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Gideon, like Moses starts out as a man not ready to accept his destiny. But, god shows him some magic tricks and Gideon becomes a blood lusting warmonger.
God wants all the credit for the killings so he sends home 90 percent of the Israelites that came to fight. taking "Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth"
The enemy end up killing each other (I think). I hope they still gave The LORD credit!
Judges quickly gets very vague about the Israelites doing evil in the eyes of the lord. It seems like every time God turns his back, the Israelites get to whoring and Baal worship.
I was happy to see God finally say NO MORE! at 10:13. To bad he caved as soon as the Israelites apologized.
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.
ReplyDeleteAnd 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.
Perhaps Zach Snyder should remake 300 about these 300.
I just couldn't walk away from this train wreck. I had to read the whole thing (Judges) last night. Great blog; I've been lurking since the beginning of the year. Is it too early to ask what's up for next year? I'm guessing the New Testament or the Quran?
ReplyDeleteJudges 7:2 is nice. Too many men for God to get any of the credit for a victory. The word 'petty' comes to mind!! Apparently on this go around none of the Midianite virgins will be getting a reprieve either.
ReplyDelete@Gillie - I think the New Testament is included in this year. From the looks of other 'read the bible in a year' chronologies - it will be October or so before we get to it. I never realized the OT was so much longer than the NT. Tho some of these books have seemed pretty damn long!!
@David,
ReplyDeleteYa 3 John is a monster book and Jude as well. I'm afraid to guess as to how long it will take us to read those books. :-D
Thanks @David! It's obviously been a while since I've done this - maybe 25 years? Aack! All I really remember is lots of smiting...
ReplyDeleteAnyone have any insight on the whole torches-inside-jars thing in Gideon's story?
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, we're given a distinction between the settled, agrarian Israelites and the nomadic Midianites. Dudes settled down and turn against their formal lifestyle pretty quickly.
The Gideon/Jerubbaal story contains some major doublets/contradictions. In ch. 7-8, the Midianite princes he is pursuing, Oreb and Zeeb, become Midianite Kings Zebah and Zalmunna.
(This is from ch. 6, SUE ME:)
Gideon's other name, Jerubbaal, is theophoric; it contains "baal" the same way Samuel and Israel use "el". His name is explained as meaning "Let Baal plead his name" but in reality it means "Let Baal take action". Abimelech's story, at least, is about people who worshipped Baal, despite the later Deuteronomic polemics. (We'll later see that one of Saul's sons originally had a -baal theophoric name, as shown in Chronicles, but this was bowlderized in the Deuteronomic Histories.)
Notice also the reference to the temple of Baal-berith (berith means "covenant!") which is where Abimelech gets his money. While the story of Gideon is anti-Baal, this story seems to be earlier and takes Baal worship for granted.
Abimelech, if you read carefully, isn't ever called a Judge. Dude is bad news.
@Abbie,
ReplyDeleteIn ch. 7-8, the Midianite princes he is pursuing, Oreb and Zeeb, become Midianite Kings Zebah and Zalmunna.
What? In 7:25 the princes die. in 8:3 Gideon is talking and says God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you?
Then in 8:4 Gideon comes to the Jordan and passes over, in 8:5 Gideon talking to the men of Succoth says he is pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.
I am trying to figure out how this is a contradiction. The kings sons "princes" are dead, now their going after the kings. Point out what i am missing.
I agree Abimelech is bad news.