Judges, Chapter 7

This chapter is about Gideon defeating the Midianites. Gideon shows his God-given military prowess. That’s what we have going on in this chapter. Sorry for the short description of this chapter. Enjoy the read.

Early one morning, Gideon (a.k.a. Jerub-Baal) & all his men camped at the Spring of Harod. The camp of the Midianites was north of them. God starts talking to Gideon. God wants Gideon to thin the herd. God didn’t the Israelites to think that they won because of their own power. Because there were SO many troops.

So Gideon tells his men, “If any of you are afraid, y’all can go.” 22,000 men left. 10,000 stayed. God tells Gideon that there are still too many troops! They had to go to the water. Then God would, literally, say, “They stay. They go.”

Gideon took the men to the water. God tells Gideon how to thin the herd even more. The 2 groups are those who drank the water like a dog, lapping it up & those who knelt down, on their knees to get a drink.

300 men lapped up the water like a dog. All the rest knelt down to get a drink. God wanted the 300 men. The others were free to go home. During the night, God woke Gideon up. Nighttime attack time! God says, “If you’re afraid to attack, take Purah, go to their camp, stealthily. Eavesdrop on what they’re saying. It’ll make you feel better.”

So Gideon & Purah go to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, Amalekites, & other eastern peoples were as “thick as locusts” in the valley. There were a LOT of them. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend about his dream.

The dream: A round loaf of barley bread came shaking into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent collapsed.

His friend responds: “The meaning of your dream is it’s the sword of Gideon, the Israelite.” When Gideon hears all this, he worships God. Gideon goes back to his camp, waking everyone up for that nighttime raid.

Gideon divided the 300 men into 3 companies. He gave them trumpets & empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. Gideon told them to follow his lead, to do EXACTLY what he says.

When Gideon & the men he was with reached the water’s edge, it was at the beginning of the middle watch. Just after they’d change the guard. They blew their trumpets & broke the jars. Everyone followed suit. Holding the torches in their left hands & the trumpets in their right, they cried out, “A sword for God & for Gideon!”

All the Israelites held their positions. All the Midianites ran away. When the 300 trumpets sounded, God caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other. With their swords. The army ran away to Beth Shittah toward Zererah. As far away as the border of Abel Meholah, near Tabbath.

Israelites from Naphtali, Asher & all of Manasseh were called out. They pursued the Midianites. Gideon sent messengers throughout the tribe of Ephraim’s territory. Gideon wanted their help. So all the men of Ephraim took the Jordan River as far as Beth Barah.

They also captured 2 of the Midianite leaders, Oreb & Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the Rock of Oreb. Zeeb was killed at the Winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites. They brought the literal heads of Oreb & Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the River Jordan.