JUDGES LESSON 8
We will begin this lesson in Judges 7:1 "Then Jerubbaal, who [is]
Gideon, and all the people that [were] with him, rose up early, and
pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites
were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley."
God sees Gideon as a mighty warrior against evil. That is why he
is spoken of as Jerubbaal here. We remember, there are thousands of
Israelites with Gideon at this point. We remember from the last lesson
that the Medianites had gathered in the valley of Jezreel.
Judges 7:2 "And 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."
God did not want the Israelites to think they could win the war
with their own strength. He wanted them to know, that it was by His
power the Midianites would be destroyed. He was trying to teach them
to trust Him. This whole activity is to turn their hearts back to God
and away from the false gods.
Judges 7:3 "Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the
people, saying, Whosoever [is] fearful and afraid, let him return and
depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people
twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."
Those who follow God must have faith. The opposite of fear is
faith. There were 32,000 Israelites who had followed Gideon to this
place. These Israelites are like people who proclaim Christianity.
There are a multitude who profess Christianity {spiritual Israelites},
but many of them would turn and leave at the first problem that comes
along. There were only 10,000 left who were not afraid. Without faith,
it is impossible to please God.
Judges 7:4 "And 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."
It is not Gideon who is separating them out, it is the LORD. The
Lord will choose His army. God chooses from the multitude of those
proclaiming belief, as well. The next test is to see if they will lay
their weapons {Bibles} down.
Judges 7:5 "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."
We see that those who lapped like a dog, did not lay their
weapons down to drink. Their first thought was being ready to fight
the good fight. Their own personal needs were not that important to
them. A good soldier of the cross never lays his weapon {Bible} down.
Judges 7:6 "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."
This is saying, that only 300 of the original 32,000 were ready
to go to war. Those who bowed down on their knees to drink, used both
hands to drink. They were, also, not ready to instantly take up the
fight.
Judges 7:7 "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."
We know that the LORD told Gideon earlier that, the enemy would
be like one man to fight, it would be so easy to defeat them. Everyone
was sent home, except these 300 chosen men of the LORD. They were not
chosen because of their great physical strength. They were chosen
because of their readiness to do what had to be done.
Judges 7:8 "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."
It appears, these 300 each had his provisions to take with him
to battle. They might have received much of it from those who were
sent home. It seems each man had a trumpet.
Judges 7:9 "And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD
said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have
delivered it into thine hand."
They are to descend to very near the camp, and be ready to
attack. This would be better to do at night, so they would not be
seen.
Judges 7:10 "But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy
servant down to the host:" Judges 7:11 "And thou shalt hear what they
say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto
the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside
of the armed men that [were] in the host."
God will allow them to go down quietly, and see, and hear what is
going on in the enemy camp. God is doing this to encourage Gideon to
go on.
Judges 7:12 "And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the
children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for
multitude; and their camels [were] without number, as the sand by the
sea side for multitude."
This is speaking of an extremely large army of the Amalekites,
Midianites, and the Children of the east. This is speaking of tens of
thousands of soldiers. This will be one of the great battles in this
valley.
Judges 7:13 "And when Gideon was come, behold, [there was] a man
that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a
dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread 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."
A single man coming into camp would not have been noticed. He
stops, and overhears a dream one man is telling. Barley bread was
eaten by the very poorest of people. The people eating the barley
bread, obviously, are speaking of Gideon's army. It is obvious from
this dream, that Gideon's army will destroy the army of the
Midianites.
Judges 7:14 "And his fellow answered and said, This [is] nothing
else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: [for]
into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host."
This dream was so obvious, that even the Midianite soldier knew
exactly what it meant. I am sure that fear gripped these Midianites on
hearing this dream. They are afraid of the God of Gideon. They know
from past experience that they are already defeated, if God has given
Midian into the hands of Gideon.
Judges 7:15 "And it was [so], when Gideon heard the telling of
the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and
returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath
delivered into your hand the host of Midian."
This dream and interpretation is a further encouragement from God
that this is the will of God. God will be with Gideon and his 300
soldiers. He stops and thanks God, before going back to his own camp.
Now, with his assurance even stronger, Gideon calls his men to alert.
Judges 7:16 "And he divided the three hundred men [into] three
companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty
pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers."
The pitchers were earthen-ware, so the heat of the torches would
not destroy them. They could easily be broken at the right moment.
This army is marching with very strange weapons. In one hand, they
have a trumpet, and in the other, a pitcher with a lit torch. The
torch is in the pitcher, so it cannot be seen, until the moment of the
signal to break the pitchers. These 100's separated out was, so it
would appear they were large companies of men.
Judges 7:17 "And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise:
and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be
[that], as I do, so shall ye do."
Gideon will give the signal. What the men see him doing is what
they are to do. They are first going to ease up on the camp,
undetected.
Judges 7:18 "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."
These 300 men will come at the camp of the Midians from 3
different sides at once. All of them will blow their trumpets at the
signal of Gideon. They shall all shout, "The sword of the LORD, and of
Gideon". Can you imagine waking to such a sound?
Judges 7:19 "So 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."
The middle watch was just what it said. It was in the middle of
the night, between 10 in the evening until 2 the next morning. To be
awakened in the middle of the night with 300 trumpets blowing on three
sides of you, and see 300 torches coming from three directions, would
frighten you beyond reason.
Judges 7:20 "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."
Each one of the hundred troops did the same. The shout of the
sword of the LORD, and of Gideon must have rung through this valley,
and seemed like thousands of voices. Notice, they came in the name of
the LORD.
Judges 7:21 "And they stood every man in his place round about
the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled."
This was such a shock, they did not know what to do, so they ran
the only direction there was not a fire. Their hearts failed them with
fear.
Judges 7:22 "And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the
LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the
host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, [and] to the
border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath."
They were so frightened, they fought everything that moved, and
killed each other. Those who did not die here, fled to Beth-shittah in
Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah. The more Gideon and his
men blew their trumpets, the more frightened they became. The army of
Gideon were not advancing on them, but they did not know that, and
ran.
Judges 7:23 "And the men of Israel gathered themselves together
out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and
pursued after the Midianites."
These are the 32,000 Gideon had sent home. Now, that the LORD is
winning the war, they jump in to help. Their fear is gone. They are
confident of victory. They want to be included in the victory. God had
proven what He intended to.
Judges 7:24 "And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount
Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before
them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of
Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-
barah and Jordan."
Gideon had not invited the tribe of Ephraim to get involved in
the war at first. Now, he does. He gives them a specific task to do.
Ephraim is to block the escape of Midian. They immediately joined in,
and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. They have, now,
trapped the Midianites and their allies.
Judges 7:25 "And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb
and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at
the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of
Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan."
"Oreb" means a raven. "Zeeb" means a wolf. It was the Ephraimites
who captured them and slew them. The rock was named Oreb later,
because that was where he was killed. The winepress was named Zeeb for
the same reason. Zeeb was killed there. Ephraim took proof to Gideon
of their killing Oreb and Zeeb. They brought him their heads.
Judges 8 Questions
1. Jerubbaal is the same as _________.
2. Where did Gideon's army pitch its tents?
3. What does God see Gideon as?
4. What unusual thing does God tell Gideon, about the people who have
come to fight?
5. Why did God say this?
6. Who did he send home?
7. How are they like the multitude of Christians?
8. Without _________, it is impossible to please God.
9. How many people had offered to go to war?
10. How many were left, after the fearful went home?
11. What was the second way God reduced the number of soldiers?
12. How many lapped like a dog?
13. Who will God deliver into the hands of this 300 men?
14. What did the 300 take in their hands to go to war?
15. Where did God send Gideon, to strengthen his faith in the outcome
of the battle?
16. Who went with Gideon?
17. Who was camped in this valley?
18. What did Gideon overhear?
19. What did one of the Midianites tell the others this dream meant?
20. What did Gideon do, even before he went back to his own camp?
21. How did Gideon divide his 300 men?
22. What was in the hands of each of the 300 fighters?
23. Why were the pitchers earthen?
24. __________ would give the signal, and the men would do what?
25. What were all 300 men to say, after they blew the trumpet?
26. When did Gideon come near the camp to attack?
27. What did Gideon's army do, besides blow the trumpet?
28. Did Gideon's army really attack?
29. When the enemy saw the flames and heard the trumpets blowing, what
did they do?
30. Who actually were killing each other?
31. Where did the enemy flee to?
32. Who came to chase them and kill them with Gideon?
33. Who did Gideon ask to help, that was not part of the original
army?
34. What were they to do?
35. What happened to Oreb and Zeeb?
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