God’s People in Confusion

MEMORY VERSE: “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” —Judges 21:25

JUDGES 2:16-19; 6:11-14; 8:33-35

FOLLOWING the death of Joshua, the Israelites entered into what is known historically as the Period of the Judges. It was much as our caption suggests—an era of confusion. During this long period of time—450 years—there was no central government in Israel, no regularly constituted lawmakers, and no law enforcers. Our memory verse describes the period as one during which “every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”—Judges 17:6

In most cases, and much of the time, that which was right in the eyes of each individual was not pleasing to the Lord. It was a period during which the people drifted time and time again into idolatry. However, God did not give them up entirely to their own devices. When they worshiped other gods he permitted their enemies to oppress them, and when they cried to him for help he raised up judges to deliver them from their enemies.

Gideon was one of these judges; Samuel was another, and Samuel was also a prophet. Gideon’s term of office as a judge began at a time when the Midianites were sorely oppressing them, this being permitted by the Lord because, following the usual pattern of behavior the Israelites had become worshipers of false gods. Gideon’s own father was very prominent in the worship of idols.

The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon “and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.” (Judges 6:12) This was a hit surprising to Gideon, for he had seen no evidence that the God of Israel was either for him or for the Israelites, so he replied, “Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all the miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord bath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”—Judges 6:13

The Lord then assured Gideon that he was the one chosen to deliver his people from the Midianites. “Have not I sent thee?” the Lord asked, implying that this should be sufficient to give Gideon the assurance he needed to undertake such a difficult and dangerous task.

Gideon’s first mission was to destroy the altars of Baal which his own father had erected. This was bringing the battle very close to home. Gideon waited until nighttime “because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day.” When the men of the city arose in the morning they discovered what had happened, that the altar to Baal, and the “grove” nearby, had been destroyed.

They were furious, and demanded that Joash, his father, deliver his son to them to be destroyed. Joash gave a good answer: “Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? … if he be a god, let him plead for himself.” Gideon’s father was already seeing the light.

We all recall Gideon’s subsequent signal victory over the Midianites. They were routed and defeated by Gideon’s little band of three hundred because he followed the Lord’s instructions as to how to proceed. They did not use swords or spears, but merely an earthen vessel to conceal a light until the signal was given to break these earthen vessels and expose the flickering light. They also used trumpets. Three hundred lights deployed over the hillside by night gave the appearance of a tremendous army, and the Midianites panicked and began destroying themselves.

Our lesson concludes with a sad commentary, found in Judges 8:33-35: “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had showed unto Israel.”

QUESTIONS

What was the Period of the Judges?

What was the main function of Israel’s judges during that period?

Relate the story of Gideon.

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