Judges 6 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Judges 6

Midian Oppresses Israel

6:1 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them and devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the LORD.

7 When the people of Israel cried out to the LORD on account of the Midianites, 8 the LORD sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”

The Call of Gideon

11 Now the angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor.” 13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the LORD has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 And the LORD¹ turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?” 15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the LORD said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” 17 And he said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. 18 Please do not depart from here until I come to you and bring out my present and set it before you.” And he said, “I will stay till you return.”

19 So Gideon went into his house and prepared a young goat and unleavened cakes from an ephah² of flour. The meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the terebinth and presented them. 20 And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.” And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the LORD reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes. And fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” 23 But the LORD said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

25 That night the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s bull, and the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it 26 and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order. Then take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah that you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built. 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.” 31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.” 32 Therefore on that day Gideon³ was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

33 Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

The Sign of the Fleece

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

Footnotes

[1] 6:14 Septuagint the angel of the Lord; also verse 16
[2] 6:19 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
[3] 6:32 Hebrew he

Commentary

v1: The fourth cycle began (see 2.11-13); this time when the Israelites disobeyed God, He gave them into the hand of Midian for seven years. (The origin of Midian is found in Gen 25.)

v2: The oppression under Midian was so bad that the people hid in the mountains.

v3-6: Midian targeted the Israelites' crops, by ruining them, and by killing livestock as well as people. See Lev 26.16; Deut 28.30-31; the people really could not complain, as these things simply fulfilled what God had warned if they disobeyed. Things were so bad that Israel cried to the Lord God for help.

v7-10: The Lord God sent a prophet to the people, to declare to them their sins. They had to realise that they were actually responsible for their suffering. We see that such a message is important, as it encourages repentance.

v11: Following the prophet, God sent an angel. He came to Gideon, who was threshing wheat in a winepress. This was to keep it from the marauding Midianites. The amount of wheat that would fit in a winepress would have been small, but at least he had something.

v12: The first message, "The Lord is with you"; a message of encouragement. Sometimes this is all we need to know. Sometimes, we need to be reminded of this important truth before any instructions can be given. Gideon would not have thought of himself as a mighty warrior (see v15), but he certainly would become one.

v13: Gideon's response was understandable, but it was to do with sight not faith. Surely God would continue to display His power by signs and wonders. He did not realise that the oppression and suffering were because of Israel's disobedience. Later he desired a sign.

We should not be too critical of Gideon; he thought that God had "abandoned" His people, and he needed to be convinced otherwise. It is God's grace that He should continue to deal with Gideon, and to use him. The indications are that few were as faithful as Gideon; others had worshipped idols.

v14: Following the word of God's presence, there is a commission and a command for Gideon. Although God had an army of angels available, He chose a man; the weak things of the world to put to shame the mighty. The strength Gideon had was, on the one hand nothing (v15), but on the other hand, God was sending him, and therefore victory was certain.

v15-18: Like Moses and Barak and Jeremiah, Gideon was reluctant. God was gracious, and gave a sign to encourage him. There is a distinction to be made between reluctance and an excuse for disobedience (see Luke 9.57-62; 14.15-24).

v19: Given that the harvest was small, and most of the livestock was dead, Gideon's offering was costly. This was a further indication of his love for God; imperfect understanding, but a real and growing devotion to God. God is looking for willing volunteers, not pressed men (see also 7.1-8). Where we choose to honour God, He will bless us and use us.

v20-24: When Gideon made His offering, God gave a sign, to further encourage him; the bread and meat was consumed in the flame. Gideon built an altar to God, Yahweh Shalom (v24). This was a real testimony, as an altar would be seen by others.

v25-27: A test of loyalty; the Lord's instructions, that Gideon destroy his father's altar, the family idol, and replace it with an altar to the true God. Although Gideon was fearful, and worked at night, he obeyed the command. This action was necessary before he could think of attacking Midian. Israel could not expect to win a battle if they maintained idolatry.

v30-32: The people quickly found out about Gideon; but his father, Joash, intervened. Although it was his idol, he was loyal to his son, and was perhaps impressed by his commitment. Surely Baal could defend himself!

v33-34: It seems at the same time, there was a fresh attack form Midian. This gave the opportunity for Gideon to gather the people of Abiezer together to fight.

v36-40: Gideon asked for more signs, which God gave. He understands our frame, and remembers that we are dust. Although God had already spoken and promised victory, Gideon needed encouragement, and God gave it.