During the time of Joshua’s leadership, the Israelites showed a degree of faithfulness to God. However, after his death, "the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals" (Judges 3:7).

Their forgetting of God happened so quickly -in one generation. After the generation whom Joshua led died out, "another generation arose who did not know the LORD nor yet the work which he had done for Israel".

They turned to idols, so God allowed their enemies to oppress them. Then they remembered God and cried out for salvation. So God raised up a warrior leader (a "judge") to win back their supremacy. Under his or her leadership, the people would be somewhat faithful to God, but when the leader died, again they would turn to idols, again they would become oppressed, again they would cry out to God, and again he would raise up a leader among them. This cycle continued through twelve judges in succession -including Gideon, the focus of this lesson.

The Main Point

In spite of all God has done for us, we seem to slip so easily away from God and forget him. That’s why "we must give the more earnest heed to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it" (Heb 2:1-3). And if we do fall away, God will have a Gideon at hand to help us go back to faith and strength in following God.

Bible Summary Judges 1-10

This summary covers the six judges after Joshua. For the next six judges before Samuel see next lesson.

• Thumbs and big toes (1)
• Jerusalem captured (1)
• Caleb’s daughter (1)
• The hidden entrance (1)
• Incomplete conquests (1)
• A new generation in Israel who did not know God (2)
• Israelites are slaves in their own land (3)
• Othniel who fought against numerous nations (3)
• Ehud who killed Eglon the fat king of Moab (3)
• Shamgar who killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad (3)
• Deborah who "arose a mother in Israel" (4)
• Barak and the tent peg incident (4)
• Deborah and Barak’s song (5)
• Gideon against the Midianites (6-9)
• "I am the least" (6)
• The altar of Baal (6)
• Sign of the fleece (6)
• The 300 men (7)
• The barley-bread dream (7)
• Trumpets and torches (7)
• Weary yet pursuing (8)
• Thrashed with thorns (8)
• The LORD shall rule (8)
• Gideon’s death (8)
• Israel worships Baal (8)
• Abimelech’s violence (9)
   [Abimelech, Gideon’s son Jdg 8:30-31]
• Jotham’s curse (9)
• Gaal’s uprising fails (9)
• Fire at Schechem (9)
• A woman kills Abimelech with a millstone (9)
• Tola another judge "who saved Israel" (10)

Some Facts About Gideon

Gideon came after Deborah as a judge of Israel

There was a period in between, as usual, where "Israel did what was evil" and "Israel was brought very low" (Jdg 6:1,6).

Gideon, when called, was rather negative and reluctant

He seemed to think God had abandoned Israel. He felt that he was the least among Israel to be their deliverer. Before he would be convinced, he wanted to see a sign from God. His first act as judge, helped by ten of his servants, was to obey a command from God to destroy the pagan altars and idols of his father’s house, and to build an altar to the LORD instead. However, he was too afraid to do this in daytime, so he did it by night (Jdg 6:11-27).

Later he was bold and full of confidence in the LORD.

He overheard a man tell a simple dream, and another interpret it. This was enough for him to show great faith and boldly attempt the rout of the Midianite army using only 300 men and a ruse (Jdg 7, 8).

He spoke true wisdom, but acted in folly

When the Israelites requested him to rule over them, he said, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son... the LORD shall rule over you". Yet he then requested gold from them, out of which he made an image, and the people of his city worshipped it! This image "became a snare to Gideon and his family" (Jdg 8:22-28).

God took account of his faith

Gideon, a child of his times, followed some customs that were not the way of God. However, God saw Gideon’s faith, and by it Gideon joined those who "out of weakness were made strong" (Heb 11:32-34).

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