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GIDEON:  A JUDGE & A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR

 

The Preface to Gideon

Lesson 1

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The apostle Paul tells us that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning…” (Rom. 15:4).

 

B.      In this lesson, we will begin a study of a man who lived long ago, and was written about aforetime.

 

C.     He stood out enough that the writer of Hebrews included his name in “The Hall of Fame of the Faithful” in Hebrews 11 (Heb. 11:32).

 

And what shall I more say?  for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets.

 

1.       The man heads this list, Gideon.

2.       His story comprises three chapters found in the Old Testament book of Judges (Judg. 6-8).  These three chapters contain exactly 100 verses in the King James Version.

 

D.     Before we begin a detailed study of those three chapters, however, we want to examine some introductory material.

1.       The Period of the Judges

2.       The Background of Gideon

3.       The Midianites

4.       An Outline:  “Gideon, A Mighty Man of Valor” (Judg. 6:12)

 

I.                    THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES

 

A.     The book of Judges begins with these words:  “Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass…” (Judg. 1:1).

1.       Joshua was the military commander of the children of Israel during the wilderness wanderings under the leadership of Moses.

2.       After the death of Moses, Joshua took the leadership position in Israel and led Israel into the Promised Land.

3.       Following the death of Joshua, the nation of Israel was designed to function as a theocracy.

a.       God was the Ruler of the nation.

b.      The high priest functioned as the spiritual leader.

c.       If a military leader were needed, God would raise one up.

 

B.      Basic Facts:

1.       The period of time covered in Judges is about 365 years (1350 B.C. – 1014 B.C.).  The time period begins with the death of Joshua and ends at the beginning of Saul’s reign as the first king of Israel.

2.       There were a total of fifteen (15) judges during this period.

a.       The first judge:  Othniel

b.      The last judge:  Eli

c.       One female judge:  Deborah

3.       The term “judge”

a.       The word “judge” means deliverer.

b.      The judge was raised up to deliver Israel from the hands of their oppressors.

c.       NOTE:  No judge ever ruled over all of the tribes. 

4.       The period of the judges is a dark point in the history of Israel (Judg. 17:6; 21:25)

 

And in those days there was not king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

 

C.     The cycle found in the book of Judges (See Judg. 2:11-19)

1.       “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim” (Judg. 2:11).

2.       “And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of the spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies (Judg. 2:14).

3.       “…for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them” (Judg. 2:18b).

4.       “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them…And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge…” (Judg. 2:16, 18a).

5.       “And the land had rest…” (Judg. 3:11, 30; 5:31).

6.       “And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more then their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way” (Judg. 2:19).

 

II.                 BACKGROUND ON GIDEON

 

A.     The name

1.       Gideon

a.       This is the most common name of this judge.

1)      It is used 40 times in 38 verses.

2)      In the New Testament, some verses spell the name as Gedeon instead of Gideon (See Heb. 11:32).

b.      Meaning:  “feller” (that is, warrior)

2.       Gideon is also called Jerubbaal.

a.       We read of this name 14 times in 13 verses.

b.      Judges 7:1

 

Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon…

 

c.       This name means:  “Let Baal plead.”

3.       Gideon is also called Jerubbesheth in II Samuel 11:21.  The name means “shame” or “let the shameful plead.”

 

B.      Family

1.       He was the son of Joash (Judg. 6:11).

 

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertaineth unto Joash the Abiezrite:  and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

a.       He lived in a place called Ophrah.

 

Map - Ophrah - BibleBento.com

 

b.      An Abiezrite

1)      One of the family of Abiezer

2)      He was a descendant of Joseph’s son Manasseh (Josh. 17:2).

2.       The immediate family of Gideon (Judg. 8:29-31)

 

And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.  And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten:  for he had many wives.  And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abemelech.

 

a.       He had many wives.

b.      He had a concubine.

c.       He had seventy sons by his wives.

d.      He one son by his concubine whose name was Abimelech.

 

C.     Gideon’s qualities (Judg. 6:12)

 

And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

 

1.       Mighty man

a.       Strong (1368):  powerful, by implication warrior      :- champion, chief, mighty, strong, valiant man

b.      BDB:  strong, mighty, strong man, brave man

2.       Man of valor

a.       Strong (2428):  a force, one having means or resources

b.      BDB:  strength, might, efficiency, ability

 

D.     A judge of Israel (Judg. 6:14)

 

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?

 

1.       Note:  It was told Gideon:  “…thou shalt save Israel…”

2.       Shalt save:

a.       Strong (3467):  to open, wide or free, to be safe, to free, to succour

b.      BDB:  to save, to be saved, delivered, to be liberated, to be victorious, to give victory to

 

E.      Gideon’s death (Judg. 8:32)

 

And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezerites.

 

a.       Died in a good old age.

b.      He was buried in the sepulcher of this father.

c.       He was buried in Ophrah of the Abiezerites.

 

 

III.              THE MIDIANITES

 

A.     In the days of Gideon, it was the Midianites who oppressed Israel (Judg. 6:1).

 

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord:  and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

 

B.      Background

1.       The first mention we have of the Midianites is when Joseph was sold to a band of Midianites (Gen. 37:28).

2.       Their lineage goes back to Abraham through his wife Keturah (Gen. 25:1-2).

 

Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.  And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

 

3.       Location:

 

The land of Midian---Joshua 13:21 And all the cities of the plain, and all  the kingdom of Sîçôn סִיחוֹן king of the ´Émörîm אֱמֹרִים… | Bible mapping,  Bible, Egypt

 

4.       Moses fled into Midian when he first left Egypt.  There he made his abode with Jethro who was of a subtribe known as the Kenites (Exo. 2:15-22).

a.       Jethro was a priest of Midian (v. 16).

b.      Moses married one of Jethro’s daughters named Zipporah (v. 21).

c.       Zipporah bare Moses a son named Gershom (v. 22).

5.       During the wilderness wanderings we learn that some of the Midianites had become an evil people (Num. 25:6, 15).

6.       By the time of the judges, Midian was one of the nations who oppressed Israel when she committed sin.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Gideon will be the judge who is responsible for repressing the Midianites.

 

B.      He is a very interesting character.  He often demanded divine proof from God.  However, when he was fully convinced, he moved forward with unwavering faith to do God’s will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GIDEON:  A JUDGE & A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR

 

Lesson Plan

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      The Preface to Gideon

 

Judges 6

 

2.     The Plight of Israel (Judg. 6:1-6)

3.     The Prophet of the Lord (Judg. 6:7-10)

4.     The Presence of the Lord (Judg. 6:11-16)

5.     The Proof Given to Gideon (Judg. 6:17-21)

6.     The Praise by Gideon (Judg. 6:22-24)

7.     The Pulling Down of the Altar of Baal (Judg. 6:25-32)

8.     The Pledge Given before Battle (Judg. 6:33-40)

 

 

Judges 7

 

9.     The Preparation for the Battle (Judg. 7:1-8)

10. The Prophetic Dream of Victory (Judg. 7:9-15)

11. The Plans for Attack (Judg. 7:16-18)

12. The Program Carried Out (Judg. 7:19-23)

13. The Pursuit by Ephraim (Judg. 7:24-25)

 

 

Judges 8

 

14. The Protest by Ephraim (Judg. 8:1-3)

15. The Provisions Refused by Succoth and Penuel (Judg. 8:4-9)

16. The Procurement of Victory (Judg. 8:10-12)

17. The Punishment of Succoth and Penuel (Judg. 8:13-17)

18. The Princes of Midian Slain (Judg. 8:18-21)

19. The Position Refused by Gideon (Judg. 8:22-23)

20. The Priestly Ephod Made by Gideon (Judg. 8:24-27)

21. The Postlife of Gideon (Judg. 8:28-31)

22. The Passing of Gideon (Judg. 8:32-35)