“And they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon” (Judges 7:20 ASV).

Several times in the period of the Judges (Deliverers), we are told, “And the children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah” (Judges 3:12, 4:1, 10:6, 13:1). In the time of Deborah, Israel had sinned and was delivered into the hand of the king of Canaan for twenty years. Apparently, in the last seven of those years, Midian also oppressed Israel. [1]

Midian had allies in the Amalekites (from Esau/Edom) and “the children of the east” (Arabs, from Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:6, Judges 6:3).

Gideon was beating out wheat in the winepress (evidently during the Spring wheat harvest, long before the grapes would be ripe) when “the angel of Jehovah” (likely Michael, the Logos) commissioned him to deliver Israel from the enemy. Gideon then cast down the altar of Baal and offered the second bullock seven years old as a burnt‑offering. Then the Midianites, Amalekites, and the children of the east mustered themselves in the Valley of Jezreel. Gideon then gathered troops from his own tribe of Manasseh and three other Israelite tribes to the north.

Gideon desired reassurance and asked of God that overnight, a fleece of wool on the threshing‑floor become wet with dew while the ground remained dry. And it became so. Once more he asked that overnight the fleece be dry and the ground become wet with dew. Again, it became so. (If the fleece is symbolic, this suggests that God develops Christ and the faithful Church first, and afterwards the world, pictured by the ground around the fleece; i.e., the Gospel Age followed by the Millennial Age.)

Thirty‑two thousand troops were available to Gideon at mount Gilead. Jehovah told Gideon to dismiss those who were fearful and trembling. So twenty‑two thousand departed. Jehovah then told him that the people were still too many and told him to watch the way the brave drank water from the river. Those who drank with caution and remained on their feet (squatting and lapping water by hand to the mouth) numbered only three hundred. (The lesson for us is to remain watchful as we imbibe the waters of truth.)

Selecting the 300 to be of Gideon’s force

The 135,000 Midianites were on the north side of the river. There were two groups of hills to the north, with the enemy on the south sides of those hills. The Israelites were on the south side of the river. What might the Midianites have feared when they saw 22,000 Israelite soldiers leave their military camp? Where were they now? And then when another 9,700 men left? Could Gideon be preparing a surprise attack?

There were only three ways for the Midianites and allies to escape: upstream, downstream, or by the road northward between the hills. So Gideon divided his three hundred into three groups of one hundred. Now all three escape routes could be covered.

Before the troops were deployed, Jehovah sent Gideon and his servant to hide near the outermost part of the Midianite camp. They overheard an enemy soldier tell another of his dream of a cake of barley bread tumbling into the camp of Midian and flattening its (officers’) tent. [2] The other interpreted that: “This is … the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host” (Judges 7:14).

Thereupon, Gideon returned to the Israelite camp of 300 and gave each one a trumpet, and a dry pitcher with only a torch inside. Then one hundred each were deployed to the three potential escape routes. (Any swimming the river southward would have to leave their armaments behind or be dragged underneath the water to drown.) At the dark of night, when the Midianites had just begun the middle watch (and were visually not fully acclimated), the signal was given to blow the trumpets, and to break the pitchers so that their lights may shine and be seen by the enemy. Then they shouted, “The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.” [3] The Israelites stood their ground.

The outermost enemy troops, closest to the sudden loud noises, were already uneasy, and now they were frightened without forewarning. A torch is not held by swordsmen; so the Midianites would automatically assume each torch represented a host of hundreds or thousands. So those on the periphery ran away from Gideon’s men, towards the center of their camp. To Midianite troops closer to the center, those Midianites running towards them in the darkness must surely be Israelites; so they mistakenly slew their own troops! “Jehovah set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the host” (Judges 7:22). 120,000 of the camp of Midian were slain, while another 15,000 Midianites fled (Judges 8:10).

It remained to pursue the kings and princes of Midian. To the south, the Ephraemites, whom Gideon had not called to the battle, were now called to capture and slay the two (military) princes, Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:24‑25). To the east, Gideon pursued the two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, but was taunted by the people of Succoth and of Penuel. When it was learned these kings had slain Gideon’s brethren, both kings were promptly slain. Also, the princes and elders of Succoth were punished, and the men of Penuel were slain.

This battle typifies Armageddon (Revelation 16:16‑21). The evil kings might typify Satan and his fallen angels. It is left to the reader to consider if the Ephraemites may typify the world, those not called in the Gospel Age, but to be given an opportunity to overcome character enemies in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.

— James Parkinson

 

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[1] The Canaanites ruled in the Great Plain of Esdraelon to the west of the hill country, while the Midianites came from the east and ruled in the Valley of Jezreel to the east of the hill country.

[2]  The Christian will note that Gideon typifies the Messiah/Anointed, Jesus Christ. By the dream, barley is associated with Gideon. Elsewhere, wheat is associated with the church (e.g., Matthew 13:24‑30). On the first Sunday following the Passover, the firstfruits of barley harvest were to be a wave‑offering. Forty‑nine days later, on Day 50 (Pentecost) the firstfruits of the wheat harvest were to be another wave‑offering (Leviticus 23:10‑11, 15‑17). These foreshadow Jesus’ resurrection on the Sunday following the first day of Passover, and the holy Spirit coming upon the disciples on Pentecost (AD 33, April 3 and May 22).

[3]  Gideon’s 300 typify the faithful church in the flesh. The lesson for us is that our weapon is the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), and it is in self‑sacrifice for others that our light is seen.

 

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