Judges 16 8@4-32
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Intro:
So far we’ve seen Gideon grow from a fearful man in to a courageous hero in .
But this section presents a completely different side of Gideon. After , we expect to see a Godly Gideon but it is the opposite of what we expect.
@@ We see 5 things in this section that change our perspective of Gideon:
1. The Lord is not involved in this phase of the plot at all.
2. Gideon runs into serious conflict with his Transjordanian countrymen.
3. Gideon depend on himself to capture and execute the enemy kings.
4. Personal vengeance replaces national deliverance as a motive for Gideon’s action.
5. Gideon, the fearful young man, has become a brutal aggressor.
We are seeing a summary of the end of Gideon’s life in today’s lesson.
I. Gideon threatened men of Succoth and Penuel v4-12
I. Gideon threatened men of Succoth and Penuel v4-12
After the battle of the Midianites, Gideon were exhausted but they still pursue the 2 kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna.
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
Jdg 8:
4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
Jdg
Succoth and neighbor Penuel was in the territory of Gad. So the inhabitants are Israelites perhaps mixed with the unconquered Canaanites.
@ Succoth in tribe of Gad.jpeg
And Penuel is around 15 km away from Succoth at most.
@ Succoth and Penuel.jpeg
But the men of Succoth and Penuel refused to help Gideon and as a result received a threat from Gideon.
6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
6-
Note there was no mention of the Lord and hence Gideon must have done it in the strength of men. But he did succeed.
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
Notice the contrast between the willingness of the northern tribes west of the Jordan to aid Gideon at Mount Moreh and the cynical response of the people east of the Jordan—their response to Gideon’s campaign.
This episode marks a transition from the Lord’s war of liberation to Gideon’s personal crusades. We will see this even more clearly in verses 18–21.
This episode marks a transition from the Lord’s war of liberation to Gideon’s personal crusades. We will see this even more clearly in verses 18–21.
So long as it was about the Lord’s war of liberation, so long as that was clear, the Israelites were ready to help. But now the agenda has changed. Gideon and his band of three hundred men are off on a private campaign.
II. Gideon’s cruelty v13-17
II. Gideon’s cruelty v13-17
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
Jdg 8:
Having defeated and captured the kings, we see Gideon returned to take revenge on the men of Succoth and Penuel.
What does it tell us about Gideon? What has happened to this man? Not too long ago, he was a national hero. Now he is a villain.
III. Gideon’s self-conceitedness v18-21
III. Gideon’s self-conceitedness v18-21
18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, 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. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
This narrative seems to be loaded with sarcasm. In Gideon’s a/c, there was no mention of Tabor. Perhaps Gideon was trying to ask the kings to describe their exploits.
And the kings sarcastically replied that they killed men like Gideon and who resembled the children of a king. In v19, Gideon by acceding to the their description actually thought that he is like son of a king.
At this time, it just looks like a hypothesis I’m making up but follow me first and later this will make sense.
When Gideon asked his son to kill the kings, they scorned at the timidness of his son. Hence Gideon slew them themselves.
He may then take what looks like harmless objects: the ornaments that were on their camels’ neck. These were what the kings wore. Did Gideon want to show people that he is worthy to be a king?
IV. Gideon becomes a problem v22-32
IV. Gideon becomes a problem v22-32
22 Then 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. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you. 24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
When the people ask Gideon to be their king, it wasn’t according to the law of Moses:
15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
Dt 1
And they were actually asking Gideon to start a dynasty by including his descendants (v22). There was no involvement of the Lord here unlike in king Saul’s case.
Gideon verbally rejected their request and even sounded pious “the Lord shall rule over you” v23.
But in v24, he acted in the capacity of a king by asking gold earrings from every men and in addition requests for the ornaments, collars and purple robes of the kings of Midian. If he didn’t want to be king, what did he want these things for?
In v27, he used the gold to make an ephod and put it in his city, Ophrah. Suddenly he now has a city! Why did it do that? The Scriptures tells us that Israel went a whoring after it. In Akkadian, the word ephod is used of costly garments worn by high officials or draped over images of the gods. This seems to imply that Gideon instituted a cult. That is, he is no longer worshipping Yahweh.
30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulchre of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
Jdg8 30-
Why did he do so? v30 gives us a hint. He had 70 sons and many wives. And he even had a concubine a from the Cannaanite Shechem. He had to live like a king or he can’t afford so many wives and children. The Lord would not permit him to live that way and Gideon knew it and that’s why he establishes a religious cult.
He even named his son by the concubine Abimelech meaning, “my father is king.”
Conclusion:
Gideon started well but didn’t end well.
Why did he depart from the Lord? lists him a man of faith.
Probably the biggest question we have now is is he saved?