Author Archive for: meiling

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:13-21.  Let’s go!

Judges 8:13-17 (NIV)
13  Gideon son of Joash then returned from the battle by the Pass of Heres.
14  He caught a young man of Succoth and questioned him, and the young man wrote down for him the names of the seventy-seven officials of Succoth, the elders of the town.
15  Then Gideon came and said to the men of Succoth, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you taunted me by saying, ‘Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your exhausted men?'”
16  He took the elders of the town and taught the men of Succoth a lesson by punishing them with desert thorns and briers.
17  He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the men of the town.
 
On verses 13-17:  After capturing the Midianite kings Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon finds out the names of the 77 officials in the Israelite town of Succoth who earlier rejected his request for food for his troops (Judges 8:4-6).  In keeping with his promise (Judges 8:7), Gideon punishes the elders of Succoth with desert thorns and briers.  Also, just as he promised, Gideon pulls down the tower of Peniel, the other Israelite town that earlier had rejected him and his troops (Judges 8:8). 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 8:1-12.  For context, we’ll start at Judges 7:22.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:22-25 (NIV)
22…The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath.
23  Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
24  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.
25  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.

On 7:22b-8:3:  Having routed the Midianites, Gideon calls on different tribes – Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh (7:23) to pursue the fleeing Midianites.  Gideon also calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take possession of the Jordan River so that the Midianites cannot escape.  In addition, the tribe of Ephraim captures and kills two Midianite leaders Oreb and Zeeb (7:25).  Yet the Ephraimites were not happy with Gideon.  They criticize Gideon for leaving them out when deciding who to send to fight the Midianites at first.  Gideon responds wisely, saying that whatever he and his army had accomplished without the Ephraimites was nothing compared to what the Ephraimites were able to accomplish (v2-3).  Gideon’s gentle and self-effacing answer was enough to appease the Ephraimites.  It’s a reminder that “a gentle answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1).  When faced with hostility, may you have the wisdom to speak gently so as to minimize trouble for yourself and others.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:13-25.  But let’s start at verse 8 so that we get some context.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:8-15 (NIV)
8  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.
9  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.
10  If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah
11  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.

On verses 8-15:  At night the LORD told Gideon in verse 9 to get up and go down into the valley against the Midianite camp.  But just in case Gideon was still afraid to go, to give Gideon some extra assurance, the LORD tells Gideon to take his servant Purah and first go down to the Midian camp and listen to what the Midianites are saying (v10-11).  When Gideon and Purah go down to the massive Midianite camp, Gideon happens to overhear one man confessing to his friend a dream he had that a big round loaf of barley bread tumbled into the Midianite camp and destroyed it.  Both the man’s friend (v14) and Gideon (v15) interpret this dream to mean that the God had given the Midianites into the Israelites’ hands.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 7:1-12.  Let’s go!

Judges 7:1-8 (NIV)
1  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.
2  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,
3  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.
4  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.”

On verses 1-8:  God intentionally whittles down the Israelite army from 32,000 to 300.  Why?  God explains it Himself in verse 2: “In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her”.  God wanted the Israelites to know that it was not their own strength that rescued them but God.  So when you are faced with limited resources and wonder why God does not give you more for the moment, remember that God loves to show His power through our limitations.  God loves to take those who are in the minority and do something powerful with them.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 6:28-40.  Let’s go!

Judges 6:28-31 (NIV)
28  In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29  They asked each other, “Who did this?” When they carefully investigated, they were told, “Gideon son of Joash did it.”
30  The men of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
31  But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead Baal’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
 
On verses 28-31:  Gideon obeys God’s command to tear down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that were erected on his house. The townspeople take exception to Gideon’s actions, saying that he must die.  Gideon’s father Joash comes to his son’s defense.  Joash basically makes two points.