Chapter 85. Judges 6:1-121And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. 7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, 8That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. 11And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:1‑12). The Midianites.
FORTY years passed happily and safely after Barak’s victory over Sisera. God kept the Israelites in peace, and gave them rest from their enemies. But this was soon over, and again the people resumed their evil ways; and then new sorrows and punishments came upon them. God sent the Midianites to fight and oppress. them. These people carne in great numbers, they brought their camels and their cattle with them, and pitched their tents in the possessions of the Israelites; and the Israelites left their pleasant homes and fields and ran to hide in dens and caves in the mountains for fear of the cruel Midianites. When the grass and corn, and fruit, grew up in the fields, these enemies took all away for themselves and for their cattle, and the pleasant land began to look barren and desolate, because the Midianites tried to destroy it. Then the Israelites cried again to the Lord, for they knew that He could deliver them, and He alone. God sent an answer to them by a prophet. He had not forgotten His people, He had promised them He never would, but He was very much displeased with them, and the prophet came to tell them this. He said: “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt . . . . and delivered you out of the land of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land; and I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell; but ye have not obeyed My voice.” Then the prophet went away, without bringing any kind of promise of forgiveness to His ungrateful people, nor how He was going to deliver them. He wanted them to feel their guilt, and to know how sad it is to be without His blessing. His silence would impress them and touch their conscience more than any reproaches. But He had heard their prayers, and was going to deliver them.
There was a man in Ophrah named Toash, who had a son; Gideon. Gideon was truly a God-fearing man and a believer, but his father was an idolater, and worshipped Baal. How nice it was that he did not follow a bad example, and how God blessed and used him afterwards. This should encourage all of us, big and little, and give us strength to turn from evil; although all around us might tempt us or laugh at us, for “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Rom. 8:3131What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).
One day, Gideon was threshing wheat in a secret place, for he was afraid that the Midianites would see him and take it from him. What sorrowful thoughts must have been his as he worked! The idolatry in his own household and the dreadful state of desolation all around him. He did not yet know God’s love and care, and so did not have Him as a Comforter. God has forsaken us, because of our unfaithfulness, he thought, and we are helpless.
As Gideon looked up, he saw an angel sitting under an oak tree who said to him: “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor!” How glad he should have been to hear that! He had no need to fear, nor to be unhappy, if the Lord was his friend. If we are God’s people, that is, if we are saved, through faith in Jesus’ blood, then the Lord is with us. When we are alone, or in sorrow, or danger; though we have no friends on earth, yet we have God with us to comfort us: “Lo, I am with you alway,” Jesus said just before He went back to God after His resurrection, “even unto the end of the age.” Matt. 28:2020Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20).
ML 03/03/1912