Judges 7:1-25

Life Without Law

Judges

Philip Smith

Chapter 7

v1 Early in the morning, Jerubbaal (Gideon) and his men camped at the *spring called Harod. The army from Midian had their camp north from them. It was in the valley near the hill called Moreh.

v2 The *Lord spoke to Gideon. ‘You have too many men. With so many, I cannot help you to defeat the army from Midian. I do not want *Israel’s people to be proud. Then they would say that they had won by their own strength. v3 Ask them if anyone is afraid. Those who are afraid can go back. And they can leave Gilead mountain.’ So 22 000 men left and 10 000 men stayed.

v4 But the *Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water. I will separate them for you there. The ones that I tell to go shall go. The ones that I tell not to go, shall not go.’ v5 So Gideon took them down to the water. There the *Lord gave this instruction to him. ‘Separate those who drink with their tongues like a dog. Separate them from those who kneel down to drink.’ v6 300 men drank with their tongues. They brought their hands to their mouths. All the rest kneeled down to drink. v7 The *Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will use those 300 men. With them, I will give you success over the army from Midian. All the rest can go home.’ v8 So Gideon sent the rest back to their tents. He kept the 300 men. They took the other soldiers’ jars with food and drink, and they took the other soldiers’ *trumpets. The army from Midian camped below Gideon. They were in the valley.

*Israel’s army was at Harod *spring. This is at the bottom of the mountain called Gilboa. The army from Midian had camped across the valley called Jezreel. It was less than 5 miles from the *Israelites. There were ‘too many people from Midian’. God told Gideon that there were ‘too many people’ in his army. He reduced 32 000 men to 10 000 men. In Deuteronomy 20:8, the writer said this: ‘Soldiers who are afraid must go home.’ Gideon’s army would have good morale (confidence) if his soldiers were not afraid. In verse 3, the mountain’s name is ‘Gilead’. ‘Gilboa’ is probably another name for this mountain. Gideon tested how the other men in the army drank. He chose those who drank water with their tongues. This seems a strange choice. Perhaps they used their hands as a dog uses its tongue. In this way, they got water, but they still stayed on their feet. They would be ready if something happened. The rest went down on their knees and they could not get up quickly. However, the important thing may be the number of people. What they did may not be so important.

v9 During the night, the *Lord spoke to Gideon. ‘Get up and attack the camp. I will give you success. v10 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp. Go there with your servant Purah. v11 Listen to what they are saying. This will give you courage to attack the camp.’ So, he and Purah went to a place where the soldiers were protecting the camp from a surprise attack. v12 There were people from Midian, and Amalek’s people, and people from the east. Those people were so many in number that they were like very many *locusts. There were so many camels that one could not count them. Similarly, one cannot count the small pieces of sand by the sea. v13 Gideon arrived just when a man was telling a dream to his friend. The man said this: ‘My dream was like this. A round loaf of bread rolled into the camp. People had made the bread from barley (a kind of grain). It hit the tent and the tent fell flat.’ v14 His friend said, ‘That must be the sword of Gideon, who is the son of Joash the *Israelite. God has given him the *victory over Midian’s men and the whole army.’

Before this, God had showed Gideon something to give him confidence in God’s promise. Now God repeated this method. He sent Gideon to get a message. He gave him that message by the men from Midian. With his servant, Gideon went into their camp. He went at night. He went to a place where the best soldiers were guarding the camp. The writer repeats that the soldiers were very many in number. That shows us how difficult the task was. Gideon heard a soldier who was describing a dream. In that dream, a loaf of bread knocked over a tent. The bread was like *Israel’s poor farmers. The tent was like the army from Midian. The soldier said that God had given Midian’s army and the whole camp to Gideon. The men from Midian were afraid. God would certainly act. This message greatly encouraged Gideon.

v15 When Gideon heard the dream and its meaning, he praised God. Then he went back to the *Israelites’ camp. He called, ‘Get up! God has given you success over the army from Midian.’ v16 He divided the 300 men into three groups. He gave each man a *trumpet and an empty jar with a *torch inside it. v17 ‘Follow me’, he told them. ‘When I reach the edge of the camp, do this. v18 When my men and I blow our *trumpets, then you blow yours all round the camp. Shout “For God and for Gideon”.’

v19 Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the camp. It was a short time before midnight. The men from Midian had just changed the guard. Gideon and his men blew the *trumpets and they broke the jars. v20 The three groups of soldiers all blew their *trumpets and they broke their jars. They held the *torches in their left hands and they held their *trumpets in their right hands. They shouted ‘A sword for God and for Gideon.’ v21 Every man stood where he was, round the camp. The men from Midian ran away and they cried out. v22 The *trumpets sounded. Then the *Lord made the men in the camp fight each other. The army ran to Beth Shittah towards Zererah. This was as far as the border of Abel Meholah. It was near Tabbath.

God chooses what is weak. This will bring shame to what is strong. Gideon’s army had no military skill. They could only blow a *trumpet and they could only break a jar. Then they shouted. Their attack came about two hours before midnight. Most of the soldiers from Midian were sleeping then. Those that had just come on duty had just woken up. The men from Midian heard the sound of the *trumpets. There were shouts. And there were the sounds when the people were breaking the jars. Because of their fear, Midian’s soldiers fought against each other. They ran away to the east. They went down the valley and then they went over the Jordan river. All the towns in the list were on the other side of the river. Zererah was 10 miles south from the place where they went. Abel Meholah was 6 miles east and Tabbath was about 7 miles south-east.

v23 *Israelites from Naphtali’s *tribe, Asher’s *tribe and all Manasseh’s *tribe answered the call. They chased Midian’s army. v24 Gideon sent people with messages. They went through the hilly country where Ephraim’s *tribe lived. ‘Come against Midian’s people. *Capture the places where people cross the Jordan river, as far as Bethbarah.’ So all the men from Ephraim’s *tribe *captured the places where people crossed the Jordan river. They did that as far as Bethbarah. v25 They also *captured Oreb and Zeeb, two leaders of Midian. They killed Oreb at the rock called Oreb. They killed Zeeb at the *winepress called Zeeb. They continued to chase Midian’s people. They brought Oreb’s head and Zeeb’s head to Gideon, who was by the Jordan river.

Gideon called for more help. Probably many that came had been in the original group. (This was the group that consisted of 32 000 men.) The groups of *Israel’s soldiers who had *weapons, got ready. They *captured the places where people crossed the river. They killed some leaders of the enemy’s army. Then Gideon felt confident enough to call Ephraim’s *tribe for help. He asked them to control the places where people crossed the river. This would prevent the escape of Midian’s army. They killed two princes of Midian. Oreb means ‘raven’ (a large black bird with a noisy cry). Zeeb means ‘wolf’. (A wolf is a wild animal like a dog. It lives in groups and it hunts in groups.)

spring ~ a place where water from under the ground comes up to the surface.
Lord ~ a name for God. It means that he is the master, the ruler over all. Also, people often use this word to translate Yahweh, a very special Hebrew name for God.

Yahweh ~ the name of God. It means ‘I am what I am’. Or it can mean ‘the same always’.
Hebrew ~ the Hebrew people were Abraham’s descendants; and they spoke a language called Hebrew.
descendants ~ members of your family that are born and live after you.
Israel ~ the nation that consisted of Jacob’s descendants; the country where they lived; another name for Jacob.

descendants ~ members of your family that are born and live after you.
trumpet ~ a musical instrument that people blow in order to play it. They make it from metal.
Israelites ~ the people that belonged to the nation called Israel. God had chosen them as his own special people.

Israel ~ the nation that consisted of Jacob’s descendants; the country where they lived; another name for Jacob.
descendants ~ members of your family that are born and live after you.
locusts ~ insects that fly as large groups and they destroy plants.
victory ~ success in war.
torch ~ a stick that people burnt to give them light.
tribe ~ a large group of people that are all relatives of each other.
capture ~ take someone as a prisoner; take control of a place in war; or take an object in war.
capture ~ take someone as a prisoner; take control of a place in war; or take an object in war.
winepress ~ in a winepress people used their feet to crush grapes; the juice ran down to a place where something held it.

crush ~ press something so that it breaks into pieces.
grape ~ juicy green or purple fruit that grows on the branches of a vine. People use this fruit to make wine.
vine ~ a plant that climbs. Its fruit is the grape.
weapon ~ a thing that some people use to hurt other people.