Lesson 317: GIDEON - A JUDGE OF ISRAEL

Full Lesson HERE

INTRODUCTION. Although Joshua and the Israelites defeated many kings and

captured many cities in Canaan, they did not drive all the inhabitants out of the land.

Consequently, after Joshua and the elders who were contemporary with him died,

the people of Israel forgot about God and began to serve the idols of the people that

remained in the land. Then the Lord's anger was kindled against the children of Israel,

and He delivered them into the hands of enemy invaders. After Israel had been

oppressed for a number of years by these enemies, they remembered God and

turned to him again, crying for help. God then raised up a judge who saved them

and drove their enemies out of the land. But when the judge died, Israel turned

again to their idols. After more oppressions by more enemies, God raised more

judges to save his people (Judg. 2:6-23). One such judge was Gideon.

At one time when the Israelites had become idolatrous and evil, God delivered them

into the hands of the Midianites who oppressed them for seven years. The Midianites

together with the Amalekites, both desert nomad tribes, invaded the land, burning the

crops of the Israelites, destroying their food, and forcing many of them to

hide in caves and dens. One day as Gideon was threshing wheat in his winepress

to hide the grain from enemies who might be roving about, the angel of the Lord

appeared to him and told him to save Israel from the Midianites (Judg. 6:1-24).