The People of Midian Oppress Israel
Judges 6, verse 1. Then the sons of Israel did evil before the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, Judges 6, verse 2. and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. The sons of Israel made dens for themselves in the mountains and caves, and strongholds away from the presence of the Midianites. Judges 6, verse 3. So it was, whenever the sons of Israel had sown, Midianites would come up, and the Amalekites and the sons of the East would come up with them. Judges 6, verse 4. Then they encamped against them and destroyed the fruits of the earth until they came to Gaza, and left no substance of life in the land of Israel, not even an ox or a donkey among the herds. Judges 6, verse 5. For they came up with their livestock and their tents, and appeared just as numerous as locusts; they and their camels were without number; and they came into the land of Israel and destroyed it. Judges 6, verse 6. And Israel was exceedingly destitute before the face of the Midianites, and the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord Judges 6, verse 7. because of the presence of the Midianites. Judges 6, verse 8. And the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, who said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘I am He who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of your bondage; Judges 6, verse 9. and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. Judges 6, verse 10. And I said to you, I am the Lord your God; do not fear the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But you did not obey My voice.’”
Gideon
Judges 6, verse 11. Now the Angel of the Lord came and sat under the terebinth tree in Ephrathah which belonged to Joash the father of Esdri, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress in order to hide from the presence of the Midianites. Judges 6, verse 12. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, mighty one of the armies!” Judges 6, verse 13. Gideon said to Him, “It is I, my Lord? If the Lord is with us, why then have these evils come upon us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has driven us out and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” Judges 6, verse 14. Then the Angel of the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with this strength of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Indeed, I have sent you.” Judges 6, verse 15. And Gideon said to Him, “Be gracious with me, my Lord, for how can I save Israel? My thousand is weakened in Manasseh, and I am the smallest in my father's house.” Judges 6, verse 16. And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “The Lord will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6, verse 17. Then Gideon said to Him, “If now I have found mercy in Your sight, then You shall do everything for me today that You have told me. Judges 6, verse 18. Do not leave here, I pray, until I come to You and I will bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I am. I will wait until you come back.” Judges 6, verse 19. So Gideon went in and prepared a goat kid, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth tree and approached. Judges 6, verse 20. The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And he did so. Judges 6, verse 21. Then the Angel of the Lord stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire rose out of the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of the Lord departed out of his sight. Judges 6, verse 22. Now Gideon perceived this was the Angel of the Lord. So Gideon said, “O Lord, my Lord! For I have seen the Angel of the Lord face to face.” Judges 6, verse 23. Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” Judges 6, verse 24. So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it the Peace of the Lord. To this day it is still in Ephratha of the father of Esdri. Judges 6, verse 25. Now that same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father's young bull, and the second calf of seven years old, and tear down your father's altar to Baal, and destroy the sacred grove beside it. Judges 6, verse 26. Build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold in the proper arrangement, and take the second calf and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the sacred grove which you cut down.” Judges 6, verse 27. So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the Lord had told him. But because he feared his father's household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night. Judges 6, verse 28. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, the altar of Baal was torn down; and the sacred grove beside it was destroyed, and they saw the second bull being offered on the altar which had been built. Judges 6, verse 29. And one man said to his neighbor, “Who did this?” Then they inquired and learned that Gideon the son of Joash had done it. Judges 6, verse 30. Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son and let him die, because he tore down the altar of Baal, and because he destroyed the sacred grove beside it.” Judges 6, verse 31. But Joash said to all the men who stood against him, “Are you now going to plead for Baal? Do you want to save him? Let the one who wants to plead for Baal be put to death by morning! If he is a god, because his altar is torn down, let him plead for himself!” Judges 6, verse 32. Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, for it is his altar that is torn down.” Judges 6, verse 33. Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the sons of the East, gathered together and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. Judges 6, verse 34. But the Spirit of the Lord empowered Gideon, and he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were terrified behind him. Judges 6, verse 35. And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh and to Asher, and to Zebulun, and Naphtali; and he went up to meet them.
The Dewy Fleece
Judges 6, verse 36. So Gideon said to God, “If You save Israel by my hand as You said, Judges 6, verse 37. then look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You said.” Judges 6, verse 38. And it was so. And he rose early the next morning and wrung the fleece and from the fleece dropped enough dew to fill a pan full of water. Judges 6, verse 39. Then Gideon said to God, “Indeed, I pray, do not let Your anger be aroused at me, and I will speak but once; I will yet make one more trial with the fleece. This time, let it be dry on the fleece, but let there be dew all over the ground.” Judges 6, verse 40. And that night God made it so; on the fleece it was completely dry, but there was dew all over the ground.