‘Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife” (Judges 14:1-2).

I remember reading a review for the first ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film ‘The Curse of the Black Pearl.’ One line stood out. ‘From the moment Johnny Depp opens his mouth, you know you’re in for a rollicking good time.’ When I saw the movie I understood exactly what the reviewer meant as when we meet Captain Jack Sparrow and hear him speak for the first time, we realised the film’s going to be a lot of fun! Such is the case with Samson, as his first words give us a fair indication of what to expect from him.

Indeed, even before that, we get an indication this is a man who lives for the moment. The phrase: ‘Samson went down’ (v1) is supposed to make us question whether he’s where he should be. But when he opens his mouth he confirms he’s been among the Philistines and not God’s people. Even his parents showed concern, evidently thinking about the Law (Deuteronomy 7:3) where the Lord forbids marriage with such people. So they ask him why he can’t find a wife among his own people? But Samson’s appetite is such he ignores his godly parents. He ‘sees’ and then he ‘wants’ and nothing’s going to get in the way of that as he’s at the mercy of his hormones! This is made clear in verse 7 where he: ‘went down’ again and talks to the woman for the first time! He may have been prepared from birth to be God’s Judge, but he certainly doesn’t act like it! Indeed, he seems to be tied up in Israel’s spiritual malaise, as he’s fraternising with the enemy! Yet, despite this, verse 4 tell us: ‘that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines.’

But Samson isn’t without brains, and in verses 5-14 we have a series of events which he thinks gives him the opportunity to defer the cost of the wedding. However, this is not without problems when it comes to his Nazarite vow. Firstly, we have his tussle a lion. The Hebrew is very clear that this was a young lion in its prime, but it was no match for Samson when: ‘the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him’ (v6).  This leads to contact with the dead body when he takes honey from the carcass, the fact he doesn’t tell his father and mother where the honey came from, suggests they wouldn’t have approved! And finally it’s quite clear from the Hebrew that the party Samson is involved in is a drinking party, and alcohol was a definite no no in relation to the Nazarite vow! But it’s at this point that Samson challenges the Philistines with a riddle that he’s convinced will have the Philistines stumped and save him the cost of his wedding.

But whatever the ingenious nature of the riddle, Samson has forgotten who he’s fraternising with by wanting to take a Philistine wife, and that means he’s compromised. His Philistine hosts don’t like the idea of losing this bet and put pressure on his wife by threatening to burn the family house down. She turns on the waterworks and this being the fourth day with the marriage due to be consummated on the seventh, Samson sees the honeymoon going down the drain and, from what we know of Samson so far, there’s no way he’s going to let that happen! Now armed with the knowledge they need, his Philistine hosts present him with the answer to the riddle, much to his annoyance!

It shouldn’t surprise us, but Samson turns out to be a bad loser. Once again we get an insight into his character with his rather crude comment: “If you had not ploughed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle” (v18) as he seems to infer some indecency between his wife to be and his Philistine hosts. However, for the second time: ‘the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him’ (v19) and he’s able to pay for his bet by killing and taking the garments of thirty Philistines  from the town of Ashkelon. In the end he doesn’t get the girl, as he goes off in a sulk to his parent’s home.

So how do we sum up this disappointing episode in terms of Samson’s behaviour? Firstly, Samson seems to work alone, and I can’t help but think that’s a weakness. The other Judges gathered people round them when they were raised up to deliver Israel. But Samson’s a loner, with accountability to  no one. He may be used by the Lord, but most of the time, we get the impression that he does what he wants, where he wants and when he wants to do it, and no one’s going to get in the way of that!

So, is there any encouragement we can take from this passage? The encouragement is that the Lord, in his providence, brings about his purposes for his people. This is not an excuse to behave however we want. That’s  not what we should take from this chapter. But it’s a huge encouragement when we consider our weaknesses, and wonder if the Lord could ever use us at all! The answer is, he can and he does! But, at the same time, Samson’s example in this passage is definitely not the one we should be following. Rather, it should act as a warning!

“For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judges 13:5).

Back in the golden age of Hollywood, David Niven, an English actor seeking fame and fortune, shared a house with the famous film star Errol Flynn. Concerning his friendship with the Errol he made this comment. “You can always depend on Errol to let you down.”

Now that’s a pretty good summing up of Israel in the book of Judges. At the start of chapter 13 they have once again rejected the Lord. Yet there are two differences. The first is the Philistines are making their first major appearance on the pages of scripture! The second is there’s a glaring omission. We don’t get the usual crying out to the Lord! There seems to be an overlap between the start of 1 Samuel and this time. So it’s possible that these events take place after the events of 1 Samuel 4 and the battle of Aphek where Israel’s totally defeated and the Ark of the Covenant is captured. So the attitude seems to be, if you’re going to be oppressed, you could do worse than the Philistines!

Samson’s origins are as unlikely as one could imagine. Manoah and his wife are childless because she is: ‘barren’(v2). Children were seen as a blessing from God, so the lack of them would have raise eyebrows, as people might have wondered if there was some unconfessed sin in the couple’s life. Coupled with this they were Danites, a small tribe that due to certain sins would soon disappear from the pages of scripture. Yet these are the people that the Lord selects to be the parents of Israel’s deliver!

The way the message is delivered is rather strange. Manoah’s wife has an encounter with the Angel of Lord, which is generally a reference to the pre-incarnate Christ! Yet when she tells her husband about it she seems a bit uncertain. To paraphrase, she says: “guess what happened to me today, I met someone who could have been an Angel as he was pretty impressive, and I’ve been told I’m going to have a child, not just any child, but an exceptional one!” (vs3-7). What’s particularly interesting is the inclusion of the Nazarite vow (Numbers 6). This was something that people generally took for a short period of time, but here it is appointed from birth as: “the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death” (v7).

But what comes across very clearly is that this is a godly couple. From later events, it’s quite obvious that Manoah originally thought they were dealing with a prophet who was bringing a message from the Lord to them. But in verse 8 he does the right thing by praying to the Lord about how it would be best to bring up this child. The prayer is promptly answered as the Angel of the Lord appears again, this time to Manoah and his wife. Manoah displays faith by asking: “Now when your words come true, what is to be the child’s manner of life, and what is his mission?” (v12). The point is that they’re expecting God to work even their not fully aware of who they are dealing with (v16)!

After offering hospitality, which is rejected in favour of a sacrifice (vs15-16), Manoah asks: “What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honour you?”  He gets the reply: “Why do you ask my name, seeing it is wonderful?” (vs17-19). When the sacrifice is made, It becomes apparent this really is the Angel of the Lord. Manoah is terrified realising what the Lord had said to Moses, that if he sees God face to face he will die (Exodus 33:20). However, his wife has her wits about her as, although she’s probably terrified, she realises that if God  intended to kill them, he would not have accepted their sacrifice (vs20-23).

The Word of the Lord is fulfilled. Manoah’s wife gives birth to a son who they named Samson. It is noted that while he’s growing up: ‘the LORD blessed him’ (v24). The chapter concludes: ‘And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol’ (v25). This makes us think about what was said earlier. Samson is the Lord’s instrument and is being equipped for a task as he:  ‘shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines’ (v5). This time the Lord is not just going to raise up a deliverer, he’s made one!

‘The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand” (Judges 12:1-2).

Despite the disadvantages he had grown up with, Jephthah has proved when Israel needed a: ‘mighty warrior’ he had all the right credentials, although he also proved to be handy as a diplomat as well. Despite his needless vow which led to tragedy for his daughter and himself, he’s proved to be the man who God raised up to deliver Israel. But his story is not yet over.

There’s a famous quote in the novel ‘The Go-Between’ by L. P. Hartley. ‘The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there.’ It acts as a reminder that we can be so obsessed with the present, that we don’t look back at the past and learn from it. When we get to this part of Jephthah’s story, I can’t help thinking that he would have benefited by looking back at past history.

We’ve encountered the Ephraimites before in Judges. In their encounter with Gideon they came across as stroppy and undiplomatic. But Gideon showed tact and diplomacy when handling them (Judges 8:1-3). Unfortunately the Ephraimites manners haven’t improved since that time as when they encounter Jephthah they accuse him of not calling on them during the battle and threatened to burn his house down (v1). It could be argued that Jephthah is provoked, but rather than taking Gideon’s example, he reacts angrily. He reminds them that they didn’t come to his aid, but the Lord gave him victory (vs2-3). The sad thing is it’s possible this was a misunderstanding. Under the oppression of the Ammonites, it could have been a case of every man for himself and could’ve led to the Ephraimites not being called upon. But Jephthah’s diplomatic touch has deserted him and if the Ephraimites are cruising for a bruising he’s only to happy to oblige!

The tragedy is this is one generation on from Abimelech’s disastrous rule and Jephthah is leading Israel down the same path again! Once again, we get a taste of his doggy theology.  He knows of the Covenant, but he makes this personal which is demonstrated in the phrase: ‘Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?’ (v3). The Ephraimites attitude is actually an offence against the Lord, but you’d never know it by Jephthah’s attitude. The upshot of this is civil war, and we are forced to ask whether things are any better than it was in Abimelech’s time!

Jephthah and his men not only win the battle, they: ‘capture the fords of the Jordan’ (vs 4-5). What then follows, if it wasn’t in the Bible, you’d think it was from a ‘Monty Python’ sketch. ‘And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over”, the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No”, they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth”, and he said, “Sibboleth”, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell’ (v6). It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad as Jephthah’s test of regional dialects proves how divided Israel is! Just as Israel needed a saviour after Abimelech’s, disastrous rule, it desperately needs one again! In the end we’re left with Jephthah’s rather sad epitaph (v7) with no mention of his liberation of Israel!

Verses 8-15 cover a period of 25 years. But 25 years of what? Ibzan with his huge number of sons and daughters, who he marries off, may have been trying to build influence through political alliances. Elon was a Judge for 10 years, but we know nothing about him! Abdon Seems to be a throwback to Jair’s time with his sons and grandsons patrolling the area with donkeys, the only difference being he’s got more. But we’re told nothing of the state of Israel at this time. So this  raises more questions than it answers. After Jephthah’s short  blaze of glory, even if some of his actions were idiotic, this feels like a complete let’s down.

But perhaps that’s the point. Once again, writer of the book  is reminding us that human leaders, even at their very best will fail, or even if they don’t fail, will die. In the end, they can never provide the salvation that people so desperately need as only God can do that!

‘Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow” (Judges 11:29-40).

So far, Jephthah has cut a very impressive figure. He’s been diplomatic and firm, trying to build bridges and correcting errors both theological and historical when it comes to talking with Israel’s enemies. It doesn’t do any good, but it’s well intention and surprising considering his background.

So Jephthah is very much part of God’s purpose as: ‘Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah’ (v29). This is very much the pattern in the Old Testament as the Spirit of the Lord seems to come upon the Lord’s people at special times or for special tasks. Jephthah doesn’t just beat the Ammonites, he and his army absolutely annihilates them! His victory is overwhelming and he lives up to his title as: ‘a mighty warrior’ and it’s quite clear that the  Ammonites will not be bothering Israel again anytime soon (vs32-33). It would be wonderful if the story stopped there, but it doesn’t as we are introduced to Jephthah’s dodgy theology!

We might be asking, if the Spirit of the Lord has come upon him, surely no more is necessary as victory for Israel is clearly God’s purpose. Unfortunately Jephthah doesn’t think so: ‘And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,  then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering” (vs30-31). One could make vows to the Lord as there was provision for it within the Law (Deuteronomy 23:21-23). But the ridiculous thing  is that nowhere is it suggested a vow was required by the Law. It’s clear that it was the Lord’s purpose for Jephthah to be triumphant and apart from anything else, the Lord doesn’t need paying off! But Jephthah goes way beyond what is required by the Law, which demonstrates a very legalistic approach!

In the end this is a tragedy for all concerned. ‘Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter’ (v34). Jephthah, like a typical male who’s made a mistake, blames his misery on his daughter. Obviously, this is a tragedy for the daughter, but is also one for Jephthah as having no descendants will mean that his name will die out with his death!

But it also highlights his dodgy theology. Human sacrifice was not acceptable in the Law as it was associated with the with the nations Israel had driven out. But take another scenario, what if an unclean animal had come out of his house for some reason? That would also not be acceptable as a sacrifice under the law. However you look at it, his vow it is very badly thought out and is so, so wrong! Apart from this, the Law had get out clauses where vows were concerned (see Leviticus 27 for how a vow could be redeemed).

In the end, it’s Jephthah’s daughter who shines the brightest here as she will not let her father be humiliated by breaking his vow, however dumb it may have been! It’s notable that she sees the Lord’s hand in these events, despite her father’s stupidity. It’s her love for her father that is clearly seen in her payment for the consequences of his vow. In a small way she testifies to God’s love for the lost, in that they have done nothing to deserve his love due to their sinful actions. Yet Christ acts as a saviour for those who look to him.

Much ink has been spilled over the question as to whether Jephthah sacrificed his daughter. The case that he did not sacrificed her can be made from the fact that his daughter’s virginity is mentioned three times. This, coupled with the statement that she will never marry seems to suggest being dedicated to a life of service at the Tabernacle. However, these were dark and desperate times were men did dark and desperate things, so anything’s possible!

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. And Gilead’s wife also bore him sons. And when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob, and worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him. (Judges 11:1-2).

After the genuine repentance at the end of chapter 10 the Israelites find themselves without a leader to confront the Ammonites who are threatening them. So we are introduced to Jephthah Who seems to fit the bill perfectly as he’s: ‘a mighty warrior’ (v1). However, he’s also an outcast, the son of prostitute, who, although he’s been raised with his father’s legitimate sons has been rejected by them, and is living as an outcast. Having gather some rather dubious people around him, he’s basically getting by the best he can by attracting similar kinds of people to him.

But the case, for the elders of Gilead, is ‘hero needed, who you going to call?’ So, Jephthah, with his combat and leadership abilities and his not so ‘merry men,’ seems to fit the bill perfectly. But, not surprisingly, Jephthah’s response is less than enthusiastic, and in verse 7 we read: ‘But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” The elders of Gilead’s response, could be paraphrased as “let’s let bygones be bygones, we really need you, so if you lead us in battle Ammonites you can be our next Judge as a perk for getting rid of them.” This makes Jephthah look a bit more kindly on what’s being offered, but the he’s still a bit suspicious (notably he invokes the Lord here) until he is reassured by the elders, and he becomes their leader (vs8-11).

It might surprise us that after hanging out with a bunch of Renegades, Jephthah pursues the diplomatic approach. However, he doesn’t get a diplomatic reply, as the king of the Ammonites accuses Israel of stealing their land after coming out of Egypt. Jephthah’s answer to this is interesting. Firstly, he gives a quick history lesson giving the correct account. He basically says that there were various people that Israel was told by the Lord not to attack. So they tried to travel round them. However, various pagan kings had decided to pick a fight with Israel, and in the end, Israel had prevailed. But in these verses (vs14-23) he also points out their theology is wrong, as it was the Lord who gave them: ‘Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.’ (v21-22). The point Jephthah is making is that Israel prevailed because the Lord was with them when the Ammonites and others had insisted on picking a fight! Jephthah concludes that it is actually they who have wronged Israel because they have invaded territory which the Lord enabled Israel to take from them due to their aggression, not Israel’s (v23).

Yet, despite pointing out that they are the aggressors, Jephthah continues with what is a diplomatic tone. He points out they can’t win this by quoting past examples and pointing out that for 300 years Israel has occupied the land, so why this aggression now? He concludes by pointing out that if any wrong has been done it is due to their aggression, not Israel’s and once again invokes the Lord as judge in this matter (vs 25-27). However, the king of the Ammonites is in no mood to listen Jephthah’s reasoned approach (v28).

We see much to commend Jephthah in this passage. He may have been a great warrior, but he adopts an attitude that tries to build bridges with people who have clearly wronged Israel. He invokes the Lord positively throughout his attempted negotiation. But is there is a hint of weakness in his theology?

The phrase in the first part of verse 24: “Will you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess?” has divided theologians. Some say that Jephthah is just acting like the psalmist in Psalm 95 verse 3 where he writes: ‘For the LORD is a great God, and a great king above all gods.’ They would argue that the psalmist does not actually believe there are other gods but he’s just using this as an example of God’s greatness, and they’d be right. Yet it’s interesting to note the Jephthah refers to their god by name, and we will see, as we continue in his story, that he later invokes the Lord in a careless way without  due thought or consideration. In the end, Jephthah could be seen as a warning to make sure that our faith is robust in every area and that we continue to workout our: ‘salvation with fear and trembling’ (Philippines 2:12).

‘After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.  And he judged Israel for twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir’ (Judges 10:1-2).

Once, when I was visiting the college I studied at, I sat in on a lecture by a very eminent theologian. He was teaching the book of Isaiah and we were very keen to note down anything he had to say about useful commentaries on the book. I remember he spoke of one commentary as being ‘solid’ and then added “that probably means it’s as dull as dishwater.” At the start of this chapter we get another interlude, a bit like we did back in chapter 3 Verse 31 where we are introduced to Shamgar, as we are now introduced to two Judges in the space five verses. But does the fact they have so little written about them mean that they were just ‘solid’ judges, reasonable enough, but no one can get that excited about them and can think of much to write about them?

So, what are we to make of Tola and Jair? They’re not recorded as fighting any battles or doing anything spectacular. In fact, there was no mention of an enemy! But we note in verse 1 that Tola: ‘arose to save Israel.’ The conclusion is that Israel needed saving from itself! What they needed was a good ‘solid’ leader after the mayhem of Abimelech’s rule. In the end, Tola may not have been the most spectacular or charismatic leader, but he was God’s man at the time to save a nation that was completely adrift.

The way the text reads, it suggests that Jair’s time as judge may have come directly after the 23 years of Tola’s leadership. Again, he doesn’t have much space devoted to him as we read that during his 22 years as a Judge: ‘he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, which are in the land of Gilead’ (v4). Rather interestingly I think that this has almost a ‘spaghetti western’ feel to it, with his sons on their donkeys acting as a kind of ‘posse’ keeping law and order in the area. There’s question over whether he had Gideon’s failing of multiple wives (due to his many sons) but once again this is ‘solid’ leadership and a time of peace and stability.

The fact that there was such a long time of peace suggests that, whatever failings, these men were faithful the Lord. Yet, we’re back to the ‘same old same old’ by the time we get to verses 6-7. Once again Israel is up to her old tricks, forsaking the worship of the Lord and going after other gods. In the end, after 45 years of peace we have to conclude that Israel has learned absolutely nothing! So, not surprisingly, Israel is in deep trouble as: ‘the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites,  and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed’ (vs7-9). The word: ‘crushed’ in verse 9 illustrates that Israel was helpless, their enemies just did what they wanted to do and there was nothing that Israel could do about it!

So not surprisingly, this being the ‘same old same old’ Israel does what it usually did and cried out to the Lord. However, this time the Lord’s response was far from encouraging. It could be paraphrased “You just don’t get it, time after time I’ve saved you, but you seem to have such a short memory you go off and do the same thing again. That’s all the thanks I get. Well this time you’ve gone too far! Why don’t you cry out to some of those gods you’ve been serving and see if they will save you” (vs11-14).

But then: ‘the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and he became impatient over the misery of Israel’ (vs15-16). Like the parent of a child who has done wrong the Lord punished Israel for their own good. But like a loving parent, he didn’t enjoy doing it, and the word: ‘impatient’ Informs us he is now going to act on their behalf. The passage actually ends on what I think is a good note. Some argue that Israel is displaying symptoms suggesting a lack of faith in the face of the Ammonites attacking (v18), but after the repentance of verses 15 and 16 it could suggest that they’re waiting on the Lord to raise up a saviour to liberate them!

‘Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal’ (Judges 9:56-57).

The phrase ‘the lunatics have taken over the asylum’ could apply to the situation we find in Judges chapter 9. After Gideon’s death, once again, Israel had turned away from the worship of the Lord and was worshipping other gods. So Israel is in a poor state, but it’s about to get a lot worse. This time the threat is not some foreign invader as the threat comes from within!

Abimelech, Gideon son’s by his concubine from Shechem seizes power by appealing to his kinship with the people of Shechem. Dale Ralph Davis points out: ‘Blood is thicker than brains,’[1] and after hiring mercenaries with the money they have given him, he slaughters his seventy brothers (vs 1-5)! However, Gideon’s youngest son Jotham escapes.

Abimelech is made king. Yet Jotham spoils the party by climbing to the top of Mount Gerizim and, getting people’s attention, tells a witty fable about the trees wanting to elect a king. The premise is that all the trees that are seen as noble and suitable for Kingship are reluctant to do it. But the Bramble Bush, the most unproductive and unsuitable of them all, becomes their King (vs6-15)! Jotham’s point is simple, they are getting the King they deserve due to their lack of gratitude and their bad treatment of his family (8:35) and the murder of his brothers (vs16-21).

What follows proves Jotham’s point. By the Lord’s doing, Abimelech and the people of Shechem fall out. The leaders of Shechem take to / or at least encourage highway robbery to undermine Abimelech’s authority. Also, when: ‘Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives’ (v26) they decide to have him as their leader and even arrange a party to celebrate after gathering in their grapes. Some Pagan worship later, with the wine flowing, it all goes to Gaal’s head and he’s boasting about his position and bad mouthing Abimelech (which is not unreasonable). However, this drunken boast backfires when he says it’s time to remove Abimelech and the news gets back to Abimelech (vs26-29)!

Abimelech is advised to attack by night by Zebul who brought the news about Gaal to him. He does this setting: an ambush against Shechem (v34). Gaal, probably suffering from the king of all hangovers and regretting that he was a bit free with his comments about Abimelech, is forced to go out and fight against him. Not surprisingly, the battle goes badly and Abimelech succeeds it driving Gaal and his relatives out of Shechem. Abimelech, living up to his reputation of being a brutal and vengeful individual, massacres the inhabitants of the city and raises it to the ground. But some of the leaders have escaped and taken refuge, with others, in the ‘Tower of Shechem.’ Abimelech, adds to his already sorry reputation by setting the tower on fire, which results in the massacre of: ‘about 1000 men and women’ (v49). But he hasn’t finished his revenge yet (vs30-49)!

His next target is the city of Thebez which he captures except for: ‘a strong tower within the city’ (v51). Abimelech figures he can win the battle in the same way he did at Shechem, and so he fights to get in a position where he can set fire to the tower. Unfortunately for him, a woman just happens to have a millstone handy, takes aim, and Abimelech suffers severe head injuries. Figuring it would be better to have his armour bearer kill him, than the humiliation of the common knowledge he was killed by a woman, he asked him to finish him off  which he does (vs50-54).

In the aftermath (vs55-57), we get an accurate picture of how people felt about Abimelech as: ‘when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home’ (v55). No one has any enthusiasm to continue flighting Abimelech’s cause. But we are reminded that even when there is a godless judge the Lord is in control as he had: ‘returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers’ (v56) as well as punishing the men of Shechem (v57).

If Gideon was someone who grew in faith to be used by the Lord, but lost sight of that, Abimelech was just downright bad from the beginning! He was no more than an ambitious murdering tyrant who would see a grudge through to the end! So, once again, we are reminded human leadership fails. What we need is God’s king, the Lord Jesus Christ who: ‘came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45).

[1] Dale Ralph Davis, Judges, Such a Great Salvation (Fearn, Christian Focus Pubilcations,2000) 122.

‘And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family’ (Judges 8:27).

Alexander the Great was an amazing tactician who constantly surprised his enemies by winning victories against almost impossible odds. But his life didn’t finish well. Wanting to be worshipped like a god and wanting to complete the conquest of India, his men refused to follow him anymore and he was forced to abandon the campaign! In the end he died at the age of 32, his body ravaged by fever. His legacy faded as his great empire fell apart. Gideon’s story is, in some ways, similar. After uncertain start, he’d won an incredible victory. But how will he fare now in his remaining years?

When asked by the people to rule over them like a king and establish a dynasty, Gideon is at his best as he answers: ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.’ He’s spotted a weakness in Israel’s thinking as they have attributed the victory to him (v22). But he knew it was the Lord who had gone before them and fought for them as promised in Deuteronomy 20:4. So he shows good leadership and corrects the people in their thinking!

Yet, in verses 24-27, We get an indication of spiritual decline. Gideons requests the gold plundered during the battle to make an ephod. This was properly intended to unify the people in worship. But, when we read: ‘all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family’ (v27) we realised Gideon has made several mistakes. The phrase: ‘Israel whored after it’ tells us that the people had broken their covenant with God and were using this ephod like an idol, breaking the second commandment (Exodus 20:4-6). Secondly, Gideon had placed this in his hometown, and worship was only to be carried out at: ‘the place the LORD your God will choose’ (Deuteronomy 12:4) the place where the ark of the Lord resided. Lastly, it became: ‘a snare to Gideon and his family’ (v27). As an ephod was connected with priestly duties, this suggests Gideon and his sons took on that role, which they was not qualified to do! But these mistakes were symptomatic of a bigger one, Gideon didn’t pay attention to what the Lord commanded in his Word! There’s a lesson for us as individuals and churches here, as soon as we compromise what scripture teaches, we’re on a slippery slope!

The phrase ‘to have won the battle, but lose the war.’ could easily sum up the legacy that was left after Gideon’s last years. In verse 28 we are informed that: ‘the land had rest for 40 years in the days of Gideon.’ Yet the spiritual decline of verses 24-27 continues and then accelerates after Gideon’s death! Gideon may have turned down the role of king, but he’d acted like one! Why? Because he was not living by God’s law. Israel was entitled to have a king and the Lord had given very clear instructions about kingship which we find in Deuteronomy 17:14-20. There we read that the king was not to have many wives. Yet we read in verses 29-31 that: ‘Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called him Abimelech.’ So he’s living like an Ancient Near Eastern potentate, and one of his sons has a name which means ‘my father the king.’ Rather interestingly, we read in Deuteronomy 17:18-20 that the king was to write out a copy of the Law. Whether this was a summary like the Ten Commandments or the whole of the book of Deuteronomy, we don’t know. But what we do know is he was to read it each day. Yet, everything seems to indicate Gideon’s daily Bible study was severely lacking! In the end, we would love to skip from verse 23, where Gideon refuses kingship, to verse 28 where we told that in Gideon’s day the land enjoyed 40 years of peace. That way we’d miss out these final disappointing years!

Verses 32-35 record Gideon’s death, and it’s sad aftermath with Israel so quickly turning back to the worship of: ‘the Baals’ and forgetting everything that Lord had done in delivering them. Despite Gideon’s poor spiritual example, we can’t help feeling disappointed when we read that Israel: ‘did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel’ (v35).

The danger with this is we shake our head solemnly and say that wouldn’t happen here. But the number of times I’ve heard people say to me “that used to be a really good Gospel preaching church twenty years ago” is mounting with every year. It’s always said in the spirit of ‘what happened?’ The answer is simple, it wasn’t something that could be easily noticed, like a bunch of heretics suddenly seizing the leadership and the teaching of the church. It’s more likely that a sermon was preached where something important was left out from the passage. Slowly, but with increasing regularity, scripture was compromised, until very little was left!

The character of Gideon should teach us that ultimately, all human leadership fails in some way. What we actually need is God’s king the Lord Jesus Christ who was humble in his earthly ministry. ‘Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross’ (Philippians 2:6-8).

“God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Anger against him (Gideon) subsided when he said this’ (Judges 8:3).

How do you respond to criticism? Do you take it personally and dig your heels in and take a stronger stance than you originally intended to? At this point in the story of Gideon we have a lesson on the right way to react to criticism and how to win friends and influence people. But we also see how we are to distinguish and react to those we should  oppose at all costs!

The events of verses 1-3 may well have happened after the battle had concluded, as it seems unlikely that this conversation took place during it. However, what they demonstrate is that Gideon is a man who’s prepared to listen. The Ephraimites are clearly a tribe that have a high opinion of themselves. This isn’t without reason as Israel’s former leader Joshua had come from that tribe, But they weren’t the most diplomatic people. Their issue is their supposed lack of inclusion in the initial battle and they accuse Gideon: ‘fiercely.’ In plain English, they have a right go at him! The actual accusation is not entirely true because Gideon had called them out and used them strategically to cut off the Midianite retreat and gain victory. But when some-ones blood is up it’s surprising how little they can remember. We might have expected Gideon to put them in their place, and say something like “is that all the thanks I get!” But what we actually get is a superb application of Proverbs 15:1a: ‘A soft answer turns away wrath.’ So, Gideon is measured in his words and effectively ‘butters them up.’ Why? Because they were not the enemy and had done their job during the battle. Uniting Israel was what was needed now.

If the Ephraimites displayed a misplaced zeal, we now meet people who had a habit shirking their responsibility in the past (see 5:17). Gideon and his men were exhausted in their pursuit the Midianites. Yet, when he asks for assistance from the people of Succoth in the form of food, something in that culture that shouldn’t be refused, he receives criticism. Gideon, rather than consoling himself with the thought that those that often criticised the most have often done the least, is far less diplomatic this time. Why? Quite simply because these are fellow Israelites who should be acknowledging that Gideon, under the Lord’s direction, has the enemy on the run and now needs to finish the job (vs4-7). Far worse is these people were actually going against the Word of the Lord! There’s every indication they were watching to see the way the ‘wind blows’ as the battle wasn’t over yet and they thought the Midianites might be returning with a greater force at some point and they didn’t want to be in their bad books! In other words, they were rebellious against the Lord and happy to compromise with the Lord’s enemies! Later Gideon experiences the same reception at the town of Penuel. So, he tells them what the consequences of their action will be as he now has it in mind to teach them a severe lesson (vs8-9)!

However, there’s still a battle to be won and Gideon is leading 300 men against 15,000 Midianites who survived the first encounter (v10). So Gideon: ‘went up by the way of the tent dwellers’ (v11). In other words, he used skilful strategy by taking an unexpected route and surprises the Midianite army with an unexpected attack. Due to the panic of the Midianite army he is able to pursue them and capture their leaders Zebah and Zalmunna (v12).

The battle may be over, but Gideon has some unfinished business with the inhabitants of Succoth and Penuel. So, good to his word he gives the men of Succoth a beating they were unlikely to forget. He also pulls down the tower of Penuel and kills the men of the city. This raises a question, was Gideon’s punishment concerning these towns too severe? As is often the case in the historical texts in scripture, the text does not pass judgement. But to emphasise a point we have made already, the men of these towns we’re in direct violation of God’s will and we’re all too happy to make alliances with his / Israel’s enemies, despite their the diabolical Pagan practises. So they were, in fact, the enemy within!

Yet, the passage ends on a dubious note with Gideon’s motives and methods being questionable. Before the death of Zebah and Zalmunna, Gideon questions them. After finding out they are responsible for the death of his brothers he says: As the LORD lives, if you had saved them alive, I would not kill you” (v19). This is the Lord’s battle, but Gideon seems to be making it very the personal, which is seen when he tries to humiliate them by getting his son to execute them. He also uses his own judgement concerning people who had abused and persecuted God’s people rather than considering the Lord’s will in this matter.

This shows how important it is for God’s people to look to him in each and everything and not to compromise. In his letter to the Galatian church Paul has this to say: ‘But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.  As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed’ (Galatians 1:8-9). It certainly teaches us that where God’s Word is concerned there should never be compromise of any kind!

‘And they cried out “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20b).

In 1740 there was a minister in Scotland called William McCulloch. He was a very scholarly man, but, he wasn’t a very exciting preacher. He was jokingly called a ‘ale minister’ as people would disappear from the Church when the sermon began as, rather than having a ‘thirst’ for the Word’, they’d visit the nearest inn to satisfy their physical thirst! Yet, despite this, the Lord used him at that time in a mighty work of revival! It might surprise us to know that a few years before this the great preacher George Whitfield had visited and preached in the same area to little effect. Yet, it was the Lord’s will to use this rather ‘hesitant’ and unexciting speaker. Why? Because it’s his work and not ours. Indeed, his fellow ministers testified it had to be a work of God as no one in their right mind would call listening to William McCulloch a stimulating experience!

In the same way, Gideon’s journey of faith tells us more about the Lord than it does him. We might think that after the bold action  of destroying his father’s altar to Baal (even if it was done at night) everything would fall into place and Gideon would stage total war against the Midianites and their allies as we read: ‘the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon’ (v34). But before we know it he’s back to his old hesitant ways and asking for a sign (v36) despite the Lord’s promises to Gideon and what was written in his Word about the Lord leading his people in battle (Deuteronomy 20:4).

If Gideon’s faith up to this point is hesitant, by the start Chapter 7, it’s a growing faith. He now trusts the Lord without question when the Lord initiates a series of ways to select men to fight, so that Israel will not boast that it’s by their own strength they have been delivered (vs1-8). The first was actually a stipulation within the Law that if anyone was frightened about going into battle they could go home (Deuteronomy 20:8). So, minus 22,000 men and with 10,000 remaining, the Lord issues the next method of selection which is to see how the men drink. Some commentators make much of this, suggesting that one method shows greater alertness than the other. The text isn’t specific, so it may have just been a way to whittle down the numbers further. The result is Gideon is left with only 300 men. So the Lord says to Gideon: “With the 300 men who have lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand and let all the others go every man to his home” (v7).

What happens next demonstrates Gideon may still have some reservations, but it also demonstrates the grace and kindness the Lord can show to us when we lack faith. The Lord tells Gideon to go down to the Midianite camp, but he stresses that if he is afraid: “You shall hear what they say, and afterwards your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp” (v11). So Gideon goes with his servant and what he hears is a great encouragement. The content of the dream one of the Midianites recounts to his colleague in verses 13-14  tells us a few things. Firstly, the Midianites had heard about Gideon. But it’s the way the dream is interpreted that would have been of encouragement to Gideon. It’s reckoned the: ‘cake of barley bread’ (v13), that flattens the tent in the dream, symbolises the meagre day to day rations that Israel were surviving on. So, this is an example of something considered weak (the Israelites in this case) becoming a major threat! The thing to note here is this is a prime case of what God had promised. He literally was going ahead of Gideon, and the army and striking fear into their enemies (Deuteronomy 20:4). So, rather than  running back to the army and ordering the attack immediately: ‘he worshiped’ the Lord realising the battle was as good as won (v15).

Gideon’s faith is contagious. His army of 300 men, armed with trumpets, jars and torches (I don’t doubt they had swords but they weren’t going to use them yet) surrounds the Midianite camp, blow the trumpets, break the jars and exposed the torches and give the shout: “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” (v20). The result is that the Lord literally fights for them as there is mass panic in the camp with the Midianites turning on each other. Calling out some of the other tribes, Gideon is able to cut off the Midianite retreat and win a major victory (vs19-25)!

The text doesn’t tell us how much of this strategy was Gideon’s and how much was the Lord’s? But perhaps that’s the point. Gideon is now Insync with the Lord as he is following his will. So that can imply inspiration that is brought under the authority of the Lord as well as plain and simple obedience. Gideon is trusting the Lord and seeking to see him glorified through the apparent weakness of the Israelite army. Paul when writing to the Corinthian Church makes this observation: ‘consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;  God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are,  so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.’ (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).  He concludes by saying: ‘therefore, as it is written “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:31). Our aim should not be to bring glory to ourselves, but rather to him as he works through our weakness!