Judges 6:28

_AND BUILD AN ALTAR UNTO THE LORD THY GOD UPON THE TOP OF THIS ROCK, IN THE ORDERED PLACE, AND TAKE THE SECOND BULLOCK, AND OFFER A BURNT SACRIFICE WITH THE WOOD OF THE GROVE WHICH THOU SHALT CUT DOWN._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

25-32 See the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the great Sacrifice, no good is to be expected. God, who has all hearts in his hands, influenced Joash to appear for his son against the advocates for Baal, though he had joined formerly in the worship of Baal. Let us do our duty, and trust God with our safety. Here is a challenge to Baal, to do either good or evil; the result convinced his worshippers of their folly, in praying to one to help them that could not avenge himself....

Verse 28. _THE SECOND BULLOCK WAS OFFERED_] It appears that the second bullock was offered because it was just _seven_ years old, Judges 6:25, being calved about the time that the Midianitish oppression began; and it was now to be slain to indicate that their slavery should end with its life. The young bullock, Judges 6:25, is supposed to have been offered for a _peace-offering_; the bullock of seven years old, for a _burnt-offering_....

EXPOSITION JUDGES 6:25 THE SAME NIGHT, etc. The iron was hot; it was time to strike. As regards what follows, there are two ways of understanding the verse. One, that of the A.V; supposes that only one bullock is spoken of, and that "_the _young bullock" belonging to Joash is further described as "even the second bullock of seven years old;" to which it is objected that a bullock of seven years old is not "a young bullock," "the bullock of an _ox_,"_ _as the Hebrew phrase is, and that there is no explanation of the meaning of "the second bullock;" and that the Hebrew manifestly describes two bullocks: (1) Joash's young bullock, and (2) the bullock of seven years old. The other supposes two bullocks, and instead of has the more natural rendering and. The only objection

AND WHEN THE MEN OF THE CITY AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING,.... And came to the place where the altar of Baal, his grove and image, were, to pay their morning devotions to him: behold, THE ALTAR OF BAAL WAS CAST DOWN, AND THE GROVE WAS CUT DOWN THAT WAS BY IT, AND THE SECOND BULLOCK WAS OFFERED UPON THE ALTAR THAT WAS BUILT; upon the new altar that Gideon built, and which very probably was burning when they came: and it is very likely that the place, where the altar of Baal had stood, was not far from the rock where this new altar was erected....

4. FOURTH DECLENSION: UNDER MIDIAN AND GIDEON, TOLA AND JAIR CHAPTER 6 _ 1. Israel's suffering from Midian (Judges 6:1)_ 2. Their repentance and the divine answer (Judges 6:7) 3. Gideon, the deliverer, chosen (Judges 6:11) 4. The restored worship (Judges 6:25) 5. The gathering for the conflict (Judges 6:33) 6. The sign of the fleece (Judges 6:36) After Deborah and Barak the land had fifty years' rest, and when again they did

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ALTAR OF BAAL. We have seen that after the Conquest Yahweh was reverently and innocently called the Baal (Lord) of the land, and that loyal Israelites gave their children Baal names. The present section, in which the Baal of Ophrah is _distinguished_ from Yahweh, and regarded as a heathen god, must have been written after the time of Hosea, who was the first to condemn the practice of applying the name Baal to the God of Israel (Hosea 2:17)_._ The point of the story is that Baal, who, if worth his salt, should be able to plead for himself, is challenged to do so, and found to be impotent. Baal has fallen on evil days, when any daring spirit can laugh at him with impunity as Elijah mocked the Phœ nician Baal (1 Kings 18:27)....

_Gideon overthrows the altar of Baal and receives the name Jerub-baal_. This story has no connexion with the preceding narrative Judges 6:11-24; for after Gideon had built the altar Jehovah-shalom (Judges 6:24), it is not likely that he would have been told to build another altar at once and in the same place (Judges 6:26). So far as any antecedents of the story exist they are to be found in Judges 6:7, which denounce the worship of Canaanite (-Amorite") gods....

_The Call of Giedon Judges 6:11-35_ 11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my fami

GIDEON AND THE MIDIANITES The story of Gideon, which runs from Judges 6:1 to Judges 8:33, is more detailed than that of Deborah and Barak; and, from the details, it would appear that different traditions have been used. Gideon, at the bidding of an angel, calls his clan together, and after reducing them to 300 men, and receiving the encouragement of a dream, surrounds the camp of the Midianites and throws them into a panic. The Ephraimites complete the defeat. The two kings of Midian are then pursued beyond Jordan and slain. Gideon is offered the kingdom, but refuses it, and lives to old age in honour and peace. 1-6. The Midianites oppress Israel....