. Cf. Klein, p. 62.]

"Although appropriately faithful to God and humble in the presence of others in Jdg 8:1-3, Gideon proves to be alarmingly self-assertive and prideful in Jdg 8:4-21." [Note: McCann, p. 68.]

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)

“MIDIANS EVIL DAY”

Jdg 7:8-25 – Jdg 8:1-21

THERE is now with Gideon a select band of three hundred, ready for a night attack on the Midianites. The leader has been guided to a singular and striking plan of action. It is, however, as he well knows, a daring thing to begin assault upon the immense camp of Midian with so small a band, even though reserves of nearly ten thousand wait to join in the struggle; and we can easily see that the temper and spirit of the enemy were important considerations on the eve of so hazardous a battle. If the Midianites, Amalekites, and Children of the East formed a united army, if they were prepared to resist, if they had posted sentinels on every side and were bold in prospect of the fight, it was necessary for Gideon to be well aware of the facts. On the other hand if there were symptoms of division in the tents of the enemy, if there were no adequate preparations, and especially if the spirit of doubt or fear had begun to show itself, these would be indications that Jehovah was preparing victory for the Hebrews.

Gideon is led to inquire for himself into the condition of the Midianitish host. To learn that already his name kindles terror in the ranks of the enemy will dispel his lingering anxiety. “Jehovah said unto him Go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp; and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened.” The principle is that for those who are on Gods side it is always best to know fully the nature of the opposition. The temper of the enemies of religion, those irregular troops of infidelity and unrighteousness with whom we have to contend, is an element of great importance in shaping the course of our Christian warfare. We hear of organised vice, of combinations great and resolute against which we have to do battle. Language is used which implies that the condition of the churches of Christ contrasts pitiably with the activity and agreement of those who follow the black banners of evil. A vague terror possesses many that in the conflict with vice they must face immense resources and a powerful confederacy. The far-stretching encampment of the Midianites is to all appearance organised for defence at every point, and while the servants of God are resolved to attack they are oppressed by the vastness of the enterprise. Impiety, sensuality, injustice may seem to be in close alliance with each other, on the best understanding, fortified by superhuman craft and malice, with their gods in their midst to help them.

But let us go down to the host and listen, the state of things may be other than we have thought.

Under cover of the night which made Midian seem more awful the Hebrew chief and his servant left the outpost on the slope of Gilboa and crept from shadow to shadow across the space which separated them from the enemy, vaguely seeking what quickly came. Lying in breathless silence behind some bush or wall the Hebrews heard one relating a dream to his fellow. “I dreamed,” he said, “and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came unto a tent and smote it that it fell, and overturned it that it lay along.” The thoughts of the day are reproduced in the visions of the night. Evidently this man has had his mind directed to the likelihood of attack, the possibility of defeat. It is well known that the Hebrews are gathering to try the issue of battle. They are indeed like a barley cake such as poor Arabs bake among ashes-a defeated famished people whose life has been almost drained away. But tidings have come of their return to Jehovah and traditions of His marvellous power are current among the desert tribes. A confused sense of all this has shaped the dream in which the tent of the chief appears prostrate and despoiled. Gideon and Purah listen intently, and what they hear further is even more unexpected and reassuring. The dream is interpreted: “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; for into his hand God hath delivered Midian and all the host.” He who reads the dream knows more than the other. He has the name of the Hebrew captain. He has heard of the Divine messenger who called Gideon to his task and assured him of victory. As for the apparent strength of the host of Midian, he has no confidence in it, for he has felt the tremor that passes through the great camp. So, lying concealed, Gideon hears from his enemies themselves as from God the promise of victory, and full of worshipping joy hastens back to prepare for an immediate attack.

Now in every combination of godless men there is a like feeling of insecurity, a like presage of disaster. Those who are in revolt against justice, truth, and the religion of God have nothing on which to rest, no enduring bond of union. What do they conceive as the issue of their attempts and schemes? Have they anything in view that can give heart and courage; an end worth toil and hazard? It is impossible, for their efforts are all in the region of the false, where the seeming realities are but shadows that perpetually change. Let it be allowed that to a certain extent common interests draw together men of no principle so that they can cooperate for a time. Yet each individual is secretly bent on his own pleasure or profit and there is nothing that can unite them constantly. One selfish and unjust person may be depended upon to conceive a lively antipathy to every other selfish and unjust person. Midian and Amalek have their differences with one another, and each has its own rival chiefs, rival families, full of the bitterest jealousy, which at any moment may burst into flame. The whole combination is weak from the beginning, a mere horde of clashing desires incapable of harmony, incapable of a sustaining hope.

In the course of our Lords brief ministry the insecurity of those who opposed Him was often shown. The chief priests and scribes and lawyers whispered to each other the fears and anxieties He aroused. In the Sanhedrin the discussion about Him comes to the point, “What do we? For this man doeth many signs. If we let Him thus alone, all men will believe on Him: and the Romans will come and take away both our peace and our nation.” The Pharisees say among themselves, “Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? Behold the world is gone after Him.” And what was the reason, what was the cause of this weakness? Intense devotion to the law and the institutions of religion animated those Israelites, yet sufficed not to bind them together. Rival schools and claims honeycombed the whole social and ecclesiastical fabric. The pride of religious ancestry and a keenly cherished ambition could not maintain peace or hope; they were of no use against the calm authority of the Nazarene. Judaism was full of the bitterness of falsehood. The seeds of despair were in the minds of those who accused Christ, and the terrible harvest was reaped within a generation. Passing from this supreme evidence that the wrong can never be the strong, look at those ignorant and unhappy persons who combine against the laws of society. Their suspicions of each other are proverbial, and ever with them is the feeling that sooner or later they will be overtaken by the law. They dream of that and tell each other their dreams. The game of crime is played against well known odds. Those who carry it on are aware that their haunts will be discovered, their gang broken up. A bribe will tempt one of their number, and the rest will have to go their way to the cell or the gallows. Yet with the presage of defeat wrought into the very constitution of the mind and with innumerable proofs that it is no delusion, there are always those amongst us who attempt what even in this world is so hazardous and in the larger sweep of moral economy is impossible. In selfishness, in oppression and injustice, in every kind of sensuality men adventure as if they could ensure their safety and defy the day of reckoning. Gideon is now well persuaded that the fear of disaster is not for Israel. He returns to the camp and forthwith prepares to strike. It seems to him now the easiest thing possible to throw into confusion that great encampment of Midian.

One bold device rapidly executed will set in operation the suspicions and fears of the different desert tribes and they will melt away in defeat. The stratagem has already shaped itself. The three hundred are provided with the earthenware jars or pitchers in which their simple food has been carried. They soon procure firebrands and from among the ten thousand in the camp enough rams horns are collected to supply one to each of the attacking party. Then three bands are formed of equal strength and ordered to advance from different sides upon the enemy, holding themselves ready at a given signal to break the pitchers, flash the torches in the air and make as much noise as they can with their rude mountain horns. The scheme is simple, quaint, ingenious. It reveals skill in making use of the most ordinary materials which is of the very essence of generalship. The harsh cornets especially filling the valley with barbaric tumult are well adapted to create terror and confusion. We hear nothing of ordinary weapons, but it must not be supposed that the three hundred were unarmed.

It was not long after midnight, the middle watch had been newly set, when the three companies reached their stations. The orders had been well seized and all went precisely as Gideon had conceived. With crash and tumult and flare of torches there came the battle shout-“Sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.” The Israelites had no need to press forward; they stood every man in his place, while fear and suspicion did the work. The host ran and cried and fled. To and fro among the tents, seeing, now on this side now on that, the menacing flames, turning from the battle cry here to be met in an opposite quarter by the wild dissonance of the horns, the surprised army was thrown into utter confusion. Every one thought of treachery and turned his sword against his fellow. Escape was the common impulse, and the flight of the disorganised host took a southeasterly direction by the road that led to the Jordan valley and across it to the Hauran and the desert. It was a complete rout and the Hebrews had only to follow up their advantage. Those who had not shared the attack joined in the pursuit. Every village that the flying Midianites passed sent out its men, brave enough now that the arm of the tyrant was broken. Down to the ghor of Jordan the terror-stricken Arabs fled and along the bank for many a mile, harassed in the difficult ground by the Hebrews who know every yard of it. At the fords there is dreadful work. Those who cross at the highest point near Succoth are not the main body, but the two chiefs Zebah and Zalmunna are among them and Gideon takes them in hand. Away to the south Ephraim has its opportunity and gains a victory where the road. along the valley of Jordan diverges to Beth-barah. For days and nights the retreat goes oft till the strange swift triumph of Israel is assured.

1. There is in this narrative a lesson as to equipment for the battle of life and the service: of God somewhat like that which we found in the story of Shamgar, yet with points of difference. We are reminded here of what may be done without wealth, without the material apparatus that is often counted necessary. The modern habit is to make much of tools and outfit. The study and applications of science have brought in a fashion of demanding everything possible in the way of furniture, means, implements. Everywhere this fashion prevails, in the struggle of commerce and manufacture, in literature and art, in teaching and household economy, worst of all in church life and work. Michaelangelo wrought the frescoes of the Sistine chapel with the ochres he dug with his own hands from the garden of the Vatican. Mr. Darwins great experiments were conducted with the rudest and cheapest furniture, anything a country house could supply. But in the common view it is on perfect tools and material almost everything depends; and we seem in the way of being absolutely mastered by them. What, for example, is the ecclesiasticism which covers an increasing area of religious life? And what is the parish or congregation fully organised in the modern sense? Must we not call them elaborate machinery expected to produce spiritual life? There must be an extensive building with every convenience for making worship agreeable; there must be guilds and guild rooms, societies and committees, each with an array of officials; there must be due assignment of observances to fit days and seasons; there must be architecture, music, and much else. The ardent soul desiring to serve God and man has to find a place in conjunction with all this and order his work so that it may appear well in a report. To some these things may appear ludicrous, but they are too significant of the drift from that simplicity and personal energy in which the Church of Christ began. We seem to have forgotten that the great strokes have been made by men who like Gideon delayed not for elaborate preparation nor went back on rule and precedent, but took the firebrands, pitchers, and horns that could be got together on a hillside. The great thing both in the secular and in the spiritual region is that men should go straight at the work which has to be done and do it with sagacity, intelligence, and fervour of their own.

We look back to those few plain men with whom lay the new life of the world, going forth with the strong certain word of a belief for which they could die, a truth by which the dead could be revived. Their equipment was of the soul. Of outward means and material advantages they were, one may say, destitute. Our methods are very different. No doubt in these days there is a work of defence which requires the finest weapons and most careful preparation. Yet even here no weight of polished armour is so good for Davids use as the familiar sling and stone. And in the general task of the church, teaching, guiding, setting forth the gospel of Christ, whatever keeps soul from honest and hearty touch with soul is bad. We want above all things men who have sanctified common sense, mother wit, courage and frank simplicity, men who can find their own means and gain their own victories. The churches that do not breed such are doomed.

2. We have been reading a story of panic and defeat, and we may be advised to find in it a hint of the fate that is to overtake Christianity when modern criticism has finally ordered its companies and provided them with terrifying horns and torches. Or certain Christians may feel that the illustration fits the state of alarm in which they are obliged to live. Is not the church like that encampment in the valley, exposed to the most terrible and startling attacks on all sides, and in peril constantly of being routed by unforeseen audacities, here of Ingersoll, Bakunin, Bebel, there of Huxley or Renan? Not seldom still, though after many a false alarm, the cry is raised, “The church, the faith-in danger!”

Once for all-the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is never in danger, though enemies buzz on every side like furious hornets. A confederation of men, a human organisation may be in deadly peril and may know that the harsh tumult around it means annihilation. But no institution is identical with the Catholic Church, much less with the kingdom of God. Christians need not dread the honest criticism which has a right to speak, nor even the malice, envy, which have no right yet dare to utter themselves. Whether it be sheer atheism or scientific dogma or political change or criticism of the Bible that makes the religious world tremble and cry out for fear, in every case panic is unchristian and unworthy. For one thing, do we not frame numerous thoughts and opinions of our own and devise many forms of service which in the course of time we come to regard as having a sacredness equal to the doctrine and ordinances of Christ? And do we not frequently fall into the error of thinking that the symbols, traditions, outward forms of a Christian society are essential and as much to be contended for as the substance of the gospel? Criticism of these is dreaded as criticism of Christ, decay of them is regarded, often quite wrongly, as decay of the work of God on earth. We forget that forms, as such, are on perpetual trial, and we forget also that no revolution or seeming disaster can touch the facts on which Christianity rests. The Divine gospel is eternal. Indeed, assailants of the right sort are needed, and even those of the bad sort have their use. The encampment of the unseeing and unthinking, of the self-loving and arrogant needs to be startled; and he is no emissary of Satan who honestly leads an attack where men lie in false peace, though he may be for his own part but a rude fighter. The panic indeed sometimes takes a singular and pathetic form. The unexpected enemy breaks in on the camp with blare of ignorant rebuke and noisy demonstration of strength and authority. Him the church hails as a new apostle, at his feet she takes her place with a strange unprofitable humility; and this is the worst kind of disaster. Better far a serious battle than such submission.

3. Without pursuing this suggestion we pass to another raised by the conduct of the men of Ephraim. They obeyed the call of Gideon when he hastily summoned them to take the lower fords of Jordan within their own territory and prevent the escape of the Midianites. To them it fell to gain a great victory, and especially to slay two subordinate chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb, the Crow and the Wolf. But afterwards they complained that they had not been called at first when the commander was gathering his army. We are informed that they chode with him sharply on this score, and it was only by his soft answer which implied a little flattery that they were appeased. “What have I now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaming of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?”

The men of Ephraim were not called at first along with Manasseh, Zebulun, Asher, and Naphtali. True. But why? Was not Gideon aware of their selfish indifference? Did he not read their character? Did he not perceive that they would have sullenly refused to be led by a man of Manasseh, the youngest son of Joash of Abiezer? Only too well did the young chief know with whom he had to deal. There had been fighting already between Israel and the Midianites. Did Ephraim help then? Nay: but secure in her mountains that tribe sullenly and selfishly held aloof. And now the complaint is made when Gideon, once unknown, is a victorious hero, the deliverer of the Hebrew nation.

Do we not often see something like this? There are people who will not hazard position or profit in identifying themselves with an enterprise while the issue is doubtful, but desire to have the credit of connection with it if it should succeed. They have not the humanity to associate themselves with those who are fighting in a good cause because it is good. In fact they do not know what is good, their only test of value being success. They lie by, looking with half-concealed scorn on the attempts of the earnest, sneering at their heat either in secret or openly, and when one day it becomes clear that the world is applauding they conceive a sudden respect for those at whom they scoffed. Now they will do what they can to help, -with pleasure, with liberality. Why were they not sooner invited? They will almost make a quarrel of that, and they have to be soothed with fair speeches. And people who are worldly at heart push forward in this fashion when Christian affairs have success or eclat attached to them, especially where religion wears least of its proper air and has somewhat of the earthly in tone and look. Christ pursued by the Sanhedrin, despised by the Roman, is no person for them to know. Let Him have the patronage of Constantine or a de Medici and they are then assured that He has claims which they will admit-in theory. More than that needs not be expected from men and women “of the world.” “Messieurs, surtout, pas de zele.” Above all, no zeal: that is the motto of every Ephraim since time began. Wait till zeal is cooling before you join the righteous cause.

4. But while there are the carnal who like to share the success of religion after it has cooled down to their temperature, another class must not be forgotten, those who in their selfishness show the worst kind of hostility to the cause they should aid. Look at the men of Succoth and Penuel. Gideon and his band leading the pursuit of the Midianites have had no food all night and are faint with hunger. At Succoth they ask bread in vain. Instead of help they get the taunt-“Are Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand that we should give bread unto thine army?” Onward they press another stage up the hills to Penuel, and there also their request is refused. Gideon, savage with the need of his men, threatens dire punishment to those who are so callous and cruel; and when he returns victorious his threat is made good. With thorns and briars of the wilderness he scourges the elders of Succoth. The pride of Penuel is its watchtower, and that he demolishes, at the same time decimating the men of the city.

Penuel and Succoth lay in the way between the wilderness in which the Midianites dwelt and the valleys of western Palestine. The men of these cities feared that if they aided Gideon they would bring on themselves the vengeance of the desert tribes. Yet where do we see the lowest point of unfaith and meanness, in Ephraim or Succoth? It is perhaps hard to say which are the least manly: those contrive to join the conquering host and snatch the credit of victory; these are not so clever, and while they are as eager to make things smooth for themselves the thorns and briars are more visibly their portion. To share the honour of a cause for which you have done very little is an easy thing in this world, though an honest man cannot wear that kind of laurel; but as for Succoth and Penuel, the poor creatures, who will not pity them? It is so inconvenient often to have to decide. They would temporise if it were possible-supply the famished army with mouldy corn and raisins at a high price, and do as much next time for the Midianites. Yet the opportunity for this kind of salvation does not always come. There are times when people have to choose definitely whom they will serve, and discover to their horror that judgment follows swiftly upon base and cowardly choice. And God is faithful in making the recusants feel the urgency of moral choice and the grip He has of them. They would fain let the battle of truth sweep by and not meddle with it. But something is forced upon them. They cannot let the whole affair of salvation alone, but are driven to refuse heaven in the very act of trying to escape hell. And although judgment lingers, ever and anon demonstration is made among the ranks of the would be prudent that One on high judges for His warriors. It is not the Gideon leading the little band of faint but eager champions of faith who punishes the callous heathenism and low scorn of a Succoth and Penuel. The Lord of Hosts Himself will vindicate and chasten. “Whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe in Me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great millstone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.”

5. Yet another word of instruction is found in the appeal of Gideon: “Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me, for they be faint and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna.” Well has the expression “Faint yet pursuing” found its place as a proverb of the religious life. We are called to run with patience a race that needs long ardour and strenuous exertion. The goal is far away, the ground is difficult. As day after day and year after year demands are made upon our faith, our resolution, our thought, our devotion to One who remains unseen and on our confidence in the future life, it is no wonder that many feel faint and weary. Often have we to pass through a region inhabited by those who are indifferent or hostile, careless or derisive. At many a door we knock and find no sympathy. We ask for bread and receive a stone; and still the fight slackens not, still have we to reach forth to the things that are before. But the faintness is not death. In the most terrible hours there is new life for our spiritual nature. Refreshment comes from an unseen hand when earth refuses help. We turn to Christ; we consider Him who endured great contradiction of sinners against Himself; we realise afresh that we are ensured of the fulness of His redemption. The body grows faint, but the soul presses on; the body dies and has to be left behind as a worn-out garment, but the spirit ascends into immortal youth.

“On, chariot! on, soul!

Ye are all the more fleet.

Be alone at the goal

Of the strange and the sweet!”

6. Finally let us glance at the fate of Zebah and Zalmunna, not without a feeling of admiration and of pity for the rude ending of these stately lives.

The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon has slain its thousands. The vast desert army has been scattered like chaff, in the flight, at the fords, by the rock Oreb and the wine press Zeeb, all along the way by Nobah and Jogbehah, and finally at Karkor, where having encamped in fancied security the residue is smitten. Now the two defeated chiefs are in the hand of Gideon, their military renown completely wrecked, their career destroyed. To them the expedition into Canaan was part of the common business of leadership. As emirs of nomadic tribes they had to find pasture and prey for their people. No special antagonism to Jehovah, no ill-will against Israel more than other nations, led them to cross the Jordan and scour the plains of Palestine. It was quite in the natural course of things that Midianites and Amalekites should migrate and move towards the west. And now the defeat is crushing. What remains therefore but to die?

We hear Gideon command his son Jether to fall upon the captive chiefs, who, brilliant and stately once, lie disarmed, bound and helpless. The indignity is not to our mind. We would have thought more of Gideon had he offered freedom to these captives “fallen on evil days,” men to be admired, not hated. But probably they do not desire a life which has in it no more of honour. Only let the Hebrew leader not insult them by the stroke of a young mans sword. The great chiefs would die by a warriors blow. And Jether cannot slay them; his hand falters as he draws the sword. These men who have ruled their tens of thousands have still the lion look that quails. “Rise thou and fall upon us,” they say to Gideon: “for as the man is, so is his strength.” And so they die, types of the greatest earthly powers that resist the march of Divine Providence, overthrown by a sword which even in faulty, weak human hands has indefeasible sureness and edge.

“As the man is, so is his strength.” It is another of the pregnant sayings which meet us here and there even in the least meditative parts of Scripture. Yes: as a man is in character, in faith, in harmony with the will of God, so is his strength; as he is in falseness, injustice, egotism, and ignorance, so is his weakness. And there is but one real perennial kind of strength. The demonstration made by selfish and godless persons, though it shake continents and devastate nations, is not Force. It has no nerve, no continuance, but is mere fury which decays and perishes. Strength is the property of truth and truth only; it belongs to those who are in union with eternal reality and to no others in the universe. Would you be invincible? You must move with the eternal powers of righteousness and love. To be showy in appearance or terrible in sound on the wrong side with the futilities of the world is but incipient death.

On all sides the application may be seen. In the home and its varied incidents of education, sickness, discipline; in society high and low; in politics, in literature. As the man or woman is in simple allegiance to God and clear resolution there is strength to endure, to govern, to think, and every way to live. Otherwise there can only be instability, foolishness, blundering selfishness, a sad passage to inanition and decay.

Fuente: Expositors Bible Commentary

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