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| 1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were 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 the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. |
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| 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and 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 the LORD 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 the LORD 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, were 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 the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other 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 rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. |
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| 9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. |
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| 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: |
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| 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. |
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| 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. |
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| 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. |
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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: for into his hand hath God 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 returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD 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 a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps 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 outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. |
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| 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. |
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| 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake 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 lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. |
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 cried, and fled. |
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 the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto 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 gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. |
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 mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. |
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| 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
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