ideon's army reduced. (1-8) Gideon is encouraged. (9-15) The
defeat of the Midianites. (16-22) The Ephraimites take Oreb and
Zeeb. (23-25)
Verses 1-8.: God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to
himself, by appointing only three hundred men to be employed.
Activity and prudence go with dependence upon God for help in
our lawful undertakings. When the Lord sees that men would
overlook him, and through unbelief, would shrink from perilous
services, or that through pride they would vaunt themselves
against him, he will set them aside, and do his work by other
instruments. Pretences will be found by many, for deserting the
cause and escaping the cross. But though a religious society may
thus be made fewer in numbers, yet it will gain as to purity,
and may expect an increased blessing from the Lord. God chooses
to employ such as are not only well affected, but zealously
affected in a good thing. They grudged not at the liberty of the
others who were dismissed. In doing the duties required by God,
we must not regard the forwardness or backwardness of others,
nor what they do, but what God looks for at our hands. He is a
rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts
or blessings, or in liberty; so that we may say, it is by the
special grace of God that we regard what God says to us, and not
look to men what they do.
Verses 9-15: The dream seemed to have little meaning in it; but the
interpretation evidently proved the whole to be from the Lord,
and discovered that the name of Gideon had filled the Midianites
with terror. Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success;
without delay he worshipped and praised God, and returned with
confidence to his three hundred men. Wherever we are, we may
speak to God, and worship him. God must have the praise of that
which encourages our faith. And his providence must be
acknowledged in events, though small and seemingly accidental.
Verses 16-22: This method of defeating the Midianites may be alluded
to, as exemplifying the destruction of the devil's kingdom in
the world, by the preaching of the everlasting gospel, the
sounding that trumpet, and the holding forth that light out of
earthen vessels, for such are the ministers of the gospel, (2Co
4:6,7). God chose the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise, a barley-cake to overthrow the tents of Midian, that
the excellency of the power might be of God only. The gospel is
a sword, not in the hand, but in the mouth: the sword of the
Lord and of Gideon; of God and Jesus Christ, of Him that sits on
the throne and the Lamb. The wicked are often led to avenge the
cause of God upon each other, under the power of their
delusions, and the fury of their passions. See also how God
often makes the enemies of the church instruments to destroy one
another; it is a pity that the church's friends should ever act
like them.
Verses 23-25: Two chief commanders of the host of Midian were taken and
slain by the men of Ephraim. It were to be wished that we all
did as these did, and that where help is needed, that it were
willingly and readily performed by another. And that if there
were any excellent and profitable matter begun, we were willing
to have fellow-labourers to the finishing and perfecting the
same, and not, as often, hinder one another.
ideon's army reduced. (1-8) Gideon is encouraged. (9-15) The
defeat of the Midianites. (16-22) The Ephraimites take Oreb and
Zeeb. (23-25)