Gideon - Judges Chapter 6

(Continued from: "Introduction: Israel's wandering heart and God's faithful commitment to her.")

Foreshadows of Jesus

The story of Gideon –in these three chapters of Judges– provides several foreshadows of Jesus. They are hidden in the details of this larger-than-life hero's adventure. In order to find them, though, you kind of have to squint your eyes and hold the picture just right –like those "three-dimensional" image puzzles printed in magazines. Of course I'm teasing; but really, foreshadows are found by reading Scriptures a little differently.

They are very much like Jesus' teachings. We know that even the disciples had a hard time understanding those. In fact, there were times when they asked Him for an explanation. You might be thinking "How can we Christians today possibly understand the Bible any better than the disciples who physically walked and talked with Him?" Well, we can because a magnificent change occurred between the time when they asked "Lord, what does it mean?" and now. He sent the Holy Spirit to guide them –and us– into all truth. That happened at Pentecost –shortly after His resurrection (John 16:13-15; John 2:18-22).

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 that God wants us to know Him, His motivations, and the depths of His love for us. His Holy Spirit lives within us so that we can know His deep spiritual thoughts. God also gave us "the mind of Christ" so that we can comprehend His thoughts.

Jesus spoke to the two travelers who were walking to Emmaus. "Beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:13-27). The Scriptures –which were read for centuries– didn't suddenly change. But when He revealed the deeper meaning, their eyes were opened to a whole new understanding –a whole new relationship with God. Judges is part of the Prophets –so it's likely that Jesus led them through the same Scriptures we're going to be studying.

Why Look for Foreshadows?

The purpose for studying foreshadows isn't merely to find a cloaked account of Jesus in another place in the Bible. It's to find out more about our Lord so that we can know Him better. Two people –particularly loving spouses– form a greater bond with one another as they reveal more about their own history; as they share years of life's experiences together; and as they plan for their mutual future. It's also true for developing a greater bond with Jesus –our Bridegroom.

Before we get started, I must tell you about the way I've marked the text. Following each section of the Scriptures we're reading, there are paragraphs of commentary. Some of those paragraphs draw out the significant details about Gideon. And others relate those details to the New Testament, and in particular, Jesus. The latter of these are highlighted like this paragraph.

Representations

The people and things in this account of Gideon each play a part in our foreshadow of Jesus. I've listed several of them below as a reference.

Name	Representation
Israelites	Mankind
Midianites	Troubles (since the fall) to remind men of God
The prophet	The prophets, from Moses through Malachi
Gideon	Jesus
Angel of the Lord	God, the Father
Joash (Gideon's father)	God, the Holy Spirit
Winepress	God's wrath, the shedding of blood
Wheat	Harvest of the righteous
Oak tree	Preview of the cross
Rock	Jesus, the foundation
Gideon's offering	Elements of Jesus' Passover, His body
Gideon's altar	The cross
Baal	Anything worshipped other than God, the Father and His Son
Father's household	The religious body (e.g., Sanhedrin)
Men of the city	People of Jerusalem

A Look in the Mirror

The book of Judges covers the period of time after Joshua had led the Israelites into the Promised Land –and before Saul had become their first king. It describes times of peace when Israel followed God –and times of oppression when they ignored Him.

God's Compassion

Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD gave them into the hands of Midian seven years.

The power of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of Midian the sons of Israel made for themselves the dens which were in the mountains and the caves and the strongholds. For it was when Israel had sown, that the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them.

So they would camp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel as well as no sheep, ox, or donkey. For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable; and they came into the land to devastate it.

So Israel was brought very low because of Midian, and the sons of Israel cried to the LORD. (Judges 6:1-6)

Chapter five ended with the Israelites doing what was right and living in peace –with God and men– for forty years. And chapter six began with "Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD." During that time of peace, they presumed that there was no need for God with His supernatural intervention –they adopted the gods of the local inhabitants. So He set in motion a sequence of events to bring them back to Him. He began by handing them over to the Midianites –oppressive pillagers– for seven years to make them realize how far their hearts had wandered. Those invaders ravaged the country –trampled the crops; slaughtered the herds; and terrorized the people. With their physical and emotional security gone, the Israelites were no longer self-reliant –they "cried to the Lord."

This parallels God's plan to restore mankind's righteousness –to return us to Him– like it was before the fall in the Garden of Eden. The fall is graphically pictured in Romans 1:18-31. It states three times that "God gave us over" to reap the rewards of our own selfish desires and evil actions.

The Law

Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD on account of Midian, that the LORD sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery.

I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, and I said to you, "I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me."'" (Judges 6:7-10)

God sent a prophet to remind the Israelites of His involvement in their past. The land that they were living in was first given to Abraham. Their fathers –Abraham's heirs– lived in Egypt for four hundred years and the last many of those years had been under oppression. Then Moses led them out of Egypt and up to the Promised Land. On the way, they saw God's compassionate provision through miracle-after-miracle. But they still didn't trust Him to provide all that they needed. Instead, they grumbled. And that grumbling resulted in receiving the Law. Exodus, chapters twenty through twenty-three, enumerates the many parts of the Law. The very last part –found in Exodus 23:20-33– contains instructions for entering and taking possession of the land. Their rebellion –refusal to enter it on God's terms– precipitated their forty-years of wandering in the desert-wilderness. Eventually, the Israelites were permitted to enter, but only by following Joshua.

This Judges passage states "But you have not obeyed Me." Possession of the land involved a conditional agreement. God would gradually drive out the existing inhabitants as the number of Israelites increased and as they needed more space to live. But the Israelites were to not worship or serve the gods of those people; to not practice what they did; to overthrow their religions; and to tear down their sacred pillars (Exodus 23:24). Their disobedience was failing to do these things.

God gave each of us a conscience –essentially the Law– which serves like the prophet. That Romans chapter one passage mentioned above (Romans 1:18-25), clearly states that everyone –without exception– is separated from God. Creation testifies to God's existence and our consciences attest to our sinful nature. None of us have an excuse for remaining in this spiritually lost condition.

The Hidden Gospel

Then the angel of the LORD came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press in order to save it from the Midianites.

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior."

Then Gideon said to him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to 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 abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian." (Judges 6:11-13)

The angel went to Gideon with a message of hope. Gideon questioned it, essentially saying "Since all these bad things are happening to us, God can't possibly be with us –He must have abandoned us." But the angel's words, "The LORD is with you," weren't directed to the whole Israelite community –they were specifically spoken to Gideon –their soon-to-be leader.

This little section uses two common Bible metaphors to foreshadow salvation. First, there's the grain beaten from the wheat. John 12:24 says that a grain of wheat must fall and die so that more will be produced. Jesus used this example to explain that He had to die, and be raised again, so that many could have new life. 1 Corinthians 15:35-48 goes on to associate the life-cycle of the grain of wheat to our own burial and resurrection –when our earthly bodies are no longer useful and we receive new spiritual bodies.

Next, there's the winepress. It's symbolic of God's wrath –crushing grapes to release their "blood" –particularly crushing His Son whose blood paid for the sins of us all (Isaiah 53:3-6).

The wheat in this passage was secretly beaten out in the winepress so that the enemy wouldn't steal or destroy it. Metaphorically, Satan and the religious leaders of the time couldn't comprehend how Jesus' death could result in new-life for His followers. That new-life in us is something that the world can not see –nor does it accept. Its value and reality are hidden from them. By the way, Jesus' Hebrew name is Yeshua –or Joshua– and it means the "Lord's Salvation."

The Unlikely Deliverer

The world likes leaders that are big, strong and outspoken –men like King Saul, who stood head-and-shoulders above the rest.

The LORD looked at him and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?" He said to Him, "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house." (Judges 6:14-15)

The angel said to him "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." From the world's point of view, Gideon wasn't a valiant warrior. He was the least-of-the-least. His family was insignificant in the tribe and Gideon himself was insignificant in his family. It's much like the young David who faced the dreadful giant Goliath with the massive Philistine army.

The world viewed Jesus as insignificant, too. The poignant passage in Isaiah 53:1-3 describes Him as: not majestic; unattractive; despised and forsaken by men. The gospels say that He was born in poor family; lived as a servant without possessions; was called a glutton, a drunk, and a devil; was beaten and killed as a criminal; and was buried in a tomb that wasn't His own. From the world's point of view, He was a "nobody" –definitely not a leader of the nation.

But Jesus intentionally came as the least-of-the-least in Israel. When He was speaking to his disciples, He explained "for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great" (Luke 9:48). Those words served as an attitude adjustment to the disciples who aspired to be important –at the same time, they revealed Jesus' majesty. The "nobody" who lived among them was actually their heavenly, eternal King!

In this Judges passage, Gideon was told to deliver Israel. He didn't have any supernatural strength to accomplish such a task. All he had was the knowledge that the Lord was sending him. In Psalm 18:1-3, David prophesies about some of Jesus' titles –and "Deliverer" is one of them. "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." In the same manner, Jesus didn't use His supernatural powers to deliver mankind from sin and death.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 tells us that God doesn't use the things that this world considers powerful and beautiful to accomplish His ends. Verse 27 says "God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong."

The Offering

This section focuses on Gideon's offering; yet, it is prefaced with his task at hand –defeating the Midianites. It's his offering that makes the victory a reality.

Here, Gideon hears the outcome of the battle and the source of his strength; he requests a sign; meets the angel; prepares the food; expresses concern about being left alone; watches fire consume his offering; and receives the blessing of peace and life.

Gideon's Offering

But the LORD said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man."

So Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You who speak with me. Please do not depart from here, until I come back to You, and bring out my offering and lay it before You." And He said, "I will remain until you return."

Then Gideon went in and prepared a young goat and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour; he put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

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.

Then the angel of the LORD put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread.

Then the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD, he said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face."

The LORD said to him, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die." Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:16-24)

Symbolic of Jesus' Offering

Let's compare what we've read so far –along with the above passage– to Jesus' offering.

Sin's Troubles: The first part of Judges chapter six explained that the Midianites were not merely some random people that came into Israel and wreaked havoc. God intentionally handed the Israelites over to these pillagers to show them that their hearts had departed from Him. His purpose was not to beat down and destroy them –it was to restore them to their initial perfection. But first they needed to realize their condition.

The Midianites represent sin's effects on us before our salvation. They aren't just the natural results of detestable things that we think and do. Rather, they are our God-given troubles through which He appeals to us to join Him for all eternity.

Even if the wonders of creation and the preaching of the gospel don't convince us, God still doesn't give up. There is a description, in the book of Job, of the extreme measures that He uses to persuade us from reaching the final destination of our godless journey. He speaks to us through terror in nighttime visions and through painful illnesses to save us from hell (Job 33:13-22).

Gideon was told that he would destroy all of Midian as one man. It was a foreshadow of Jesus' defeating Satan. By living the sinless life and then offering that life as a sacrifice, Jesus fulfilled the Law for us. That, in turn, took away sin's power and gave us the victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:55-58).

The Tree: The oak tree, under which the angel met Gideon, is known for its superior strength and endurance. It signifies that Gideon would be performing under God's authority.

The tree represents the altar –the old rugged cross– on which Christ made His offering. It's where Jesus cried out to His Father about the enormity of what He faced –the punishment for the sins of all mankind.

A Sign: Gideon asked the angel of the Lord to show him a sign. He wanted to be sure that God was pleased with him before he began his monumental endeavor of saving Israel.

Jesus received such a sign at the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9) –not long before His final trip into Jerusalem. His Father said "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased" –another translation says "This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight." The sign was clear –especially to those disciples with Him– He had the approval to proceed.

The Offering: Gideon's offering consisted of unleavened bread, meat and broth –the same basic elements as contained in the Passover. The feast was a memorial celebration of God's protection for His people when all of the first born of Egypt were killed by the Death Angel –and of His provision for them on the way to the Promised Land. (If you were wondering about this offering being a goat rather than the traditional lamb, the Passover instructions stated that the acceptable sacrifice was to be a young male sheep or goat.)

During His ministry, Jesus had called Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:32-36; John 6:48-51). Then, with the Passover just hours away, during His last meal with His disciples, He explained the symbolic relationship of that meal to Himself. His body was the unleavened bread that would be broken (Matthew 26:26-29).

The Passover lamb had to be unblemished; put on public display for four days; killed; put through fire; and consumed. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29-34). God's Passover Lamb lived the unblemished life. His display began two days earlier with the Triumphal Entry. On the next day He would be killed. He would take on fiery death for the sin of all. And God would protect all who wholly accepted His Lamb.

The third part of Gideon's offering was broth. It's the soup or juices left from cooking the meat –including the blood and water. And those are what flowed from Jesus' body when the Roman soldier pierced His side to make sure He was dead (John 19:31-34).

Left Alone: He was frightened and didn't want to be left alone. So the angel of the Lord stayed with Gideon until his offering was completed and then departed from him.

Jesus cried out to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane when death was near. Then, when He made His offering –giving up His life on that wooden altar– He was abandoned. "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:41-50).

The Rock: Gideon was told to put his offering on the rock. Once everything was prepared, the angel of the Lord touched it with his staff and fire consumed it. Then the angel departed and the only thing that remained was the rock.

The "rock" appears throughout the Bible. The Israelites drank from the rock in the desert (1 Corinthians 10:4); they stumbled over it (1 Peter 2:7-8); the church is based upon it (Matthew 16:18); and our spiritual foundation is built upon it (Matthew 7:24-27). In each of these cases, the rock is Jesus.

The first pictures of Jesus are found in chapter one of Genesis. It's where He (the Light of the world) appeared on the first day; where He (the Living Water) and His Father were separated on the second day; and where He (the Rock of our salvation) came up out of the water (death) on the third day. He's the rock on which mankind was created. Now He has made us "fishers of men" to bring others to Him –the One who gives eternal life to the perishing (Matthew 4:18-19).

The Blessing: Gideon was told "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die."

You might ask "How does this foreshadow Jesus?"

To see the answer, we have to look beyond the surface. Yes, He did suffer death for us –there's no denying that. But this blessing, "Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die" was an encouragement from His Father telling Him to be courageous –just as His forerunner Joshua was told before he went down into the Jordan River and came up again in the Promised Land (Joshua 1:5-9).

Jesus went down into death and came back up in the promised eternal life. He did not cease to exist –and He is not dead. The encouragement in the blessing is that once His death, burial, and resurrection were over, there would be no more sacrificing –no more beatings –no more insults –no more cross –no more death –no remembrance of sins (Hebrews 10:11-18). He said "It is finished" and it is!

Not only is it finished for Him, it's also finished for us because He finished it once and for all! And we'll live our lives based on His promises. We can experience peace without fear (Isaiah 44:8; John 14:27; 1 John 4:15-19) –and we will not die (John 5:24).

The Rest is yet to Come

What we've read so far has been a set of remarkable parallels between Gideon and Jesus –up to His death. As we continue, we'll use what we know for certain about Jesus –including prophetic events such as found in Revelation– as tie-points to connect their stories. Then we'll infer some things that likely happened.

Past Events (His Crucifixion)

Gideon's account: The Israelites ignored God so He gave them into the hands of the Midianites to regain their attention. As planned, they cried out for relief from their troubles. Then He sent a prophet to remind them why they were in their current situation. It was because they did not follow His instructions for taking possession of the Promised Land.

In the background, God was preparing Gideon as the deliverer of the people. The angel of the Lord came to him under an oak tree to finalize the plan. There, Gideon made a sacrificial offering using some of the same elements as the Passover to make himself acceptable to the angel.

Jesus' account: Mankind, as a whole, has ignored God since the day that Eve made her fateful decision. He gave all of us over to wallow in our depravity in order to regain our attention –our consciences testify about the evil in our hearts. His plan is to show us that we can't resolve life's troubles; but He can. That happens by following His instructions for possessing eternal life.

In the background –since before God created the world– He was preparing His Son to be the deliverer of all mankind (Revelation 13:7-8). Jesus spoke with His Father as the day of His sacrificial offering approached. "Must I drink from this cup? Not My will, but Your will be done." His offering made Him acceptable to His Father –so that He could serve as the great High Priest to atone for the sins of all.

Future Events (His Return)

Now on the same night the LORD said to him, "Take your father's bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down."

Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father's household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.

When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built.

They said to one another, "Who did this thing?" And when they searched about and inquired, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash did this thing."

Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it."

But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar."

Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, "Let Baal contend against him," because he had torn down his altar. (Judges 6:25-32)

Although the Israelites were in the Promised Land, they had not taken possession of it. They were merely sharing it with –and living their lives like– the local inhabitants. Taking possession required them to "utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces" (Exodus 23:20-33). That was Gideon's mission.

Like a scene-change in a play or movie, our foreshadow now switches from the past –Jesus' death– to the future –His glorious return.

The passage above uses what appears to be an inconsequential term: "the same night." In fact, it's highly significant. From Genesis chapter one, all the way through Revelation, light (or day) is symbolic of God's presence –particularly in reference to His life-giving presence within man. Correspondingly, darkness (or night) is the absence of God –it's spiritual death.

Here are some related, familiar passages. Jesus came into the dark world as the Light (Genesis 1:1-5; John 1:1-5). John the Baptist was a witness to the Light (John 1:6-14). When Jesus died, the sky grew dark (Matthew 27:45-46). He left the world in darkness (John 12:35-36, John 12:44-46).The only remaining light is the Holy Spirit within His followers. That is why it is so important for us to be light to others –to not hide our light under a basket (Matthew 5:14-16). The next time that the Light will be in the world is the great Day of the Lord –the Day of Judgment –it's the second half of the Great Tribulation (2 Peter 3:8-13; Revelation 6:12-17).

"The same night" that Gideon presented his offering to the angel, the Lord gave him instructions to tear down the altar and the pole. A "likely inference" is that "the same night" that Jesus was crucified, His Father instructed Him to tear down the worship places of false gods. The night that we're referring to is His bodily absence from us –the period of time between His crucifixion and His return. So far, it's lasted about two-thousand years.

The Two Bulls

There are differing opinions about whether there were actually two bulls or just one. The views are primarily based on which translation of the Bible is preferred. One group supports the presence of two bulls, saying that the Scriptures –for some unknown reason– are merely silent about the first bull and emphasize the second. The other group says that the original language suggests that there was only one bull.

What's so important about whether there was one or two bulls? For that matter, what's so important about the bulls at all? Let me answer those questions with a comparison to the gospels. All four gospels tell the same basic story about Jesus' life –and yet, they all vary in content. Some contain more history leading up to His birth –or more details about what happened after His death –or more of His parables –or more events of His ministry –or more instructions about life. And they each describe the events in a different sequence. By having all four gospels, we are able to piece together a more thorough account of Jesus' life-story so that we can understand and appreciate Him more.

Parts of Gideon's account in Judges and Elijah's account in First Kings point to the same prophetic event –the tribulation period. That might seem too theological, or irrelevant to everyday Christian life, or just plain boring. But the fact of the matter is that we will all be joined together with our Lord at some point in that time-period. It's when Jesus will be riding His great white horse, leading the charge into battle, and all of us will be with Him. It's when the marriage of God's Son and His bride takes place. It's when the entire body of Christ will exchange sorrows and pain for overwhelming joy and praise. It's when we will experience a new meaning and purpose for life itself. The point is: don't lose interest just because we're discussing prophecy, we're also learning more about the One that we will be spending eternity with!

Although the foreground stories of Gideon and Elijah are unique, some of the fundamentals are too similar to ignore. First, in both cases the Israelites had been worshipping Baal as the one who controlled the earth's produce. God used extreme measures to turn their hearts back to Him. Second, they both have unmistakable references to the tribulation time periods –seven years and three-and-a-half years –mainstays for discussion in studies of Daniel and Revelation.

Elijah's story is the only place in the Bible (other than chapter six of Judges) that speaks about only two bulls being used as sacrifices. (Other passages tell about sacrifices of two bulls along with other animals.) In 1 Kings 18:17-40, Elijah confronted the Israelites and demanded that they make a decision to worship God or worship Baal. For some time, they had been living two radically different and compartmented lives –worshipping both. And the result was a three-and-a-half-year devastating drought.

Elijah challenged 450 of Baal's prophets. It was a test to determine whose god was real. He brought two bulls with him. Baal's prophets killed one and put it on their altar –on top of some wood– for a burnt offering. If Baal was truly god, he would ignite the wood to complete the offering. Baal's prophets started first. They called out to him all day long and nothing happened. When it was Elijah's turn, he repaired the Lord's altar, killed his bull, and put it on the altar –on top of some wood. Then he poured water on the wood to make the fire more difficult to start. Of course, God's fire was spectacular. It fell from the sky and consumed the bull, the wood, the water, the altar, and even the dirt underneath. And He did it right on time for the evening burnt offering. Afterward, Elijah killed all of the false prophets. 1 Kings 18:41-46 tells that after God proved His supremacy, the people's hearts changed and then the rains came roaring down!

The distant hearts, length of the drought (three-and-a-half years), changed hearts, rebuilding the Lord's altar, restoring the daily sacrifices, removal of the altar (and halting the sacrifices), and the return of the rains, are all prophetic of events happening in the first half of the Great Tribulation! Also, at the end of that first half, the Anti-Christ will be revealed and he will set up an image of himself for everyone to worship. The Bible calls that idol the "abomination of desolation" (Daniel 11:30-32).

The Main Point: My reason for tying these two accounts together is to relate Gideon's story to the tribulation timeline. The end of his "same night" is the midpoint of the Great Tribulation. That's when darkness disappears and Jesus –the Light of the world– returns!

The Confrontation

After Gideon spoke with the angel of Lord and made his offering, the Lord told him to tear down Baal's altar and Asherah pole. Gideon was to do what the Israelites of the city didn't. It just so happens that Gideon's name means "feller" –as in one who causes things to fall down (like felling a tree). Felling Baal's altar of stones and the Asherah pole would fulfill his prophetic name –and he was also going to fell the enemy's army.

The account says that the idols belonged to Gideon's father –meaning that they were on his property. It doesn't say that his father erected them –and we know that he wasn't protective of them –nor was he visibly bothered by their destruction. So let's proceed on the assumption that the idols were actually set up by the men of his household. After all, they were the ones who were infuriated.

... The men who are angry are the deceived, religious Hebrews. They are the ones who are referred to as members of God's household in several of Jesus' teachings.

Gideon was to take two bulls and sacrifice one of them as a burnt offering using the wood from the Asherah pole. He was then to build an altar to God on top of the stronghold and sacrifice the second bull.

...

Ten of Gideon's servants accompanied him when he tore down Baal's altar and Asherah pole.

...

It happened at night.

...

The next morning there were two groups of angry men who inquired to find out who did the deed.

...

The men demanded Gideon's death.

...

Joash's said "Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning." He was warning the men who were trying to live a double life of religious obedience –to God and Baal– that the Law they revered also demanded the death of anyone who worshipped another god. It violated the very first Commandment (Exodus 20:4; Exodus 22:20).

...

Gideon received a new name –really it's more of a title– Jerubbaal, which means "Let Baal contend against him." As far as his father was concerned, if there was a problem about the desecrated altar, it was between his son and Baal –and no one else.

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He is Worthy

Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the sons of the east assembled themselves; and they crossed over and camped in the valley of Jezreel. So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they also were called together to follow him; and he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they came up to meet them. (Judges 6:33-35)

Those nasty Midianites and their allies gathered together and flaunted their power –reminiscent of the Philistines when David faced Goliath and the Philistine army. Gideon called for backup

Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, behold, I will 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 will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken." And it was so. When he arose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece, he drained the dew from the fleece, a bowl full of water. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground." God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40)

Gideon was still short on confidence that God was with him in this huge undertaking. He asked for a sign that he was not alone. He placed a sheepskin on the threshing room floor and asked God for it be wet and the floor be dry in the morning. It happened just as he asked. Still unsure, Gideon asked God for another proof –a dry sheepskin on a wet floor. That was the point in time when Gideon saw that God was worthy of his trust.

Continue reading: "Judges Chapter 7: Gideon learned to trust God through the wet and dry fleece. He became qualified for –and won– a most unlikely battle –135,000 Midianites to 300 Israelites."