One reign over you

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Sinking Sand

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Judges 9:1–6, “And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him. And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.”

While Gideon’s sons all lived in his main home and formed the Judge’s household at that time, Gideon’s concubine lived in another town, Shechem, so he was not counted as part of that household. In spite of that fact, Abimelech was an ambitious man and had been brought up in relative poverty, he was also an outcast from the mainstream of society. He called all the people from his home town together, after his father’s death and persuaded them that it would be much better for them if a man from their own town became the next ruler of Israel. After that he went and killed all his brothers so that there would be no competition for the position of leader. The he told everybody that he was the king. This was done outside the Lord’s will and was a consequence of this time of rebellion against the Law of the Lord.

Abimelech

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Sinking Sand

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Judges 8:29–35, “And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 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 Abiezrites. And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.”

In those days powerful men had many wives because they tried to make alliances with other tribes and nations. Gideon made many marriages to many women but he also had a slave that he used as a wife as well. All the women in Gideon’s household were most interested in getting the most for their own sons rather than looking after Gideon or his interests, after all, these women were just one of many wives. Gideon fathered a son called Abimelech with his slave. When Gideon died he was buried in the family sepulchre. While Gideon was a good leader and led the people to obey the Lord, as soon as he died the people went back to worshipping the gods of the people who had been in the Land before them.They forgot about Gideon and they even forgot the Lord Who had saved them from Midian.

A golden ephod

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Sinking Sand

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Judges 8:22–28, “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. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. 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.) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 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. 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. Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.”

Gideon had defeated the Midianites, who were also Ishmaelites, so the people understood that he was a godly man and they asked him to be their ruler. In the recent past they had been ruled by the Midianites and had no rulers of their own. Gideon had been in contact with the Lord and won a great victory in the Lord’s power so he told them that they belonged to the Lord and the Lord would rule them. Gideon then asked the people to give him the golden earrings that they had taken, as spoil, from their enemies. It is very hard for anyone to believe in the one true God, who is invisible so Gideon decided to make a priestly garment out of gold. He broke the second commandment when he did this but felt that he should. Once Gideon had made a representation of the Lord God he and his people began to believe that the symbol the used to represent the Lord was actually the Lord and they started to worship the ephod, the golden priestly garment, rather than the Lord Himself.

What manner of men?

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Sinking Sand

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Judges 8:18–21, “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. 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. 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. 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.”

Gideon finally captured the kings of the Midianites, in the Name of the Lord. They were the men who instituted the attacks on Israel and approved of the occupation so they, ultimately, had to bear the responsibility for the entire conflict. Gideon was interested in what happened at Tabor, a place close to where Gideon lived. He asked the kings about the people they had killed a Tabor and they told him that these people looked like Gideon. Gideon knew that they had killed his brothers and he had family obligation to execute them for killing members of his family in cold blood. In those days a Judge had a different responsibility to judges today. Modern judges are responsible for administering the law and proclaiming sentences while judges in those days were responsible for making the law, administering the law and ensuring that the punishment was carried. Gideon determined that these men had been responsible for the death of his family, he sentenced them to death for this crime and then made sure that the punishment, execution, was administered. He gave his son an opportunity to learn about effecting the Law but the boy was too young to take that responsibility so Gideon carried out the punishment then took the badges of office that the kings carried with them to show that he had defeated them in war and not just killed them in cold blood.

Zebah and Zalmunna

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Sinking Sand

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Judges 8:4–17, “And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 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. 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? 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. 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. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 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. 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. 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. And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and enquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. 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? And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.”

Gideon began his battle in the night and had to chase his enemies because they all ran away. He was able to capture and punish the generals because they were guilty of war crimes in Israel. However, the kings of the Midianites had not gone to the battle but sent their generals instead. Gideon knew that he had to capture the kings because they would be able to raise other armies and try to invade and take possession of Israel again. His men were tired and hungry as they travelled so they stopped to ask the people from other Israeli towns to give them some food and drink so that they could be strengthened to continue their battle against Midian. However, the people of these towns were not too keen to help them. They were afraid that the kings might come back and punish them for helping Gideon. They asked Gideon if he had the kings in his power and didn’t help. Gideon was called by the Lord to defeat these two kings and drive all the Midianites out of the Land so he promised them that they would be punished for refusing to support the Lord and His agent during the battle against the Midianites. When Gideon had defeated the two kings of the Midianites, he came back to see the people who had refused to help and punish them.

Abiezer

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Sinking Sand

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Judges 8:1–3, “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.”

After the battle some people from one of the other tribes came to Gideon and castigated him for not calling them to help in the battle. At that stage, indeed until King Saul was anointed, there was no common identity among the tribes of Israel. Each tribe was committed to its own business but, from time to time, they would cooperate on various issues. This also meant that they were easier to subjugate because invading nations were able to attack Israel tribe by tribe. Ephraim was the most significant tribe because Ephraim was chosen by Jacob to be his heir. The men from Ephraim were upset that they didn't get an opportunity to share in the spoil from the battle but Gideon told them that they were far more important than his clan and his tribe. We saw earlier that Gideon belonged to Abiezer and he said that he was least of all the clans in his tribe. When Gideon spoke to the men from Ephraim with godly wisdom they were appeased. 1 Kings 1: 5-10

Oreb and Zeeb

(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)

Sinking Sand

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Judges 7:23–25, “And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.”

Af course, the Israeli soldiers, who were with Gideon, chased their enemies, as was customary in those days at the end of a victorious battle. Gideon’s army consisted of three hundred men. They were capable, in the Lord’s Name, of putting this great army to flight but there weren’t enough men to finish the battle completely. In order to this they called on the Ephraimites and captured the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They executed these men for the war crimes they had committed against Israel over the last few years and brought proof of this back to their own people.