Teaching Notes

TH1010: JUDGES

In Jeremiah chapter 2, God rebukes Israel for turning from the true and living God to serve that which are not gods. They turned to those objects of worship that profit nothing, they are useless. The Lord says "For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13. God is saying that they have turned from the pure, the refreshing, the living waters that can only come from Him. And those cisterns that were hewn out of the rock to hold the rain water are broken and unable to hold water. And even if some remained, it would be stagnant, full of bacteria and other organisms, and not pure, but polluted, stale and not able to sustain that abundant life that can only come from God. What they were going to do in Jeremiah's days, they had already begun in the book of Judges. They turned from the fountain of living waters to the polluted waters of the world. And so as we move into Judges chapter 6, we move into the fourth apostasy, and thus, the fourth enemy which God will raise-up to bring judgment upon Israel.

JUDGES 6

VERSES 1-6

1. This time the oppression is coming from the Midianites who were basically nomadic people, traveling from area to area. Thus, the Midianites and the Amalekites covered an area south of the Dead Sea, all the way down to Gaza, which was down along the Mediterranean Sea. Because they were nomadic people, they did not stay in an area long enough to raise crops and would trade for what they needed. But now they saw an easier way. When the children of Israel where bringing in their harvest of crops, the Midianites and Amalekites would swarm down upon them like locust, and steal their crops. They would leave the land barren, not even enough for the animals to eat and these raiders could travel as far as 100 miles in a day by camel, so they were a long range threat, even though it was only seasonal, during harvest time.

2. The Midianites were relatives also, they were the halfbrothers of the Hebrews, for they were the descendants of Abraham's son, Midian, by his concubine Keturah. And in Genesis 25:1-6 we read that Abraham sent him and his brothers, eastward and they became a nation. But now they have moved westward, across the Jordan River, and to the south, oppressing Israel.

3. Again we see Israel cry out to God, not because of their sin, but because of their oppression. For 7 years this oppression continued, but it did not led to repentance as we will see with the next several verses, for a prophet will rebuke them, and if they had repented of their sin, he would not have done this.

VERSES 7-10

1. The prophet begins by re-capping the power and faithfulness of God by going over their history. He reminded them of how God delivered them from their bondage in Egypt, and gave them the land of Canaan. How He drove out mighty nations from before them, and now, because of their disobedience, they are not even able to drive these band of raiders who are definitely notas strong as the other nations. And this prophet tells them that their failure is this "You have not obeyed My voice."

2. Obedience shows relationship in that if you really love God, you will listen and do what He is saying to you. Jesus contrasted these two types of behaviors in John chapter 14 when He said "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments...If anyone loves Me, He will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with Him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me." John 14:15, 23-24. Obedience is tied with intimate fellowship with God, that abiding relationship with Him. While disobedience shows the distant and uncaring relationship with Him. Israel, by their actions, was saying that they did not love the Lord, who set them free. What about us? Do our actions, our behavior, reflect the love we have for the one who has set us free from the bondage of sin?

VERSE 11

1. Gideon comes on the scene, an Abiezrite, from the tribe of Manasseh. And we have some 100 verses related to this man covering some 3 chapters. The next closest Judge was Samson, which had some 96 verses on him covering some 4 chapters. So we know allot about this man Gideon. Now as we read we will see that he was not a perfect man, nor was he a mighty man to start with, which has to be an encouragement to us, as we see what God can do with a man like Gideon.

2. We find Gideon down by the winepress threshing his wheat. And as we read over that we might miss what is going on. First of all the winepress was located at the base of a hill, where the vineyard was located. Thus, you would carry the grapes down to the winepress to squeeze them and get the juice out of them.

On the other hand, the threshing floor was located at the top of a hill. The reason of course is when you would thresh your wheat, toss it up in the air with the winnowing fork, the wind would catch the chaff and would blow it away, while the heavier wheat would fall back to the ground. Thus, you needed to be high up so you could catch the wind.

3. So we find Gideon hiding from the enemy down by the winepress, trying to thresh the wheat in an area that was not suited for that. You see, if he went to the top of the hill to thresh the wheat, these raiders would come in and steal the wheat from him. Thus, it must have been very frustrating as he tried to thresh the wheat in this small area with very little wind, but what else could he do?

VERSE 12

1. Here we see a theophany or the pre-incarnate Christ speaking to Gideon. And the Lord calls him a "Mighty man of valor!" Now I don't know about you, but all I can see is a man threshing his wheat in the winepress, a coward, hiding from the enemy. I don't see a "Mighty man of valor!"

2. Do you know why we don't see him as a mighty man of valor? Because we are looking at the outward actions and God is looking at the potential, his heart. God takes the weak of this world and He will put to shame the strong. You see, God doesn't look at us for what we are, but He see's us for what He knows we can become. Remember when Samuel came to anoint one of the sons of Jesse king. And Samuel saw seven of Jesse's sons, thinking one of these strong, fine looking men would be king. "But the LORD said to Samuel, `Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD does not see as a man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7. And Samuel anoints this little shepherd boy, David, who would be king in Israel.

3. That should be an encouragement to all of us. God is not looking for the outward talents of a person, but the inward, the heart, to see his potential. In a few weeks we will be studying the life of Samson, a man of great potential, but ended up falling far short of reaching what God intended for him. Why? Because of his disobedience. He played with fire and got burned! If each of us would know what God has planned for our lives, we would mess it up by rushing ahead of the plan of God. But don't ever forget that God takes people like you and me to make a difference in this world, for His glory. What a honor, to be used as an instrument for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

VERSE 13

1. Not only was he hiding in the winepress like a coward, but now we see how weak his faith is. He is doubting God's power and faithfulness because of the situation they were in. But the reason they were going through this oppression was not because of God's unfaithfulness, but because of their unfaithfulness to God.

VERSE 14

1. God is sending Gideon out not in the power of Gideon's might, but in the power of God working through this man, as God equips him for the work that lies ahead.

VERSE 15

1. God did not ask Gideon to go and do this task, to deliver Israel, because he was somebody. God knew that his family within the tribe of Manasseh was the least significant, and how Gideon rated even in his own family, but our God can do all things. What is God looking for in a man or woman? II Chronicles 16:9 tells us "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."

2. It is interesting to see how Gideon responds, much like we would. We pray for God to work through us, and then when He lays out the plan and asks us to take that step of faith, we say "I can't do that!" "Are you sure LORD!" If God has sent you, you can rest assured that the work will be accomplished, not in your strength, but His!

VERSES 16-24

1. The key to the victory is found in verse 16, and it is not Gideon, but the Lord. But the words of God are not enough for Gideon, he wants a sign to confirm that this was of the Lord. So Gideon prepares a burnt offering (the goat), a peace offering (the unleavened bread), and a drink offering (the broth), for the Lord. And understand that this was a long process, he did not run out to the local IGA and pick up a slab of goat, some bread and a drink. He had to prepare all of this. And as he brings this before the Lord, the Lord touches it with the end of his staff and the sacrifice is consumed in the fire. Gideon wanted a sign, he got one, and now he is afraid that God was going to destroy him. We must get our concepts of God right, otherwise they will be warped and untrue, and we will come to the wrong conclusion about God as Gideon did. But God reassures him and Gideon builds an altar there and calls the place the LORD our peace. You see, Gideon looked ahead, past the times of war, to a time of peace which God would bring them.

2. We, as Christians, have the word of God to guide us, to tell us what is right and what is wrong, and yet we doubt what God has said, or try to change it. God's word is very clear but many times we try to justify our sin by twisting it, and then we cloud things up. Listen to this story from the Chicago Sun-Times, 4-24-95, regarding Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in regards to some parts of the New Testament being "problematic." "Bernardin, in a hourlong speech at Hebrew University, said the Gospel according to John is `Generally considered among the most problematic of all the New Testament books in its outlook toward Jews and Judaism.' Bernardin, in his speech, cited John 8:44, in which John `placed on the lips of Jesus' the belief that Jews are the children of the devil.' `Christians today must come to see that such teachings, while an acknowledged part of their Biblical heritage, can no longer be regarded as definitive teachings.' Bernardin said."

VERSES 25-26

1. His family were Baal worshipers and the wooden image or Asherah pole was a phallic symbol cut into the wood and worshiped. You see, the power of procreation always fascinated these cultures and they worshiped it.

2. Gideon's first mission was small, a step of faith for preparing for what was ahead. And the first place the battle was fought was not in the streets but in his own house, as he destroyed these idols from among his family.

VERSES 27-30

1. Gideon accomplishes the task that God sent him to do, he destroyed the places of idol worship, and when the men of the city found out what Gideon did, they wanted to kill him. That shows me how far they had fallen, for the reality of the situation is that they should have been killed for their idol worship.

VERSES 31-32

1. Gideon's father, Joash, sticks-up for his son by basically saying "If Baal is a god, let him take care of himself!" You see, God does not need anyone to defend Him, He can defend Himself. But not so for these false god's, they needed someone to defend them. Remember when the Philistines took the Ark and placed it next to their god Dagon. The next morning Dagon was flat on his face, so the Philistines picked him back up. I guess he couldn't do it himself. Then, on the following morning he was back on the floor again, but this time his head and the palms of his hands were broken off, all that was intact was his torso. Not much of a god?

2. We can also note that they call Gideon, Jerubbaal, which means "one who contends against Baal."

VERSES 33-40

1. The enemy is gathering in the valley of Jezreel, which we know as the valley of Meggido, where the battle of Armageddon will take place. And the Spirit of God comes upon Gideon, but he still is not sure if this is of God, if Israel will get the victory. The problem here is that God already told Gideon they would defeat the enemy. But just to make sure he offers a fleece before God, to seek His will. It was a condition that God had to first meet before Gideon would act upon what God already told him to do. Again it shows us the lack of faith on Gideon's part.

2. As Christians today we don't need to put out a fleece before God, for we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. In fact, the last time we see lots cast is in Acts 1:15-26, when the disciples were trying to fill the vacancy that Judas left. They chose two men, Justice and Matthias. And they cast lots asking the Lord which one of these two men would be the one, and the lot fell on Matthias. The problem was they were saying to God which one of these two men, and the reality of the situation was neither of them.

You see, Paul was to be the one, but Paul was not yet ready yet to take that position, but he was the 12th apostle. (Acts 9:15-16, I Corinthians 1:1, 9:1, II Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Romans 1:1, 11:13, Ephesians 1:1, I Timothy 1:1). And after this episode in the New Testament we don't see lots cast or fleeces put out anymore. Don't put God in the position of either/or for it may be neither of your choices. They Holy Spirit now directs us, as He directed the church in the beginning. And we must wait and pray for Him to show us. Remember, ASK, SEEK KNOCK, be sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is saying. Spend time with God, quite time with Him, so that He may direct you. You see our victory is in our faith, not in putting out fleeces. I John 5:4 says "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith."

JUDGES 7

VERSES 1-3

1. The army of Gideon, some 32,000 men, were assembled at the well of Harod, which is at the foot of Mount Gilboa. The Midianites had an army of some 135,000 and where located some 3 to 4 miles away at the foot of the hill of Moreh. From a human perspective, Israel was outnumbered. From a Godly perspective, they had to many troops, and as God gave them the victory, they would take the credit instead of glorifying God. As Psalm 33 says "No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength...Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield." Psalm 33:16, 20.

2. So God tells Gideon to send home those soldiers who are fearful, and he must have thought maybe a few hundred men might leave, but 22,000 departed and only 10,000 are left. God does not want the fearful in battle for they will be like a cancer and their fear will spread throughout the camp. It will be a discouragement to the others. In Deuteronomy 20:8 we read "Then the officers shall speak further to the people, and say, `What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted: Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brethren faint like his heart.'" You see, where there is fear, there is no FAITH!

3. John Wesley said "Give me a hundred men who fear nothing but sin and love nothing but God, and I will shake the gates of hell!"

VERSES 4-6

1. God is going to decrease their numbers even more. All those who get down on their knees to drink water will be separated and sent home. And those who lap water out of their hands will remain. And 9,700 men get down on their knees to drink water, and what God is saying here is that when you become so engrossed in satisfying your own physical needs, that you take your eyes off of the enemy - which is a very dangerous thing to do.

VERSE 7

1. The odds now are over 450 to 1 against Israel, they only have 300 men while the Midianites have 135,000.

VERSES 8-14

1. Each of the 300 men had in their possession a clay pot, a torch, and a rams horn. Now God is trying to encourage Gideon, since he lost 31,700 men. So He sends Gideon and his servant Purah to the enemies camp, and they hear this man talking about a dream he had to his companion. Obviously God put not only the dream, but its interpretation into their hearts. Basically, a barely cake, which was insignificant, came and destroyed the tents of the Midianites. They recognized that it must be speaking of Gideon and that he and his army would defeat them. That had to be encouraging to Gideon. It had to pump him up to hear those words. And it did as we shall see.

VERSES 15-20

1. The middle watch was about 10:00 pm (first watch 6-10 pm, middle watch 10 pm - 2 am, morning watch 2-6 am). And so most of the enemy was sleeping, and the army of Gideon is all around them, split up in three divisions. And so when Gideon blew his ram's horn, all his men where to do the same. Then they broke their pitchers making this loud startling noise. And when they took their smoldering torches out of their pitchers and waved them in the air, the embers would burst into flame. They then shouted "The sword of the LORD and Gideon." This brought mass panic and confusion within the camp of the enemy as we shall see.

VERSES 21-25

1. They were so confused they started killing each other, as they thought the enemy was within their camp. And Gideon and his men defeated around 120,000 men, while 15,000 tried to escape according to Judges 8:10. And now the other tribes come in to aid Gideon and his men in defeating the enemy. The 2 princes of the Midianites, Oreb, which means Raven, and Zeeb, which means Wolf, were captured and killed by the men of Ephraim.

2. This was a step of faith on Gideon's part, to go into battle with only 300 men, against an enemy of 135,000 men. And Gideon is listed in that great hall of faith in Hebrews chapter 11, for

he acted on what God had instructed him to do and his faith grew. Hebrews 11:6 says this in regards to faith, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

JUDGES 8

VERSE 1

1. Isn't it amazing how many people want to get involved after the battle is over, or when most of the work is done and the victory assured. Ephraim did just that, and gave Gideon a hard time about not calling them sooner. First of all do you really think Ephraim would have come running when this tiny tribe of Manasseh called upon them? Ephraim was one of the strongest tribes and they would not rally under them? No way!

2. We are going to see the men of Ephraim do this again in Judges chapter 12, as they complain to Jepthah about not calling them to go to war, and Jepthah gives us a little insight to where their heart was at. He said "My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hands. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?" Judges 12:2-3. And Jepthah deals a little differently with the men of Ephraim then Gideon did, for Jepthah killed 42,000 of them. But Gideon was a little more diplomatic about the situation.

VERSES 2-3

1. Gideon was a diplomat, and very humble in his actions. He says to them that what he has done is nothing compared to what they have done. God delivered the prices of Midian into their hands. And thus, the gleaning of Ephraim is better than our whole harvest. What a diplomat! As proverbs 15:1 says "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours out foolishness."

VERSES 4-12

1. These 300 men of Gideon are in pursuit of 15,000 of the enemy. And they come to Succoth and Penuel and ask for food, but they refuse to give them food, just in case the Midianites win, they don't want to side with a loser. But Gideon pronounces judgment upon them and will deal with them after he defeats the Midianites, and teach them a lesson.

VERSES 13-17

1. So Gideon comes back to these cities and takes the elders of Succoth and scourges them with thorns, most likely killing them and he tares down the tower in Penuel and kills the men of that city.

VERSES 18-21

1. These 2 guys, Zebah and Zalmunna, killed Gideon's brothers, and so Gideon was going to do the same to them, as Deuteronomy 19:6, 12 says he should do as the avenger of blood. But instead of Gideon doing the job, he was going to let his young son do the work, which was the ultimate shame, a youth killing you in battle. But this young boy couldn't so Gideon does it himself.

VERSES 22-27

1. The people wanted to make Gideon and his descendants after him king, kind of a perpetual kingship coming from the linage of Gideon. But Gideon was wise in this manner, for he knew only God could be their king. But even though he said this, he begins to act like a king, as he asks for all the gold earrings taken as plunder from the battle, and he makes them into a ephod, which became a snare to Israel. Gideon should have destroyed it or better yet never had made it in the first place.

VERSES 28-32

1. 40 years of rest lead once again to complacency. Gideon has many wives unto himself, which God did not say he should do, for this too would become a snare or a disaster to Gideon. We will see that the 70 sons he had, 69 of them will be destroyed by a son he had by a concubine in Shechem.

VERSES 33-35

1. After the death of Gideon, the people fell back into idolatry and into confusion. In fact Gideon and his children whom they wanted to make as their king, they could care less about. Interesting how the hearts of the people can change so quickly. But God's love for us is never changing!