Gideon: October 2018
Table of Contents
Gideon
Today in the professing church of God, it is comparable to the days of the Judges; every man is doing that which is right in his own eyes. But, if you find in your heart a disposition to take that course, you are plainly declaring that you are headed for that which is wrong.
The children of Israel were in "bondage," "slavery," "hard put to," and they did not have enough to eat; they were miserable and they "cried to God."
In the midst of that condition there was a young man. Judges 6 opens with this young man threshing wheat by his father's winepress. I believe that there is something expressive in that. Gideon was determined that he would have wheat. He was doing it at the risk of his life, that is true, but Gideon, by the grace of God, resolved that he would have wheat. He had a right and title to it, and he would have it. There he was threshing wheat by his father's winepress to "hide it from the Midianites."
That wheat speaks of Christ, the bread which came down from heaven, the food for your soul and mine. So here in this young man, Gideon, we see a young man of faith and courage, determined that he is going to have his portion of Christ, if I speak figuratively. He is determined to have his portion of Christ. Do I want my way, what is right in my own eyes, or do I want Christ? We may try to have both, but in truth we can have only one or the other. Which do you have and which do I have?
C.H. Brown
The Sword
It is very clear from the history of Gideon that God used a man who was little in his own eyes. Then the Lord humbled him further, even to the point where he had to hear himself being compared to a “cake of barley bread” (Judg. 7:13). The lessons he learned in the school of God prepared him for service, while at the same time making nothing of Gideon and everything of the Lord. But then the Lord’s strength and glory were paramount; the victory was won, and the Lord got the glory.
We see the results of God’s working with Gideon in the way that he approached the battle. With only three hundred men, he could not hope, by human strength, to gain the victory over the Midianites and Amalekites, who were in the valley “like grasshoppers for multitude.” Accordingly, Gideon does not arm his men in the normal way, with weapons such as spears and swords. No, he recognized the Lord’s power and equipped them with “lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands” (Judg. 7:20). Both hands were full; there was no hand with which to hold a weapon. Then they were to blow the trumpets and break the pitchers which covered their lamps, while they cried, “For Jehovah and for Gideon!” (Judg. 7:18 JND). No mention was made of the sword, for Gideon had learned that it would be the Lord who achieved the victory. So it was, for the enemy destroyed themselves; Gideon’s men did not need to lift a weapon.
The Three Hundred
But then, when the three hundred men followed Gideon’s instructions, we find them saying, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” (Judg. 7:20). I suggest that there are two thoughts here. First of all, Gideon is now a type of Christ—the only One who always acts in perfection. Even the most faithful of His servants does not act with the perfection of his Master. Gideon’s men, faithful as they were and brave soldiers, had not gone through the same training as Gideon. They mentioned the sword, although not told to do so. They had not learned the Lord in the same way that Gideon had.
But was there no use for the sword? Yes indeed, for when the victory was won, there were still enemies to deal with. There were still fifteen thousand left of the host of Midian and others, after whom Gideon needed to pursue. The princes and kings of Midian were still at large, and they needed to be caught and executed. Also, sad to say, there were those of Succoth and Penuel, in Israel, who had refused help to Gideon when he was pursuing the kings of Midian. It was only righteous that judgment be carried out against them. The swords were certainly well used in all these situations.
The Treasure in Earthen Vessels
All this has a lesson for us too. The Christian counterpart to the story of Gideon is found in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7: “God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” The treasure is Christ, like the lights carried by Gideon’s army, but it is a light in an earthen vessel—ourselves. Often the Lord must break the earthen vessel in order that the light may shine out. It is not pleasant to have our earthen vessel broken, but it is worth it, for then Christ shines out more brilliantly. Then the power of God is manifested, and He gets the glory.
Our strength is not ours, but the Lord’s, so that we do not get the victory by human means. The light and the trumpet (which announces that God is working) are all that is needed. But then, when the victory has been won, we do have what Scripture calls “the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), which is the Word of God. More accurately, it is the Word of God which we have read, meditated upon, and walked in. We do use it in spiritual warfare, but recognizing that the victory has already been won for us by our Lord and Master. Then we use the sword to maintain our place in the enjoyment of heavenly things and in conflict with the “spiritual power of wickedness in the heavenlies” (Eph. 6:12 JND).
W. J. Prost
Lessons From Gideon
The history of Gideon is of much practical importance, for the history of his revival is applicable to the present circumstances of the church.
“The children of Israel,” we read, “did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years” (Judg. 6:1). In reality, the Midianites were only the rod which Jehovah used to punish His people. But Jehovah heard their cry. The Lord first sent a prophet who testified of their sin, and then He raised up the instrument for their deliverance.
“Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites” (vs. 11). Nothing could have been more abject than the condition of Gideon—stealthily threshing wheat (for fear of the Midianites) to feed his family! But God’s mightiest victories have ever been won by such, and not by those who had resources in themselves.
“The Lord Is With Thee”
“The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” (vs. 12). Stealthily threshing wheat did not look like valor. But God’s “mighty” men have ever been distrustful of their own strength and wisdom in coping with the enemy; they were men who “out of weakness were made strong.” “No flesh” shall glory in His presence; He takes “the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” Gideon has a deep sense of the condition of Israel upon his soul, and the Lord says, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”
But now Gideon says, “Wherewith shall I save Israel?” His threshing instrument would have been a poor thing with which to go against the host of Midian. God must be the strength, not Gideon. We can almost always trace our failures to self-confidence. When a believer thinks that he is going to do a feat, his failure often becomes obvious. God must abase that which is proud and lifted up.
A Sign
Gideon then asks a sign: “He said unto Him, If now I have found grace in Thy sight, then show me a sign that Thou talkest with me.” There is feebleness here; he ought not to have needed a sign; still, all he really cares for is having the Lord with him. When Gideon’s heart is reassured, he builds an altar there unto the Lord and calls it “Jehovah-shalom” (vs. 24). Now he is prepared for service.
But we must “cease to do evil” before we “learn to do well.” Obedience to God is the saint’s rule and liberty. Gideon must first pull down the altar of Baal, and the Lord gives strength to do it. “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” (vs. 27). And what is the consequence? Immediate opposition.
The action of faith always excites the flesh. Israel knew not where their strength was; they thought it was in Baal. Gideon had learned it to be in God.
The Enemy
But now the enemy is alarmed, and up come Midianites and Amalekites. “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” (vs. 33). Here is Gideon with his own people against him and the enemies of Israel gathered together and pitching in Jezreel. But he has peace with God; how does he act? “The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him” (vs. 34). Had Gideon been serving Baal, he could not have blown that trumpet. But Baal is down, and the altar of God is set up in the ordered place. He sends messengers throughout all Manasseh, who are also gathered unto him, and to Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali.
The Fearful
But Gideon still has a further lesson to learn. “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” (Judg. 7:2). At once he has to get rid of a great number of them. To all appearances, Gideon was weakening his own hands. At the first proclamation 22,000 left him, but in reality, instead of losing strength, he was gaining by their departure. These fearful and fainthearted ones would have discouraged the rest had they remained among them.
The Water Test
“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” (vs. 4).
There is such a thing as the trial of our faith, and while we would be quite unable to test one another, God knows the best way of testing each. “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 knee to drink. 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. 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” (vss. 5-7).
These who were sent home were really not afraid. The test was this: whether they would lap the water, putting the hand to the mouth, or bow down and drink at their ease. The 300 chosen ones had not time for halting; their hearts were in their work, and they merely took a drink as they went on their way. Paul speaks of being entangled “with the affairs of this life” (2 Tim. 2:4); all that we can safely take, if we would “please Him who hath chosen” us to be soldiers, is just a drink by the way. There is a very great difference between being in the circumstances of this life and being entangled with them. When tested by the Lord, those who bowed down were not fit for His use any more than the fainthearted; they must go to their homes.
A Cake of Barley Bread
Gideon is next shown his enemies. “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” (vs. 9). And mark further how graciously the Lord anticipated the need of His servant in adding, “If thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host” (vs. 10). The result of this visit was that anything of pride and self-importance must have been sorely wounded. When God will show His favored servant that he shall smite the Midianites as one man, He makes him feel that (in himself) he is but a “cake of barley bread.” Surely, were Christians stripped of their worldliness and made more like the “cake of barley bread,” the world would stand more in fear of them.
Trumpet, Pitchers and Lamps
And now comes the conflict: “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. And he said...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” (Judg. 7:16-18). The weapons of their warfare were the most foolish things imaginable—trumpets, pitchers and lamps in the pitchers! Our power is in giving testimony to Jesus, and never getting out of the place of being but “earthen vessels.” We must remember that the vessel only contains the light; the excellency of the power must be of God, not of us.
“Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them” (Judg. 8:4). What three little words could be more blessedly descriptive of the Christian than these? Not “faint” and sitting down, not “faint” and giving up, but “faint, yet pursuing.” We have to do with Him who “giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength” (Isa. 40:29). It is a blessed use to make of our faintness and weariness—that of drawing out the fullness of the supply of grace and strength in Christ.
It is very painful to feel day after day our own weakness. What we need is to live day by day in reliance on God. He is faithful and will supply strength according to the occasion and need. The church will not be at rest till the Lord comes. But weakness ought to be no hindrance to our going forward—“faint, yet pursuing.”
Christian Truth (adapted)
Qualification for Service
The Book of Judges is the record of Israel’s failure in the land. God had brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, then led them through the wilderness, and set them in possession of the promised inheritance. As long as they walked in obedience and dependence, no foe could stand before their face. But man invariably fails when entrusted with blessing under responsibility, even under the most favorable circumstances. Israel was no exception.
Israel “served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua” (Judg. 2:7), but then “there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim” (Judg. 2:10-11). But with Israel’s failure we also see the Lord’s faithfulness, and out of God’s faithfulness sprang His intervening grace, giving His people a little restoration in the midst of their departure. The similarity between this state of things and the present state of the church will be apparent to all. I propose to call attention to one of the most signal instances of God’s intervention with Israel—His raising up of Gideon to be a judge and deliverer to them. Here we may learn the qualifications which God seeks in those whom He can use for service and testimony among His people.
The Midianites
“The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years” (Judg. 6:1). Midian had descended from Abraham through Keturah, his second wife, and again and again they are brought into contact with Israel. In the wilderness the Lord told Moses, “Vex the Midianites, and smite them: for they vex you with their wiles” (Num. 25:17-18). But now they are in the land itself, “and Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites.” But when Israel cried unto the Lord, He first sent a prophet to bring their sin home to their conscience, and then He sent an angel to raise up a deliverer. The angel finds Gideon threshing wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites (vs. 11).
Feeding on Christ
We may name this first qualification, feeding on Christ in secret. Wheat is surely a figure of Christ (see John 12:24; 6:35). It was a time of great difficulty; idols had usurped the place of Jehovah, so that those who remained faithful in the midst of the general ruin could only worship the Lord alone and in private. So it was with Gideon; Baal had an altar in his father’s house, but this “mighty man of valor” threshed wheat alone that he might find sustenance, notwithstanding the watchful eye of the Midianites. Alone in his family and alone in threshing wheat, he gathered strength from communion with the Lord.
Surely feeding on Christ in secret is the fountainhead of all qualification for the Lord’s service. Thus it was that Joseph was sent into exile and a prison, that Moses was sent for forty years into the desert, and Paul into Arabia, for it is when we are alone with Christ that we learn both what we ourselves are and, blessed be His name, what He Himself is, in the infinite fullness of His grace and sufficiency. The Lord can never use us as standard-bearers until both of these lessons have been learned.
An Exercised Heart
The next qualification is evidently an exercised heart. Gideon identified himself with the condition of his people, for he says, “Why then is all this befallen us?” (vs. 13). Entering into their state, he bore it on his heart before the Lord. And without this he would not have been qualified to be their helper. Our power to succor others will be in proportion as we have been able to make their sorrows or difficulties our own. The Lord will use us if we are qualified for it, but to be qualified for it, we must have felt deeply the character of the evil in which we, the people of God, are entangled, and we must have mourned over it before the Lord.
Our Nothingness
We now get another very important qualification: a sense of his own nothingness. Gideon replies, “O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house” (vs. 15). His exercises had thus not been without blessing, for he was now in the place where God’s power could come upon and use him. All the Lord’s servants must learn this lesson sooner or later, that there is nothing in themselves which can be used for God; all their resources and strength lie outside of themselves. It is then no longer a question of what the Midianites are, but what God is. Accordingly, the Lord now said to Gideon, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (vs. 16).
Liberty
Gideon becomes bolder, prepares a kid and unleavened cakes of flour, and places his offering, at the direction of the angel, upon the rock. “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” (vs. 21). By this Gideon is made to know that he had seen an angel of the Lord face to face, and he is filled with fear. But “the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.” And thus he obtains from the Lord a further qualification for service: a soul at liberty—at peace—before God. God had revealed Himself to His servant, and he is now at home in God’s presence. Here we have a direct connection between peace and service.
A Worshiper
The immediate consequence in Gideon’s case was that he became a worshiper. “Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom” (vs. 24). He worships God as the One who had spoken peace to his soul. The true servant must first be a worshiper, for to go out in service before we are worshipers is to misrepresent our Lord and to expose ourselves to defeat. Let us then be careful to maintain the divine order.
Obedience
Now the Lord calls upon Gideon to act, but he must first begin at home. He must “throw down the altar of Baal” and “cut down the grove that is by it.” Then he must “take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down” (vss. 25-27). Here we get obedience. Gideon was associated with evil in his father’s house, and, as another has said, “Faithfulness within precedes outward strength; this is God’s order.” Until he had dethroned the idol in his father’s house, he could not be sent to smite the Midianites.
The Lord Jesus vanquished Satan in the desert by obedience; the reply, “It is written,” foiled him in every attack. And here too was Gideon’s strength, for no sooner had he received the command than he “did as the Lord had said unto him” (vs. 27). The devil resisted in obedience is the devil vanquished.
Power
Gideon is now a vessel “sanctified and meet for the Master’s use,” and we get accordingly the crowning qualification of power. The vessel is now prepared for service, but immediately we are told, “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. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them” (vss. 33-35). While Gideon is being prepared, the Midianites are still; when Gideon is ready, God gathers them together for destruction.
Gideon is now equipped, ready for the conflict. There will be weaknesses and failures, doubtless, but still he is one whom the Lord can now employ. May God grant that the sevenfold qualifications of Gideon may be found in all who are engaged in His service and testimony in these closing days!
E. Dennett
Gideon: Difficulties and Snares in Service
The moment that we set out to walk with God and to bear testimony for Him, we may be sure of finding all sorts of difficulties in our path. In gaining their victory over the Midianites, Gideon and his 300 companions encountered some. After the victory, they found other ways in which they had to suffer.
Contention
The men of Ephraim contended with Gideon. In the time of Deborah they had been in the post of honor (Judg. 5:14), but since then there had been declension, and Gideon, taught of God, had not summoned them. This distinction made them envious of the energy of faith and of its results to the others. “Why hast thou served us thus?” (Judg. 8:1). Ephraim, preoccupied with his own importance, thinks of himself instead of thinking of God. This is a frequent source of strife between brethren, and such contentions are far more painful and trying than conflict with the world. It is precious to see the man of God pass through this difficulty in the power of the Spirit.
When altercations arise among Christians, deep humility is their only resource. Gideon had learned this in the school of God, so that it was not difficult for him to realize on this occasion how to act. God had made him understand that the courage and strength which he had did not emanate from himself and that, in himself, Gideon was worth only a cake of barley bread. And so, in the presence of Ephraim, he took care not to speak of himself. He devoted his attention to what God had done by the hands of his brethren. “What have I done now,” said he, “in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?” He took the lowest place and acknowledged their zeal for God; thus the humility of this servant of God is the means of removing a great difficulty. Let us act in a similar way, and when we speak of our brethren, let us enumerate, not their failures, but what God has wrought in them. Nothing so appeases contention as seeing Christ in others; it is the result of a normal Christian condition in the children of God.
Faint Yet Pursuing
Gideon and his companions encountered a second difficulty far more trying than the previous one. They were “faint yet pursuing” and reached Succoth, a city of Israel which belonged to the tribe of Gad. Succoth rejected them, refusing even to give them bread. There was in the midst of the people of God an entire city, bearing the name of Israel, which had renounced all corporate responsibility with those who bore testimony for Jehovah. They had confidence in the enemy and would not compromise themselves by taking part with Israel. There are many in the present day who bear the name of Christ, and yet seek the friendship of and alliance with the world. Through fear of compromising themselves, they make common cause with our enemies, increasing the difficulties of the way for believers, and hindering them from being overcomers. It need not surprise us that Gideon does not stop in the way to chastise this spirit. Our hearts, like Gideon’s, should be wholly in the conflict. The man of God kept on his way; the infamous conduct of Penuel no more arrests him than that of Succoth. Everything is in its time for God’s witness. Satan seeks to bring in confusion as to this, so as to make obstacles for us. Zebah and Zalmunna must not be allowed to escape; the judgment of the rebellious cities will be executed later. On his return, the man of God exercised discipline in the assembly of Israel and “cut off the wicked,” for God would be dishonored were evil tolerated in the assembly.
Humility and Faith
In all this history, two characteristics, humility and energy of faith, were united in Gideon: energy, to gather and purify the people for battle and for pursuit of the enemy; humility, which delivered from all self-confidence and led to implicit reliance on Jehovah. And yet it was in this very thing that the enemy was about to lay a snare for him.
The vanquished kings were not sparing in their praise of Gideon (Judg. 8:18-21). He asked them, “What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king” (vs. 18). Let us distrust the flattery of the world, for the world flatters to enfeeble us and to deprive us of the weapons with which we fight against it.
Fear
It does not appear as if Gideon was turned aside from God’s path by this speech, but he seems to have lost a true sense of the power of the enemy and to have despised rather than feared it. This was not the case with Joshua when he made prisoners of the five kings (Josh. 10:22-27). Far from underrating the strength of the enemy, he said to them, “Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings.” Then he added, “Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage”—so much did he realize at the same time the power of the world and the strength of Jehovah. Two things become us when we are fighting with the enemy—fear and trembling as to ourselves, and full assurance as to God. Gideon realized these things imperfectly. He entrusted to his son Jether the task of killing these two kings. “But the youth drew not his sword, for he feared” (vs. 20). Previously, Jehovah had separated those who were afraid and withdrawn them from the conflict. Here Gideon, in committing to a child the destruction of an enemy, did not act in keeping with the ways of God. God does not call children in the faith to perform publicly brilliant actions; a child goes to school and not to war.
Flattery
Then those kings said, “Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength” (vs. 21). This is a fresh flattery, against which Gideon ought to have protested, for he had learned a totally different lesson in the school of God. In reality, his strength was exactly the opposite to that which was of man. Had he not realized it on that solemn night when God had revealed to him that a cake of barley bread was about to overthrow all the tents of Midian? In his better days, Gideon would not have accepted this flattery, nor have allowed the adversary to plant a germ of self-confidence in his heart.
But then we see him exposed to a fresh snare (vss. 22-23). It is no longer the flattery of the world, but that of the people of God. The men of Israel said unto Gideon, “Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son and thy son’s son also, for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.” They put their leader in the place of Jehovah and offer him the scepter. None are more prone to clericalism than the people of God. It is the bane of Christendom, the innate tendency of the natural heart. The fact of ministry being blessed is apt to lead us to make of the servant a “minister” in the human sense, thus losing sight of God. By the grace of God, the faith of Gideon escaped this danger. He said resolutely, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.” The object of his service was that God should have the pre-eminence and lose nothing of His authority over His people.
H. L. Rossier (adapted)
Putting Out the Fleece
Not infrequently, when believers are uncertain whether to take a certain course in their lives, we hear the expression, “I put out a fleece.” This usually means laying before the Lord a certain possibility in their lives in the immediate future, asking that it turn out a particular way as an indication that it is the mind of the Lord to go ahead. Conversely, if it does not turn out in that way, then it is supposed to be an indication that whatever is proposed is not the mind of the Lord. The question sometimes comes up, Is this a proper way for a Christian to determine the mind of the Lord?
The expression derives from Judges 6:36-40, when Gideon was hesitant to go out against the Midianites. Gideon had already been clearly told, “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor” (Judg. 6:12). He had also been told, “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (Judg. 6:16). More than this, he had been privileged to offer a sacrifice which had been accepted, and later to build an altar. Finally, in obedience to the Lord’s word, He had thrown down the altar of Baal and offered a bullock on the altar. The Spirit of the Lord had come upon him, and many in Israel had been gathered to him.
The Lord’s Mind
In view of all this, we might surely conclude that more than ample testimony of the Lord’s mind, and also the promise of His strength, had been given to Gideon. Did he doubt all this, or was it a lack of confidence that the Lord could use him—a man from an impoverished family, and the least in his father’s house? I would suggest that it is the latter. Gideon was an exercised man, who really felt the condition of Israel. Moreover, he did not doubt that the Lord could save Israel. But his question was, “Wilt [Thou] save Israel by mine hand?” (Judg. 6:37). For this reason, the Lord was gracious to him and answered him by the fleece, not once, but twice.
The two incidents are instructive for us. The first time, the fleece was soaked with dew, while the surrounding earth was dry. Surely this speaks of the life of our blessed Lord Jesus, who in His earthly pathway was “as a root out of a dry ground” (Isa. 53:2). Nothing around him gave him any encouragement; all came from above.
The second time, the fleece was dry, while there was dew on all the ground. Surely this is a picture of the results of the death of Christ, when He could say, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and My tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death” (Psa. 22:15). But the fruit of all this was blessing to all who believe, for He could say, “The water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life” (John 4:14 JND). The Lord used the sign that Gideon suggested to bring before him, in type, the life and death of our blessed Lord Jesus.
Why Put Out the Fleece?
In coming back to the question of whether we should “put out a fleece,” we cannot give one answer to fit every case. On the one hand, since we are indwelt by the Spirit of God, we can go to the Lord for clear guidance; we need not be guided by circumstances. Sometimes we put out a fleece because we are not walking with the Lord, and thus cannot discern His mind. Also, we must admit that sometimes our “fleece” is rather because we do know the mind of the Lord, but want an excuse to avoid it.
However, in other situations there is an honest lack of confidence within us, coupled with a real desire to do the Lord’s will. In such cases the Lord is gracious, and He may allow the situation to develop as we have asked. In such a case our faith is strengthened, and no doubt this was true of Gideon. From this point onwards, he goes forward with confidence, and the Lord even gives him yet another confirmation of victory, in the dream that he is privileged to hear when he goes down to the host of Midian. How gracious our Lord is with us! He rebukes unbelief, but bears with and encourages infirmity and weakness.
W. J. Prost
Gideon's Ephod
In other articles in this issue, we have seen how that even a faithful and humble man like Gideon succumbed to pride and ultimately failure later in his life. His making of an expensive ephod deserves our special notice, however, for two reasons. First of all, the failure concerned the making of something that was God-ordained and connected with the priesthood. Second, it does not seem that Gideon foresaw the wrong use to which this ephod was put. The whole incident is a solemn warning for us today.
After the signal victory over the Midianites, the Israelites had obviously collected a great deal of spoil. Among the spoil were the golden earrings worn by the Midianites, as well as golden ornaments from their kings and chains worn by their camels. Gideon requested these, and with them he made an ephod. Doubtless it was very beautiful, for the ephod was to be made “of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen” (Ex. 28:6). With “a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold” (Judg. 8:26) with which to work (more than 42 pounds), Gideon very probably enhanced the beauty of his ephod using many threads and/or ribbons of gold, and he made something very pleasing to the eye. Although we are not told specifically, it is very likely that Gideon intended it to glorify the Lord, who had given Israel this great victory.
However, it is noteworthy that Gideon did not give the ephod to the priests (who were the only ones who could use it properly), but rather “put it in his city, even in Ophrah” (Judg. 8:27). If Gideon intended the ephod for the Lord’s glory, it certainly seems as if there were mixed motives in his heart. The result was predictable, for “all Israel went thither a whoring after it” (vs. 27). Instead of God’s center at Shiloh, Ophrah became a center, and Gideon’s house was preferred to the house of the Lord. Thus it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. The ephod meant nothing unless worn by the priest, and in this way the outward form became more important than the reality.
This is not the only occasion of a religious object becoming in itself an object of worship. The same thing happened to the serpent of brass made by Moses, which was a picture of Christ made sin for us. A look at the serpent of brass was sufficient to heal an Israelite who had been bitten by the fiery serpents the Lord had sent among the people (Num. 21:4-9). Hundreds of years later, in the time of Hezekiah, the children of Israel were still burning incense to it as an idol. Hezekiah wisely destroyed it, along with other trappings of idolatry, and called it simply “Nehushtan”—a piece of brass (2 Kings 18:4).
In our day, with the light of Christianity, we may perhaps smile at those who would make an object of worship out of material things, but surely we are in danger of doing the same with spiritual things. An idol is anything which displaces Christ in my heart, and this can occur very subtly, especially in spiritual things. Even things good in themselves and given of God can take my eyes off Christ. The local assembly, the preaching of the gospel, my service for the Lord, my family, and even divine principles—all may be an object of my heart, and yet be short of Christ. Commenting on this very tendency, another has written, “Principles are not enough: We need God. Without this, mighty principles are but a sword in the hands of a child or of a drunken man; it were better to take it away from him, or at least, that he not use it till he be sober.” Much of Christendom has gone further, introducing into Christian services beautiful buildings, incense, robed clergy, religious ritual and instrumental music, to name a few. These in themselves become idols and are used of Satan as a distraction with which to occupy souls. These things too were given of God, but were for a previous dispensation under law; they have no place among those who seek to worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23).
We are always most vulnerable after the Lord has used us to win a great victory, and it was the spoils of victory which Gideon used to make his ephod. It is incumbent on us to be especially on guard at such times, for the results of giving in to Satan’s wiles can be serious. In Gideon’s case, we cannot help but wonder if his ephod paved the way for the re-introduction of idolatry in Israel. We read in Judges 8:33, “It came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.” Our hearts need this warning.
W. J. Prost
Gideon's Sons
It is heartbreaking to see the tragic end of Gideon’s sons—threescore and ten persons, slain upon one stone. It seems strange, when we remember the bright beginning to the story of Gideon. Alas, we find there surely was a reason for this tragedy. It was Abimelech, “the son of his maid-servant” (Judg. 9:18), who murdered his seventy brothers. We read in Judges 9:30 that Gideon “had many wives.” This in itself was not of God, but it made it still more inexcusable that he should take his “maid-servant” as concubine. It was the gratification of this lust that caused the death of all these sons of Gideon.
But that is not quite all. We recall that after Gideon’s famous victory over the princes of Midian, “the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you” (Judg. 8:22-23). This was a noble answer, in keeping with the faith that had won such a notable victory.
But as Gideon grew older, it seems that his faith grew more dim, and his pride increased. When his concubine, the maid-servant, bare him a son, he called him, “Abimelech” (Judg. 8:31). And what does Abimelech mean? It means “my father is king.” The very place he had refused in his early days, he now seeks to seize, and his son’s name betrays his sad fall. Once he had said: “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you.” Now he seeks the place of king, and his maid-servant’s son seizes this place, at the cost of all his brothers, except the youngest. What a terrible result of their father’s self-indulgence and pride, but “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).
G. C. Willis
The Earthen Vessel
In 2 Corinthians 4:7, we have three wonderful things before us. We have “this treasure,” in “earthen vessels,” and what is called “the excellency of the power,” or perhaps more accurately, “the surpassingness of the power” (JND trans.).
The Treasure
What is “this treasure?” I do not think the treasure is so much the estimate that my heart forms of Christ, as the value that God has found in Him. Surely the Lord Jesus Christ is to be a treasure to His people, for we read, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:34). Here, however, the treasure (which is, of course, Christ), is presented more as it is looked at from God’s side. Christ is His treasure.
How did that treasure come into the vessel? “It is the God who spoke that out of darkness light should shine, who has shone in our hearts for the shining forth of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6 JND). It is a wonderful thing to think of that sovereign grace in its actions as well as its purposes. How did light come into this dark world? “God said, Let there be light. And there was light.” (Gen. 1:3-4 JND). Just so spiritually in our hearts: God has shone in our hearts. It is God Himself shining, so that we may see the glory of God in the face of His beloved Son.
Saul of Tarsus, on the road to Damascus, saw “a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun,” and the Savior in glory was revealed in his soul. He is thus the living example of the way this blessed treasure is deposited in a man’s soul. The whole glory of God is thus expressed. We cannot understand one single thing about the glory of God, except as it is seen in the face of Jesus Christ, and it is in the presence of that glory that my conscience is dealt with. If we really see the whole glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ, we cannot help being challenged in the depths of our conscience, and that is the blessedness of it. The moment we have to do with God and Christ, we are convicted, and the earliest expression of our heart in the presence of that glory must be, “I abhor myself.”
The Earthen Vessel
Next, we observe where this treasure is placed: “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.” When man has anything valuable, he generally encases it in something that is also valuable. Not so with God. He takes His treasure, the costliest thing, the most valuable and precious to Him, and puts it in the most contemptible vessel that you could conceive—a poor, fragile vessel of clay. This is what he calls an earthen vessel; a poor, perishing, fragile vessel of clay.
But he has a purpose in this; it gives Him the opportunity of doing two things. First, His delight is to make everything of the treasure, and secondly, He is brings out the surpassingness of the power. There is not only the surpassing glory of the treasure, but the surpassing power with which He works in the vessel. Indeed, the vessel is not worth anything, but behind this poor vessel there is surpassing power. The whole power of God goes along with the poor vessel, into which He puts this treasure.
The Light Shining out
The picture alluded to here is no doubt Gideon’s army. They put the light into the pitcher, but the light never shone out until the pitcher was broken. They had to break the pitchers, and then the light shone. And no doubt the Spirit of God alludes to that fact here. You have the shining in of the glory, and you have the surpassing power working that it may shine out. These two things go together, namely, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ shining into our poor earthen vessels, or pitchers, and the surpassing power of God that works through these vessels for the display of the brilliancy of Christ.
Do our hearts desire that? Is that our purpose and object? God will help us if we have such purpose of heart. Can we say to Him, I have only one desire, that I should be upon this earth a vessel in whom the display of the glory of Thy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, should be found in every circumstance here? It is most wonderful grace on His part to bring us into such a place that we can have a like mind with Him, and to enable us by such surpassing power.
Surpassing Power
I may see one turning his back upon everything in this world, who has no interests here. What surpassing power is displayed in that man! I may see a poor creature lying on a bed of sickness, the poor body pressed down with disease, but instead of complaint, I see the blessed manifestation of Christ in meekness and endurance. What a surpassing power there is there!
That is what this ministry is able to do, and that is God’s thought about us in relation to it. And more than that, it is in these very circumstances that Christ is endeared to us, for He alone is our sufficiency for all.
This is the testimony that is really lacking at this moment. We may speak of doctrines, and we should be clear about them, but people are amazed to see so little of the practice of these doctrines, because they fail to see anything correspondingly in us. For that reason we read, “By manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2). If believers did so, men would be forced to say, Though I dislike those people, yet at the same time my conscience must give this testimony, that they seek to please God. How good it would be, if we continually said, that “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Phil. 1:20).
W. T. Turpin (adapted)
The Lord Is Peace
Gideon’s heart reassured, he builds an altar there unto Jehovah, and calls it JEHOVAH-SHALOM (Judg. 6:24).
And now he is prepared for service. He has been under God’s tutorage. He has learned where his strength is (he no longer says, “Wherewith shall I save Israel?”) and Jehovah has given him confidence to stand before Him. But where does He set him to work—with the Midianites? No, not in the least. He has to begin Jehovah’s work at home, with that which is nearest to himself.
J. N. Darby
Gideon's Fleece
The signs which God to Gideon gave,
His holy sovereignty made known;
That He alone has power to save,
And claims the glory as His own.
The dew which first the fleece had filled,
When all the earth was dry around;
Was from it afterwards withheld,
And only fell upon the ground.
To Israel thus the heavenly dew
Of saving truth was long restrained;
Of which the Gentiles nothing knew,
But dry and desolate remained.
But now the Gentiles have received
The balmy dew of gospel peace,
And, Israel who His spirit grieved,
Is left a dry and empty fleece.
This dew still falls at His command,
To keep His chosen plants alive;
They shall, though in a thirsty land,
Like willows by the water thrive.
But chiefly when His people meet,
To hear His Word and seek His face;
The gentle dew with influence sweet
Descends and nourishes their grace.
But ah! What numbers still are dead,
Though under means of grace they lie!
The dew still falling round the head —
And yet their heart, untouched and dry.
Dear Savior, hear us when we call;
To wrestling prayer an answer give;
Pour down Thy dew upon us all,
That all may feel and all may live.
J. Newton (1725-1807)