Judges 6:1-40
1 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
2 And the hand of Midian prevaileda against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.
3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.
5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.
6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,
8 That the LORD sent a prophetb unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;
9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;
10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.
11 And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideonc threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.
14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?
15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my familyd is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.
18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present,e and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.
19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid,f and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.
20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.
21 Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.
22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom:g unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
25 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:
26 And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock,h in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.
27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
28 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.
29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.
30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.
31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.
32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal,i saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
33 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
34 But the Spirit of the LORD camej upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.
35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gatheredk after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.
36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.
Judges 6:1. The Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian, the descendants of Abraham's fourth son by Keturah, who oppressed them for seven years. Genesis 25:2.
Judges 6:3. The children of the east, with Amalek, bloody Amalek and Midian. Some of Moab, of Ammon, and Ishmael, sister nations, leagued for death and hell. This invasion of plunder, war, and murder, extended from the Jordan to Gaza, and shows us by its characters what is in the heart of man. They brought their cattle, being prepared for booty rather than war.
Judges 6:8. The Lord sent a prophet. God's first step is to bring men to reason and repentance for all the sins connected with the worship of Baal and Venus. His name is unknown, but the glory of his work remains.
Judges 6:11. An Angel of the Lord. The same as in chap. 2., of which Dr. Lightfoot says, “Christ himself came up from the camp of Judah in Gilgal, to the people assembled in Shiloh.” Vol. 1. p. 45. Ed. fol. This Angel is the WORD or Wisdom of God, though now disguised as a princely stranger. He sat under an oak, as at Mamre, waiting to be gracious.
Judges 6:14. Go in this thy might. So says David: I will go in the strength of the Lord God. So says Paul; being strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
Judges 6:22. Alas, I have seen (the) Angel of the Lord. Callimachus cites the like sentiments of heathens, as of holy patriarchs, who feared to die after seeing the angelic glory in which the divinity was veiled.
Judges 6:24. Gideon built an altar, and called it Jehovah-shalom, the Lord of peace. David afterwards built an altar, when the plague was stayed. Elijah also built one on mount Carmel, to commemorate the defeat of idolatry.
Judges 6:26. Build an altar on the top of this rock. Though he was not a priest, Messiah made his call special. God having commanded high places to be built, and the holy patriarchs having worshipped there, occasioned a long contest in future ages when God had chosen Jerusalem as the only place of sacrifice. The people were not willing to give them up; and they became snares of idolatry.
Judges 6:32. Jerubbaal; that is, pleading, contending, or fighting against Baal.
Judges 6:34. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. The Hebrew is, the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon. The garments of our Saviour at his transfiguration were blanched beyond conception. St. Paul alludes to those ideas, when he says, Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14.
Judges 6:37. I will put this fleece. The ancients often slept on skins: it was at hand, and for the increase of his own weak faith, he asked this double sign of an indulgent God.
REFLECTIONS.
Scarcely had thirty years elapsed from the salvation effectuated by Barak, than inconstant Israel repeated their former sins, and God repeated his former strokes, and with severities greater than before. Midian, Amalek, and their neighbours oppressed them with a heavy hand, consuming for seven years the produce of the nation, and the blessings of a violated covenant. Ah, little did those robbers think that their measure was full. Little did they know that the tears of contrite Israel had brought the Lord to fight against them.
The consequences of this long and great affliction were weakness, fear, and gloom. The light was considered as departed from Israel. So we are apt to fear the worst in the day of adversity; but God has treasures of mercy in store. And even now, in those great calamities, Gideon had a vineyard and a little corn. God is never unmindful of his people, and especially in the day of trouble.
Mark also how the care of providence was extended to an oppressed people. He sent his prophet to bring them to recollection and repentance, while he himself hasted to commission and encourage their deliverer. Surely there never was a trait in history which marks in fairer characters the special interposition of heaven, nor was there ever a prince raised up by a more signal call than Gideon. The Lord approached his trembling servant in the character of a stranger, as he had often approached the patriarchs. And in the gracious salutation, well might he say, the Lord is with thee, when JEHOVAH the angel was seated at his side. Let us never be discouraged in the day of adversity, for when things, to human appearance, are come to the worst, God often opens a way far above our expectation. And why should we fear; for whether known or unknown, he is still present with us, and will be so to the end of time. The first step towards either national or personal salvation, is to put away our sins, and to call upon the name of the Lord: the altar of Baal must be thrown down, and an altar raised to the Lord, lest the people should say, that Baal had wrought for Israel that great salvation. May God, in like manner, cleanse our hands and our hearts, that our services may be acceptable in his sight. May the angel of his presence who kindled the sacrifice by a touch, grant us the supreme token that our devotion is accepted, by shedding abroad his love in our hearts.
But oh, how much of heaven it takes to raise a desponding mind. Gideon, seeing the multitude of the enemy, and conscious of his own weakness, asked an additional sign, that his army, small in comparison of Midian, might be relieved of all their fears. He required that his fleece might be watered while all the ground was dry; and again, that his fleece might be dry, while the dew lay thick on all the ground. In an age of discouragement his faith was weak; but out of weakness he waxed strong. Nothing less than the divine presence could have emboldened him to throw down the altar of Baal; now he asked these new tokens of the divine presence, that he might break in pieces the power of Midian. At all times the Lord's presence is the purest source of comfort, and the best pledge of salvation to an afflicted people.