“Why hast thou served us thus,” they fiercely exclaimed to the leader, “that thou calledst us not when thou wentest to fight the Midianites?” They came full of jealous resentment; and instead of rejoicing in the triumph, chafed at not having sooner been permitted to share it.
Only by pride cometh contention; with the lowly is wisdom. Gideon, humble in the midst of his marvellous success, experienced the power of the soft answer to turn away wrath. He said unto the indignant warriors, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then, adds the sacred narrative, their anger was abated towards him.
GIDEON AND THE EPHRAIMITES.
But it was not with the proud sons of Ephraim, but with his own band, the chosen of God, that Gideon completed his victory by following up the pursuit beyond Jordan. They held a commission from the Most High, and exchanging their trumpets and torches for weapons of war, faint, yet pursuing, they pressed on. Weary and hungry were the brave warriors of Gideon; they lacked refreshment to renew their failing strength, but that refreshment was cruelly withheld, first by the men of Succoth, and then by those of Penuel, from whom Gideon had craved the much-needed supplies. These inhabitants of Succoth and Penuel, sons of Israel unworthy of the name, afterwards received the punishment due for their indifference to a holy cause—their base inhospitable neglect of those bearing the burden and heat of the conflict.
And can we find none even in a Christian land whose conduct closely resembles that of the men of Succoth and Penuel? The missionaries of the Cross are engaged in a long and arduous struggle to carry the banner of their Lord into the strongholds of heathen error. They are a small and, as regards numbers, a feeble band; they need support and sympathy from those who dwell at ease in their peaceful homes. For them their heavenly Leader deigns to ask the aid of their brethren. In the words of Gideon we seem to hear the Lord’s Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me, for they be faint. And how is that appeal received by the greater number of those who call themselves Christians? Some, indeed, rejoice to bring out their offerings; they deem it an honour to be permitted to give from their stores and refresh the fainting powers of those who are foremost in fighting the good fight of faith. To these how sweet the Saviour’s promise to His disciples: Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.
But shall not the multitudes who give no aid to the servants of God, who share the guilt of Penuel and Succoth, fear to share their punishment also? It is lack of faith that hardens the heart, that closes the hand; for who could refuse to give—give largely, give to the utmost of his power—if he really believed that at the last day those who have turned a deaf ear to the appeal of the weary, shall hear from the lips of the Eternal Judge the terrible words, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. Depart from Me, ye cursed!
Faint, yet pursuing, Gideon and his band followed on the track of Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. These, with about fifteen thousand men who had escaped from the slaughter which followed the sounding of the trumpets, had reached Karkor, and believed themselves there to be secure from further attack. Faint, but pursuing. Thus, in his life-long warfare against sin, presses on the Christian from grace to grace, till God receives him to glory. He must not sheathe the sword of the Spirit while one evil passion remains unsubdued; he must not relax his efforts till the Almighty himself perfect the victory within him, and call him to inherit the kingdom above. We may have much to discourage us, much to try our courage and patience; it is not by one effort, however great, that the yoke of Midian can be broken, that faith can finally triumph over corruption within. Let patience leave its perfect work; however long and arduous may be the pursuit, God can uphold, strengthen, and bless us, as in His name and for His sake we struggle on, faint, yet pursuing.
Complete success crowned the efforts of Gideon. He came up with the men of Midian, discomfited all their host, and took captive their kings Zebah and Zalmunna. As they were not of the doomed races of Canaan, the leader of Israel would have spared these foes, had they not been stained with the blood of his brethren, whom, by the Midianites’ own confession, they had slain at Tabor. Gideon was by law the avenger of this blood. The sacred record gives us a striking glimpse of the way in which justice was satisfied in that remote age—the brief investigation, and the prompt execution by the hand of the near of kin, according to the commandment of Moses: The murderer shall surely be put to death; the revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him (Num. xxxv. 18, 19). Gideon inquired of Zebah and Zalmunna, “What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor?” evidently alluding to some well-known act of violence. And the princes made answer, “As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king.” And he said, “They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.”
Gideon then commanded his first-born to fulfil the stern duty of the avenger of blood; but the youth shrank from the office. “Rise thou, and fall upon us,” cried the bold sons of Midian to Gideon; “for as the man is, so is his strength.” By the hand of their conqueror, therefore, Zebah and Zalmunna met the fate which their crimes had deserved.