Thirdly.—His disapprobation of their conduct, and the means he took to testify it, are set before us. Our God is never at a loss for means to accomplish his wise and holy purposes of justice or mercy, as is evident from the history before us. The blessed Spirit operating upon the souls of his people, often by his influence reproves their consciences of sin, as it is so opposite to the purity of that divine nature, or holy principle he has blessed them with. Sin, committed by a believer, is a transgression of the law, or dictates of faith; for there is no sin, condemned under the first covenant, but what, under the covenant of grace, is pointed out in more odious colours.—Hence the idolatry, rebellion, and ingratitude of the believer, are seen and lamented by him as a child of God; and as God the Spirit communicates light to his understanding, to discover it as sinful, he perpetually testifies that his sins are more sinful than those who know not God.
Fourthly.—The inseparable connection between sin and sorrow, is felt by all, both elect and non-elect. By nations, families, and individuals, the moral and penal evils of the Fall, will be, must be, and are felt by all. The non-elect feel it in many awful forms, as transgressors, in the curse of the ground, in the calamities of war, in all the dreadful horrors of a guilty conscience, and in the wrath of a sin-avenging God. Nations feel it universally; this is evident by the calamities which befell the land of Canaan—so the 6th Chapter begins: “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian.” Their sin was resented in this form, by the Lord—the prevailing of their enemies, which forced them to hide in dens, caves, mountains, and strong holds—their enemies destroyed the increase of their country, and reduced them almost to a famine; “and Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites” and people of Arabia.
Fifthly.—The tender mercy of God the Saviour appears as remarkable in their deliverance; in the remembrance of his covenant of old, with their fore-fathers; his good hand was seen in bringing them out of trouble, although they had brought these troubles on themselves—what a solemn, but gracious proof; “O! Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself! but in me is thine help.” And what encouragement does this give to poor backsliders to return to Jesus, their first husband; for although they have brought these troubles on themselves, yet Jesus is ready to deliver them! What a striking account does the pious Nehemiah give of the conduct of the Israelites, and the goodness of God to man—9th chap. 28th verse; “But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee, therefore thou leftest them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they cried unto thee thou heardest them from heaven; and many times thou didst deliver them, according to thy tender mercies.”
Sixthly.—I remark again, that our God has ever manifested himself a God, hearing prayer: the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord sent a prophet to them; and after reproving them, we have an account of a deliverer, raised up by the Lord himself. What encouragement does this give to us in all our trials, without and within, whether in body, soul, circumstances, family, or nation. God has even condescended to hear the cries of many who had no grace, yet, led by the light of nature to call on him in trouble; and will he turn a deaf ear to his saints in trouble? surely not. Believer, the remedy’s before thee—PRAY.
In taking one more view of this history, we must admire the conduct of God in over-turning all the schemes of men, their wisdom, counsel, and power: that in providence as well as in grace, his wisdom, power, and faithfulness, might be clearly seen and adored by his people. His wisdom in the permission of the Fall, and its awful consequences, seems to go before, and make way for the displays of his love, mercy, power, and faithfulness. This is seen in his dispensations, generally, and particularly in grace & providence. How often has infinite wisdom permitted heavy troubles to come on the Church, to wean her from the creature—to shew her the value of Jesus, as a deliverer—and to lead her to him by many intreaties; that while we feel our strength perfect weakness, we may the more clearly discover the good hand of our God, in our support and deliverance, and give him the glory due to his name for it. The principal end God has in view in all his dispensations, is his own glory—this is the first cause and last grand end of all things—“for of him, and through him, and to him, are all things.” Had the victory we are considering been gained by well disciplined men, led on by wise, noble, valiant generals, who had often been successful in war—had this been the case, the creature would have been extolled, and God nearly forgotten. But this victory was a display of the power of Jehovah—his hand clearly seen, his mercy displayed, and all the honor given to him to whom it is due. The means, the feeble means the Lord made use of were simply, a weak un-armed man, with only three hundred men, led by him, with lamps, trumpets, and pitchers—to carnal reason a very unlikely method to conquer two hundred thousand Midianites, well skilled in the art of war. But this was God’s method, and we have a right to submit our wisdom to God’s plan; “for my thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my ways as your ways, saith the Lord; for as the heavens are high above the earth, so are my ways above your ways.” And this victory, through such feeble means, is a confirmation of this truth—the angel Jehovah Jesus, appeared to Gideon as he was threshing wheat, in a secret place, to hide it from the enemy; and assured him, that however mean himself and family were, he should deliver Israel from their present servitude. Gideon, astonished at such an appearance, such a salutation, and such a declaration, began to ask, “How this could be?” The blessed Jesus tells him, “Surely I will be with thee.” Gideon, like the rest of God’s people, could not give God the credit of God, nor take him at his word—he could not honor him by believing on him, and prays, “If I have found grace in thy sight, shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.”—As believers in Jesus, we are called to walk by faith, and not by sight, as seeing him who is invisible, or out of sight—depending on his word, oath, and faithfulness, as the word of a covenant God, who cannot lie: this is honoring Jesus—yet God condescended to give Gideon the request of his lips; and to confirm his faith, he, with a rod, touched the rock, and caused fire to come out of it, and, consume the slain Kid and unleavened cakes, all moistened with the broth, which Gideon, at his command, had put thereon. Gideon was fearful and apprehensive of immediate death, as he had seen an angel; but the Lord kindly assured him that he was in no danger.—How strange and groundless the fears of God’s people—frequently they take covenant-love dispensations as tokens of wrath; forgetting it is written, “I will no more be wroth with thee, nor forsake thee.”—We are seldom satisfied with the wise and gracious conduct of our God; when we have no sign or clear evidences we murmur—when we have we often fear they are not of a right kind. Well may saints be called children, seeing they possess the weakness of them.
After this, Gideon built an altar, and called it Jehovah Shalom—believing what the Lord had declared, “that he would send peace to Israel.” It is worthy of observation, that the people of God only rear up altars to the Lord, as they believe in him—there is no praying or praising but by faith in Jesus; this leads the soul out to God, and “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Gideon then testified his zeal for the service of God, and in God’s strength he threw down the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was by it. This shews the effect of faith in Jesus; it is a faith which worketh by love to God’s service, and produces a zeal for his glory. This alarms Satan, who stirs up persecution against all who love the Redeemer’s cause, as in the instance of Gideon—his fellow-citizens sought his life, for opposing their idolatry; but Joash, his father, remonstrated with them, that it did not become the people of God to plead for Baal; and that if Baal was truly God, he ought to exert his power in punishing those who had broken down his altar; and he called his son Jerubbaal, that is, let Baal contend with himself (if he can).
Understanding the Midianites had crossed Jordan, Westward, and were encamped in the valley of Jezreel, at no great distance—filled with the Spirit of God, as a spirit of courage, Gideon sounded a trumpet, and assembled his friends, to the number of thirty-two thousand men. But, alas! what was this little army to meet and encounter with two hundred thousand! Perhaps his heart might fail him once more—he begs another, even a double sign. We must never forget that God has said “Open thy mouth wide; ask great things;”—the Lord graciously answers him, and by bedewing a fleece of wool, while the adjacent ground was dry—and again bedewing the ground, while the fleece of wool was dry, the Lord confirmed his doubtful mind. Thus assured of victory Gideon marched his forces directly towards the Midianites. What the army thought we know not, in their march, knowing their fewness and the vast army of the other—but every natural gift is of the Holy-Ghost, as the God of nature and providence, as well as every spiritual one; and all the wisdom and courage of warriors are the work of God the Spirit, and no man has any of these gifts inherent in himself, they are the peculiar gifts of God, to answer his holy purposes. And now Gideon’s faith is put to a double trial. If God gives his people grace, he tries that grace, especially the grace of faith. At the well of Harod God ordered him to warn his army, that every one who was timorous should return home, and there returned home twenty-two thousand! so that Gideon was left but with ten thousand. God was wisely securing the honor of this victory to himself—hence he assigns this reason, “lest Israel vaunt themselves and say, Not the Lord, but mine hand hath done this:” and so it is in our salvation—God has wisely permitted man to become as weak as he was wicked, that he might take occasion to honor the riches of his grace, in saving those who could not save themselves: and how often is this seen in his providential dealings, when brought into circumstances of sore trial, and every door shut up? then it is that the Lord’s hand is more clearly seen, and the glory redounds to him. His glory is great in our salvation—this made the ancients say, “When the bricks are doubled, then comes Moses;” that is, “Man’s greatest extremity is God’s opportunity.”
Gideon’s faith is tried again: “The people are yet too many for me,” saith the Lord.—He was then ordered to cause all of his people to drink out of the river, without using any vessel. On this trial only three hundred lapped the water, putting their hands to their mouths; the rest bowed on their knees to drink water. This was emblematic of their spirits and minds—some, apparently careless of their country, took their ease at the water-side—the three hundred, set upon the battle, (which they saw God’s hand was in), they only lapped the little out of their hands they had hastily caught up. What an emblem of the different characters that compose the visible church of Jesus—some who only have a name to live, and are dead! who are taking their ease in Zion, and resting beside the waters of creature comforts; while the humble and zealous believer is using the world as a traveller at an Inn, knowing that he is but a stranger and a pilgrim here below; and that as he is engaged in a warfare, it will not be for God’s glory to load himself with thick clay. The Lord then says, “By the three hundred men that lapped will I save Israel.”—These three hundred were ordered to provide victuals for some days; and each a trumpet, a lamp, and a pitcher. We hear nothing of arms; but, just before the victory, Gideon and Phurah his servant, went into the Midianitish camp, at night, as directed of God. Here, for the confirmation of his faith, and once more, to assure him of success, he heard a soldier in the host tell his comrade of a strange dream he had, of a barley cake rolling from the hill, and over-turning his tent. The other explained the dream, and said, “This is no other than the Sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his hand hath God delivered the Midianites.”—Doubtless the Midianites had heard before that the God of Israel had raised up one to oppose them; but they were not intimidated with that, perhaps only laughed at the weakness of the Israelites, in placing any dependence on their God—as Satan and the world, pharisees, and hypocrites, laughing at believers, walking by faith, and not by sight; it will be the believer’s turn to laugh another day, when their enemies shall gnaw their tongues in anguish, and say, We fools counted their lives madness, and their end without honor.
Gideon was now encouraged, divided his army into three companies, and ordered them to imitate him in all he did—16th verse; “And he divided the three hundred into companies,” one hundred in each company, partly to make the better figure; a shew of an army, with right and left wing, and partly that they might fall upon the camp of Midian in different parts—and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand—they that returned of the trumpeters having left their trumpets behind, so that there was a sufficient number of trumpets for three hundred men; and these were put into their hands, that when they blew together the noise would be very great, and it would seem, by the noise, like a great army, and so terrify their enemies. “With empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers:” the pitchers were of earth, and so very easily broken, and made a great noise in clashing together one against another; and these were empty of water, or otherwise would not have been fit to put lamps into—and the lamps put into them were not of oil, for then when the pitchers were broken the oil would have run out—but were a kind of torches, made of rosin, wax, pitch, and such like things; and these were put in the pitchers to preserve them from the wind, and conceal them from the enemy till just as they came upon them, and then they held them out—which, in a dark night, would make a terrible blaze, as before this they were of use to light them down the hill to the camp. Gideon stood forward first, and as he acted so were they to act; and as they were acting so they were to exclaim, “The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” or, for the Lord and for Gideon. The name Jehovah, these heathens might often have heard as the God of Israel, and would now sound dreadful to them; and the name of Gideon also:—this was the reason why Gideon is added, and not out of arrogance and vanity, but put after the name of the Lord, as being only an instrument the Lord thought fit to make use of; but all the glory belonged to the Lord.
Verse 19.—So Gideon, and the three hundred men that were with him, which was one of the three companies his army was divided into, came unto the out-side of the camp, in the beginning of the middle watch, (the second watch). In early times the Jews divided their nights into three watches; Gideon choose the middle—had he come the first, all might not have been in bed—had he come the last, some might have been rising; but he took this time, a little after midnight in the dead of the night, when the whole army was fast asleep—and the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands, to blow withal—and they cried, The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! The noise, and the blaze of light were very surprising to the host of Midian, just awaking out of their sleep, perhaps—an awful emblem of the surprise a soul experiences, when it leaves the body without a hope, and without a God!—a greater emblem of that period, when the midnight cry shall be made—when the arch-angels trumpet shall wake the dead!—shake the vast creation when the blaze of a burning world, and the sword of vindictive justice shall be seen.—“The host of Midian ran, and cried, and fled.”—Such shall the terror be in that dread moment. See this finely represented by the excellent Admiral Kempenfelt, who was drowned in the Royal George, and who composed some excellent verses on the Last Day. I will only mention these two verses, as suitable to this subject, and will be acceptable to the believer, while it is a terror to those Midianites who will experience the horrors of that day.—