Tag: Midianites

Judges 8: Absolute Power Corrupts

This chapter made me sad. Empowered by the Spirit of the LORD, Gideon indeed rose as a valiant warrior in Judges 7, pulling out a miraculous victory over the Midian army. In Judges 8, however, Gideon showed many alarming behaviors, such as taking personal revenge against small cities and building a ruling system which was no different from that under pagan kings.

This chapter somewhat reminded me of the Federalist Papers No. 50, which I had a chance to read when I was a graduate student.  The country’s founding fathers, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, emphatically stated the danger of power concentration, therefore, arguing for establishing checks and balances system in the Constitution. Absolute power absolutely corrupts. Sadly, Gideon underwent this experience. 

Summary

Gideon with 300 men continued to pursue fleeing Midianites. In his pursuit, he asked for food at Succoth and Penuel, two cities in the Gad tribe, but were rejected. Nonetheless, Gideon continued to pursue and captured Zebah and Zalmunna, two remaining leaders of the Midiantes, and routed the rest of the Midianites army. On his way back, Gideon revisited the two cities, Succoth and Penuel, to punish them severely by killing the men of the town and destroying their major tower. After Gideon killed Zebah and Zalmunna, two remaining heads of the Midianites, he was asked by the men of Israel to rule over them. During his reign, although Israel had 40 years of peace, he had many wives and nearly seventy sons, and the people of Israel played harlot with an ephod that Gideon made. 

Gideon Servile to the Strong…

The men of Ephraim (one of the largest Israel tribes) came to Gideon in anger because he did not call them during the early stage of war against the Midianites. In response, Gideon mitigated their anger tactically by giving the tribe of Ephraim a key credit to the overall war (Judges 8:2-3). Therefore, the men of Ephraim subsided their anger. 

Gideon’s tactical response can be viewed either positively or negatively. In a positive perspective, he genuinely gave a full credit to the Ephraim tribe for achieving key victory against the Midianites – indeed, Ephraim, although participated late in the war, played a key role in capturing the two first kings of the Midianites (Judges 7:24-25). In a negative perspective, he was subservient to the strongest tribe of Israel, just to avoid the escalation of altercation.

Gideon, but Harsh to the Weak…

Let’s see how Gideon responded to a weaker tribe of Israel. On his way in pursuing the remaining Midianite leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna, he stopped by two cities, Succoth and Penuel in the Gad tribe, asking for food for his weary men. The two cities rejected Gideon’s request, and Gideon responded harshly by promising for vengeance (Judges 8:7-9). When Gideon returned, after capturing the two Midian kings, he came back to the two cities to punish and kill them (Judges 8:16-17). 

I would like to note two observations. 

First, Gideon’s harsh response and actions to the two cities in the Gad tribes point to two contradictions within the condition of his heart. On one hand, he showed a full trust in God what God would achieve in his statement, “when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna” into his hand (Judges 8:7). On the other hand, however, he fully vented his anger by killing the men of Succoth and Penuel. This is ironic. 

Second, we see little unity among the Israel tribes – even when facing a common external enemy. Succoth and Penuel choose not to offer any help to Gideon and 300 men when they were pursuing the Midianites, the common external enemy. The division and mistrust still seemed to linger between the Israel tribes on the west and east side of the Jordan River (Joshua 22 depicts this condition as well). Even though Israel was called to represent the Kingdom of God, the book of Judges showed a fragile national unity. 

Gideon, the Ruler like a Pagan King

After defeating the Midianites, Gideon was asked by the men of Israel to rule over them (Judges 8:22). Notice that the men of Israel failed to perceive that the true source of victory was God the LORD. All they could see was a human, Gideon, who delivered them out of the enemies. 

Gideon responded correctly, but failed to live up to his response. Gideon said to them that “the Lord shall rule over you (Judges 8:23),” but he collected a large sum of money (Judges 8:26) and made an ephod, which was supposed to belong to only the Levitical priests. The ephod eventually became a troubling source of Israel’s idol worship. In addition, just like a pagan king, Gideon had many wives and nearly seventy sons (Judges 8:30-31).

He failed to live up to his statement, “the Lord shall rule over you.”

Gideon, Still Man of Faith?

Let’s jump to the New Testament, specifically the book of Hebrews. Gideon was one of those men of faith (Hebrews 11:32), and this designation still puzzles me. 

However, it reminded me that God’s perspective and our perspectives can differ significantly. God still saw the good that Gideon had done to Israel despite his flaws and mistakes (Judges 8:35). 

This chapter was a sad one because we saw a man who had fallen from his peak. However, still God designated him as one of the men of faith. 

Something more for us to ponder the meaning of faith.

Judges 6-7 Part 2: God turned Weakness into Strength

Have you experienced an event or time when what you considered your weaknesses turned out to be a key strength? Even after numerous direct confirmations provided by God, Gideon was hesitant to take the lead to fight against the Midianites. However, his deliberate, careful personality played a key role in the later part of war against the Midianites.

Gideon: The History Maker at Night

Many of the important events that transformed Gideon took place at night. 

First, he took ten men to demolish the altar of Baal at night.  Although his did this at night because because he feared other poeple who served Baal, he still obeyed the LORD (Judges 6:27). Second, God soaked and dried fleece at Gideon’s request over the night (Judges 6:36-40). Gideon was in a desperate need of God’s confirmation before going against the Midianites, and God responded to his request by showing the soaked and dried fleece over the night. Third, when Gideon led 300 men to cause a great confusion by the sound of trumpets and breaking of jars to the Midianite camps, it happened at night (Judges 7:16-21). This night was the harbinger of Gideon’s colossal victory over 135,000 Midianites. 

God’s Delicate Walk with Gideon

From chapter 6 and 7, we see how God walked very delicately to build up Gideon’s trust in Him. Gideon was a very careful man who was in absolute need of certainty. However, God fully made the most of Gideon’s character and customized God’s lead over Gideon based on his character. In fact, Gideon’s deliberate, careful personality turned out to be his strength later in the battle. Let’s go over how the LORD God led Gideon in his pace to confirm numerous times that the LORD would give him victory over the Midianites.  

  • The LORD sent his angel to Gideon to tell him that the LORD was with him (Judges 6:12, 14, and 16) 
  • God confirmed that He would deliver Israel through Gideon by providing clear signs of fully soaking fleece and fully drying fleece (6:36-30) 
  • The LORD confirmed that he would give the Midianites into Gideon’s hands with 300 men (Judges 7:7)
  • The LORD gave courage to Gideon that He would give the Midiniates into Gideon’s hands and told him to go down to their camp with his servant Purah (Judges 7:9) 
  • The LORD allowed Gideon to hear the dream by a Midianite soldier that Gideon would turn the Midian camp upside down (Judges 7:13-14)  

After these confirmations, Gideon in his own volition, finally, responded in worshipping God (Judges 7:15). It took at least five strong confirmation by the LORD for Gideon to soak in God’s promise of delivering the Midianites into Gideon’s hands. This whole process showed the patience of God and God’s willingness to work through Gideon’s weaknesses and hesitation. 

Similarities between War with the Midianites and War with Jericho

There are some similarities between the conquest of Jericho by Joshua and the war with the Midinites by Gideon. The first element is the source of final courage from the enemy side. When Joshua sent two spies to Jericho, it was confirmed that the entire Canaanites were in fear of the Israelites as Rahab said. The extra morale boost came from the word of Rahab, an inhabitant of Jericho. Similarly, Gideon’s final courage was mustered when he personally heard the dream interpretation by the Midianites solider that Gideon would turn the Midianites camp upside down. The LORD used unexpected sources to confirm His deliverance and injected extra doses of courage to the Israelites leaders: Joshua and Gideon. 

The second similarities between the two are the use of sound wave to defeat the enemies. Joshua’s Israel used the shouting to collapse the wall of Jericho. Gideon used the crashing sound of empty jars and sound of trumpet to instill confusion to the enemies into killing themselves. 

What’s notable is how Gideon come up with this idea of confusing enemies by the sound of trumpet and breaking empty jars. God never gave this specific instruction, yet Gideon used this tactic. Was Gideon reminded of what Joshua did in his battle with Jericho? We do not know for sure, but it remains a possibility. 

Swiftness of the Overall Process

Note the timeline of this entire process. The assembling of the armies took place in the morning, and the reduction of the army down to 1/100th of its original size probably happened over the next few hours. At that same night, Gideon and 300 men confused the enemy into harming each other and they started to flee. Gideon and 300 men started to pursue them.

Most of the important actions, events and turning points all took place within 24 hours. When God decided to deliver His people, His action was certainly very swift.

Why did God chose Gideon?

God was the ultimate source for Gideon’s victory. However, we can still learn a few important lessons from Gideon’s actions, especially what he did after the Midianites started to flee from the initial “sound” attack that caused confusion.

He seemed to be a man of meticulous planning, in which his military prowess shined. When the Midianites started to flee, he quickly assembled people from Naphthali, Asher, and Manasseh, probably knowing that 300 men would not be enough to finish them off (Judges 7:23). In addition, he quickly sent a message to the men of Ephraim to position themselves in strategic locations near the Jordan River to cut off the escape route of the Midianites (Judges 7:24). 

Gideon’s quick summoning of the rest of Israel prompted a question. When did he plan to assemble the rest of the Israelite tribes to attak the fleeing Midianites? Did Gideon come up with this plan after Midianites started to flee? Based on the character that Gideon displayed from chapter 6, I think Gideon formulated multiple scenarios and contingencies between day and night time (from verse Judges 7:8 and 7:9), after finalizing 300 men and before the same night when the LORD started to speak to him again. In this time gap, from afternoon to night, Gideon may have devised many scenarios in which God will deliver the Midianites, and possibly during this time, Gideon planned to assemble other Israelites tribes to finish the enemy off. 

Conclusion

God walked with Gideon according to Gideon’s pace and trust level. God made the best of Gideon’s character of meticulousness, which seemed to shine at the later part of the war with the Midianites. Let’s find comfort in God who makes the best of our character and personality in accomplishing His great works.