Notes: June 15, 2008 - Judges 7 & 8

Bob Feather June 15th, 2008

Gideon’s Success and Failure

In today’s reading from the English Bible we learn about Gideon’s great victory with a small army, and about Gideon’s great sin and a large family.

  • Many are called, but few are chosen (7:1-8)
  • Encouraged by someone else’s dream (7:9-15)
  • This little light of mine (7:16-22)
  • Asking others to (re)join the fight (7:23-25)
  • Offended by not being invited earlier (8:1-3)
  • Faint, yet pursuing; and none would help (8:4-17)
  • An eye for an eye (8:18-21)
  • The dangers of early retirement (8:22-28)
  • Gideon-gone and forgotten; and Gideon’s God forgotten, too (8:29-35)

Meditation Points:

  1. “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.” (Judges 7:2). We do (sometimes) take credit for what God has done; and we shouldn’t.
  2. 22,000 to 10,000 to 300. Imagine what they said back at denominational headquarters when this report came in.
  3. “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” (Judges 7:18-20). Let your light so shine that others may see and be confounded in the midst of the darkness.
  4. The smaller force gave way to a much larger Israelite attack on the Midianites.
  5. Have you ever been upset because you weren’t invited to fight for the Lord (Judges 8:1)?
  6. In the battle between good and evil there is no neutrality; if you are not for God, then you are against Him.
  7. The people wanted to establish Gideon and his posterity as king (Judges 8:22). Gideon refused the honor and authority, commending the people to the divine King.
  8. But Gideon did accept an honorarium which he misused in establishing public idolatry (Judges 8:27). Can you believe it?
  9. Is it any wonder that his influence died with him, and Israel quickly fell again into Baal worship (Judges 8:33). Will your testimony for good outlive you?
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Judges 7:2
2And the LORD said unto Gideon, 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.
Judges 7:18-20
18When 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.
19So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20And 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.
Judges 8:1
1And 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.
Judges 8:22
22Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, 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.
Judges 8:27
27And 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.
Judges 8:33
33And 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.

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