Bible Commentaries

GIDEON

‘And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?’

Judges 6:14

I. Gideon’s attitude towards God’s work, though not satisfactory, was due not so much to a flaw in his spirit as to a mental blindness to duty.—This could be, and was, easily amended. But the narrator goes on to show that there are other attitudes which men assume, and which unfit them for doing anything for God in the world. When Gideon had gathered 32,000 volunteers to attack Midian, God saw how much untrustworthy material existed in this army. Two devices were used to weed it of its elements of weakness, to reject from it all whom God counted unfit to fight His battles. First, whosoever was faint-hearted should leave the ranks and quit the field. Two-thirds of the whole army took advantage of this proclamation—a striking evidence of the different estimate men make of danger and hard work at a distance and at hand. The large numbers of the Christian army are similarly made up: those who answer God’s summons at first, but take the earliest opportunity of backing out of their engagements. It is better they should leave, for their faint-heartedness would be contagious, and unnerve their comrades. Every one knows how easy it is to work alongside of a cheery, bright, hopeful spirit; how difficult to bear up against the continual complaint, and fear, and wretchedness of the cowardly. Such, therefore, God rejects from His army.

II. The men who were left after this elimination of the cowards were still too many to defeat the Midianites.—A large number might be remaining in the ranks merely from shame, though they had no great heart for the business, and others of whom the army needed to be thinned. Therefore the simple device of those who put their mouths to the water being rejected, and those who merely took it in their hands being retained, settled the numbers of the army. This simple device showed a real difference of temperament in the men, and set them off into two well-defined classes—the men who were so eager for the fight, and so full of the presence of the enemy, that they could not have patience even to settle themselves to slake their thirst, and the men who were not sorry for any little delay in meeting the enemy, and who desired, if they were to fight, at least to be comfortable themselves. The former class alone, then, were judged by God to be in a right attitude towards His work. The common rank and file of Christians are ready enough to waste time over objects they count most necessary, and are not sorry of excuse for hanging back from duty where one may get more blows than comforts. A very small proportion of our good Christian people count their own ends merely things by the way, and hurry as fast as possible past them to save time for higher aims.

III. As the tribe of Ephraim was vexed because they had not been asked to help at first in the destruction of the Midianites, so certain persons to-day are really hurt if they are not asked to help in every good work, are offended if they are not asked for subscriptions, and if they are not counted on for assistance in any undertaking that calls for wisdom, perseverance, and grace. They are the most useful men in the Christian Church and in the world, and we are willing to suppose that Ephraim was of this spirit. But there are others who, when a good work is in its infancy, and has not got over its first difficulties, make no movement to assist it; but no sooner does it begin to grow and become popular, than they come forward and loudly complain that they were never asked to join.

IV. Are there not even now those who assume the attitude of the men of Succoth and Penuel, and refuse every appeal to assist those who are faint by pursuing God’s work?—There are still men who have no eye for spiritual importance, but measure all things by their outward appearance, and by their relation to their own comfort.

V. Gideon felt that there was a ludicrous disproportion between the means at his command and the work he was to accomplish.—But then behind him was the unseen but mighty wind of God’s Spirit, that swept him on and made him invincible. This must be the encouragement of each of us in all duty. We can do nothing of ourselves, but there is nothing we may not do if the Spirit of God carries us forward as its instrument. Faint we all of us must often be, who are striving with any earnestness against sin, and who are concerned for the numberless; varieties of distress exhibited by our fellow-men. Faintness is the lot of all who undertake laborious and difficult tasks. Faint, let us still be pursuing and remembering our duty, and remembering the promise of God, that in due time we shall reap, if we faint not.

Illustrations

(1) ‘We are all tested in the less, before being honoured to undertake the greater. Gideon must first deal with the idolatries of the home, before he can confront the rooted evils of the fatherland. God help us to be faithful in the very little; then the gates of iron will open before us, and the gates of brass shall not be shut.’

(2) ‘God knew the heart of His people, and how quick they would be to take the credit of victory to themselves; and the lesson He meant to teach them was that they must look to God for deliverance in all times of difficulty, never at themselves or others. So Gideon is directed to announce that all who were fearful and afraid might return to their homes. An honest confession is surely good for the soul; but it is humiliating to see twenty-two thousand men, over two-thirds of the army, confessing that they are afraid, and deserting the ranks before ever the first battle is on. A brave set surely!’

(3) ‘There is a story told in history in the ninth century, of a young man that came up with a little handful of men to attack a king who had a great army of three thousand men. The young man had only five hundred, and the king sent a messenger to the young man, saying that he need not fear to surrender, for he would treat him mercifully. The young man called up one of his soldiers, and said, “Take this dagger, and drive it into your heart”; and the young soldier took the dagger, and drove it into his heart. And calling up another, he said to him, “Leap into yon chasm”; and the man leaped into the chasm. The young man then said to the messenger, “Go back and tell your king I have got five hundred men like these. We will die, but we will never surrender. And tell your king another thing; that I will have him chained with my dog, inside half-an-hour.” And when the king heard that, he did not dare to meet them, and his army fled before them like chaff before the wind, and within twenty-four hours he had the king chained with his dog. That is the kind of zeal we want. “We will die, but we will never surrender.” We will work till Jesus comes, and then we will rise with Him.’

(4) ‘In the late war between Japan and Russia a Japanese force lay before an almost impregnable position. It had to be captured, but before the attack was made the Japanese commander sent one regiment to the rear. He was asked afterwards why he had done that, and he answered, “Because I saw fear in their eyes.”’