Read Judges 7 here (text coming …) or at Bible Gateway.
The Hebrew paragraphs:
7:1 {s} Gideon camped on Mt. Gilead above the camp of the Midianites
7:2-3 {s} God sent the fearful away from Gideon’s army, but 10,000 remained
7:4-6 {s} The army still too many and were tested at the water’s edge
7:7-8 {p} Three hundred who lapped retained, the rest sent home
7:9-14 {p} Gideon scouted the Midianite camp and hears the dream that God has ordained their overthrow
7:15-18 {p} Gideon, strengthened, divides and prepares his army against the Midianites
7:19-8:9 {p} Gideon’s 300 rout the Midianites and pursue them across the Jordan
Judges 7:1-8 Chiastic Structure:
The fearful of Israel were sent home, while the fearful of Midian were embedded in the army. But the first fear YHVH dealt with, was Gideon’s. He was threshing wheat in the winepress, that is, hiding, because of Midian. YHVH gave him his mission of saving Israel, but saving Israel was not the first thing YHVH asked of him. First, he had to take down his father’s altar to Baal. Gideon was too afraid of his father’s household to do so during the day, so he did it at night. But, notice that he did it. He obeyed. And God delivered him from the men of the town who wished to put him to death because of it.
A small ask, a small obedience, and a small deliverance established Gideon’s courage and faith over fear in God; which prepared him for this chapter’s big ask, big obedience, and big deliverance. Yeshua put it this way:
He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Luk 16:10
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