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Judges 7
http://www.cai.org/themesheets/category%20ni/si2023au.htm Disraeli and the Sweet Singer of Israel <<Benjamin Disraeli (Benjamin of Israel), The Earl of Beaconsfield (1804-81), is among the most notable of the distinguished men who have held office as British Prime Minister. He was of Jewish extraction but of the Christian faith. <<Inspired by a noble vision of the British Commonwealth and possessing the full confidence of Queen Victoria, Disraeli was not merely successful in upholding the prestige of the Island Kingdom against the machinations of Continental "Babylon"; he was also successful in securing for Britain the control of the vital Suez "gate" and possession of the important island of Cyprus. Whether Disraeli was actuated by a knowledge of his country's true place in God's plan is not known; but the following lines, taken from his novel Tancred, are significant: "The most popular poet in England is the Sweet Singer of Israel. Since the days of the heritage, there never was a race who sang so often the odes of David as the people of Great Britain. It was the "sword of the Lord and of Gideon" that won the boasted liberties of England; and the Scots upon their hillsides achieved their religious freedom chanting the same canticles that cheered the heart of Judah amid their glens.">> [Judges 7:1] THEN JERUBBAAL, WHO IS GIDEON, AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE WITH HIM, ROSE UP EARLY, AND PITCHED BESIDE THE WELL OF HAROD: SO THAT THE HOST OF THE MIDIANITES WERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THEM, BY THE HILL OF MOREH, IN THE VALLEY.. [Judges 7:2] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO GIDEON, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WITH THEE ARE TOO MANY FOR ME TO GIVE THE MIDIANITES INTO THEIR HANDS, LEST ISRAEL VAUNT THEMSELVES AGAINST ME, SAYING, MINE OWN HAND HATH SAVED ME. . [Judges 7:3] NOW THEREFORE GO TO, PROCLAIM IN THE EARS OF THE PEOPLE, SAYING, WHOSOEVER IS FEARFUL AND AFRAID, LET HIM RETURN AND DEPART EARLY FROM MOUNT GILEAD. AND THERE RETURNED OF THE PEOPLE TWENTY AND TWO THOUSAND; AND THERE REMAINED TEN THOUSAND. He had managed to get together 32,000 volunteers. Now he reduces them to 20,000 and finally to 300 though as we shall see he keeps those he sends away in reserve. . [Judges 7:4] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO GIDEON, THE PEOPLE ARE YET TOO MANY; BRING THEM DOWN UNTO THE WATER, AND I WILL TRY THEM FOR THEE THERE: AND IT SHALL BE, THAT OF WHOM I SAY UNTO THEE , THIS SHALL GO WITH THEE, THE SAME SHALL GO WITH THEE; AND OF WHOMSOEVER I SAY UNTO THEE, THIS SHALL NOT GO WITH THEE, THE SAME SHALL NOT GO.. [Judges 7:5] SO HE BROUGHT DOWN THE PEOPLE UNTO THE WATER: AND THE LORD SAID UNTO GIDEON, EVERY ONE THAT LAPPETH OF THE WATER WITH HIS TONGUE, AS A DOG LAPPETH, HIM SHALT THOU SET BY HIMSELF; LIKEWISE EVERY ONE THAT BOWETH DOWN UPON HIS KNEES TO DRINK.. [Judges 7:6] AND THE NUMBER OF THEM THAT LAPPED, PUTTING THEIR HAND TO THEIR MOUTH, WERE THREE HUNDRED MEN: BUT ALL THE REST OF THE PEOPLE BOWED DOWN UPON THEIR KNEES TO DRINK WATER. The sages said that at that time a common form of worship involved reverence to one's own image reflected in the water. The Romans (who adopted much from the Etruscans, Babylonians, and Edomites) later had similar notions, each person having a kind of "genius" or guiding god of his own. This worship had a very strong influence at that time and by refusing to kneel the 300 were going out of their way to disassociate themselves with the prevailing practices. Bin Nun ("Harari Oz") comments that Gideon had been called by God to save Israel. This task involved two aspects: (1) Renewing the Covenant with the Almighty God of Israel and (2) physical salvation of Israel. By first calling out as large a number of volunteers as possible Gideon caused a general response in the people, then by further refining them he achieved an urge for elevation and renewal amongst them. Finally the 300 were chosen as the purest of them all, emissaries of all Israel, and the highest expression of the inner spirit of Israel. [Judges 7:7] AND THE LORD SAID UNTO GIDEON, BY THE THREE HUNDRED MEN THAT LAPPED WILL I SAVE YOU, AND DELIVER THE MIDIANITES INTO THINE HAND: AND LET ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE GO EVERY MAN UNTO HIS PLACE.. [Judges 7:8] SO THE PEOPLE TOOK VICTUALS IN THEIR HAND, AND THEIR TRUMPETS: AND HE SENT ALL THE REST OF ISRAEL EVERY MAN UNTO HIS TENT, AND RETAINED THOSE THREE HUNDRED MEN: AND THE HOST OF MIDIAN WAS BENEATH HIM IN THE VALLEY. . [Judges 7:9] AND IT CAME TO PASS THE SAME NIGHT, THAT THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM, ARISE, GET THEE DOWN UNTO THE HOST; FOR I HAVE DELIVERED IT INTO THINE HAND.. [Judges 7:10] BUT IF THOU FEAR TO GO DOWN, GO THOU WITH PHURAH THY SERVANT DOWN TO THE HOST: [Judges 7:11] AND THOU SHALT HEAR WHAT THEY SAY; AND AFTERWARD SHALL THINE HANDS BE STRENGTHENED TO GO DOWN UNTO THE HOST. THEN WENT HE DOWN WITH PHURAH HIS SERVANT UNTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ARMED MEN THAT WERE IN THE HOST. [Judges 7:12] AND THE MIDIANITES AND THE AMALEKITES AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE EAST LAY ALONG IN THE VALLEY LIKE GRASSHOPPERS FOR MULTITUDE; AND THEIR CAMELS WERE WITHOUT NUMBER, AS THE SAND BY THE SEA SIDE FOR MULTITUDE. . [Judges 7:13] AND WHEN GIDEON WAS COME, BEHOLD, THERE WAS A MAN THAT TOLD A DREAM UNTO HIS FELLOW, AND SAID, BEHOLD, I DREAMED A DREAM, AND, LO, A CAKE OF BARLEY BREAD TUMBLED INTO THE HOST OF MIDIAN, AND CAME UNTO A TENT, AND SMOTE IT THAT IT FELL, AND OVERTURNED IT, THAT THE TENT LAY ALONG.. [Judges 7:14] AND HIS FELLOW ANSWERED AND SAID, THIS IS NOTHING ELSE SAVE THE SWORD OF GIDEON THE SON OF JOASH, A MAN OF ISRAEL: FOR INTO HIS HAND HATH GOD DELIVERED MIDIAN, AND ALL THE HOST.. [Judges 7:15] AND IT WAS SO, WHEN GIDEON HEARD THE TELLING OF THE DREAM, AND THE INTERPRETATION THEREOF, THAT HE WORSHIPPED, AND RETURNED INTO THE HOST OF ISRAEL, AND SAID, ARISE; FOR THE LORD HATH DELIVERED INTO YOUR HAND THE HOST OF MIDIAN. [Judges 7:16] AND HE DIVIDED THE THREE HUNDRED MEN INTO THREE COMPANIES, AND HE PUT A TRUMPET IN EVERY MAN'S HAND, WITH EMPTY PITCHERS, AND LAMPS WITHIN THE PITCHERS.. [Judges 7:17] AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, LOOK ON ME, AND DO LIKEWISE: AND, BEHOLD, WHEN I COME TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAMP, IT SHALL BE THAT, AS I DO, SO SHALL YE DO.. [Judges 7:18] WHEN I BLOW WITH A TRUMPET, I AND ALL THAT ARE WITH ME, THEN BLOW YE THE TRUMPETS ALSO ON EVERY SIDE OF ALL THE CAMP, AND SAY, THE SWORD OF THE LORD, AND OF GIDEON.. [Judges 7:19] SO GIDEON, AND THE HUNDRED MEN THAT WERE WITH HIM, CAME UNTO THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAMP IN THE BEGINNING OF THE MIDDLE WATCH; AND THEY HAD BUT NEWLY SET THE WATCH: AND THEY BLEW THE TRUMPETS, AND BRAKE THE PITCHERS THAT WERE IN THEIR HANDS. Bin Nun points out that 300 men against a camp of more than 135,000 would not necessarily make much of an impression and that the effect they did have was also a miracle. In addition Gideon probably spread his 300 men out so that each one must have felt pretty much alone. These 300 represent the few in Israel who always remain faithful and through whom renewal and great salvation may be achieved at crucial moments. Similarly in Brit-Am we can spread the message to a great number of people many of whom will be interested to a degree, then a few take a deeper interest, and from them a handful finally become strong supporters. This may be enough to make a beginning and fulfill the will of the Almighty. [Judges 7:20] AND THE THREE COMPANIES BLEW THE TRUMPETS, AND BRAKE THE PITCHERS, AND HELD THE LAMPS IN THEIR LEFT HANDS, AND THE TRUMPETS IN THEIR RIGHT HANDS TO BLOW WITHAL: AND THEY CRIED, THE SWORD OF THE LORD, AND OF GIDEON.. [Judges 7:21] AND THEY STOOD EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE ROUND ABOUT THE CAMP; AND ALL THE HOST RAN, AND CRIED, AND FLED.. Orde Wingate (whom we have spoken about elsewhere) admired Gideon, was active in the same region as Gideon, and attempted to emulate the same tactics. Later when in charge of mountain tribesman in Ethiopia who expelled the Italians he employed Jewish subordinates from "Palestine" and called his group, "The Gideon Force". [Judges 7:22] AND THE THREE HUNDRED BLEW THE TRUMPETS, AND THE LORD SET EVERY MAN'S SWORD AGAINST HIS FELLOW, EVEN THROUGHOUT ALL THE HOST: AND THE HOST FLED TO BETHSHITTAH IN ZERERATH, AND TO THE BORDER OF ABELMEHOLAH, UNTO TABBATH.. [Judges 7:23] AND THE MEN OF ISRAEL GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER OUT OF NAPHTALI, AND OUT OF ASHER, AND OUT OF ALL MANASSEH, AND PURSUED AFTER THE MIDIANITES.. [Judges 7:24] AND GIDEON SENT MESSENGERS THROUGHOUT ALL MOUNT EPHRAIM, SAYING, COME DOWN AGAINST THE MIDIANITES, AND TAKE BEFORE THEM THE WATERS UNTO BETHBARAH AND JORDAN. THEN ALL THE MEN OF EPHRAIM GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER, AND TOOK THE WATERS UNTO BETHBARAH AND JORDAN.. [Judges 7:25] AND THEY TOOK TWO PRINCES OF THE MIDIANITES, OREB AND ZEEB; AND THEY SLEW OREB UPON THE ROCK OREB, AND ZEEB THEY SLEW AT THE WINEPRESS OF ZEEB, AND PURSUED MIDIAN, AND BROUGHT THE HEADS OF OREB AND ZEEB TO GIDEON ON THE OTHER SIDE JORDAN.. Ma'ayan Harod: Where Gideon tested his men By HAIM SHAPIRO (July 5) - It is not often that a visitor can gain a real understanding of a biblical account by visiting the site at which it took place, but that is exactly what you can do at Ma'ayan Harod. The national park, built around a spring in the foothills of Mt. Gilboa, is the site of the episode in which Gideon cut back on the number of his soldiers when he faced the Midianites, nomadic marauders from east of the Jordan. According to the account in Judges 7, a force of over 30,000 answered the call to arms, but God told Gideon that he should send home any who were afraid. At this point, 22,000 left, but still God said that there were too many. It was then that God told Gideon to have all the remaining men drink at the spring. All who lapped up the water like dogs were to remain, while those who knelt and took up the water in their hands were to be sent home. Only 300 were left in the remaining force. One can easily visualize the would-be soldiers crowding into the crevice from which the spring emerges, and see them gathering on the stone ledge which surrounds the small pool of fresh water. Then, one can turn around and imagine the Midianites camped on the plain below the spring, and see the small army waiting above for nightfall, with the shofarot, torches and empty jugs with which they were to surprise the enemy. It was also in this area that Orde Wingate, the British officer who organized the force which was to become the Palmah, was active. Wingate, a devout Protestant, derived much of his inspiration and his military philosophy from the Bible. In fact, the use of a small select force to carry out a surprise attack is still a favorite tactic of the IDF. The area was also the scene of other battles, between the Crusaders and the Moslems in the 12th century. And it was the place where the Mamelukes defeated the Mongol invaders in 1260. One can see the home of Eliahu Hankin, who was involved in buying what was then a swamp from the Arabs in the early part of this century. Also visible is the elaborate tomb of Hankin and his wife, Olga. The present park has extensive lawns, forested areas, a swimming pool with dressing rooms and a restaurant. There is a youth hostel nearby and it is possible to camp here from April through September. It is perhaps unfair to be critical of what is quite a beautiful site, but I can't help feeling that the park is just a bit too well-organized. The lawns are too neat and the swimming pool too much like that of a kibbutz or a hotel. All that can't help but detract a bit from the feeling that we are standing where Gideon tested his men. http://www.jpost.com/com/Archive/11.May.1997/Tourism/Article-55.html Judges Index HOme |