Book of Judges Gideon Book

Book Of Judges Gideon

BOOK OF JUDGES: GIDEON

The book of Judges basically refers to a period in Israel's history that can be called the unenlightened age. Israel has been saved from the clutches of slavery in Egypt and they had landed on the Promised Land by the will of God. Here they had been very successful and victorious. Each conquest resulted in expansion of land under Israeli tribes and this land was divided among the people themselves. Cohabitation was the main problem since after the conquest Israelis did not take complete possession of the land they had won. This resulted in many problems which the Book of Judges addresses. The problem was not connected with politics mainly. It wasn't really about national identities or people clashing with each other over cultural or social values but it was a basically a religion-based issue. Since Israelis were monotheists, their cohabitation with people who worshipped multiple gods had a negative impact on the spiritual values of Israelis. They faith gradually turned into an amalgamation of many contrasting beliefs. But this was unacceptable because God had already made it absolutely clear to the people of Israel that: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Now God obviously did not like the idea of Israelis corrupting their faith since belief in God being One lays the very foundation of faith in monotheist religions. Since Israel did not pay closer attention to adulteration of their faith, they consistently attracted God's wrath.

This is what brings us to the story of Gideon in the book of Judges. There are many different views circulating about the actual strength, commitment and dedication of Gideon. He is often portrayed a weak and timid person who was chosen by God to stamp His sole authority on the world. He would take this step against the strong to prove that none other than Him can actually claim superiority.

Gideon's story stresses God's ability to conquer a powerful enemy with paltry forces, so that it is transparently obvious that the victory comes not through force of arms but through divine assistance. In the Bible it is God who insists Gideon pare down his army to three hundred men. (Murphy: 125)

Gideon was by no means a strong or mighty force yet in Judge 6:12, 14 he is called mighty. This shows that somehow God saw something in him that the ordinary people couldn't. Either Gideon was actually a great latent power or he was simply such a weak person that by working through him, God could prove a point. In many instances, it appears that it was the latter since in 6:15 Gideon himself says that he considered himself the weakest of all his family members and in fact felt he might be the weakest of his entire tribe. Even angels appear to accept this as in Judges 6-8 we are reminded that God is not as interested in working through strength as He is through weakness. His ability to use the weak against the strong is His way of proving He can do anything and everything and that His authority is final. It is clear from most sources and is found in Judges too that when Gideon was greeted by the angels, he was reluctant to accept their greetings, feeling a bit apprehensive about having been selected and wondered why their people were suffering so much if they were indeed the chosen ones.

In Judges, Gideon replies to the angel's greeting by challenging him to explain Israel's plight. Gideon asks why Israel is oppressed and where God's wonderful deeds are... In Judges 6:13, Gideon asks where are God's wonders that were recounted by the fathers. He then quotes the words of the fathers, "Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?".... [what is] implied in Judges is explicit in the Biblical Antiquities: Gideon says Israel's plight contradicts what the fathers said about God's special relationship with Israel. Gideon's challenge is still stronger with his next words. Judges 6:13 records him as saying, "But now the LORD has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian." (Murphy: 156)

Israelites and Midianites

Israelites were suffering at the hands of Midianites and this is what Book of Judges and story of Gideon highlight. We need to know more about Midianites to understand what the conflict was all about. The Midianites lives in the eastern side of Jordan and had a strong camel-based army. This had given them an extremely powerful position in the region and had also resulted in them terrorising everyone else in the area. Every year when Israelis would wait for harvest, Midianites would enter the land and destroy everything. "Fearsome and unscrupulous predators, the Midianites were also cunning, for they habitually scheduled their invasions at harvest times, causing economic disaster, even famine, among the Israelites." (Reardon) This devastation continued for seven long years and each year Israelis would hide themselves in a cave while they looked helplessly as Midianites continued with their horrible activities. It appeared that even God wasn't really willing to help. When the people were waiting for deliverance, they were sent a prophet who came with the message: "I brought you up out of Egypt... I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. I said to you, 'I am the Lord your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.'... "But you have not listened to me."(verse 7-10)

When God had made it clear that He was to be worshipped alone and none but Him was to be regarded as the sole Creator then they should have listened. Israelites however failed to pay heed and as the result, they met with extreme opposition from God in the form of Midianites and some other eastern tribes.

Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it. Midian so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out to the Lord for help. (6:1-6)

It was more like what happened to Adam and Eve. They were given everything they could hope for and were also living in Paradise. But they refused to follow God's commandments and thus were thrown out of Paradise. Ingratitude in words and deeds is totally unacceptable to God. But luckily for us; while others would give up on us after our consistent actions of ingratitude, God is ever so patient and forgiving. He doesn't really want us to suffer and wants to save us from the clutches of misery. All He asks in return in simple gratitude in words and deeds. Worshipping anyone other than God the Almighty is considered a grave mistake and the ultimate sign of one's ingratitude.

Gideon: chosen to protect Israelites

Gideon was the weakest person in his family, according to his own assessment of himself and yet he was chosen to deliver Israelis from the pain and miseries inflicted by Midianites. As mentioned above, when Gideon was told that, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." (6:12), he wondered why the misery was inflicted upon his people: "But sir," Gideon replied, "if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." (6:13)

The angel that was sent from God wasn't really interested in answering this question as if he was certain that had Gideon looked carefully inside he would be able to find the answer himself. Thus the angel replies rather matter-of-factly: "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (6:14)

If there is ever a man who doubted himself so much that even God's reassurance appears to make little sense to him, then it was certainly Gideon. He didn't know a thing about believing in himself and felt that a man like himself couldn't possibly save Israeli from all the problems caused by Midianites. But God was relentless: "I will be with you." (6:16)

God's promise had been enough for Moses when he doubted his ability to confront Pharoah: "Go and make disciples of all nations... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:19, 20) But it wasn't enough for Gideon who went on and on with this questioning and despite consistent reassurances, kept doubting himself. Gideon is not only weak, he also lacks real faith. He didn't want to die which is strange because all chosen people are supposed to be fearless. Gideon on the other hand was very fearful and wanted to be reassured that he won't die. He was not even sure if the messages were coming from God so he asked for signs:

He demands a sign, and soon receives one that ought to have convinced the most sceptical mind in the world. But Gideon, the true ancestor of all those who come from Missouri, puts a fleece of wool in the floor, and suggests that if the dew fall only on the fleece, while all the earth beside is dry, then he will believe. On the morrow the miracle has happened; he wrings a bowl-full of water out of the fleece, while all around the ground is dry. One can see the expression on his face as he makes the further request that on the following night everything be wet except the fleece. The divine patience is inexhaustible, for now the fleece becomes a little island in a sea of dew." (Phelps: 107-108)

Gideon was still terrified of undertaking a task so daunting. He choose to accomplish the first task of breaking up the altar to Baal and building another altar in its place at night so no other soul could see him. Gideon is still a fragile warrior who shouldn't even be called a warrior for he lacked all the characteristics of one. The only thing good about him was his obedience. At least with his self-doubt and extreme timidity, he still didn't say 'No' to God and carried out his commands. But still Gideon doesn't cut an impressive picture. He was unbearably weak but only God had inexhaustible patience to keep assuring this man of His power and help. The Bible thus "portrays Gideon as a man of little faith. Even after seeing the angel of the Lord (6:12), he questions God (v. 13) and needs three signs (vv. 17, 37, 39) and a dream (7.15) before his faith is sufficiently bolstered for battle." (Takarkin Reis, 1997 p.292)

When the forces of Midians prepare to launch another attack, even the readers are sceptical of Gideon's ability to confront them properly. Many in those days must have wondered why God would choose someone like Gideon but when the day of actual fighting came, "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." However what was the point of God's spirit engulfing Gideon, we shall never know. This is because Gideon was still very much a chronic doubter. He was still wondering if God could be trusted.

But in this, lies the message for those who feel that a faltering warrior is a sign of weakness. It is true that Gideon doubted himself, but it is equally true that even Jesus was sent to the Cross to die. But in 1 Corinthians, Paul explains why this happens: "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18)... since... The world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Cor 1:21). In Corinthians, we also get our answer to the lingering question: why would God choose someone like Gideon to deliver Israel of the miseries caused by Midianites. It is here the we read the passage that explains why weak are often preferred over the strong and this also lends support to our claim earlier in the paper that the faltering powers of the weak are often utilization by God to stamp His sole authority on the universe and to teach the strong a lesson.

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God -- and righteousness and sanctification and redemption -- that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD." (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

But Gideon finally gains some faith in his God and the night before the big day, he decides to go ahead with it with courage in his heart even though all odds were still against him.

During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp."...Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. "I had a dream," he was saying. "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." His friend responded, "This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands." When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. (Judges 7:9-15)

This illustrates the significance of dreams for those who believe in God. Many prophets and Holy men in sacred texts have narrated dreams that came true. Gideon's dream worked to strengthen his faith. Gerber (1963) adds: "Hearing a dream narrated, Gideon gained sufficient courage to launch a campaign immediately (Judges 7:13-15). Dreams offer consolation, deliver warnings, gratify secret longings, and offer solutions to the inner conflicts of the dreamer." (p. 202)