1 Samuel 1-3: Introducing Samuel

The first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel introduce us to Samuel, the last judge of Israel.

Introduction

The first 3 chapters of 1 Samuel introduce us to Samuel, the last judge of Israel.
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Samuel's Birth

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Bruno Legrand

Samuel is the son of Elkanah and Hannah, and from the tribe of Ephraim. [UPDATE: 1 Samuel 1:1 states that Elkanah is an Ephrathite, which is not the same as an Ephraimite. Ephrath was a name for Bethlehem-judah, thus Elkanah was likely from the tribe of Judah.^[3]] Like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Samson's mother before her, Hannah was barren. Elkanah had 2 wives, and the issue of Hannah's inability to bare a child was the source of a rivalry between the two women (like Rachel and Leah). When the family travels to Shiloh to present offerings to the Lord, Hannah makes a vow, dedicating her child to God. While she is praying, the priest mistakes her desperation for drunkenness! This may have been a sign of the corruption of the priesthood that he was so out of touch with God and with the people he could not differentiate between drunkenness and fervent prayer.

Naturally, God hears and honors Hannah's request. It is after this vow that Hannah gives birth to Samuel. After he is weaned, the family travels back to the temple for an offering. 1 Samuel 1:24 says that they took 3 bullocks, while 1 Samuel 1:25 only mentions one. The likely explanation is that only that 1 bullock was meant for thanking God for the child, while the other 2 were for other purposes. Some also claim that the text should read a 3-year-old bullock instead of 3 bullock.^[1] The first explanation makes the most sense to me, since there were a host of sacrifices that were typically made in the Old Testament.
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Prayer and Song

Hannah's prayer song to the Lord both exalts God and reminds us how quickly He can turn things around. Hannah reminds us that God has control over all things; He can make the fertile barren and the barren fertile. Hannah's words in 1 Samuel 2:6 seem to be prophetic, speaking of the Messiah and everlasting kingdom. After Hannah's prayer, Samuel ministers before the priest (1 Samuel 2:18). Unlike the typical image we have in our head of "ministering," which equates to preaching, the original definition of the word used here is servitude.^[2] Even as a child, Samuel knew that we are all called to servitude.
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Misuse of Offerings

As is the pattern, we learn about corruption within the priesthood. Eli's sons were stealing parts of the offerings meant to be for God. On top of stealing, they were not burning the fat of the sacrifices, a deliberate act of disobedience! When the people began to protest, Eli's sons threatened to take the offerings by force. Can you imagine? Clearly, the citizens of Israel possessed more Godly morals than the priests. Consequently, sin became great in Israel and the Israelites came to despise giving to God because of Eli's sons.

This misuse of power is a great lesson to study, because it is a common thread in the history of Christianity. Many of us believe we will know when a pastor/preacher/priest/etc. is corrupt; we are resolved to leave a corrupt church. Thus, we often skip over warnings such as this, believing we don't have to worry about this issue.

The issue was quite difficult to overcome until recently. In Samuel's day, there weren't churches on every block and a church for every possible interpretation of scripture. There was one temple and one group of priests. Through the Reformation, this structure persisted. If you argued with the church, you were considered an enemy of the state and told your soul was lost. Until Jesus' sacrifice, if the priests failed in interceded for the citizens, their sins were not covered. This was quite a problem, one that we don't have to deal with, thankfully. If our church is corrupt, we can leave without fear of retribution (unless it's a cult, then you may need help getting out).

However, the task of identifying corrupt leaders and the ramifications of their actions is still a very real problem today. I know so many people who have turned away from God because of the failures of the church. Between the false doctrines of preachers and the ungodly behaviors of people professing to be Christians, the message of God has been lost. Like the Israelites, these people grew to despise God, and it is our fault. Can you imagine standing before Jesus on judgment day and being told that not only were you not entering the kingdom, you were responsible for the eternal death of someone else? Eli's sons turned a whole nation against God!

We should remember the trouble caused by Eli's sons as we go about our daily lives, especially when we are in positions of influence. The juxtaposition of Samuel serving God against the corruption of Eli's sons is meant to focus us on the ever waging war between good and evil. We must always choose to serve God, not just for our own salvation but for the salvation of those around us.
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Eli's Sons

When Eli discovers what his sons, Hophni and Phineas, have been up to, he rebukes them for their sins. Not only were they stealing from God, they were sleeping around with the women who brought offerings. It's almost 3,000 years later, and these problems still plague the church. The issues are prefaced with Eli's old age in 1 Samuel 2:22. It seems is logical to believe age played a large role in Eli's failure to stop his sons, but when God's messenger approaches Eli, he is still blamed. There are multiple possibilities for this, all of which translate to us today.

One possibility is that Eli's fault was in how he raised his sons. When we become parents, it is our responsibility to train our children correctly and to introduce them to God. While we cannot force them to pursue a relationship with God, there is some responsibility of the parent to instill in their children a love for God. Proverbs 13:24 reiterates the parents' responsibility to discipline each child.

Another possibility is that Eli used his age as a excuse. Many times when we do not feel like attending to something, we make excuses out of semi-valid facts. For instance, I may skip class due to a headache and reason that I am sick, thus my absence is justified. However, my headache may not be so bad as to prevent me from attending class. Eli was old, but as their father, a stern talking to should have been all it took to deter them. Eli could have also attended sacrifices to watch over them and reassure the Israelites that their offerings were properly carried out. This may have given the same affect an empty police car on the highway does. Eli might have also delegated their job to nephews or brothers he might have had, and fired them.

The messenger from God accuses Eli of placing his sons above God. Since God knows all and sent this man to warn Eli of their impending doom, we can be sure there was more to the story than Eli's old age. God declares that Eli's line was not fit for the priesthood and announces the coming death of the two men. Instead of raising one of Eli's sons as a successor, God promises to raise up a faithful priest. This priest would build a strong house, full of descendants who would follow God's Will. God warns Eli that his house would eventually beg to be in league with the new priest.

This is a reminder that God is supreme; He gives and He takes away. Those who turn against God may prosper shortly, but in the end, they will fail.
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Hannah's Faith

When Hannah takes Samuel to the Temple, they realize that is where he belongs. Having made a vow to God, just as Samson's mother had, Hannah knew that she must proceed in the direction God directed. Doing so, she leaves Samuel at the Temple where he begins to minister, donning his own ephod, despite not being from Aaron's lineage. To show her love, Hannah would make a coat for him each year and bring it to him when they returned to the Temple. Eli bestows blessings on the family for their son. God also blesses Hannah, giving he 3 more sons and 2 daughters.

Hannah was like Abraham in a way. She was barren and unable to produce a child, but when God blessed her with a son, she was expected to give it up. Abraham was asked to actually sacrifice his son's life, but Hannah was asked to leave her son with someone else. In doing so, she would not get to enjoy watching him daily in his growth from a young boy into a man, or raise him. That's quite the decision. Someone with little faith would be hard pressed to hand over their miracle child, but Hannah had great faith; she trusted in God's plan and was rewarded. We may want something with all our heart, but we should know that, like Hannah, when God gives it to us, if we give it back to Him we receive more blessings.
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God Calls Samuel

One night, while Samuel is asleep, God calls to him. Thinking it is Eli, Samuel answers to Eli who, of course, says he did not call. On the third occasion, Eli understands that God is calling Samuel and instructs Samuel on how to respond. When God calls Samuel the fourth time, Samuel asks God to speak and God reveals the destruction that is coming to the house Eli. Samuel is at first afraid to tell Eli the vision, but Eli reminds him that he is not to hold back information God is giving him. In response to Samuel's vision, Eli says "let God's Will be done," implying that despite his son's failure, he had great faith. It seems that Eli was a great teacher.

A bit of a related aside: something that has annoyed me during my 28 years on earth, is the number of "preachers" who want payment for Gods word. There are countless sites with partial information, followed by "read the rest in my book!" directing you to purchase additional material. Just as Eli said to Samuel, when God reveals Himself to a person, that person is to spread God's Word, not conceal it. None of God's people ever asked for payment before sharing the visions God gave them; this is not a fruit of the Spirit. I automatically assume anyone who requires payment to share the word is a fraud. (Note that when I say payment, I'm not speaking of travel accommodations for a visiting pastor or caring for the local pastor; I mean entry fees and books meant to explain the revelations God has given them).

The fact that God called Samuel four times tells us a lot about the nature of God. For one, we see that God was patient; this wasn't a one time, if you don't answer you snooze you lose type of deal. Though, I do wonder what would have happened if Samuel has simply rolled over and ignored the all completely. God knew that Samuel didn't understand it was Him speaking, but He witness Samuel trying to answer the call. Samuel was trying to answer, he just didn't know how. I believe this is the case with many of us today; we are trying to be servants of God and answer His call, but sometimes we don't know what to do. Like with Samuel, God will be patient as we seek Him out. The Bible doesn't say that God went to Eli and said "tell Samuel I need to talk to Him," but God knew that Eli would eventually figure out it was God's voice young Samuel was hearing. This is probably why God wanted Samuel in the Temple in the first place. God places us around specific people for a reason. Sometimes we are Samuel, in need of direction, but other times we are Eli, needed for direction.

The vision marked the announcement of God's purpose for Samuel; he would be that strong priest to replace Eli's line. In a time were Israel was very corrupt, hearing from God was even more precious. People throughout the nation heard the news and knew of Samuel's anointing.
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 472. 2014
2. "1249. diakonos". Strong's Greek Concordance. 2016
3. "Ephrathite". Bible Study Tools. 2016

Judges 10-12: Jephthah

Jephthah's reckless vow dooms him to the decision of breaking a vow to God or killing his only child.

Introduction

During the reign of the previous "major" judge (Abimelech), Isreal was still wrought with idolatry and sinfulness (at his own hand to say the least). When you combine this with the history of the Israelites, it's no surprise that Israel falls back into turmoil after Tola and Jair. This time, God allows the Philistines and Ammonites to oppress the Israelites in the area stretching from the Tribe of Judah through the Tribe of Benjamin and across the Jordan into the Ammonites' territory. The oppression lasts for 18 years.

Eventually, Israel repents of their sins, asking God to help them. At first, God denies them, suggesting they ask their idols for help. This is like today when we forget about God until suddenly we need Him. Realizing their error, the Israelites do not turn back to idolatry, but instead purge their land of images, focusing on repentance. They persist at worshipping the One True God. When God sees this, He becomes sorrowful and decides to deliver them once again. We too much persist in our relationship with God.
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The Next Judge

Jephthah was the next person God rose up to judge Israel. Like Abimelech, he was also a Gileadite. Once again, God chooses a man unlikely to be selected for leadership based on pedigree. Jephthah was the son of a harlot; society would have chosen one of his brothers from a more "acceptable" parentage. Cast out by his brothers, Jephthah ends up in the land of Tob. There, he teams up with a group of "vain men." While the meaning of vain men isn't explicitly given, it's pretty obvious that this isn't an indication of Godliness.

When the Ammonites gather against Israel, the elders of Gilead suddenly seek out Jephthah for leadership. The original offer is for the position of a military leader, but when Jephthah is not moved by the offer, they offer him the position of head over the city, instead. For the first time, God is mentioned in the exchange when Jephthah agrees that if God delivers the Ammonites to him, the elders should make him leader. Unlike the judges mentioned earlier in the book, both Abimelech and Jephthah seem to have appointed themselves as judges with God blessing them for Israel's sake.
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The Conversation

Jephthah sends messengers to Ammon to request the reason they have gathered against Israel. The Ammonites state that they are taking back the land Israel took from them. The scenario sounds much like something that could happen today, especially after all of the boundary changes colonization brought about.

Jephthah reminds the Ammonites that the only reason Israel has that land is that the Ammonites refused to let Israel pass during Moses' day. They had won the land in war and had been living there for 300 years. Jephthah inquires as to why it is only now that the Ammonites are trying to get their land back. The Ammonites, however, do not continue the discussion and disregard Jephthah's messengers.

Using the dates from 1 Kings 6:1, we can date the Exodus to 1446. This is disputed by some, but I agree with the literal dating that renders the exodus in 1446bc, as opposed to the symbolic dating proposed by those who disagree. Perhaps I'll do a post on that topic in the future. In the meantime, this means the Israelites started conquering land in 1406bc and gives us a date of about 1106bc for the time of Jephthah (likely when Jephthah said they had been living there for 300 years, he was using a round number estimate as opposed to a precise calculation.
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The Vow

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Zeeshan Qureshi

When preparing for battle, Jephthah vows to God that whomever greets him at the door when he returns will be a burnt offering for God. It is unclear whether Jephthah had spent too much time around pagans and was promising God a human sacrifice—which God never sanctions—or if Jephthah expected an animal to greet him.

The Israelites lived in 4 room homes in which the first room housed the animals, therefore it is quite plausible that Jephthah expected a cow or goat to be the first to approach him at the door.^[1] A lesson in making rash promises about things we cannot control is given in the outcome of Jephthah's vow, because it is not an animal that greets him but his only child, his daughter.

She is adamant that he fulfills his vow, strangely. Instead of fleeing like most of us would, she merely asks for 2 months to lament her virginity. Not only does her virginity tell us that she was likely very young, but also a that there would be an inability to pass on her and her father's lineage. Despite being an unnamed woman, she was mourned yearly by the daughters of Israel after her sacrifice.

Unlike with Abraham and Isaac, God doesn't send a goat to replace Jephthah's daughter, which may cause some to wonder about the message. Many may ask if the lack of intervention is a sign that God wanted him to sacrifice his daughter. I think one of the key points in comparing Abraham's situation with Jephath's is in the origin stories.

Abraham and his wife had been failing at having a child for a very long. Once God finally blessed Sarah's womb to grant Abraham a miracle child, He was asking Abraham to sacrifice the child! This was a test of Abraham's faith in God. Would Abraham give up the one thing he wanted most to please God? Did Abraham trust that if God told him to kill his son, He would provide another? In this scenario, God initiates this test.

Contrastingly, it is Jephthah who coins this vow all on his own. Killing people vs. not killing people wasn't meant to display Jephthah's faith; this was simply a problem Jephthah created for himself. Likely, God simply let Jephthah reap what he had sewn.
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Ephraim vs. Jephthah

Once again, Ephraim becomes angry at not being invited to war. Jephthah claims he did invite the tribe of Ephraim, but this claim can't be substantiated in the text. Offended by the men of Ephraim, Jephthah raises his army against them. As they try to escape, the army asks them to pronounce a particular word in which the pronunciation revealed the origin of the person. This is similar to the accents found across the U.S. today. Upon "mispronouncing" the word, the army would kill the man.

Jephthah may not have slaughtered his own brothers like Abimelech, but he was quick to anger and unjustly violent like Abimelech (and Gideon). In fact, Jephthah kills 42,000 men in this temper tantrum of his. This is what must have been meant about power being corruptive. We should note that God's blessing is not given in this passage. Based upon countless scriptures in the Bible about loving your neighbor and being slow to anger or take offense, we can easily conclude that God was not pleased with this behavior.
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Minor Judges

Jephthah only rules for 6 years; further proof that God did not approve of his actions. Afterward, there is a series of minor judges that take over leadership. Ibzan of Bethlehem, who has 30 sons and 30 daughters, judges for 7 years. Elon, from the tribe of Zebulun, judges for 10 years. Abdon, the son of Hillel with 40 sons and 30 nephews, judges for 8 years. Note that this Hillel is not likely the famous Hillel that many Jewish institutions today are named after.^[2] Also note that the word "nephews" in the King James Version may actually refer to grandsons^[1]
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References

1. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible. pg. 433-436. 2014
2. American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. "Hillel and Shammai". Jewish Virtual Library. 2016

Judges 6-8: Gideon

Gideon is an interesting judge; hesitant and doubtful he carries out God's commands and forced me to re-evaluate any similarities I found in myself with him.

Introduction

The next period of oppression lasts 7 years. This time, the oppressor is Midian. During this time, the Israelites take to living in the caves of the mountains. The Midianites and the Amalekites destroy all of the crops and livestock Israel has cultivated, causing the Israelites to become poor. When this happens, they cry out to God and as promised, He delivers them. However, He does remind them that after all He has done for them, they still refuse to obey His commands.

The judge raised up by God in the next few chapters is much like Barak. He has little faith in God's plan and needs much encouragement to follow through with God's instructions.
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An Angel Appears

We are introduced to the next judge, a man named Gideon, when an angel appears to him under an oak tree in Orphah. Gideon is the son of Joash and is from the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon says that he is from a poor family (though later he manages to round up 10 servants to assist him). He also believes that he is unworthy of the task and that the Lord is not with Israel.

Notice the stark contrast between Gideon and previous judge Othniel or Noah. Now take notice of the similarities between Moses and Gideon. The Bible shows us that we are all weak in different areas, but that doesn't mean we can't be called on or used by God. Noah and Othniel were quick to obey God; they knew His voice and they knew if He told them to do something, they could do it. They were men of exceptional faith. Gideon and Moses were doubters. Moses doubted himself, not God (which is an important distinction). Once God was able to get Moses to realize it was God who would do all the heavy lifting, Moses became one of the most faithful men known to us. Gideon's doubt is quite different than Moses' doubt however. These chapters give us reason to reflect on how we respond to God's call. Are we quick like Noah and Othniel? Do we need a minute to remember it isn't us that will make things happen, like Moses? Or do we dally?

¹¹And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. ¹²And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.Mark 8:11-12 KJV

Gideon was a dallier. Most people in the Bible know when they've encountered an angel of God. Any doubt that they express seems to be more about their own worth than the identity of God; of course, in doubting themselves they indirectly doubt God. Gideon asks for multiple signs from God before completing his task. Gideon needed to be absolutely sure he was dealing with God and that he was carrying out God's Will—or he was afraid to carry out the task because he had low faith. Jesus doesn't seem so keen on signs in Mark 8:11-12 (echoed in Luke 11:29 and Matthew 12:38-39).

From a believer's perspective, I get why Gideon would ask the angel for a sign. There have been plenty of times when I wasn't sure what God wanted me to do and I asked for a sign. However, as I read the passage, I felt annoyed with Gideon. Gideon wants proof that the angel is actually a messenger from God, but even after acquiring this proof, He requests two more signs from God.

Luckily for Gideon, God is patient. The angel commands Gideon to bring an offering out. Gideon retrieves the meat of a young goat, broth, and unleavened cakes for the angel. He places the items on a rock before the angel, who reaches out his staff and performs a magnificent sign. After confirming his identity, the angel leaves. In the text this occurs so abruptly that it read like a "drop the mic" moment to me. Of course, I know that the Angel of the Lord would not be so arrogant. After this, Gideon knows that he was dealing with One and Only God of Abraham.

Upon realizing the truth Gideon calls out the Lord in shock. God further reassures that he will not die—another piece in the seeing God face-to-face puzzle. In reverence, Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and names it Jehovahsalom, which means "Jehovah is peace."^[3]

God instructs Gideon to dismantle the altar to Baal and sacrifice a bull on the new altar. Gideon takes 10 of his servants during the night to commit the act. On the one hand, God's instructions to Gideon come at night, so one could argue Gideon was quick to act on God's command. However, we are told that he "could not do it by day" because he was afraid of those in his father's house and the men of the city. In life, it is very possible to do the right thing for the wrong reason. We have to remember that God will always know our reason. We also have to remember that it is better to be outcasted by men to gain God's favor than to be outcasted by God to gain men's favor.
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Retribution

Of course, just as Gideon feared, the people were very upset when they found the altar destroyed. Someone—likely one of Gideon's servants—tells that it was Gideon who destroyed the altar. With this knowledge, they converge at Joash's house seeking to kill Gideon. When Joash confronts the men, he stands up for his son, stating that Baal should be able to fight his own battles. When the Israelites defiled God's law, He sent punishment as He saw fit. Remember when Aaron's sons offered "strange fire" to God in the tabernacle? The Israelites found them dead; they didn't have to defend God's altar because He did that on his own! Baal had no power.
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Gideon's Army

Not that Israel had tanks back then...
Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Dieter Joel Jagnow

When the Midianite troops begin to gather, the Spirit of God prompts Gideon to form an army for the Israelites. The Spirit of God is likely a reference to the Holy Spirit. Gideon follows God's instruction by sending messengers to the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Zebulun to build the army.
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Signs

Despite taking the first step, Gideon still doubted and asks for a sign (the second sign he's asked for since his first encounter with the angel). This time he is specific about what the sign should be. Gideon places a fleece on the ground and asks God to let dew fall on the fleece but not the ground. As requested, God performs the sign, but Gideon still isn't convinced. Gideon asks for the inverse as a sign. God performs this sign as well.

It was interesting to read this passage because I know I've done this before. When I did this, I knew that if I asked for a specific sign, I wouldn't have to guess about what God was telling me. I can't remember if I ever asked for more that one sign about the same situation, but reading about Gideon's reaction, I felt guilty. Perhaps the first sign was to confirm that he heard God correctly, but the second time he asked for a sign, it was because he didn't like the outcome of the first. Clearly it wasn't coincidence. I know, because I've done that before. When we want to do something (or don't want to do something in this case), we try to bend everything to fit our own goals. We will try to convince ourselves that God approves of our way, even if He is loud and clear about His disapproval. When we feel the need to question what God has spoken, we should reevaluate our own feelings about the situation to ensure they aren't clouding our thoughts about what God has said. Fellowship with other believers may help us to see our own stubbornness as well.
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So Many People

God must have been with Gideon, and Gideon must have had quite an influence over the people, because once his army has assembled, God declares it's too large! It seems counterintuitive to decrease the army size, after all the more people you have the more likely you are to win. In World War II, one of the major factors of the Soviet Union's success was that they had so many soldiers; they suffered more casualties than any other army, but still won.

In Gideon's case, however, the aim wasn't particularly about the victory (which was guaranteed by God); it was about proclaiming God as the sovereign ruler of Israel (and the world). If they won with such a large army, the credit would go to the men of the army and their leader. With a small army, however, people would have to recognize God's hand in the matter. In situations like these, God's presence is only visible to us when the underdog wins.

God instructs Gideon to release those who are fearful and afraid. After Gideon's announcement that they may leave, 22,000 men leave! With 10,000 men staying, that's a little over half that were afraid God wouldn't deliver on His promises. Even so, the 10,000 that remained were still too many for God's plan. To dwindle the army further, God instructs Gideon to take the men to the water and divide them by how they drink. Some bowed to drink, while others lapped the water like dogs. The men who lapped by placing their hand to their mouth were the only people kept for the army. This left Gideon with 300 men. This a much smaller number that would afford God the glory.

This is an interesting passage for two reasons. First, can you imagine the reaction of the 10,000 men when they say that they were being separated by drinking habits (if they caught on), or when they learned that Gideon only needed 300 in battle? People probably thought he had lost his mind. The second interesting element is the number 300. Centuries later, Leonidas would keep only 300 men into the battle of Thermopylae. Why do I find that interesting? The tale of Leonidas and the 300 Spartans is far more popular than that of Gideon. On top of that, despite Leonidas' life and victory only being recorded by one person (like Gideon), many of those who believe Leonidas accomplished this do not believe the Bible.^[1] What makes Herodotus, who wasn't even born when Leonidas was king, a more reliable source in people's minds? Relatedly, Hollywood has convinced us that Leonidas only took 300 men to battle, when in reality about 7,000 men went into battle. When they were betrayed, the army was dismissed and 300 spartans stayed to defend the retreat. Along with those 300 Spartans were men from other Greek city-states. Most of the men, including Leonidas, died.^[2] This makes Gideon's victory all the more impressive! We are told of no casualties, but even if a few men did die, Gideon marched in to battle outnumbered with only 300 men and walked out with a victory.
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Time for the Battle

Gideon gets cold feet before the battle (even after his 3 signs...), so God tells him to sneak in to the enemy camp to listen to their thoughts. Gideon takes a servant with him and discovers that the soldiers of the Midianite army have been having dreams about Gideon's victory. God was doing everything in his power to give Gideon courage despite Gideon's doubt. This is one way we know that God will make sure His Will is carried out. We may try to resist His plan, but He's going to steer us to carry out the action He wants. Our freewill gives us the option of whether we willingly go or if he has to force our hand. That's not to say we are doomed if we have to be forced into making a move. Only God knows a person's heart to determine that outcome. Perhaps it takes that long for the person to find God and when they do, they truly believe. Perhaps, since hindsight is 20/20, the person repents after realizing how stubborn they had been. We do not know, so we cannot say for certain how God views each person's delayed reaction.

What we do know is that God knows exactly what we need to hear and the knowledge that the enemy thought Gideon would win gave Gideon the courage to lead his troops to battle. So much so, that he lead them to battle weaponless! They marched in equipped with only a horn, an empty pitcher, and a lamp. Again, can you imagine the soldiers' reaction when Gideon commanded this? They had to have faith in God to follow this plan. Outnumbered and unarmed?

Gideon divides the men into 3 companies and instructs them to surround the greater army in the night. Seeming to surround the army, Gideon's men make noise and blow their horns on his command. This strategy, along with God's divine help, causes fear and confusion to erupt in the enemy's army. They turn on each other, completing the Israelites' mission for them, and then flee toward the Jordan River. As expected, God's plan didn't require the Israelites to have weapons.

Strangely, Gideon reacts to his victory by calling upon more men. Responding to Gideon's call, the men of Ephraim join them and they pursue the fleeing army. In this continuation of the battle the Ephraimites kill 2 princes of Midian.
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Internal Disputes

After his victory, Gideon has a series of disputes with his own people.

The Ephramites

Despite coming to aid Gideon, the Ephraimites were offended that they had not originally been called upon to help. I'm not sure if they knew the original size of the army and dismal of most of the soldiers, or if they thought only the 300 men with Gideon had been called. Whatever the reasoning behind their offense, Gideon smooths over the hard feelings by reminding them that it is the Ephramites who were given a great victory in killing the 2 princes. This reduces their anger.
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The Men of Succoth and Penuel

Without instruction from God, Gideon announces that he is going after 2 kings of Midian. Since Midian was a confederation, the kings were likely kings of their individual tribes. Gideon travels to Succoth and Penuel in pursuit, but is denied aid by his fellow Israelites. They are doubtful that he can defeat the Midianites. People, especially non-believers will always doubt us when we follow God, even our fellow believers will often cast doubt. However, we are not to let them shake our faith and continue to be an example for those viewing our situation. Instead, Gideon let's his anger overcome him and threatens to destroy their cities.

Gideon moves on with his plan and captures the two kings by defeating their army of 15,000. Judges 8:10 tells us that 120,000 men fell during the weaponless battle. That's right, God led 300 men to defeat 120,000 without weapons. According to Judges 8:4 these same 300 men were the only ones to join Gideon in the second battle agains the 15,000 man army. Thats 5,000 men per soldier! Despite God not being mentioned anywhere in the decision to pursue the army, he had to have a hand in this victory. Likely, God was pleased that Gideon had finally grown a spine and some faith to take the lead in flushing out the Midianites.

Upon his victory, Gideon returns to Succoth and Penuel to make good on his threats. He learns the names of the leaders then kills them. He also destroys their tower as he had threatened. Basically, Gideon attacks his own people. The action is not specifically condemned with in Judges 8, but we see throughout he Bible where God commands us not to be so easily offended or angered. I'm quite convinced that God was not pleased with this action. Earlier in Judges 6, when Gideon destroys the altar, Baal's weakness is highlighted in his inability to defend himself. Even earlier in Judges, we see God curse a city of men for not joining Deborah and Barak in battle. Thus, if God's anger had been kindled against the men of Succoth and Penuel for their unwillingness to help Gideon, he would have handled the situation.
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On a Personal Note

²¹Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: ²²But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.Matthew 5:21-22 KJV

As someone who is prone to outbursts of anger, this passage meant a lot to me. In many ways I could see my similarities to Gideon, which made me want to fix them sooner rather than later. While I can't imagine that I would be so angry I came back to kill someone, I can see me having a lot to say about the situation. Jesus tells us not to be angry without a cause in Matthew 5, but as a person with a short temper, I can say that not everything we feel is a cause is actually a cause. When I was younger and had less control over my temper, I would often look back and think "Why was I even mad about that?"; this is what Jesus means when He says angry without cause. Similarly, people hold grudges even after someone has apologized; since we are commanded to forgive as Jesus forgives us, this too is anger without cause. Whether or not Gideon had cause to be angry is between him and God; I would wager that it rests on whether his anger stemmed from the men doubting him (vanity and arrogance) or the men doubting God's ability to lead him to victory. Nonetheless, I never want to be that angry.
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Ruling

After all if this, the people of Israel ask Gideon and his line to rule over them, but in a surprising display of humility, Gideon refuses. Gideon announces that God should (and will) rule over them. However, Gideon does ask for riches from the people. These riches cause his own house to fall into idolatry. Gideon has 71 sons. Obviously these sons are by many different women, something that was forbidden of a ruler (Deuteronomy 17:17). Perhaps Gideon's reason for refusing the offer to rule was his love for women and treasure. One of his sons, Abimelech, is featured in the next chapters. While we are told that Israel experiences 40 years of peace after Gideon's victory, it seems that they never turn away from sin during this period.
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References

1. History.com Staff. "Leonidas". History.com, A+E Networks. 2009
2. "Battle of Thermopylae". Wikipedia. 2016
3. Holman Bible Publishers. Holman KJV Study Bible, pg. 423. 2014

Judges 1: Judah's Conquest

With Joshua gone, God calls on the tribe of Judah to step up and take their inheritance. Instead of following with the same levels of success as Joshua, the tribes of Israel fail to capture the land in the manner God commanded.

Introduction

After Joshua dies, the Israelites have to continue the work he began to conquer all of the promised land. After leaders like Moses and Joshua, the Israelites ask God who will lead them now. God calls upon on the tribe of Judah to lead a conquest against the Canaanites. The tribe of Judah's reaction to God's command is rare amongst those called to lead in the book of Judges. Without protest or hesitation, they make plans to carry out the conquest. The tribe also invites the tribe of Simeon to join them in battle, promising to return the favor when Simeon go to battle.
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Victories

Photocredit: FreeImages.com/Bryan Wintersteen

The willingness to obey God's command tells us that the tribe will be successful. God allows them to swiftly defeat the Canaanites and Perizzites.

During their siege of cities, they defeat a ruler named Adonibezek. While the man eventually dies, in a strange deviation from God's command, they first cut off the man's thumbs and toes! God never commands the Israelites to torture the Canaanites, so this seems to be something they decide to do on their own (and we know how bad their own ideas are...). This is perhaps one of their first steps away from God beginning their downward spiral after entering the Promised Land. Adonibezek finally dies in Jerusalem, though we are not told how far away this is from the battle cite or how long it is before he's killed.

Next on Judah's mission was capturing the city of Jerusalem. They are able to defat Canaanites occupying the city with God's help and burn the city. It makes sense that this would be one of the cities God expected them to burn, as the fire would purify the land of any uncleanness, paving the way for the Temple Mount. However, we learn in Judges 1:21 that Jerusalem still isn't in the Israelites' possession. Throughout Judges we see nations take back parts of the land, apparently this is what happened in Jerusalem. Likely, when the people of Judah moved on to conquer a new city, another group overran Jerusalem.

After conquering Jerusalem, the tribe of Judah defeat the Canaanites in the mountains, Hebron and Debir. We are told that they defeat 3 men: Shesai, Ahiman, and Talmai. These are the same men we are told about in Joshua 15. Caleb, a man of Judah, defeats these three men to gain Hebron as his inheritance.

Just as the conquest of Hebron is restated, Caleb's subsequent betrothal of his daughter to the man who conquers Debir is retold. Othniel, Caleb's nephew, is the man who succeeds in this mission. Othniel and Caleb's daughter are first cousins, which would definitely be considered incest by today's standards, but is not forbidden based on God's definition in Leviticus.
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Conquests After Judah's

At some point, the time came for Judah to follow Simeon in to battle. The two tribes conquered the cities of Hormah, Gaza, Askelon, and Ekron, all of which were coastal cities. The men are able to defeat the Canaanites in the mountain, but do not conquer the men of the valley. In Judges 1:19 we are told that God was with Judah, so why couldn't they drive out the men of the valley? The verse blames the failure on the iron chariots of the men, but we know that if God can create the world, He can lead an army of men to victory. Scholars have interpreted this verse to mean the men of Judah feared the iron chariots and lacked the faith to engage their enemy in battle.^[1] We are not told this explicitly, however. It is possible that like the first battle at Ai, the men of Judah rushed into the battle with men of the valley without God' approval. In essence, God may have been with Judah when they fought the men of the mountains, but not against the men of the valley.

Judah's failure to claim the valley is the beginning of a long list of failures. Benjamin tries to retake the city of Jerusalem, which has been re-inhabited by a group known as the Jebusites, to no avail. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh fail, as well. In one situate, similar to the circumstance of Rahab, the men of these tribes receive help from a man of the city then choose to let him go free. Unlike Rahab who helped the spies willingly and immediately professes faith in God, the man in this case is asked for information and never professes any faith in God. It is not surprising that he goes on to build his own city.
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Strangers in the Land

During the exodus, Moses invites his father-in-law's son to join them in Israel, but he refuses (see Numbers 10:29). Yet, when the men of Judah move through the land, his descendants seem to have a change of heart. They join the men of Judah and live amongst them. They are known as the Kenites. It is unclear whether this was permitted because of Moses' invitation way back when, or if this was another case of the Israelites simply doing their own thing.

During the conquests of other tribes of Israel, we see a similar pattern. Despite the fact that Israel eventually gains enough strength to drive out the Canaanites, they don't. Instead, the keep allow them to stay and force their enemies to pay tribute. Not only do the children of Dan let the Amorites stay in their cities, they retreat from the city and are forced to live in the mountains. Their failure to faithfully obey God's instructions leads to major problems down the road.

As unfortunate as it may be that the Israelites struggled with their faith and were unable to carry out God's instructions, this is a blessing in disguise. If the Israelites had been capable of keeping the commandments perfectly, there would have been no reason for God to send Jesus to save everyone.
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References

1. MacDonald, William. Believers Bible Commentary. pg. 265-266. 1989