God Chooses Gideon

Title Options:The Lord chooses Gideon to lead his people.Gideon trusts in the Lord.The Lord shows he is stronger than idols and human oppressors.

The Israelites again sinned against the Lord by worshiping [serving] Canaanite gods, especially the evil god [idol] Ba’al. So the Lord let enemies called Midianites rule over [oppress] them [the Israelites] for seven years.

Every year, before the Israelites harvested their grain fields, very many Midianites would come into Israel, riding camels.

The Midianites would steal [capture] all the Israelites’ grain and livestock, leaving nothing. So the Israelites were starving [very hungry] and were helpless [powerless] to resist the Midianites.

Many Israelites stayed [lived] in caves or in the wilderness [regions], to be safe. After seven years, the Israelites again cried out [prayed] to the Lord to rescue [save] them from the Midianites.

One day, a poor Israelite was threshing grain in a secret place. His name was Gideon. The Lord’s angel came and sat in the shade of a tree, near Gideon. He [The angel] said to him, “Go rescue the Israelites from the Midianites, for [because] I myself am sending you!

“Tonight, go demolish [destroy] your father’s altar where he worships [the idol] Ba’al. Then build an altar where you will worship me, the Lord!”

So Gideon and his servants pulled down his father’s Ba’al altar, and they cut down a carved idol pole dedicated [made] for a Canaanite goddess.

Gideon built [set up] a new altar there for the Lord. He sacrificed [killed] a bull and offered it to the Lord. He set fire to the carved idol pole and burned up the bull.

Next day, when people saw that Gideon had destroyed their altar and idol pole, they became angry and wanted to kill him.

But Gideon’s father said to them, “Why are you defending [angry for] Ba’al? If Ba’al is real and powerful [a truly powerful idol /god], then let him defend himself!” So the people did not harm Gideon.

Soon, messengers came and said [to the Israelites], “The Midianites and other enemies have crossed Jordan River! They will soon attack us [and rob our food and our livestock!]”

So Gideon sent messengers to people in many towns in Israel saying, “All Israelite warriors must come quickly to fight against our enemies!”

That night, Gideon prayed to the Lord, saying, “If you are going to help us, then make this woolen fleece [sheep skin/fur] I put on the ground be wet with dew [rain] where the ground is dry!” Next morning the wool [fleece / fur] was wet whereas the ground [around it] was dry.

Next night, Gideon prayed to the Lord, saying, “If you are going to help us, then make this woolen fleece [sheep skin/fur] [I put on the ground] be dry where the ground is wet!” Next morning the wool [fleece / fur] was dry where the ground was wet.

Now Gideon felt [was] sure that the Lord would help him to rescue the Israelites.

After many warriors came to Gideon, the Lord said to him, “There are too many warriors. They would boast that they won a victory by their own strength. So send away [home] all the men who are afraid!”Gideon did so, but there remained about 10,000 men.

Next, the Lord said, “There are still too many warriors. So lead the men to a [water] stream to drink. Send away [home] all who do not lift water in their hand [to drink]!” After Gideon did so, there remained [were] only 300 men.

Afterwards, the Lord said, “With these 300 men, I will give you victory over the Midianites!”

That night, the Lord said, “Sneak [creep quietly] into the enemy’s camp and listen to what the Midianites shall say. What you shall hear will encourage [embolden] you to attack them!”

When it was dark, Gideon sneaked [crept quietly] near a tent where he heard an enemy say, “In a dream, I saw a little bread roll against our tent and knock it down [demolish it]!

His companion replied, “Your dream must mean that God will give to Gideon victory over us!”

When Gideon heard this, he thanked the Lord. He then hurried to the Israelite camp. Then the Lord told [revealed] to Gideon what he must do.

The Lord said, “Divide the 300 men into three groups. Tell each man to carry a ram’s horn [a sheep’s horn trumpet], and a clay [earthen] jar [pot] with a torch [fire] in it!”

Gideon ordered the men, “Take up positions surrounding the enemy camp. Watch me and do as I do!”

In the middle of the night, Gideon and the hundred men with him blew [sounded] their horns [trumpets] [making a very big noise!]. Then they broke their clay jars, showing their torches.

Then the other 200 men did the same. There was much loud noise! And the 300 torches shone brightly in the darkness of night.

Holding their [the] torch in their left hand and their [the] horn in their right hand, all the Israelite men shouted, “We are fighting for [by the authority of] the Lord and for [by the authority/name of] Gideon!”

When the Midianites saw and heard this, they panicked [became very scared], and they began attacking each other [one another]. Many died and the others ran far away.

Next, Gideon sent messengers to people in other towns in Israel saying, “Come now! Chase and attack the Midianites!”

While chasing the Midianites, Gideon’s men became hungry. So Gideon asked the people in two Israelite towns to give them food. But those people refused.

Those people refused to give them food, because they were afraid that the Midianites might win the battle, then come and punish them for helping the Israelites.

After the Israelites killed about 120,000 Midianites, about 15,000 Midianites were still alive.

In one attack, Gideon’s men defeated those 15,000 men, and they took captive the Midianite kings. Gideon later killed those kings.

After the battles, Gideon ordered his men, “Go back to the two towns that refused to share food with us, and punish [beat] their leaders with thorns and briers!”

Because the Lord gave Gideon victory, the Israelites said to him, “We want you to rule over us, because you rescued us from our enemies. And after your death, your sons will rule over us!”

Gideon replied, “No! Only the Lord must rule over you!”

But Gideon also said, “Each man should give to me some gold that you took from the Midianites!” And the men did so gladly.

Later Gideon used that gold to make a sacred golden vest [shirt] for himself, which he kept in his hometown [village].

Soon, the Israelites began again to sin against the Lord by worshipping [asking favors and fortunes from] that golden vest [shirt]. That golden vest became a snare [trouble / trap] to Gideon and his family.

Even so, after Gideon defeated the Midianites, the people of Israel Land lived in peace for [during another] forty years.

But after Gideon died, the Israelites again forgot the Lord who had rescued them. They began again to worship [serve] Canaanite gods, especially the god [idol] Ba’al.