Category Archives: Judges
Encouragement and the Character of God
“And it was in that night that Yahweh said to him, ‘Get up and go down into the camp, for I have given them into your hand. And if you fear to go down, go down to the camp with Purah, your servant, and you will hear what they are saying and afterward your hands will be strengthened when you go down against the camp.’ So he went down and Purah, his servant, to the edges of the formations which were in the camp.”
(Judges 7:9-11)
Within these verses lies one of the most fascinating insights into both the character of Gideon and into the character of God. This is the night before the big battle. The Midianites are encamped below in the valley and Gideon and his 300 have the high ground in the hills. On a human scale, the numbers are outlandishly in favor of the Midianite Hordes. Yet God has promised that He will deliver the enemy into Gideon’s hand.
And know that Gideon is trusting in that reality. He must have in the back of his mind Abraham and the 318 men that overthrew Kedorlaomer and his five armies, but remembering events of the past is a very different matter than finding yourself in them. He was a man of faith, but he was no less a man. And men have doubts and fears; it is a natural part of our fallen state.
So, in the state of concern, God shows his fatherly and graceful character. He goes to Gideon and essentially says, “let me show you something that will encourage you.” God still requires Gideon to have faith, but he gives Gideon a little foretaste of what is going to happen next. And God even does one better and tells Gideon, if you are afraid to go down where I will lead you, take your servant, Purah, with you. What a gentle hand our God has when it comes to encouraging the faithful.
Our temptation, though, is to think that this kind of thing only happened back in the Biblical days, and that thought would be in error. The Bible itself is God’s witness to us through the generations that he will preserve His witness as well as preserving his people through times of great trial and difficulty. The sad thing is, despite the encouragement that is found in the Bible and that has been seen in God’s working through history, people choose to ignore it and take things into their own hands, usually fleeing from battle.
In our society today, many in the Christian church have thrown up their hands in surrender to the culture. They feel weary from fighting a battle on multiple fronts: fighting against abortion on one hand and the gay and lesbian movement on the other hand; fighting against Transgenderism becoming a norm in one field of battle and fighting against pornography on the other; defending our right to have a public witness while fighting against the flood of secular humanism that infects the curriculum of the local schools. And many voices in the visible church are signaling retreat.
But this ought not be. Did Gideon back down? Did Abraham back down? Did the Apostle Paul back down? Yes, they faced times of danger, challenge, and discouragement, but they ran the race to completion regardless the cost. They needed glimpses of encouragement, but they never counted the cost too great and they trusted the hand of God would be victorious, even if they did not see the glorious victory in their lifetime.
So, friends and loved ones, do not despair and do not retreat. Do not fail to seek out the encouragement that God offers in His word and in His world. And engage the culture with the weapons of God’s warfare: prayer and scripture. God’s word is Truth, so what have we to fear? It may seem wearying to face challenges on multiple fronts, but be of good cheer, because as Christ has overcome the world, so will we when we stand in faith.
The Arrogance of Fools
“Thus the people took their foodstuffs in their hand and their shofars, and each man of Israel departed, every man to his tent; and the 300 men were strengthened. And the camp of Midian was in the valley below.”
(Judges 7:8)
Even though this passage is predominantly about the departure of the masses, it seems that we also learn a good bit about the Midianites, namely that they have set up camp in the valley. On a practical level, this would be the most expedient way for a large army and its baggage train to travel; it is hard to take a large army with pack through the mountains and rough terrain — ask Hannibal!
Yet, expediency is rarely a valuable tactic when it comes to war. And, this particular case is no exception to the rule. Tactically, you want to hold the high ground, not be stuck defending the low ground. This was especially true when you know that the remnant of the Israelite military had set up camps in the caves of the mountains (Judges 6:2).
Does this mean that the Midianites were foolish? Indeed, they were foolish in the Biblical sense (see Psalm 53:1). Strategically, then? Were the Midianites that foolish strategically, they would have never built the empire that they had built. A better answer is that this shows them to be rather arrogant. The philosophy goes something like this: Israel is not a real threat, so lets move so much down into position that we will overwhelm them — the “shock and awe” tactic put into practice in the ancient world. And given that they don’t expect any serious threat, why worry about the terrain one takes? But soon, the Midianites will learn not to underestimate the God of Israel. God loves to mock the arrogance of man (Psalm 2:4).
How the nature of the wicked has not changed. Throughout the ages and even today the wicked seem to take pleasure at belittling the followers of God. The question is, “How do we respond?” You see, just as the nature of the arrogant has not changed, neither has the nature of our God. Yet, Christians oftentimes cower before the wicked rather than boldly proclaiming the truth before a watching world that God would be glorified. Christian, don’t settle for being mocked and ridiculed. Do not be silent in the face of injustice. Our God is a mighty God and none can stand before him.
A Message to the Peoples
“And the number of those who lapped with their hands to their mouth was 300 men; all of the remaining people bent over the knee to drink water. And Yahweh said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men who lapped, I will save you and give Midian into your hand and let all of the people go, each man to his home.’”
(Judges 7:6-7)
All but the 300 are now dismissed to their homes. At this point, an army of 32,000 men has been reduced to 300…just about one percent of those who originally rallied to fight alongside of Gideon. By human reckoning, even the thirty-two thousand was small compared to the hordes of the Midianites, but 300 is almost laughable…that is in human terms. The key phrase in the verses leading up to this is “I will save you and give Midian into your hand…” God is doing the work (as he always does in the life of God’s people!) and God is ordering such so that he is the one who gets the glory. The rest of the soldiers are sent home.
But why send the soldiers home? Why not keep them as backup? Why not keep them as a support staff to assist the wounded? First, that defeats the purpose of calling out the 300 and would demonstrate a lack of trust on Gideon’s part. But there is something more important than that. Each man is sent back to his village with a purpose, and that is to report to the people what God is doing on the battlefront. Imagine each man returning home and his wife and kids and extended family would be pulling him to the side and saying, “Why are you back so soon? Didn’t Gideon need you? Did the Midianites not show up?” At this point, there are 31,700 men who are traveling to villages all through the region and telling the people, “No, God is going to move, so Gideon is only keeping 1 out of every 100 men that showed up.” That, folks, is exciting news.
In todays world of televisions and the internet, I fear we take for granted the ability to communicate easily and quickly. We are used to an ever-moving feed of news that tells us what is going on across the globe with very little delay in time. Yet, in our hyper-active news-fed world, I fear we have lost the value of face-to-face explanations of what is seen. In addition, given this era’s rejection of the things of God, it seems that the majority of what is reported has to do with violence, war, terrorism, and political scandal. Well, that, and the social lives of the rich and famous. Really??? Is not news of the spread of the Gospel much more significant on an eternal scale? How beneficial it is for the church to hear a missionary back in the states on furlough, say, “This is what I am seeing the hand of God do in such-in-such a land.”
The sad thing is that many Christians have fallen into the trap of thinking that what the evening news reports as important is what is truly important that they don’t get excited when a missionary comes to report as to what they see God doing. Shame on the church and shame on the Christian that is more concerned with crime statistics, sports statistics, and the stock market than on the movement of God in the world. How we need to train ourselves to look at the world through the lens of the Bible and not with the lens of human society.
Repentance and Revival
“And all of Midian and the Amalekites and the Sons of the East gathered together. And they passed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. But the Spirit of Yahweh covered Gideon and he blew the shophar and the Fathers of the Ezrites were called out to him. And messengers were sent to all of Manasseh and they were also called out to him. And messengers were sent through Asher and through Zebulon and through Naphtali and they went up to meet him.”
(Judges 6:33-35)
Prior to the call of Gideon, prior to the tearing down of the pagan altar and image, prior to the sacrifice offered by Gideon on the altar to God, prior to the establishment of right worship, when the Midianites rushed into the land, they met no resistance and everyone fled. Now we see a different picture emerging. And it emerges not because of the boldness of Gideon, but because the Holy Spirit has rushed upon Gideon and God is about to do a wonderful thing. Yet, it is a thing that God does not do so long as the people are committed to their idols. He does not do this lest the idol be given credit for the deliverance.
How we so often wonder, why God is not moving in our land. The answer is that it all stems back to worship. In America, it seems like most anything is considered acceptable as a form of worship to God. How often do we see chaos and unrestrained foolishness masquerading as worship in the assemblies of God’s people. How often even in more sober-minded forums, we see humanism sung from the songbooks and preached from the pulpits. And how often do we see ritualism replacing a commitment of the heart to Christ. And then we wonder, why do we not see God’s hand delivering us from our enemies.
Loved ones, there is an answer to our problem. But that answer begins with repentance — repenting of the humanistic foolishness that we have embraced and getting back to right worship — worship as is described in the scriptures. Worship that is governed by the Word of God not the inventions of men. Then, when we repent of our idolatry, then we may indeed see the hand of God bringing deliverance and revival once again.
Seeking Truth or Gossip?
“Then, when the men of the city rose early in the morning and behold, the altar to Ba’al was torn down and the Asherah, which was beside it, was cut down! Even the second bull was offered up on the altar that had been built! And one man said to his friend, “What is this thing that has been done?” And they sought out and they worked it out, saying, “Gideon, the son of Joash as done this thing!”
(Judges 6:28-29)
Sherlock Holmes would not have been impressed. There was not much deducing to be done in this particular investigation. Who would have had access to Joash’s bulls? Gideon. No fingerprints, no following foot-tracks, and no interviews were really necessary. This investigation did more to stir people up than to discover the truth. The positive element about this is that it seems that Gideon had enough of a reputation in the community as one who did not accept the status-quo that people would suspect him. May we all have such a reputation amongst our peers!
One thing that I have learned over the years is that often people are more interested in getting their way or achieving their ends than seeking the truth. Here, in Gideon’s case, the whole village is being stirred up by these ornery men. Could they not have gone discretely to seek out what happened? Sure, that would have been both the honorable and the Biblical thing to do. But they did not, they aroused the people of the community to the extent of stirring up a mob to go after Gideon.
Gossip in the church achieves the same end. What is worse, in today’s “sound-byte” society, people aren’t much interested in dialogue and the discovery of the truth. They just want their way. How many reputations have been ruined by people who have not bothered following Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18:15-20? How many churches have split because someone gets an idea in their head, not understanding what has been done, and maliciously gossips and slanders those in leadership? How often people, hearing only half of a conversation, jump to terribly wrong conclusions that cause nothing but grief for the whole church body. Indeed, we are sinners, but in the church, ought we not strive to follow the model of Christ? Ought we not use discretion? Ought we not seek to be reconciled to our brothers and sisters? Ought we not govern our tongues with faith and wisdom? Gideon’s idolatrous peers do not.
Fear and Work in the Night
“Then Gideon took ten of his men — his servants — and did just as the word of Yahweh told him. Yet, because he was too afraid of the house of his father and the men of the city to do it by day, he worked at night.”
(Judges 6:27)
Had the scriptures simply told us that Gideon took ten men by night to tear down the altar and Asherah pole, we might have thought him brave and prompt, doing what God commanded immediately after the voice of Yahweh departed from him. Yet, God provides us with one additional piece of information: Gideon was afraid. And because Gideon was afraid, he did his work at night so that the men of the city and of his father’s house would not interfere or threaten him. Not bold and prompt, but fearful…and in this case, Gideon fearing both God and men. Thus he does what God tells him to do, but in the night.
Fear can be both a strong motivator and a crippling enemy. And how often we, as Christians, fall prey to the fears that we find in our lives. Some, like that of spiders or of heights, are irrational but others are perfectly rational and reflect very real possibilities. Yet, God repeatedly tells us in the Scriptures that the only one we ought to fear is Him, for God can destroy both body and soul when the things of this world can touch the former but do nothing to the latter. In the end, though, Gideon does do what he is commanded; sadly, often we do not. While fault can be found with both, who honors God?
Cleaning House
“And it was in the night that Yahweh said to him, ‘Take the ox which is your father’s and a bull, the second one being seven-years old. And destroy the altar to Ba’al which is your father’s and the cut down the Asherah which is beside it. Then build an altar to Yahweh on the top of that row of stones. Take the second bull and make a burnt offering go up with the wood of the Asherah which you cut down.”
(Judges 6:25-26)
Following worship comes the cleaning of house. Interestingly, it seems that his own father is the one to whom the altar to Ba’al belongs, suggesting that perhaps his father was functioning as a priest to the people of his village. Given that Joash (Gideon’s father) was of the Tribe of Manasseh, not a Levite, once again it seems that man is doing what man wants to do, not what God has determined to be right — such seems to be the story of mankind.
In the end, though, God will not share his glory with anyone or anything and he will not have that glory confused with the worship of worldly and pagan things. Thus, before God works through Gideon, God requires Gideon to purge his father’s household, and by extension, his community, of the pagan altars and to establish right worship for those who would follow Him.
As I look around the churches in our culture today I am largely convinced that before God will do a work of reformation and revival in our world, a lot of altars to Ba’al and Asherahs need to be brought down and destroyed. Worship that is man-centered and celebrity centered needs to be turned into rubble. Worship that is idolatrous needs to be burned along with the songs that have more in common with humanistic worldviews than with Biblical teachings. And we need to turn all of our thoughts toward God as directed by His Word. Then, when the church is in humble repentance at the fire of man-made things, man-made priorities, and man-made ideas about God, then, I believe we will see the hand of God begin to work in our nation.
Worship
“And Gideon built an altar to Yahweh there and he called it, ‘Yahweh-Shalom.’ Even unto this day, it is still in Ophrah of the father of the Ezrites.”
(Judges 6:24)
Now, given that the Angel of Yahweh has moved on, Gideon begins his work as a Judge over Israel with worship. He builds a formal altar at that place (one which still exists when this book is being written) and worships there, naming the place, “Yahweh is Peace.” The title of the place anticipates God’s call on Gideon’s life, for “peace,” in its Biblical context, does not so much deal with the cessation of war as it deals with the removal of those things that hinder your worship — deliverance from the effects of sin. Thus, as Gideon overthrew the Midianite oppressors, peace was established (sadly, only for a short season!).
What is most significant about this event is the prominence given to worship. As God’s people, all of our lives should be marked by worship. And, while we no longer make blood sacrifices on altars, we do establish special places in our lives where God has worked mightily. These become witnesses to the community and reminders to us for days of trial that God is yet enthroned in the heavens and no amount of evil, nor Satan’s greatest attacks, can ever change that reality.
And so, we bow before the Lord and worship before any work is done. And no matter how busy our days nor great our responsibilities, all things fall as a distant second to our worship of the Almighty God, our King. How sad it is that so many professing Christians have mistaken this reality. How sad it is that sports or income or hobbies or simple sloth have gotten in the way of this great and wonderful calling which we have been given. So, let us cast these worldly things to the side and worship…daily in our private places of prayer and with our families and weekly with the household of God.
Grace and Permission to Live
“And Gideon understood that he was the Angel of Yahweh. And Gideon said, ‘Oh, Lord Yahweh, it seems that I have seen the Angel of Yahweh’s face to face!’ And Yahweh said to him, ‘Peace be with you! Do not fear, you will not die.’”
(Judges 6:22-23)
“So Jacob called the name of the place, ‘Peniy’el.’ For he saw God face to face and his life was delivered.”
(Genesis 32:31)
“And He said, ‘You will not be able to see my face, for no man can see me and live.’”
(Exodus 33:20)
All of the way back in Genesis there is an understanding that if one looks upon the face of God, he or she will die. This is a reminder of our fallen, sinful state, thus God shields himself from view by a glory-cloud or in the Tabernacle until that time when he comes in the flesh…but even there, the flesh itself is a kind of covering and his glory is only briefly revealed in the Transfiguration and Ascension, but then only to a few. It will not be until the consummation of all things that Christ’s full glory will be finally revealed to all, and it is for that event that we all wait.
Yet, in the case of Jacob, who wrestles with the Angel of Yahweh and Moses who will be protected in the cleft of the rock so that he only sees Yahweh (probably it is the Angel of Yahweh once again), there is this notion that if one looks upon the face of the Angel of Yahweh, one has looked upon the face of God. Thus, here again, we find Gideon in essentially the same predicament as Jacob had found himself — meeting the Second-Person of the Trinity face to face, yet having his life spared, for this is God’s doing and this is God’s calling upon him.
Once again, for those who are not convinced that the Angel of Yahweh is really the pre-incarnate Christ, this must be just one more testimony that demands we understand Him in this way. Here, he has accepted worship and now Gideon is concerned that (as he has seen the Angel of Yahweh’s face) that he will die. And here, God speaks to him directly, assuring him that he will live. And how is it that some are given the permission to live after having seen the face of God — fallen as we are? It is grace, friends, grace alone. God shows mercy to those to whom he will show mercy. And for those of us who are born-again of God, trusting in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, praise God for the grace he has shown to us.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
-Augustus Toplandy
A Sacrifice to God
“Then the Angel of Yahweh reached out the tip of his walking staff which was in his hand and he struck the flesh and the cakes. And fire went up from the rock and consumed the flesh and the cakes. And the Angel of Yahweh went from his sight.”
(Judges 6:21)
The first thing that we must understand is just how much food was involved in this sacrifice. Here was the flesh from a whole goat. Even if it is just the meat portions as some of our translations suggest, we are still looking at about 20 pounds of dressed meat from a young kid-goat (according to farming websites). Further, an ephah is the equivalent of about 3/5 of a bushel, thus you are talking just over 23 pounds of flour being mixed up with oil to make cakes.
These measures are important for several reasons. First, for those who would still suggest that Gideon is preparing a meal to share with his guest, these quantities would be overkill. Second, much like Elijah would have done many years later by soaking his bull sacrifice with water (1 Kings 18:31-35), these items are soaked in broth, requiring a miracle of God to consume them utterly with fire. Third, even if these items would not have been drenched in broth, a simple fire would not have consumed them all at once. Fourth, in a time of famine, this is a huge sacrifice to make. It demonstrates the faith of Gideon that God will be providing for him and for his family as he makes this sacrifice. Like, Abel before him, Gideon gives his best and he gives generously to God, trusting God for the rest. He is far from perfect as a model of faith, but Gideon indeed makes us see where his priorities are.
The ramifications of Gideon’s action are wider reaching for us than just whether we tithe or not as Christians. Many people get hung up about calculating 10% and whether it comes from one’s net or from one’s gross income or whether one tithes on the value of gifts they receive. And at the end of the day, after the calculating is all done, they begrudgingly offer their “tithe” when the plate comes around. Yet, God says that we are to give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7) and Jesus says that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35)! So, giving should be a blessed act that flows from our faith with a cheerful heart. Just as Moses states to the people when caring for the poor in their midst, they should give freely and not begrudgingly because when you do, God will bless you in the other work you engage in and will provide for your needs (Deuteronomy 15:10). So, give, give generously and give cheerfully. Do not get hung up on percentages but give as you have determined in your heart and trust God for your provision. How much healthier all of our churches would be were we to take this approach.
People still like percentages and goals, so as a pastor, I often get asked the question, “how much of my income should I strive to be able to give? My answer is that is the wrong question to ask, for all good things (including our incomes) come from God. So the question one must really ask is, “how much of God’s provision am I keeping for myself?” Clearly, like the widow in the temple (Luke 21:2-3), Gideon is giving his all as a sacrifice to God. What he offers would likely have fed his family for a week or more if properly prepared…and folks in times of famine know how to make food stretch. Yet he offers it in sacrifice to God and God honors the sacrifice.
One more thing to note. Many read this language and suggest that the Angel of Yahweh either disappeared or went up to heaven in the flames. That stretches the text somewhat. The text simply says that the Angel of Yahweh went away from Gideon’s sight. He certainly could have turned around and walked off while Gideon remained there to worship. We are simply told he leaves, we are not told how. And remember, too, the Angel of Yahweh is always described as a man or as a young man when he is seen. Here he even has a walking stick. No wings, no halo, and no other “typical angelic” accouterments (at least in terms of how he is depicted in modern artwork). Gideon knows who he is, clearly, but our imaginations run away with us sometimes I fear. Remember the second commandment.
Regulative Principles and Worship
“So Gideon went and prepared a kid goat and an ephah of unleavened flour. The flesh he put in a basket and the broth he put in a pot. And he went to him under the Terebinth and presented it to him. And the Angel of God said to him, ‘Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes and rest them on the rock — this one. Then pour on the broth.’ And he made it so.”
(Judges 6:19-20)
Gideon, thus, gathers a form of grain and meat offering before God. This is essentially the same offering as well later be provided by Manoah when he encounters the Angel of Yahweh (Judges 13:19). While the formulae of the offering does not fit any of the prescribed sacrifices for sin or peace, the context, though demands that this is a form of offering, not just as food for the road, as some commentators would suggest. Note the language above about a sacrifice and about Gideon seeking a sign.
Further, we see the sacrifice placed on a rock (rocks were often used as make-shift altars — 1 Samuel 14:33), designated by the Angel of Yahweh. Further, the meat and items were arranged on the rock as directed by the Angel of Yahweh. So, even though the elements themselves were chosen by Gideon, the presentation of the sacrifice itself is defined by God. Such is a reminder that our worship before God is something that ought always be marked and directed by God himself in the Word. The specifics might vary somewhat from congregation to congregation (some sing psalms, others sing hymns, still others praise songs, and others yet, sing a combination of all three; some preach through books of the Bible but others preach passages of scripture around given themes; some worship for an hour others for significantly, more, etc…), but the elements remain the same as commanded by God (Reading Scripture, Preaching, Corporate Prayer, Singing, Offerings, Sacraments, etc…).
An Offering
“And he said to him, ‘Please, if I have found grace in your eyes, will you give me a sign as you are speaking to me? Please do not depart from this place until I come back to you. I will bring forth my offering and I set it down before you.’ And he said, ‘I will remain until you return.’”
(Judges 6:17-18)
Most of us who know Gideon are used to giving him a bit of grief because of the whole fleece incident that will follow later in the account of his Judgeship. Yet, in this first action, we find Gideon doing exactly what he should have done — he asks for a sign, but the sign is to give him the opportunity to make a sacrifice as a part of worship before the Lord. Some of the modern translations render the word, hDj◊nIm (minchah), as “present,” but the term is most ordinarily used to speak of the offerings that would be offered to the Lord in worship. Even as far back as Genesis 4:3, the term is used to refer to the sacrificial offerings of Cain and Abel. Thus, what we see Gideon doing here must be understood in the context of a sacrificial offering, which, in turn, helps us to understand the Lord’s response to the offering made.
I wonder, when charged by God to engage in a task — like a call to the ministry or perhaps to the mission field — whether worship is normally our first response. How often our response is to draw attention to ourselves. “Look at what God is doing in my life!” As if we deserve any of the credit. Friends, may we learn a wise lesson from the action of Gideon here. If God is calling us to serve, let our response be worship that is pleasing to God. Let Him receive all of the credit and glory and us simply bow before Him in gratitude for his remarkable grace to us.
Immanuel
“And Yahweh said to him, ‘It is because I am with you. So smite the Midianites just as if we were one man.”
(Judges 6:16)
One of the most powerful themes in scripture is called the “Immanuel Principle.” Literally, in Hebrew, Immanuel means, “God with us,” and indeed, it is God’s presence that we most need. That presence was lost in the Fall, foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, the Pillar of Fire and the Angel of Yahweh throughout the Wilderness wanderings and again by the Temple in the established nation. Yet, clouds and temples still masked the fullness of God’s glory.
We see the Immanuel Principle develop further in the Incarnation. Still, the glory of God was masked in flesh (apart from the Transfiguration) until the Resurrection, and when our Lord went to sit at the right hand of his Father in Heaven, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell within believers — God in us — God with us — Immanuel. Yet, this yet is not the fullness of Immanuel. The fullness will not be seen until the Second-Coming of Christ, when the Heavens and the Earth is remade and once again, God will dwell bodily with men forever.
And though Gideon is not anticipating the fullness of what the Immanuel principle anticipates, there is great comfort in knowing that God is present with him…for it will not be in Gideon’s weakness that he attacks the Midianites, but in God’s strength. And Gideon will strike the Midianites with God as if they were “one man.” This is a phrase that is used throughout the scriptures to point to people acting with unity. In Numbers 14:15, the people are called out to slay the Canaanites, in Judges 20:1 as the people gathered to deal with the tribe of Benjamin. Also, we find the people gathering for instruction from the Lord “as one man” in Ezra 3:1 and Nehemiah 8:1.
Here, it is not the people gathering as “one man” but God gathering with Gideon “as one man.” How this ought to embolden Gideon, yet, Gideon is probably more like us than most of us would like to admit. For Gideon’s next words and actions will betray his weakness and fears. Yet, how often we too fall into the trap of Gideon. He lives within us, but we still do not act in faith.
Electing the Weak
“And he said to him, ‘Excuse me, Lord, in what way can I deliver Israel? Behold, my clan is the most insignificant in Manasseh and I am the youngest in my father’s house.”
(Judges 6:15)
Gideon’s words are reminiscent of the later words of Micah’s prophesy about the birth of Christ — “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, who are too little to be of the clans of Judah, from you I will bring to myself a ruler over Israel — and his coming forth will be from ancient times, even from eternity.” How God loves to work through the weak things of the world to do his mighty works, for in this way, God’s hand is most seen moving in this world. Is this indeed not what the Apostle Paul wrote?
“But the foolish things of the word, God elected in order to shame the wise. And the weak things of the world, God elected in order to shame the strong. And the insignificant things of the world as well as that which is despised, God elected — that which is not, in order to nullify that which is — so that no one may boast in the flesh in the presence of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
Thus, even the Gospel — the good news that changed the entire world — is described in the same way. What a marvelous God we have, but notice, he is also a God who will not share his glory with any and so the proud and the mighty, God topples on their ear in favor of using the weak and insignificant in the eyes of men.
This Strength of Yours…
“And Yahweh turned to him and said to him, ‘In this strength of yours, deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Go! I am sending you!’”
(Judges 6:14)
For those who are still in doubt as to whether the Angel of Yahweh is the Pre-Incarnate Christ, here is one more example where the Bible describes this individual arriving and then calls him Yahweh. Now the charge that is given is probably the thing that raises the most questions. Why would the Angel of Yahweh tell Gideon to go out in “this strength of yours” to deliver Israel? Should the commission not be something like, “Go in the Strength of the God of Armies!”?
The answer goes back to verse 12 and the title that the Angel of Yahweh pronounces with respect to Gideon. There he calls Gideon a mighty warrior. If Gideon were full of himself, one might interpret this as God being somewhat sarcastic and mocking Gideon somewhat to humble him. But Gideon is hiding in the wine press. The warriors of Israel are hiding in the mountain network of caves. Gideon is not a proud warrior, he is a scarred man, eking out his daily bread.
So, what is going on? As we noted above, God has formed Gideon from his mother’s womb and has created Gideon for just this moment. Thus here we find the Angel of Yahweh challenging Gideon to step out in the confidence of faith. Faith that God, as the Warrior of Israel, will deliver his people and that Gideon, relying on the strength that God gives to him (the strength does not originate with him), will become a faithful tool in God’s hand as a delivering Judge.
The key line here is, “I am sending you.” If we go out in our own strength, we will achieve nothing worth noting. But, when we go out in the strength of God and with the call of God, then remarkable things take place.
God and Evil
“And Gideon said to him, ‘Dear me! My Lord! Yahweh is with us, but to what end has all of this happened to us? Where are all of the miraculous deeds that are repeatedly recounted to us by our fathers, saying, ‘Didn’t Yahweh bring us up from the land of Egypt? And now Yahweh has forsaken us and he gave us into the hand of the Midianites.’”
(Judges 6:13)
Notice how Gideon responds to the presence of the Angel of Yahweh. He does not begin with, “I and my father’s house have sinned,” which would be, for example, how Nehemiah approached God (Nehemiah 1:6), but acts almost as if he is just confused at why God is allowing the people of Israel to face such hardship. And, while that might seem somewhat odd to us when we look in hindsight, it is not so surprising when one listens to how even Christians today respond to the discipline of God.
When God brings hardships into our lives, more often than not, our attitude is “why me?” or “it’s not fair” or “why is God allowing this to happen? The catch is that there is nothing in this world that God simply “allows,” but when we speak of things — both that are pleasant to us and that are challenging to us, we should say, “God has ordained that this takes place.”
Of course, the idea that God ordains that tragedies take place is a notion that is uncomfortable (at best) for many of us…yet, is this not what Isaiah is speaking of in Isaiah 45:7? Is that not what took place in the life of Job? Did God not ordain the rise of kings in Babylon, under most of whom faithful Daniel suffered? Did God not ordain the wicked men of Jerusalem and Rome who put his Son to death? Did God not ordain the terrible suffering that the Apostle Paul would face on account of the Gospel? Be careful how you answer. For if you reject that it was God that ordained this suffering, you will be contradicting Scripture (cf. Acts 2:23; 9:16). Yet, if you affirm Scripture by affirming that God ordained all of these things, you are affirming that God actively ordains terrible things take place, not just good things.
Yet, we shall add one additional qualifier from the Scriptures. That which God ordains and brings to pass, God does sinlessly and for good purposes. So, for His elect, God brings calamity and evil into our lives to mature us and to grow us into the image of his Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29 & James 1:2-4). For the reprobate, the wicked, for those God chose to face judgment from before the foundations of the earth, God uses the evil and calamities of this world to give them a foretaste of their judgment in Hell to come…punishing their sins in this world and the next (Psalm 5:6; Nahum 1:2; Romans 1:18; Ephesians 5:6; Hebrews 9:27).
So, what should our response be when faced with trials? We should examine our hearts. If there is unrepentant sin, we should confess it to God and repent. If the Holy Spirit does not bring unrepentant sin to the surface, then we should glorify God in our time of trouble and discover what God is teaching us through the process of suffering. He is sanctifying us with fire. How should Gideon have responded? “My people and I have sinned and God has brought these Midianites upon us; forgive us of our sins and deliver us from evil.”
Do You See What God Sees?
“And the Angel of Yahweh appeared to him, and he said to him, ‘Yahweh is with you, mighty warrior!”
(Judges 6:12)
With Ehud we discussed God’s sense of irony and ironic humor. Here we find that once again. Gideon is here hiding in a wine-press to beat his grain so the Midianites won’t find him and the Angel of Yahweh addresses him as a “mighty warrior.” You can almost imagine Gideon looking around in a dumbfounded way, looking for who it is that the Angel of Yahweh might really be addressing.
Yet, lest we be tempted to suggest that God is being a little bit mean in a sarcastic way, let us remember another principle from scripture.
“For a man sees with the eyes, but Yahweh sees to the heart.”
(1 Samuel 16:7b)
How often we fall into the trap of judging others by the standards of men…how often we judge ourselves in that way, too. You see, in the case of Gideon, God sees in Gideon that which Gideon cannot see within himself — a man who will become a mighty warrior and leader of men for God. And why is it that God sees this where Gideon cannot do the same? It is because God has placed that potential in Gideon’s life (God is Gideon’s creator!) and God is now ready to develop that potential into something mighty and wonderful to deliver the people of God from the oppressive hand of the Midianites.
And while the office of the Judges no longer exists and we are not in a context where we need to beat out our grain in wine-presses to hide from Midianite raiders, we live in a world where God is still God and where He still raises up his people to lead. I recently spent some time talking to my son about not allowing the fun hobbies of his life distract him from his goals. How easy it is for that to take place and how often we miss doing things that will have lasting and eternal impact because we got caught up with a personal hobby, sport, game, or other form of entertainment. How often, in doing so, we fail to see what God sees in us until such a time as God gives us a sovereign wake-up call. Gideon is getting his wake-up call in this way. Moses got his at the burning bush. God doesn’t work quite like that anymore, but He gives us His Word — the Scriptures — to guide us in the paths that would best bring glory to His name. Shall we walk in them?
Masada
“And the hand of the Midianites was strong against Israel; from before the face of Midian, the Sons of Israel made for themselves the caves which are in the mountains — the caves and the fortified places.”
(Judges 6:2)
The presence of the definite article before “caves” is significant. It implies that these are not just random, natural caves that were found in the mountains, but a network of caves for soldiers to hide in (reference to them being fortified) of which later readers would have been aware. Similarly, the word choice here emphasizes that these caves were either created by the Israelites or perhaps (as some scholars suggest), these were natural caves that were enlarged and adapted to the soldier’s needs. In any sense, the soldiers were creating a place of refuge where they could hide until God raised up a Judge to lead them into battle.
An interesting point of note is that the term we translate as “fortified places” is dDxVm (metsad), which is the root word behind the term Masada, the fortress destroyed by the Romans in 73 AD due to the resistance of the Zealots and the Sicarii. Like these fortified places in the book of Judges, Masada was a nearly impregnable fortress at the top of a great hill where soldiers dug in waiting for the Messiah to lead them into glorious battle against their Roman rulers. Things change very little over the years.
While I do not mean to undermine the military importance of these strongholds, it raises the question: when the soldiers flee to the mountains, what happens to the people of the land? Well, the answer can be found in the verses that follow — they were overrun and the Midianites consumed all of their resources, leaving them to starve. Had people been obedient in the first place, how much suffering could have been avoided. Were the soldiers to have remained amongst the people, to lead and protect them from the marauding Midianites, how much better off people would be. When the strong go into hiding, the people suffer. When men of faith get busy with the things of this world, the church suffers as well.
Again?
“And the people of Israel did the Evil in the eyes of Yahweh. Thus, he gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years.”
(Judges 6:1)
As much as this sounds like a soap opera to many of our ears, this is the story not only of ancient Israel but of peoples, nations, and churches throughout the ages — even today. We would think, having been given the Scriptures, that we would learn from the errors of those who have gone before us, but we do not. Even as individuals, we fall repeatedly into patterns of sin rather than pursuing righteousness.
Midian is to the southeast of Israel and lest we forget, the Midianites too descended from Abraham (Genesis 25:2) and it was to Midian that Moses fled when he was fleeing Egypt (Exodus 2:15). Yet, it was the Midianites who allied with the Moabites to destroy Israel as they crossed the wilderness for the Promised Land, first, by hiring Balam to curse them (Numbers 22:4) and then by enticing the men to defile themselves with Moabite and Midianite woman in Baal worship (Numbers 25:1-6). Finally, Israel defeated them in battle (Numbers 31). Thus, while there is a historical connection between these two peoples (Abraham), there is no love lost between them as tribes and nations.
More sadly, because of the sin of God’s people, those they had once conquered now become the conquerors. Such is the importance of knowing your past and being rooted firmly on the Rock of Jesus Christ. It should stand as a reminder to us today of the importance of remaining ever vigilant against those who would usurp the freedom of God’s people.
Yet, society today seems to have neglected it’s past and forsaken its foundation in Christ. The Christian church still faces challenges to orthodoxy from within as false teachers and cults try and seduce those who do not understand what the scriptures teach about the character of the Triune God. Many protestants are turning their back on hundreds of years of sacrifice for the Truth and are returning to Rome as well. The Muslim hordes who were stopped first at the Battle of Tours and then outside the walls of Vienna. And as a result of us forgetting the wondrous things that our God has done, like the ancient Israelites, our society and culture is being dominated by liberalism, idolatry, atheism, Islam, and cultism in numerous shapes and sizes — and such is being found even in the church.
Mockery of the Wicked
“Out from the window, she gazed from above, and the mother of Sisera lamented from behind the lattice, ‘What is the reason for his chariot being so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariots delay?’ Her wise noblewomen answered — she likewise returned her answer to herself: ‘Maybe they haven’t found and divided up the booty — two slave-women for every man, a booty of dyed cloth for Sisera — a booty of dyed and embroidered cloth; dyed cloth that is embroidered around the neck as booty!’”
(Judges 5:28-30)
The indignity of Sisera’s death is not complete with the account of Jael, but Baraq and Deborah now mock Sisera’s mother as she laments the absence of her son. As we mentioned above, it is often uncomfortable for us to mock like this in today’s world where we are taught to be polite rather than true, but God is not concerned about the ways of men. And thus, the Spirit inspired our singers with these words that celebrate the lament of the wicked.
So, how do we reconcile these words with Jesus’ statement that we are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44)? The key word, of course, is “your.” There comes a point of discernment to determine whether this enemy is your personal enemy or he or she is an enemy of God. The former group, we are to love and pray for — one day we may call them brother or sister in Christ even! But those who are enemies of God not only may be mocked, but should be. Could we be wrong in that point of discernment? Yes, but perhaps God will use your mocking words to shake up those who are acting wickedly. So, if one who seemed an enemy of God comes to faith, you seek forgiveness for the mockery and celebrate the mighty power of God, for that which is impossible for man (the conversion of a sinner) is possible for God (Matthew 19:26).
Whose Hoofbeats?
“Then beat the hoofs of the horses, from galloping — the galloping of his mighty ones!”
(Judges 5:22)
And in come the steeds! The loud noise of the horse hooves, thundering as they beat the ground like a drum in full gallop. The question is, whose steeds? Who is the “his” that is being spoken of in this context?
In most of our English Bibles, the inference that is made is that ryI;bAa (abiyr) refers to a mighty steed, though the term simply refers to “a mighty one” which might be a warrior, a commander, or even (in some cases) to the alpha-horse that leads the charge in battle. And that is a legitimate translation of the text, yet the “his” is still a bit vague to us. We know that the Israelite troops generally did not fight with cavalry. We know that Sisera had 900 chariots (Judges 4:3), so one might make the argument is that the galloping that is mentioned here is in reference to the flight of Sisera’s troops as they fled broken. Were this the case, the “his” would refer to Sisera.
Where I struggle with this interpretation has to do with the context of this verse. The “beat of the hoofs” reflects the sound of an army in good order and advancing, densely packed as they charge into battle — not the scattered hoofs of horses fleeing from their broken chariots. Further, the lines that lead up to this verse speak of God mustering the stars and the natural order to go to war against Sisera and his soldiers. Sisera, indeed, was not routed by the might of Baraq’s army; he was routed by the hand of God. God is the warrior of Israel (Exodus 15:3; Zephaniah 3:17). Thus, it mighty be suggested that these “mighty ones” are God’s angelic host — attacking alongside of the natural order — charging down upon God’s enemies…the “His” then referring to God himself as he is the Lord of hosts.
Either interpretation can be substantiated exegetically and contextually (as in verse 24, we read of Sisera’s defeat at the hands of Jael), the question that also must be asked is which also fits the spirit of the song that Baraq and Deborah are singing. Since the emphasis is on the triumphal nature of God mustering the universe to stand against the army of Sisera, I lean toward this latter interpretation. In the end, though, with either interpretation, God is gloriously victorious.
Press On!
“The kings came and they came to blows; then came to blows the kings of Canaan. At Ta’anak, at the waters of Meggido. They took no silver plunder. From heaven they came to blows; the stars in their fixed movement came to blows with Sisera. The river Qishon washed them away; the ancient river, the river Qishon. Press on my soul with strength.”
(Judges 5:19-21)
As the song moves on, we find Deborah and Baraq painting us a picture of the whole natural order being mustered to fight against Sisera and his troops. Given that sometimes the angels are referred to as stars (Revelation 1:20), some might be tempted to suggest that this is a reference to the angels themselves fighting alongside of the troops of Israel, but given the context, which speaks of other elements of the natural order also raising up in Israel’s defense, such a view would be a bit of a stretch. Thus, we see the natural order being described as animating itself and going to war.
Though this section is poetic in nature, and thus highly stylized and filled with imagery, we need to be clear as to the principle that the natural order acts in obedience to the will of its maker. Does that mean that every tornado, flood, hurricane, tsunami, earthquake, or wildfire is God waging war against wicked man? No. Not in a direct sense at least (see John 9:1-3). At the same time, we do live in a fallen world and such calamities and crises are meant to remind us that this world is not the way it should be and that we are not to find our contentment here.
Thus, whether we are facing the enemies of God in physical battle or intellectual debate or whether we are burdened under the weight of care, grief, worry, loss, or trials of life, the answer is the same as is found here in the words of Deborah and Baraq. “Press on my soul with strength!” …recognizing too, that true strength to carry on comes from God through his Holy Spirit.
God Keeps the Gates Secure
“When they chose new gods, then there was war in the gates; if only a shield or a spear could be seen among forty-thousand in Israel. My heart is toward those who make decrees for Israel who enlisted themselves with the people. Bless Yahweh.”
(Judges 5:8-9)
There is a simple principle at work here…it is God who keeps the gates secure. When one turns away from God, then God lifts his hands of protection and you will find war at your gates. Such applies to our churches today and it applies to our homes. Dear friends, do not turn to other gods, they cannot protect you or defend your home from strife. Pursuing them will only bring misery.
The language of spear and shield is language that reminds us that the people were wholly unprepared for war (remember, the reason that the pagans have been left in the land is to teach the people warfare — Judges 3:2. Thus the people stand unprepared to make a defense…just as are many people in our congregations. Yet, we are called to always be ready to make a reasoned defense of the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15).
So, like Deborah, as a pastor, my heart goes out to those who willingly seek to do what is the right thing, yet have not been equipped as they ought. Some of our Bibles will translate the term “commanders,” but I think that the picture that Deborah is painting is that of those civil leaders in the community taking a stand and enlisting even though they are possibly the least qualified to do so…doing the right thing, though, because it is the right thing to do. And again, we close this verse with the refrain, “Bless Yahweh.” Indeed, may all we do, bless the Lord.
No Leaders or No Villagers?
“The leaders ceased in Israel — they ceased! Until I arose — Deborah arose — a mother in Israel.”
(Judges 5:7)
The translation of the second word of the Hebrew text (leaders) is debated. The Hebrew term in question is NØwz∂rVÚp (perazon). In technical terms, this word is a “hapax legomenon,” which means, it only shows up once in the Hebrew Old Testament. What makes it even more challenging is that the Septuagint (LXX) — the Greek translation of the Old Testament done by Rabbis between the 3rd and 4th centuries BC — simply transliterates the Hebrew into Greek.
The question that must then be asked is if there are similar words in Hebrew that might share the same root word, which then could assist in determining meaning. There are limited words to work with (at least in terms of Biblical usage), but we find in Esther 9:19 and 1 Samuel 6:18 the term yˆz∂rVÚp (peraziy), which refers to an unwalled village in the countryside (used in 1 Samuel to stand in opposition to walled and fortified cities). On this, many of our modern translations render NØwz∂rVÚp (perazon) as “villagers.”
The American Standard Version, along with its modern revision, the World English Bible, have chosen the word, “leaders.” This translation is rooted in the argument of the renown Hebraicist, William Gesenius, and his position that NØwz∂rVÚp (perazon) is derived from the Hebrew word, z∂rDÚp (paraz), as found in Habakkuk 3:14. This would tie the word to an old Arabic root, which means, “to divide” (implying the way a commander would separate troops into divisions). And while z∂rDÚp (paraz) is also a hapax legomenon, the Greek Septuagint offers a translation: duna/sthß (dunastas), which refers to a king, a ruler, or someone in a position of authority over others.
So, as we shift then, from the range of meanings possible for NØwz∂rVÚp (perazon), we then look to see which best fits the context, and that should be obvious. While some may suggest this word ties back to the previous verse about roads and pathways not taken, the location of the Sof pasuq (a cantillation mark, dating back to early Talmudic use, marking the Hebrew division between what we would call verses today), indicates clearly that this is part of the verse that speaks of Deborah rising up. That means, the most natural meaning of NØwz∂rVÚp (perazon) in the context is that of “leaders.” Thus, there were no leaders in the land — men rising up to do that which God has called them to do — and thus God raises up Deborah.
And what we see here is an exchange take place, when we look at the language used here…a male leader is not being replaced by another leader who happens to be female…for Deborah is introduced here as a “mother.” So, as Baraq and the other men of Israel are acting like fearful little children, God raises up a mother to chastise them and set them on their path — ironic justice. God had previously sent a command to Baraq to raise an army against the Canaanites…because of Baraq’s indecision, he ends up needing to bring his mommy along.
How sad it is that so many Christian churches in America are appealing to Deborah as part of their reasoning behind raising up women in leadership roles in the church — even as pastors. Yet, as one spends time looking at the text, Deborah is not only seen as an exception to the rule; she is seen as one raised up to shame the people into repenting of their sins…in particular, that of men rising up to the task.
God’s Ways or Man’s Paths
“In the days of Shamgar, the son of Anat, in the days of Jael, the way ceased to be; and those who walked, walked by paths.”
(Judges 5:6)
As we see so often in Hebrew poetry, there is double meaning within these words if we look closely. The most obvious and surface meaning is a reference to the notion that during the time of Canaanite oppression, the people could not travel the main roads and had to stick with smaller pathways. And that is how many of our English translations render the text.
Yet, recognizing the context, there are some plays on words that are taking place. First of all, the broader context of the book of Judges is that people are doing what is right in their own eyes and not what is right in the eyes of God. In particular, in the account of Deborah, the men have yielded to fear before the Canaanite armies and are thus not rising to the call to defend the people from this wicked king or to lead their families in obedience to God’s Word. Even Baraq, we find, had to be prodded by Deborah to do what God had already commanded him to do.
With that in mind, we need to remember that the word we translate as “way,” jårOa (‘orach), is commonly used to refer to the way that the believer must walk (see, for example, Psalm 119:9,101,104,128). Psalm 44:18 makes this notion quite clear that there is a way that believers should walk and that way has been laid out for us by God on high. As David also writes in Psalm 25:4:
“Make me to know your approach, Yahweh;
Your way, teach me.”
Note even the chiastic structure of this language, reversing the word order to add emphasis to the parallelism.
As the song of Deborah and Baraq lays this verse out, the idea of “the way” is contrasted (again as a chiasm) with the notion of those who walked, choosing to walk by paths…or perhaps, in context, by paths of their own making. They were blazing their own trails literally to avoid the Canaanite guards and figuratively to avoid walking in the way — living our lives — in the way that God commands. So indeed, people were walking pathways, but their idolatry was a far more dangerous threat than the Canaanites.
Little has changed. Fallen man despises the way of God. There is no way around that notion. Most of the abuse and even persecution that comes in the direction of believers is due to the notion that we represent something — a principle even — that fallen man resents: God is…. And being that God is, he has the right to place demands on our lives as to the way we live, we act, and we treat one another. It also means that he is rightfully worshipped, and again, fallen man recoils at the notion of worshipping anything other than the works of his own hand (which he can control).
Further, when the church allows believers to walk in their own ways and does not direct Christians back to the ways of God, then the church falls into the same morass as the society is bogged down by. Sad.
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