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| 1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and encamped beside the spring of Harod: and the camp of Midian was on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. |
Gideon – Type of the Lord Jesus. R4082:5, R3686:6
Well of Harod – Harod spring, a little lake which drains off eastward to the Jordan. R5606:3
Harod signifies "Coward." It is assumed that the name was given because of the fear manifested by the 22,000 who went home. R5606:3
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| 2 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. |
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| 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and trembling, let him return and depart from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty-two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. |
Whosoever is fearful – A test of faith. R1876:1
Picturing justified believers who, shunning the hardships, decline to consecrate fully. R1876:4, R5607:4, R4083:2
All the justified ones must first sit down and count the cost. R4083:2
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| 4 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. |
Yet too many – Illustrating that God is not dependent upon numbers or ecclesiastical organization. R458:5
Unto the water – Typifying the truth. R4083:3, R5606:6
Shall go with thee – The honor due to the human instruments used was not in their strength and skill in battle, but in their faith in God. R1876:1
So shall it be when the Lord shall again fight for Israel; it will not be by their own power. R1747:1
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| 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and Jehovah said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. |
Lappeth of the water – Signifying alertness and obedience. R5606:6
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| 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. |
Putting their hand – Symbol of energy (zeal). R4083:3, R1876:1
To their mouth – Thus maintaining their own erectness of manhood, showing energy and discretion in drinking and lifting up their heads in acknowledgment of the heavenly origin of the truth. R4083:4
300 men – Representing those who are alert in the Master's service, the wiser of the two classes who appreciate the truth. R5606:6, R4082:5
Upon their knees – Typifying those who bow down in the mire of human servility, drinking the water of truth more for their own satisfaction. R4083:4, R5606:6
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| 7 And Jehovah said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thy hand; and let all the people go every man unto his place. |
Gideon – Representing Christ. R5607:1, R2550:4
300 men – Christ, like Gideon, is called of God to lead a "Little Flock" forth to the conquest of the hosts of sin. OV268:2; R1876:4, R4083:2
Other people go – A portion of the Lord's consecrated who, being less alert, are less used. R5607:4, R5606:6
Picturing those who are weary in well-doing, whose zeal abates, love grows cold and faith declines and who fail to push on to the end. R1876:4
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| 8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the men of Israel every man unto his tent, but retained the three hundred men: and the camp of Midian was beneath him in the valley. |
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| 9 And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the camp; for I have delivered it into thy hand. |
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| 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the camp: |
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| 11 and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thy hands be strengthened to go down into the camp. Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outermost part of the armed men that were in the camp. |
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| 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like locusts for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand which is upon the seashore for multitude. |
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| 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man telling a dream unto his fellow: and he said, Behold, I dreamed a dream; and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it so that it fell, and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. |
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| 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: into his hand God hath delivered Midian, and all the host. |
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| 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped; and he returned into the camp of Israel, and said, Arise; for Jehovah hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. |
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| 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers. |
A trumpet – Ram's horn trumpet. R5607:1
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| 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outermost part of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. |
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| 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, For Jehovah and for Gideon. |
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| 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands. |
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| 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands wherewith to blow; and they cried, The sword of Jehovah and of Gideon.
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Blew the trumpets – Representing the proclamation of the truth. R4083:5; PD38/48
Jubilee trumpets. R2555:5
Brake the pitchers – Representing our earthen vessels. R4083:5
The lamps – The broken vessels of Gideon's band represent how the Lord's people present their bodies living sacrifices, letting the light shine out and fighting a good fight against the hosts of sin. R5607:5, R4083:5, R2550:5; PD38/48
The Lord's spirit is represented by the light of the lamp shining from the broken vessel. R5607:5
Sword of the LORD – Of Jehovah, our Captain. R4083:5
The sword represented God's Word. PD38/48
And of Gideon – Of Christ. R4083:5
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| 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran; and they shouted, and put them to flight. |
All the host ran – Picturing the time of trouble. R3686:6
Jehovah fought Israel's ancient battles without being seen, except with the eyes of understanding. R286:3
Cried, and fled – Imagined themselves being surrounded by a great host. R5607:2
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| 22 And they blew the three hundred trumpets, and Jehovah set every man’s sword against his fellow, and against all the host; and the host fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. |
Against his fellow – They fought each other, mistaking each other for foes. R5607:2, R4083:4
The climax of the battle will be a temporary reign of anarchy. R5607:5
The hosts of sin, the powers of evil, will fall upon one another for their mutual destruction. R5607:5, R2550:5
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| 23 And the men of Israel were gathered together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after Midian. |
Men of Israel – Others than the Little Flock will be associated in the work of overthrow. R4083:6
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| 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill-country of Ephraim, saying, Come down against Midian, and take before them the waters, as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. So all the men of Ephraim were gathered together, and took the waters as far as Beth-barah, even the Jordan. |
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| 25 And they took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian: and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan. |
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