Transcendence 4

Eleven: Gideon's Hidden Potential

Gideon had obeyed God and cut down the Asherah pole and destroyed the altar to Baal. He was very fearful after that because his entire family and the village around him worshiped Baal. Also his people were living in poverty under Midianite domination. They believed in what they worshiped, so when he attacked what they believed in they got very angry with him. Yet, he had hope. He wanted to believe what the angel of the Lord had told him, he wanted to save his people. But he was terrified.

To be sure Gideon asked the Lord, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised then show me. I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. I will check it in the morning, and if there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand as you said." Gideon rose the next day, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a bowl full of dew. He saw that all around the ground was dry.  This impressed him, yet he wasn't sure it wasn't entirely impossible for it to happen by chance. Still in doubt Gideon said to the Lord, "Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. This time make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew." That night God did so, all the ground was covered with dew and the fleece was dry. Gideon saw what the Lord had done, and knew only He could have done it. His faith was renewed. 

(Gideon had been frozen in fear. He needed proof before he made a move. Though the angel of the Lord had already told him he would be successful, he was frightened and wanted to double- check, and then triple-check. Some people today use the term 'putting out a fleece' to mean asking God to do something unusual to confirm his presence and guidance in their lives or in the situation. However, Gideon's action here resembled more lack of faith than a reassurance of God's guidance.)

Once assured Gideon was ready for action. He and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The Midian camp was north of them. They were getting ready to attack when God spoke to Gideon and told him, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into your hands. In order that Israel may not boast that they were saved by their own strength, and for them all to know it was I who delivered the enemy unto you there must be fewer men. Therefore anyone who is fearful at all allow him to turn back now."  When Gideon asked his men who wanted to turn back because they were scared twenty-two thousand men left. Ten thousand remained.

Then the Lord told Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water. There separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped the water, with their hands raising to their mouths. The rest kneeled down on their knees to drink.

The Lord told Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go back to their lands." So Gideon sent everyone home except for the three hundred. (This number was unheard of to go up against a mighty army. Gideon faithfully moved forward, surely impressed with the victory God promised to give them.)

The camp of Midian was below them in the valley. The Lord told Gideon, "Go down against the camp during the night because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, sneak down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. After you hear with your own ears you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So Gideon and Purah went down to the outpost of the camp where the Midianites and Amalekites and other eastern people were gathered around, thick as locusts, with camels more numerous than the sands on the seashore. They listened as one man told another about his dream. He said, "I dreamed a round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." The friend explained that the dream must have been about the sword of Gideon, the Israelite, because God had given the entire Midianite camp into his hand. When Gideon heard what the man said he rushed back to his camp and exclaimed that God had truly given them over to him. He prepared for battle and began dividing up the three hundred men into three groups. He placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. He told them to blow their trumpets when it was time and shout 'For the Lord and for Gideon.'

Once they reached the edge of the Midianite camp, Gideon and the hundred men who were with him blew their trumpets and broke their jars. Following their lead the others did the same. They held on to the torches in one hand and blew the trumpets with the other. Then they shouted, "A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" When the three hundred trumpets sounded and the jars broke the Lord caused the Midianite men throughout the camp to become terrified, believing they were surrounded by a huge army. While each Israelite man held his position around the camp all the Midianites began to run about, crying out as they fled. God confused them and caused them to turn on each other with their swords. Some fled as far as Beth Shittah at the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Israelites from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh were called out to pursue them. Gideon also sent messengers ahead throughout the hill country of Ephraim calling for them to come out against the Midianites, and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them. So all the men of Ephraim acted quickly and came out ahead of them and captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed them both and brought their heads to Gideon.

Ephraim's tribe then rebuked Gideon sharply saying, "Why didn't you let us know you were going to attack the Midianites ahead of time?" But Gideon played it smart and reassured them that he wasn't trying to be a hero, and in fact what he had done was nothing compared to them since they were the ones who captured the Midianite leaders who God gave over to them." After this their resentment against him subsided.

Gideon and his three hundred men were exhausted but they continued to pursue the other Midianites who fled. They came to the Jordan and crossed over. There in the region of Succoth Gideon asked the people for bread for his troops because they were wore out and needed to continue their pursuit of two kings Zebah and Zalmunna. But the officials of Succoth refused to help out Gideon's army. Gideon told them, "Just for that, when the Lord has given me Zebah and Zalmunna I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briars."

From there Gideon and his army went up to Peniel and again asked for bread from those people for the troops. The people of Peniel also said no. So Gideon told the people of Peniel, "When I return in triumph, I will tear down this tower." 

At this point one hundred and twenty thousand men of the eastern peoples had fallen, but along with the other two kings there were still about fifteen thousand more. Gideon continued his pursuit. He went up by the route of the nomads east of Nobah and Jogbehah and snuck upon the unsuspecting army. The kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, fled again, but Gideon never gave up and with God's help he went after them and captured them, routing their entire army.

Gideon never forgot about the people in Succoth and as soon as he was able he went back there - sure as his word. He caught a young man outside of town and questioned him about who were the leaders of the town. That man wrote down the names of the seventy-seven officials, as well as names of the elders of the town. Gideon and his men captured the elders and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers - just as he said he would. He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of that town. 

( Life Question: How far will you go to do what God tells you to do? Gideon never gave up until every last one of the enemy was killed. Then he went back and punished the towns that refused to help his tired and hungry soldiers. When God says to move, we have to put fear, anger, confusion and all other emotions aside and do what He says. With God on our side we can't loose - he will crush the enemy under our feet.)