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Israels Judges

Judges 7
Gideon
Introduction
In chapter six we witnessed God calling Gideon to be a prophet and military leader. God
worked through him to deliver the Israelites (His people) from their Midian oppressors.
Several key events occurred in this story that deserves our further attention.
First, Gideon asked for the Angel of the LORD to wait while he prepared Him an offering. The
Angel of the LORD consented and waited for His creation to prepare his offering for Him! Then
when Gideon brought the offering to Him He told Gideon how to present it! How tender that
God would patiently teach His creation how to worship Him! Second, God told Gideon to
destroy the altar of Baal and the Asherah Pole and in their place erect an altar to God and offer
a bull as a sacrifice using the wood from the Asherah Pole as kindling. Gideon obeyed the
LORDs command and did all He asked of him. The unusual aspect of this act was that he did
it at night under the veal of darkness. Third, Gideon asked God for signs at two different
times that demonstrated God was indeed with him and the nation in driving out the Midianites
and the LORD did as Gideon asked.
In chapter seven God does something very unusual in the eyes of man, yet altogether normal
for Him.
***First, we see that
I. God Purges the Army vv. 1 8
Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod.
The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The LORD said to Gideon,
"You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast
against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles
with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.'" So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten
thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to
the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go; but if I
say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." So Gideon took the men down to the water.
There the LORD told him, "Separate those who lap the water with their tongues like a dog from those
who kneel down to drink." Three hundred men lapped with their hands to their mouths. All the rest got
down on their knees to drink. The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I
will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own
place." So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took
over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
Understanding the Word:
1. After God gave Gideon two signs he was full of ____________ and set out to battle.
2. The significance of Moreh is that 1) Abrahams first camp in Canaan and where God issued
the ____________ 2) Jacob ____________ the foreign gods of his _____________ that had
been brought from ____________ 3) God set forth blessing and curses on Israel regarding
their keeping or disobeying the _________________ 4) Joshua erects a _________________ as
a reminder of the covenant between God and His people.

3. This area is very special in the history of the _________________.


4. What did God tell Gideon? _______________________________________________________
5. Why? ________________________________________________________________________
6. How did God first reduce the armys number? ______________________________________
7. How many departed? _________________
8. What did God then say? ________________________
9. How did God reduce the number next? ____________________________________________
10. How many remained to fight? ________________________
11. How did Gideon respond to the massive cut in force? _______________________________
***Second, we see that
II. God Promised Victory vv. 9 14
During that night the LORD said to Gideon, "Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going
to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and
listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp." So he and
Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the
other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be
counted than the sand on the seashore. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream.
"I had a dream," he was saying. "A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp.
It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed." His friend responded, "This
can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the
Midianites and the whole camp into his hands."
Understanding the Word:
1. Apparently Gideon was concerned about the numbers so God _______________________.
2. God told Gideon to ______________________________ and listen.
3. Who were included in this great force of power? ___________, ___________, & ___________
4. What caught the eye of Gideon? _________________________________________________
5. Upon arriving what did Gideon hear? ______________________________________________
6. The barley loaf was made with barley seed which was greatly disliked by other peoples
so the dream represented the ____________ to the Midianite soldiers.
7. How did the soldiers interrupt the dream? __________________________________________

***Third, we see that


III. Victory Was Confirmed vv. 15 18
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped God. He returned to the camp of
Israel and called out, "Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands." Dividing the
three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of
them, with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the
camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the
camp blow yours and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon.'"
Understanding the Word:
1. How did Gideon respond to the dream? __________________________________________
2. When he returned to camp he said, ______________________________________________.
3. How did he divide his forces? ____________________________________________________
4. What given to each man? ___________________________________
5. What did the jars do? __________________________________________________________
6. What did Gideon say to his men? _______________________________________________
***Fourth, we see that
IV. Israel Goes To War vv. 19 22
Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle
watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in
their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in
their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A
sword for the LORD and for Gideon!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the
Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused
the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah
toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
Understanding the Word:
1. The middle watch is the period of time between _________________. (In the O.T. there are
three watches as opposed to four in the N.T.)
2. What occurred next? __________________________________________________________
3. The men grasp their _______________ in one hand and the ____________ in the other as
they shouted, ______________________________________________.
5. Did the men advance? _________________________________________________
6. How did the Midianites and others respond? ______________________________________

7. Scripture says the LORD, __________________________________________________.


8. This teaches us to trust God and obey His leadership (be still) because He can and will fight
for us!
***Fifth, we see that
V. Others Join The Fight vv. 23 25
Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the
Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah." So all the men of
Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also
captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb
at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to
Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
Understanding the Word:
1. What resulted from this battle? ________________________________________________
2. Sometimes others who would not go with us at first needs to witness __________ before
they join the work or fight.
3. Who did the men of Ephraim capture? ____________________________________________
4. What did they do to them? ____________________________
5. God did as He said He would do and led Israel to victory by working through ____________.
Closing Thoughts:
1. God asked Gideon to reduce the army so people would know He gave them the victory. God
may ask you (the church) to rely upon Him instead of money, power, people, or anything else
so that He may receive the glory and recognition for the work!
2. God may ask you (the church) to do something unusual (blow trumpets, jars, torches, and
shout) just as He did the Israelites. You must trust His wisdom and obey Him as they did and
experience victory too!
3. If you will obey God and begin the work others will follow your lead and join in time as
many other tribes joined the fight with Gideon.
Pray

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