Gideon And The Midianites

1. The Israelites Oppressed by the Midianites:
– The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and He allowed the Midianites to oppress them for seven years.
– The Midianites would come and destroy the Israelites’ crops, leaving them impoverished.

2. The Call of Gideon:
– The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and calls him to deliver Israel from the Midianites.
– Gideon is hesitant at first, but the Lord reassures him and gives him signs to confirm his calling.

3. Gideon’s Small Army:
– Gideon gathers an army of 32,000 Israelites to fight the Midianites.
– The Lord tells Gideon that the army is too large and instructs him to reduce the number of men.
– After several tests, Gideon is left with only 300 men to face the Midianite army.

4. The Midianites Defeated:
– Gideon divides his 300 men into three companies and gives them torches, empty jars, and trumpets.
– They surround the Midianite camp and, at Gideon’s signal, break the jars, reveal the torches, and blow the trumpets, causing the Midianites to panic and turn on each other.
– The Israelites pursue and defeat the Midianites, who are routed.

5. Gideon’s Ephod and Later Life:
– Gideon makes an ephod (a sacred object) from the gold of the Midianites, which the Israelites begin to worship.
– Gideon judges Israel for 40 years, and the land has rest during his lifetime.

The key themes in this story are God’s deliverance of His people through a weak and unlikely leader, the importance of obedience to God’s instructions, and the danger of idolatry, even in the midst of God’s blessings.