Judges 7-9-25 That same night the Lord said to him, Arise, go down against the camp for I have given it into your hand, but if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Pura your servant, and you shall hear what they say and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp. And he went down with Pura his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the east lay along the valley like glocus and abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, behold, I dreamed a dream and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent and struck it, so that it fell, and it turned upside down, so that the tent lay flat. And his comrade answered, This is no other than the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel. God has given it into his hand, Midian, and all the camp. As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them in empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I in all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, For the Lord and for Gideon. Gideon defeats Midian. So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch, and they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hand the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. Then they cried out, A sword for the Lord and for Gideon. Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord said every man's sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth Shetah, toward Zerorah, as far as the border of Abel Miola, by Taboth. And the men of Israel were called out from Naftali and from Asher and from all of Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth Barah and also the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth Barah and also the Jordan, and they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zaeb, and they killed Oreb at the Rock of Oreb and Zaeb they killed at the Wine Press of Zaeb. Then they pursued Midian and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zaeb to Gideon across the Jordan. Judges Chapter 8 Gideon Defeated Ceba and Zalmunah Then the men of Ephraim said to him, What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when we went to fight against Midian? And they accused him fiercely, and he said to them, What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abbeazer? God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zaeb, what have I been able to do in comparison with you? Then their angel against him subsided when he said this. And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over he and the three hundred men who were with him exhausted yet pursuing. So he said to the men of Sukkoth, Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me for they are exhausted. I am pursuing after Zaeb and Zalmunah, the kings of Midian, and the officials of Sukkoth said, Are the hands of Zaeb and Zalmunah already in your hand that we should give bread to your army? So Gideon said, Well then, when the Lord has given Zaeb and Zalmunah into my hand, I will fail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briars. And from there he went up to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And when the men of Penuel answered him, as the men of Sukkoth had answered, he said to the men of Penuel, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. Now Zaeb and Zalmunah were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the east, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Noba and Yagbeha, and attacked the army for the army felt secure. And Zaeb and Zalmunah fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zaeb and Zalmunah, and he threw all the army into a panic. Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle by the ascent of Hyers, and he captured a young man of Sukkoth and questioned him. And he wrote down for him the officials and elders of Sukkoth, 77 men. And he came to the men of Sukkoth and said, Behold, Zaeb and Zalmunah, about whom you taunted me saying, Are the hands of Zaeb and Zalmunah already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are exhausted? And he took the elders of the city, and he took thorns of the wilderness and briars, and with them taught the men of Sukkoth a lesson, and he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. Then he said to Zaeb and Zalmunah, Where are the men whom you killed at Tabor? They answered, As you are, so were they. Every one of them resembled the son of a king, and he said, They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you. So he said to Jethar, His firstborn, Rise and kill them. But the young man did not draw his sword, for he was afraid because he was still a young man. Then Zaeb and Zalmunah said, Rise yourself and fall upon us. For as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose and killed Zaeb and Zalmunah, and he took the Crest and Ornaments that were on the necks of their camels. Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian. Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you. The Lord will rule over you. And Gideon said to them, Let me make a request of you. Every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil, for they had golden earrings because they were Ishmaelites. And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold besides the Crest and Ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of the camels. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city in Ofrah. And all Israel hoarded after it there and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more, and the land had rest for 40 years in the days of Gideon. The Death of Gideon Jerubael the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Now Gideon had 70 sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives, and his concubine, who was in Shechem, also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash's father at Ofrah of the Abizaites. As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and hoarded after the Baals and may Baal beareth their God. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, and they did not show said fast love to the family of Jerubael, that is Gideon, and returned for all the good that he had done to Israel. John chapter 5 verses 31 through 47. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth, not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John, for the works that the Father has given me to accomplish. The very works that I am doing bear witness about me, that the Father has sent me, and the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people, but I know that you do not have the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive me. How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you, Moses, on whom you have set your hope, for if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me, but if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words? Psalm 77 verses 1 through 9. In the day of trouble I seek the Lord. I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord, and the night my hand is stretched out without wearing. My soul refuses to be comforted. When I remember God, I moan. When I meditate, my spirit paints. Sella. You hold my eyelids open. I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I consider the days of old, the years long ago. I said, let me remember my song in the night. Let me meditate in my heart. Then my spirit made a diligent search. Will the Lord's spurn forever and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever seized, are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion? Sella.
