JUDGES 8

Beginning in chapter 7 verse 23, one has to wonder why Gideon called for help from his fellow Israelites. The major battle has been fought and won by God, and what is left is basically a “mop up” operation.  We will also se what happens to the man or woman of God when we make provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. May The Spirit give us ears to hear what He is saying to this candlestick called Koinonia tonight!

 

1 ¶ And 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 (upbraided, reprimanded) with him sharply.

2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

• Isn't it amazing how many people want to get involved in a battle after the battle is over, or when most of the work is done and the victory assured? We are going to see the men of Ephraim do this again in Judges chapter 12, as they complain to Jepthah about not calling them to go to war, and Jepthah gives us a little insight to where their heart was at. We will reserve those comments until we get to chapter 12.
• After the harvest is completed, the remaining grapes or grains of wheat that are left in the field are called the gleanings. God had used Gideon and his small army to deliver a crushing blow to the Midainites, but He ha delivered their princes, Oreb and Zeeb into their hands. He is very diplomatic as the men of Ephraim confront him, and so diffused their anger.
• A soft answer turneth away wrath.  It showed a noble spirit in Gideon, that though the sole conqueror by right, he covets no monopoly of the praise, but even magnifies the exploits of others beyond his own. CHS
• Another thing that may have been a factor in this dispute was the fact that ever since Manasseh's (the younger son of Joseph) and Ephraim's (the older son of Joseph) first-born rights were reversed in Genesis 48, there had been rivalry and contention between them and their descendants. We know from Judges 6.15 that Gideon was from the tribe of Manasseh
• It has been said that jealousy and contention among the people of God has always been a cause of hindering the work of God. When the people of God are fighting against one another instead of with one another, the devil always wins.

 

4 ¶ And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint (exhausted), yet pursuing them.

• Faint, yet pursuing. I like that. Here are the 300 men that God used to come along side of Gideon in the previous chapter. They are faint, yet pursuing their enemies. One of the keys to victory over our adversary the devil is fighting the good fight of faith even when we are fainting.
• The Holy Spirit says in Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Beloved, when you are fainting in the battles of life…look to the cross and what Jesus endured for your sake.
• When we are facing the battles of life, it is important for us to have an eternal perspective. 2Co 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. Yes, your battles are real, but your God’s grace and strength is bigger than your battle.

 

5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.

• Succoth. A city in the tribe of Gad, on the east side of the Jordan River, below the sea of Galilee.

 

6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?

• In other words, the princes of Succoth would not assist Gideon till they were first sure of his success in battle. Their fear was that if Gideon would not be victorious, the Midianites would retaliate.
• Keep in mind that all that the princes of Succoth saw was a weary army of 300 that would be going against an army of 15,000. If you were a betting person, at 500 to 1 odds, who would you place your money on? In the naturals, it is a no brainer, but when God is in the equation, throw out your calculator, because if God is with you, who can be against you?
• Instead of telling God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is!

 

7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.

• Because God had given him a promise, Gideon has no doubt that God is going to deliver these 2 Midian kings into his hands.
• Tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness; a mode of punishment not uncommon in those days. FBN

 

8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower (which the men of Penuel trusted for their defence) .

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword.

• So we know that the army that Gideon faced in the last chapter numbered 135,000 besides camels and assumed iron chariots.

 

11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote (attacked) the host: for the host was secure (the idea is that he took them by surprise).

12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host (threw them into a panic; ).

13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up (some translations say, by the ascent of Heres),

14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him (questioned him): and he described (wrote down) unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men (77 men).

15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?

16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth (he taught them a lesson).

• Upbraid- The Hebrew word means to reproach or to agitate someone about something. It refers to sarcastic challenge in a mocking or insulting manner. Evidently, the men of Succoth were very condescending in their language towards Gideon.
• Gideon is now showing signs of taking his eyes off of the Lord and putting them on himself. The indignation he feels is about himself, not the name of the Lord. He is showing a vengeful heart that is not directed at the Lord. Bob Caldwell
• Holy war, which is to be fought at God’s command for the protection of the whole people, gives no warrant for this kind of personal vengeance. ESV Study Bible

 

17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

• Warren Wiersbe writes this interesting note on this verses 16 and 17. Why didn’t Gideon show to the people of Succoth and Peniel the same kindness that he showed to the Ephraimites and simply forgive them their offenses? For one thing, their offenses were not alike. The pride of Ephraim was nothing compared to the rebellion of Succoth and Peniel. Ephraim was protecting their tribal pride, a sin but not a costly one; but Succoth and Peniel were rebelling against God’s chosen leader and assisting the enemy at the same time. Theirs was the sin of hardness of heart toward their brethren and treason against the God of heaven. Of what good was it for Gideon and his men to risk their lives to deliver Israel if they had traitors right in their own nation?

 

18 ¶ Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner (kind) of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they (they looked just like you); each one resembled the children of a king.

• The children of a king! To become the child of a king is within the reach of any who aspire to it. Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
• By the second birth, we become the children of God, joint-heirs with Christ, and the Spirit witnesses to our sonship, teaching us to cry, Abba, Father.
• As children of the great King, we are called upon to bear the likeness of our King.
• Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. 5.1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
• Mt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.

20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

• In those days, how a soldier died was important to his reputation. Abimelech didn’t want to die at the hand of a woman (Jdg 9:53, 54), and King Saul didn’t want to fall into the hands of the Philistines (1Sa 31:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). For a child to kill a king would be the ultimate in humiliation thus Gideon told his young son Jether to execute the two criminals. You can see here that Gideon did not simply want to kill these men, he wanted to humiliate them.

 

21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the (crescent shaped) ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

• These crescent shaped ornaments were symbols used in the worship of the moon god Astarte. What value would a symbol to a pagan god be to Gideon? The flesh of Gideon is now overruling his spirit, and anger and the desire to humiliate the enemies of God now appears to be giving way to covetousness at best, and idolatry.  

 

22 ¶ Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son (grandsons) also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.

23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.

• The Hebrew word order might be paraphrased as, “It is the Lord, and no other, who shall rule over you!” While Gideon’s words were theologically correct, his subsequent actions show either that he was only pretending or that he was self-deceived; he appears eventually to have been seduced by the lures of being a king. ESV Study Bible
• It is our works, not our words that reveals the substance of our faith. Though Gideon says he doesn't want to be a king, in the rest of the chapter he goes on to act like one. His words are humble, but his actions are not. It's easy to talk humility and service to God, but it is harder to actually live it
• It is natural that our deliverer should be our ruler, and if the Lord Jesus has indeed set us free from sin and Satan, it is but meet and right that he should rule over us. CHS

 

24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey (of his spoils). (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites (it was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear golden earrings.)

25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.

26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred (1700) shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on (worn by) the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.

• Despite Gideon’s protest that he would not become a king (see v. 23), the ornamentation of the Midianite kings—the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments—was now Gideon’s.

 

27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it (put it on display) in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it (began to worship it): which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.

• According to the Mosaic law, there was to be only one ephod in Israel, and it was to have a “breastpiece of judgment” (Ex. 28:15–30). The ephod was used to inquire of God (cf. 1 Sam. 14:3; 23:9; 30:7). By setting up another ephod in his own city, Gideon may have been making it his own to use, at his own whim. Ultimately, it became a snare to Gideon and his family. ESV Study Bible
• The Hebrew word for snare here describes the lure or bait placed in a hunter’s trap and comes to mean the snare itself as used to trap birds. Listen to this incredibly chilling but true statement on the precept Austin notes for this verse:
• That's a picture of sin which looks alluring, but if touched, will surely captivate and capture its foolish prey.  When we insist on having what God has not given us, we always are ensnared. God does not always frustrate our sinful longings. Sometimes he allows us to have what we have been determined to get, but with bitterness and vexation. Wormwood, or poison is the word used to describe the consequences of the night after an affair
• The ephod was a vest designed to be worn by a Priest in the Tabernacle worship of God. Gideon is here proclaiming himself to be a priest, a position which to which God did not call him. As a result, all of Israel began to worship in an idolatrous manner. This was the only sin associated with the life of Gideon, but was a sin that led many people astray and caused him to finish his race in a manner that was not well. Bob Caldwell
• It is sad to see the man who overthrew Baal’s altar now setting up an idol of his own. Do you have an ephod? What is your "ephod"? On what or whom do you set your heart? On God or on your "ephod"? Beware for the corrupting effect of the "ephod" can be most subtle and deceptive.
• Went a whoring (Play the harlot) The Hebrew word refers to marital infidelity or unfaithfulness. It was word used elsewhere in the OT to describe prostitution. Israel (Jehovah's "wife") committed "spiritual prostitution" by having "intercourse" with other gods because Idolatry is looked upon as prostitution. James uses this same analogy when speaking of Christians who fall in love with the world and the things of the world: James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 ¶ And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons (70) of his body begotten: for he had many wives.

• In the beginning, God created the institution of matrimony. He had forbidden the Israelites to have more than one wife. God did not create several Eves for Adam. He created only one. God did not remove all of Adam’s ribs. God took out only one rib. Abraham, you remember, took a concubine, that little Egyptian maid named Hagar and, believe me, it caused trouble. God never sanctioned it. J.Vernon Magee

 

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech (my father is king).

• In chapter 9 we are going to read about the death of most of Gideon’s sons because of the desire of one, Abimelech, to be king.

 

32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead (no sooner was Gideon dead), that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring (played the harlot) after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

• When Gideon set up the ephod in Ophrah, it drew the people’s attention away from worship of the Lord and led them into idolatry (v.27). And as soon as Gideon died, the people found it easy to go back to worshiping the Baals.
• Baal-Berith - a name meaning "lord of the covenant," a Canaanite idol

 

34 And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:

35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

• Before the battle against Midian, Gideon humbly depended on the Lord. During the “mopping up” operations, however, he became authoritative and even vindictive. After his victory over Midian we don’t find Gideon honoring the Lord or calling the people together to make a new covenant to obey the Lord. Gideon started out as a servant, but now he was a celebrity. The result was decline for him, his family, and his nation.
• May the words of John the Baptist ring true in the depth of our souls beloved, He (Jesus) must increase, and we must decrease.