Chapter 85. 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. 8:31.
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. 28:20.
ML 03/03/1912