Judges Chapter 8 Part Three (Verses 18-23)

5. (Judges 8:18-21) Gideon repays the two Midianite kings
Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" And they said, "They were like you, each one resembling the son of a king." He said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you." So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them." But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength." So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels' necks.

Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna: In verse 18, Gideon decides it is time to bring Zebah and Zalmunna to justice.  Gideon prefaces this with an inquiry allowing the two leaders to indict themselves. 

What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor: This is speaking about Mount Tabor, and the people living there had no part in the battle. This shows not only did the Midianites plunder Israel, but they also committed terrible acts among the Hebrew population simply to intimidate and control them. Their answer was that the men they killed at Tabor looked very much like Gideon. Gideon tells them that there is a good reason for that--those men were his siblings. They were Gideon's mother's sons. So, they were direct blood relatives.

As the LORD lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you: It was usual to NOT kill captured kings and military leaders. Many leaders were killed, but the general custom was to respect their station and to allow them to live. Killing the leaders served to dishearten the enemy but also to arouse their anger. Gideon had a duty: his brothers were unjustly killed. Therefore, Gideon was compelled to be their next of kin avenger--their blood avenger.

So he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them.": Gideon instructs his firstborn son to execute Zebah and Zalmunna, but the boy is too intimidated to carry out the request. Jether was still young, not at all accustomed to killing men and certainly not such fierce and hardened men as stood before him.

Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise up yourself, and fall on us.": The two Midianite leaders seeing that the boy was not physically mature and was scared to act, made a request for Gideon to kill them. These two Midianites were brave warriors. They did not fear death, but they wanted their execution to be swift and as painless as possible. They knew Jeter was incapable of killing them. Gideon granted their request.

Took the crescent ornaments which were around their camels' necks: Verse 21 says something which is easy to overlook. Gideon took as spoils of war these crescent shaped pendants which hung around the necks of the camels belonging to Zebah and Zalmunna. The crescent is referring to the crescent moon. (Verse 24 says that the reason the enemy had crescents and other ornamentations on their camels and on themselves was that they were Ishmaelites (descendants of Ishmael).

What prominent modern group of people who claim an attachment to Ishmael employs the crescent moon as their symbol? Islam.

Before you jump to conclusions, let me explain a little bit about Islam. Islam did not exist in Bible times; it did not even exist in the New Testament times. The founder of Islam, Mohammed, was born in the late sixth century A.D. Islam is an odd mixture of Judeo-Christian principles, Arab folklore and the ancient moon-god religion of the Sabeans. The symbol of the moon-good is (and has always been) the crescent moon.

The Sabean religion does not go back to the time of the Judges. However, the worship of the moon-god goes back even farther than the time of Gideon to a time before Abraham. It was very prevalent in the city of Ur where Abraham's father Terah made and sold god idols. During Abraham's day, it appears as though Ur was the moon-god center of the religion.

During the time of Gideon (around 1300 B.C.), the Arabs had already adopted many elements of moon-god worship, and we find it right here in the Bible. All the symbols ancient tribes wore were inherently religious in nature. Moon-god worship changed over time. Today, it is called the Muslim religion.

In modern times, Islam has become somewhat embarrassed at all of its moon-god heritage and has taken to denying it as of late. A few decades ago, some of the Muslim sects began removing the chapters in the Koran which spoke directly to its moon-god roots. Not very long ago, a British man wrote a book about this cover up and called it The Satanic Verses. The man's name is Salmon Rushdie, and some of the Islamic leaders ordered him killed for exposing it. He has been in hiding and in seclusion for many years.

The Satanic Verses are the verses removed from the Koran to hide the direct moon-god beginnings of Islam as stated in their holy book. All the Islamic crescent moon related symbols and rituals, and the observances all timed on the appearance of the crescent moon refers directly to the moon-god. (The signaling of the time of Ramadan, the most holy season for Islam, is at the appearance of the crescent moon.)

We have here in the Book of Judges moon-god worshipers, sons of Ishmael, bedeviling Israel over 3000 years ago. God knew that the violent and murderous intent of the Muslims to rid the world of all vestiges of God's people would do nothing but increase as a result of Israel's reluctance to deal with moon-god worshiping Arabs, Midianites and other Middle Eastern tribes when they first began occupying Canaan.

As you can see, this is the cyclical nature of history. The entire world is subject to it. The only real question before us is this: is this the final cycle or is there another one to follow? That is important to know (if we can) because the final cycle will end with the return of Messiah.


B. Israel under Gideon as a Judge

1. (Judges 22-23) Gideon refuse to be made king
Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son's son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you."

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us": Verse 22 revels something startling but expected. Recall many months ago when we introduced the Book of Judges that I mentioned the purpose of the era of the Judges was to convince Israel that they MUST have a king to rule over them. It was God's intent that Israel was to have a king, but at the time, they did not want one. They had had enough of kings. Israel had the king of Egypt rule over them and that did not work out too well for them. Despite the prevalent teaching within Christianity that God did not want Israel to have a king, nothing could be farther from the truth. God only wanted Israel to have HIS king who would be a godly king in the mold of a shepherd/servant as opposed to the self-serving, power seeking, wealth oriented and charismatic type of king the world always wants. The first God approved king (a man after God's own heart) would be David. The next God-approved king would be Jesus, when He returns to set up His kingdom.

After Gideon defeated the Midianites, some of the 12 tribes had been oppressed countless times and had gone through many hardships that they were finally beginning to realize that they were not going to make it unless they banded together under one leader. Therefore, some of the tribal and clan leaders went to Gideon and offered him the job as king over them. This was a major turn of events in Israel's history.

But Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you": Gideon, even though he was deeply flawed, knew enough to refuse the offer. Gideon was anointed shofet (judge) and not melech (king). He told the people that God was their king, and there was no need for any other.

There are several things to consider about the evolving society and attitudes of the Israelites. First, there is a growing understanding that a more robust and continuing leadership was of a tremendous benefit for the people. Second, coupled with that is a Judge was only raised up AFTER a long period of subjugation. When the Judge delivered the people, the Judge would rule until he died. There was never a successor. Thus, the leadership ended and then the next cycle of oppression would begin because Israel had no leader.

By accepting a government over them based on a monarchy, there was a natural means of succession--the kings' son usually took over the leadership position. Further, by the king being the actual head of a sovereign government, a standing army would be formed. Then, the possibility of PREVENTING another foreign subjugation became realistic. People of all eras are very practical. Thus, there were real and pressing circumstances behind the Israelite tribal and clan leaders' sudden willingness to cede their personal autonomy to a king.

We do not need to look too hard to bring this principle forward to today and see where the entire world (including the USA) is headed in regard to wanting a world leader. The world wants a king, and soon we are going to anoint one. Christians know him as the anti-christ. God wants us to have a king, but the one we will choose is one which will betray us. God wants us to have His Son as our king. He will be perfect, but we will not be ready for Him. The world will not accept Him until we have experienced the final horror of a world wide kingdom run by an evil man of our own choosing.

Judgesd Chapter 8 Part Two (Verses 13-17)

Brief Review
In chapter six and seven, we read of Gideon having completed the first phase of the campaign to rid the land of Midian and Amalekite invaders who always came at harvest time to plunder Israel's food supply. These nomadic locusts did not come because they necessarily hated Israel; they came because they wanted what Israel had. They came because nomads do not know how to produce what they want and need. They only know how to pilfer it.

Chapter eight opened with the tribal leaders of Ephraim, the most powerful of the 12 tribes, coming to Gideon complaining that they were not given deference in Gideon's place and actions. They feigned ignorance and insult because they were not included in the battle strategy. In reality, they simply wanted credit, and they wanted what they considered to be their right to some of the large amount of the spoils of war that had been collected. Ephraim knew what was going on. They just wanted to stand on the sidelines and wait for the dust to settle so they could best position themselves for whatever the outcome may be.

The warrior leader Gideon found himself forced into being a diplomat and kowtowing to the arrogant Ephraimite leaders in order to avoid the very real danger of inadvertently igniting inter-tribal warfare. This would further divide the Israelites instead of unifying them.

As we continue reading Judges chapter eight, keep in mind a very important geopolitical dynamic about Israel in the Promised Land at this time: it had already divided itself into a number of loyalties. Judah formed the basis for a coalition of tribes living in the southern part of Canaan. Ephraim formed the basis for a coalition of tribes living in the northern part of Canaan. This is in addition to the obvious split between the tribes occupying land of the east side of the Jordan River and the tribes occupying the west side of the river. And despite the north, south, east and west coalitions, each of the 12 tribes sought to improve their own standing and position within Israel.

4. (Judges 8:13-17) Gideon repays Succoth and Penuel
Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Heres. And he captured a youth from Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. He came to the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?'" He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle: Beginning in verse 13, we find out why Gideon delayed executing Zebah and Zalmunna--he wanted to demonstrate to the people of the villages of Succoth and Penuel that they never should have doubted him. So, he took the two Midianite leaders with him on his way back home and stopped at Succoth to carry out the vengeance that he promised when the townspeople refused to offer customary and expected hospitality and rest for Gideon's 300 men. (Remember, the people of Succoth were fellow Israelites.) Just as Gideon had promised some days earlier, he used thorns and thistles to tear the flesh from the bodies of the leaders of Succoth to teach the people a lesson.

Penuel: Gideon then moved on to the village of Penuel and tore down their watchtower and put the city's leading men to death.

Why such a harsh reaction by Gideon? The decision of the people of Succoth and Penuel in refusing to aid their fellow Israelite, Gideon, was a great sin against God. They had refused to help a servant of the LORD who had been anointed as a Judge to carry out the Holy War the LORD had assigned him to fight. Rather than fulfill the letter and spirit of the promise made to Moses nearly 200 years earlier to always stand with their brethren who took up the challenge of entering the Promised Land (led by Joshua), these members of the two and a half tribes of the Trans-Jordan decided to look out only for themselves.

They ought to have been more than willing to see the great mutual benefit of eradicating or at least diminishing Midian and Amalek. Instead, they were fearful of reprisals by these nomads if Gideon failed. They were simply not willing to believe that the same God who gave Gideon and his 300 men victory over 135,000 enemy fighters would give Gideon victory over the remaining 15,000. Their unbelief cost them great pain, a loss of an important piece of their infrastructure (the watchtower) and for many of them their mortal lives.

The people of Succoth and Penuel had been given a choice by Gideon: stand with Israel and God or stand with the enemy. It is an amazing thing that with all the admonitions in the Bible that to NOT stand with God and his people is the same as rebelling against Him, to many large Christian denominations as well as some in our USA government have chosen to behave as the citizens of Succoth. Neutrality is not a legitimate option in spiritual matters. Even-handedness is not an option when it comes to God's people. You cannot be an aid to BOTH God's people and the enemies of God's people. Only politicians and wrong-minded religious leaders can plead for tolerance of the oppressors of God's chosen as a godly thing to do.

A Brief Interlude

Gideon was God's earthly hand of wrath against those who chose to rebel against the LORD'S will. Before we move on to the execution of the two Midianite leaders, I want to pause to briefly discuss a couple of rather vital God-principles at play here. It is the Torah which develops the divine principles by which men are to live and abide if they want to be in harmony with God. We are going to see these principles played out in either a negative or positive fashion in the remainder of the Bible. The punishment of the men of Succoth and Penuel was one such demonstration of what happens when a violation of Torah principles occurs. 

Persistence

Persistence is something we are all faced with on a daily basis. Gideon is one of the finest examples in the Old Testament of persistence in service to the LORD. Gideon had achieved a resounding and major victory over Midian and Amalek in the Valley of Jezreel. Most reasonable men would have stopped there. In fact, stopping the fighting upon the majority of military objectives being attained was the hallmark of Joshua and those Israelite leaders who followed him.

As great as Joshua was, and as venerated as he remains in Holy Scripture, Joshua did not finish the job to fully eradicate the enemy. Israel is under the enormous pressure from all sides today because Joshua and those who followed him lacked persistence. The people who hate Israel and vow to wipe it off the map are the descendants of the people who ought not even to exist. They are the descendants of people God ordered Israel to annihilate but did not.

Gideon did what all the earlier and later leaders of Israel were supposed to do: not stop until the Holy War was complete. Therefore, Gideon followed the mere 8% of the Midianite enemy that remained for a distance of 150 miles in order to confront them and wipe them out. The problem of finding food for his men was ever present, even when the two Israelite cities in the Trans-Jordan which could have and should have helped but refused. How discouraging that must have been, but Gideon pressed on and refused to cave in. Thus, the Midianites from that time on ceased to be a problem for Israel.

We find Gideon's biggest source of discouragement was NOT the enemy; it was those who ought to have been his friends and allies. His own brethren were so interested in maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, in not rocking the boat, and in assuming that they suffered no inconvenience, they preferred co-existence with the enemy rather than a tight bond with their own people and with God.

The people of Succoth and Penuel were not asked to go and fight with Gideon; they were only asked to provide provision and to not stand in the way.

First, it was the Ephraimites who approached Gideon (immediately following his battle) with their complaining. They effectively hindered him from doing his job in order to suffer their self-centered and egotistical demands. Then, it was the townspeople of those two Israelite cities in the Trans-Jordan who denied cooperation and support while he was on his way to finish off the enemy.

What might you or I have done in Gideon's place? Would we have the courage, unshakable faith and iron will to continue to fight the good fight even though the very people we are fighting for try to block our way at every turn? Gideon could have easily seen this opposition from his own people as a sign to turn back and quit. Why should he put himself and his loyal men at such risk for the sake of people who would not even give him so much as a loaf of bread?

This is such a sharp warning for us. It is Israel who stands on the front lines. Six million Jews surrounded by 200 million Arabs who want to take what is rightfully Israel's. A billion Muslims stand with the Arab brothers and threaten all who wish to stand with Israel. Give us Israel, they say, and the reason for their Jihad will end. Stand with Israel and you might suffer.

You and I are at such a relatively small risk compared to those brave and dedicated Jews who risk it all to live in the Holy Land. We are as the people of Succoth and Penuel. We are Israel's brothers who ought to willingly stand with them and help them in every way. But instead, we tend to complain, often refuse to help them beyond pittance and then we carefully position ourselves so that no matter what happens to Israel, we are safe.

We are not being asked to strap on battle gear and fight for them. We are merely being asked to aid them with our money, support and unconditional love. We are being asked to NOT give the enemy more armaments, food, land and political allegiance. But for the vast majority of the world, and for too many Christians, our behavior and response is as that of the leaders and citizens of Succoth and Penuel. We do not want to be involved.

Judges Chapter 8 Part One (Verses 1-12)

PURSUING AFTER MIDIAN
A. Gideon battles Midianite kings and contentious Israelites

1. (Judges 8:1-3) Ephraim's complaint and Gideon's answer
Then the men of Ephraim said to him, "What is this that you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?" And they contended with him vigorously. But he said to them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger subsided when he said that.

The men of Ephraim: The tribe of Ephraim enjoyed a status of supremacy over all the other tribes of Israel, at least of the northern tribes as again we do not see mentioned the southern tribes Judah and Simeon. This stemmed from the fact that Ephraim was given the special birthright priveleges not only over his older brother Manessah, but even over his uncle Reuben. Jacob's deathbed blessing back in Egypt was more than a hope. Ephraim was indeed fulfilling the Genesis chapter 49 prophecy that Joseph (Ephraim's father) would become very fruitful.

"Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a spring;
Its branches run over a wall.
The archers bitterly attacked him,
And shot at him and harassed him;
But his bow remained firm,
And his arms were agile,
From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob
(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel),
From the God of your father who helps you,
And by the Almighty who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
The blessings of your father
have surpassed the blessing of my ancestors
Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills;
May they be be on the head of Joseph,
And on the crown of the head of the one distinguished among his brothers."
(Genesis 49:22-26)                                                                                                             

Ephraim controlled fertile fields, lush hulls and had grown into a large and powerful tribe. Other tribes deferred to them. Gideon (being of the tribe of Manasseh) did the same. 

What is this that you have done to us: In verse one, we have the leaders of Ephraim coming to Gideon with a complaint--they want to know why they were not called to fight Midian. Right. I am sure Ephraim had an idea that a major war was happening just a stone's throw from their territory. Ephraim's feelings are hurt. Gideon had just risk everything to rid the land of these invaders, and the leaders of Ephraim are mad because Gideon broke protocol. 

It is easy to forget that we are reading Scripture and that the people are real human beings in real situations. The Ephraimites responded in a completely customary way for their particular culture during this time in history. Ephraim was the big dog in Israel. The leaders of Ephraim expected to not only be personally consulted before any grand undertakings near their territory, but they also wanted to have their place at the head of the line when it came time for the victory.

(Shiloh and Bethel were undoubtedly two of the most revered and hallowed places for all of Israel, and they were both in Ephraim's territory. So, even the religious centers bore Ephraim's mark.)

There was also another reason for Ephraim's sharp rebuke of Gideon: 135,000 soldiers plus their families leave a lot of spoils of war behind when they flee. And more is acquired when they are captured. Understand that robbery, kidnapping, victory in battle and projection of power were usually the methods used in tribal societies to gain wealth and authority. It was always a zero-sum game. One tribe gained because they took it from another tribe. Back and forth it went over the centuries. As some tribes became more settled and became stable nations (as Israel was in the process of doing), they became less predatory among each other and more interested in producing than pilfering. Other societies of the Middle and Far East remained nomads; thus, they behaved like locust, consuming anything and everything they could find.

What have I done now in comparison with you: Gideon proves to be a wise man and responds to the Epraimite leaders' accusations with a soft and diplomatic response. He uses typical farm language to curry favor. He says that the leftover grapes on the vines of Ephraim are better than the best crops of Abiezer. (Abiezer is Gideon's clan.) He is saying that even though it might seem that the full harvet of Gideon's victory over Midian WITHOUT the help of Ephraim is greater, in fact the mop-up operations (the seeming gleanings of leftovers of the harvest) of Ephraim were the most important thing. Full and complete victory would have been impossible without Ephraim. The part played by Ephraim, although it was not spectacular and widely known, was the real reason for ultimate success. Gideon was essentially helping Ephraim save-face and thus avert a serious insult that almost assuredly would have led to inter-tribal warfare.

God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands: Gideon reminds Ephraim that is was they who had the glory of capturing and executing those two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. It worked. Ephraim was given their glory and undoubtedly MANY pounds of silver and gold. Gideon publicly submitted to them, so Ephraim did not have their status challenged, and they calmed down. 


2. (Judges 8:4-9) The sins of Succoth and Penuel  
Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. He said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian." The leaders of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?" Gideon said, "All right, when the LORD has give Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers." He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, "When I return safely, I will tear down this tower."

Then Gideon and the 300 men: Beginning in verse four, we find Gideon and his band of 300 men giving chase to the fleeing nomads. Gideon was doing exactly as he should. He was doing what Joshua and Joshua's successors failed to do--to take the battle all the way to the enemy's front door if necessary. They did not quit until the enemy was eradicated.

Brief interlude about evil
It is an odd thing among Christians: we talk and speak glowingly of when Messiah will return and evil will end. It is as though this will be some relatively painless, humane and sanitary event. The discussion about evil is often summed up into people talking about "he who is without sin throw the first stone", or some other platitude which essentially relegates evil from reality to a wispy theory, and not what it actually is.

One of the reasons the Old Testament is often detested is that some see it as all about a blood thirsty God who orders His followers to carry out a process of bringing evil to justice in a final and harsh way. We cannot seem to grasp that evil is only present and active in two forms: spiritual beings and human beings. Evil is not a thing that stands by itself nor is it something that can be bottled and placed in a museum for study. Evil only exists within beings that have wills. Rocks are not evil. Oceans are not evil. Meteors which strike the earth are not evil. Trees and plants are not evil. Hurricanes, tornadoes, forest fires and volcanoes are not evil. On the earthly side ONLY humans are evil. On the spiritual side only satan and his demons are evil.

What I am getting at is that the eradication of evil by definition MEANS the eradication of evil people and eventually of the spiritual Evil One. But understand, if Satan died today, humans would still carry an evil inclination and still do evil things. Even though with no Satan to tempt or accuse, over the 1000-year reign of Messiah, some men will give in to evil because they still have vestiges of the evil inclination remaining in their corrupt bodies. It will only be when receive new bodies to go along with out new spirits will the evil which dwells in humanity be eradicated.

Throughout the Torah, God has defined for us what it is which makes people "evil". It is all wrapped up in what they are, whom they worship and how they behave.

The next time you ponder why a Messiah was needed, remember what evil is and where it exists. When you think about the horror of a lawful execution or police shooting and killing a dangerous person, remember that what is being dealt with is evil in its physical form. Thus, it is our sad duty before God to deal harshly with evil, which means dealing severely with people who are evil. Gideon was doing exactly what the LORD'S agreement was. It is something that should still be happening today, especially as it concerns His reborn State of Israel and those who would take it from His people.

Please give loaves of bread to the people: Since the 300 elite troops of Gideon did not have the usual retinue of some women and children bringing up the rear with supplies and food, they would have to forage as they tracked down the remnants of the Midianite invaders. They stopped at a town called Succoth and asked for food as they were tired and famished. Gideon explained what they were doing and the leaders of Succoth declined to help. The leaders would not give the customary (and required) hospitality of a meal and rest. The residents of Succoth were Israelites, which made this offense all the worse. Gideon would see to it that this offense was not forgotten.

Here is the picture we need to get from this so that we can understand the condition of Israel at this time in history. The three Israelite tribes residing on the east side of the Jordan River had taken yet another step away from their former unity with their brothers who lived on the west side of the Jordan River. Reuben, Gad and half the clan of Manasseh no longer had any sense of brotherhood with the other 9 and a half tribes, and they certainly felt no obligation to assist their brothers. They were closer in mindset and allegiance to those "children of the east" who Gideon was chasing than as family of the pursuers.

I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness: Gideon says when he returns, there would be severe punishment. Exactly what that punishment was to be (as explained in verse seven) is not entirely clear. They may have intended to drag the offenders over thorn bushes like a sled over a threshing floor. Or perhaps they were going to use thorn branches like small whips to tear the flesh off their bodies. The Hebrew word translated here as "thrash" is more normally used to mean "thresh" like threshing wheat. In any case, an unpleasant fate awaited those unpatriotic Israelites when Gideon had finished off the enemy.

At Penuel, Gideon made the same request, and the leaders at Penuel gave the same answer. Penuel had built a watchtower that was well known and important to their survival. Gideon said he would punish Penuel's treason by destroying the tower.

Succoth and Penuel: Succoth was located in the tribal territory of Gad. The town of Penuel was located about five miles east of Succoth.

Penuel means "face of God" and is associated with Jacob's infamous wrestling with God after he flees Laban. It is at Penuel where God gives Jacob the name Israel. (See Genesis 32:24-32 for more details.) Succoth means booths or shelters. Immediately following Jacob's incident with God, he meets his bother Esau. Succoth is the place where Jacob rests after meeting his brother Esau. (See Genesis 33:1-17 for more details.) I am not exactly sure if these two places have any meaning to Gideon's story, but I see it as God sending the message, "The face of God (Penuel) give shelter (Succoth)." Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel. Penuel and Succoth should have recognized this and should have helped God's representative defeat the enemy. Both these towns in the Trans-Jordan were around 50 miles from the main battle sight in the Jezreel Valley. So, Gideon's men had reason to be hungry and tired.


3. (Judges 8:10-12) Two Midianite kings and their armies are routed 
Now Zebah and Zalminna were in Karkor, and their armies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire army of the sons of the east; for the fallen were 120,000 swordsmen. Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east side of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the camp when the camp was unsuspecting. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.

Zebah and Zalmunna: Verse 10 explains the two Midianite leaders who were Gideon's main interest--Zebah and Zalmunna. In Hebrew, Zebah refers to a certain class of sacrifices which are voluntary and are usually associated with vow offerings. Zalmunna is also Hebrew and means "withheld its hospitality". Since these leaders were Midianites, they did not have Hebrew names, and they did not have names with those kinds of meanings. Thus, the names are what the Hebrews called them.

Karkor: These two enemy leaders were in a place called Karkor, a place where they must have felt safe. About 15,000 men remained of the 135,000 enemy fighters. Like Sisera who slept in Jael's tent under a false sense of security, so it was for these Midianite men and their leaders. Gideon attacked them, and they were totally unprepared for it. Who would think that Gideon would follow them all that distance? They probably still did not know that Gideon only had 300 men. So the recollection of the panic from a few days earlier was still fresh in their minds.

Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east side of Nobah and Jogbehah: Gideon and his men followed the remnant of 15,000 Midianite fighters using "the route of the nomads". This is not a colorful description of the route; it is the formal name of a known desert highway in that era. Huge masses of people could not travel like Lewis and Clark, blazing new trails everywhere they went. They needed established routes, usually beaten down and easily identified which went by the necessary water sources and re-supply points where traveling caravans would station themselves to meet up with travelers. 

Verses 11 and 12 explain that eventually Gideon and his men caught up to the army and defeated them, although without doubt, they did not annihilate them all. The two leaders did what leaders did in those days--they fled when they knew they were in trouble. But Gideon soon captured Zebah and Zalmunna. He then headed back towards home, stopping for some revenge along the way.

Judges Chapter 7 Part Two (Verses 12-25)

4. (Judges 7:12-15) God reassures Gideon through the Midianites
Now the Midianties and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand of the seashore. When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, "Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat." His friend replied, "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand." When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands."

The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts: We are told that Gideon and Purah went to the outermost area of the Midianite camp. This was where a guard or watchman would have been set up. The Midianites and Amalekites surely knew that thousands of Israelite troops had come to aid Gideon and knew that something was about to happen.

Behold, I had a dream: What Gideon overheard was one guard talking to another, telling him about a dream he had. In this era, dreams were considered very important and taken seriously. The Midianite soldier says he dreamed a barley cake fell into their midst of their encampment and hit his tent such that it fell down. The other Midianite soldier interprets the dream as meaning the Gideon-led Israelites were about to attack in the name of the God of Israel and that Israel would prevail.

A loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp: Why would the soldier interpret the dream in such a fatalistic manner? And why does he see Israel as being symbolized as a barley cake? First, they were well aware of the many thousands of Israelite tribesmen who had answered the call of Gideon (around 32,000 men in all). If Gideon's army had the full 32,000 men, it would mean there was about 4 Midian solider to every Israelite. Even with these great odds, this does not seem comforting to this Midianite soldier.

Barley was used during this time frame to make the bread of the poor people. Barley was much less desired than wheat for making bread. Yet, barley was used simply due to the realities of the growing seasons. Barley naturally ripens in late winter to early spring; wheat is a summer crop. Barley at times is used to symbolize Israel in the Bible. In this particular case, notice what season the nomads came. We are told back in Judges 6:11 that the Angel of the LORD first commissioned Gideon when Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press. The Midianites came to confiscate the wheat harvest and not the barley harvest.

Barley loaf: Many English translations say that it was a barley "cake" which tumbled into the Midianite camp. This is a poor translation left over from the King James era. The Hebrew word is tselil which means a round or circular loaf. It is also a kind of slang that means to roll. It is the shape of Bedouin bread that is cooked. It is not a square loaf, but it is a flat bread cooked on a griddle much like pita bread. It is a play on words which works with the Hebrew word haphak which is properly translated as "tumbled". So we have a rolling or round batch of barley tumbling into a tent.

When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed low in worship: When Gideon hears this dream, he is greatly strengthened. He falls on his knees in both relief and worship. I liken this to when we get a biopsy report back from the doctor, and it turns out that the growth is not cancerous. Now, Gideon is ready to stake his life on the Word of God. So, he tells his men to arise for the moment which has come. The LORD will deliver Israel from the hand of their oppressor.


B. The army is small enough to be used by God to win the battle

1. (Judges 7:16-18) Gideon announces a strange battle plan
He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. He said, "Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'"

He divided the 300 men: It was nighttime, and a surprise attack was planned. We see throughout the Bible Israel uses deception and the dark hours to gain an advantage over the enemy in wartime. Gideon's strategy was to divide up his troops into three groups of 100 men each. Now we know why Gideon had those Israelites who had been dismissed leave their shofars behind--every one of his 300 men would now be armed with one. (It was not common that every man would have a shofar. Usually only the leaders carried this instrument.) Each man was also given a torch and clay pot. The torch was placed inside the clay pot to protect the torch illuminating its surroundings. They move into positions around the Midianite encampment.

Look at me and do likewise: Gideon tells his men that they are to follow his lead. When he sounds the shofar, they are to suddenly and in unison begin to blow their shofars. After blowing the shofars for a few moments, they are to shout the words, "For the LORD and for Gideon." Why are they to shout these specific words? It is to fulfill the dream the soldier had: "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand."

The implication is that the LORD God supernaturally implanted this dream in the Midianite soldier. This is a dream that the soldier would have shared among his comrades. They would have shared it among their own group of friends...and so on. Tales travel rapidly among troops and that was part of God's plan.


2. (Judges 7:19-23) God strikes the army of Midian with a surprise attack
So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands. When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" Each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zereah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. The men of Israel were summoned from Napthali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.

Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch: Beginning in verse 19, the attack is launched during the middle watch. The night was divided into three watches. The first watch was 6-10 p.m. The second watch was 10-2 a.m. And the third watch was 2-6 a.m.

(Note, this time frame was used for soldiers standing on duty to patrol the night. This was the common watch periods for Israel and the Middle East. The Romans used a different watch system. The first watch was 6-9 p.m. The second watch was 9 p.m.-12 a.m. The third watch was 12-3 a.m. And the fourth watch was 3-6 a.m. So, when reading the New Testament scriptures, remember the Romans had four watches during the night.)

Gideon and his men attacked at the beginning of the second watch, or around 10 p.m. Sunset in Israel is often around 6 p.m. Without electricity, many folks went to bed shortly around sunset. So, the whole camp (soldiers, their wives and children) would have been asleep for a while. Only the sentries would have been awake and patrolling the camp.

They blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands: At the same moment Gideon and his men blew the shofars, they broke the clay pots which covered their torches. The torches would have been in their left hands, leaving their fight hands free to hold their shofars and continue to blow them.

Can you imagine the racket and confusion this must have caused? Can you picture being in a deep sleep from a hard day when suddenly this shattering din of 300 shofars interrupts the quiet desert night? You are startled awake, and when you look out your tent, you see hundreds and hundreds of torches that looks as though the enemy has completely surrounded the camp? You believe, at last, the 32,000 Israelite soldier have arrived for battle.

Each stood in his place around the camp: Up to this point, Gideon's 300 men had not even drawn their sword. (In fact, both hands were busy--one hand was holding the torch while the other hand held the shofar.) They simply scared their enemy into a panic. Verse 21 says that every Israelite stood in his place. The Israelites watched as men grabbed their wives and children and started running for their lives. The camels would have stampeded. Some of the soldiers began lashing out in the dark at any silhouette which moved. This lead to countless Midianites being slaughtered by their own kinsmen because they believed hordes of Israelite fighters had descended upon them.

And the army fled: The Midianite camp took flight and instinctively began to race back towards where they had come from, across the Jordan River and to the east and south. All the places mentioned in verse 22 were in the general area of Jabesh-Gilead.

Beth-shittah means house of the acacia.

Abel-meholah means brook (or stream) of the dance. It was the birthplace and residence of the prophet Elisha. It was located near the Jordan River south of Beth-shean.

Now let's stop for a minute and forget that we are reading Scripture. Let's focus on the tale. These nomads were real people responding to a dangerous situation. They reacted just like people from any society in any ear would react. The same went for the Israelites. You do not keep the existence and whereabouts of 32,000 Israelites or a quarter of a million invaders a secret. The Hebrew and Canaanite inhabitants of the hill country to the north and south of the Jezreel Valley (where this is taking place) would have been carefully watching the situation. They knew that in one way or another they would be affected by the outcome.

Unlike modern times in which we sleep soundly because we trust our police and military to protect us, no such condition or thought existed in that day. Tribal and clan leaders watched over their territories 24/7 with a jealous and weary eye at all time. That watchfulness was not only for the foreign enemies, but it was also for their own brethren from other clan and tribes who often sought to take advantage of a situation for their own benefit.

The men of Israel were summoned from Napthali and Asher and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian: The initial summons by Gideon to Holy War was to Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali. Even though they were dismissed, they were now called back. In verse 23, the flight of the enemy led to a general call of Israel to arms. And as one can imagine, everybody loves to join in and take some credit for the victory. Israelites from several of the tribes started coming out of the woodwork.


3. (Judges 7:24-25) Working towards total defeat of Midian
Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against Midian and take the waters before them, as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan." So all the men of Ephraim were summoned and they took the waters as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. They captured the two leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, and they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and they killed Zeeb at the wine press of Zeeb, while they pursued Midian; and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon from across the Jordan.

Ephraim: Now, another tribe was specifically solicited to join the action--the tribe of Ephraim. Partly, this was due to the paths of the fleeing Midianites. They would have taken a journey through Eprhaim's territroy as they attempted to get back home safely. But, Ephraim was also called to action due to its great status as being warriors. The men of Ephraim were prepared and ready to pounce at a moment's notice because they had been observing. They took up position along the many tributaries and forks of the Jordan River. They stood at the fording points in order to intercept the marauders from the east and trap them.

Oreb and Zeeb: The two key Midianite leaders were captured. (Oreb means raven; Zeeb means wolf.) Only their lifeless heads were turned over to Gideon. Notice the names attributed to the two places where they were executed--the rock of Oreb and the wine press of Zeeb. It is very likely that these two places had no recognized names before these events. But, later, they were referred to by the action which took place there. Many place names in the Bibles happened this way, often replacing an earlier name which may not have had significant meaning.