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T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S There was no central government. Each tribe preserved its own independ ence and out of this grew .the tribal jealousy. There was constant struggle for leadership between Judah and Ephraim, and the whole history during this period is one of backsliding and revival. The account is fragmentary and with out chronological order. There was na tional apostasy and moral degeneracy. The law of Moses wa^ neglected. There is but one reference to it in the book. The tabernacle was hidden, and there is but one mention of the High Priest. This was Israel’s dark age,— idolatry, vice, lawlessness, crime, persistent evil. There were seven apostasies; seven servitudes; seven deliverances. The enemies of Israel were fierce and unscrupulous. The Northwest portion of Canaan was rich and fertile. The products excited the envy of their pow erful neighbors and enemies. For seven successive years the Midianitish hordes devastated the country. In bit terness of affliction they cried unto Je hovah. (2) CALL OF GIDEON AND CRE DENTIALS. God always has His man. Gideon was of the tribe of Manasseh,— the fifth of the judges. When God called him he was threshing wheat by the wine press to hide it from the Midianites, faithfully doing his duty, as was David when he was called. He was a true man. His heart was conscious of Israel’s awful condition. God who reads the hearts of men knew the faithful heart of Gideon. He was a humble man (6 :15 ): “ And he said unto him, O my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? “ Behold my family is poor in Ma nasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” God recognizes humility and chooses humble men for His service. Moses said, (Ex. 4 :10 ):
“ O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” So David, (1 Sam. 16:11): “ And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the. youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.” Listen to Paul’s words (1 Cor. 1 :26 ): “ For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” Gideon was a reverent man. He wor shipped the Lord by an offering, and God manifested Himself to hjm, as He did to Manoah (13:19-23). God spoke to Gideon saying, “ Peace be unto thee; fear not.” And he was a bold man. God had called him a “ mighty man of valour” (6 :12 ). When he had been brought close to God and had an assured heart, he was ready to obey. He commenced at home by a bold stroke (6.24-40). (3) CHOICE AND CHARACTER OF THE ARMY. Gideon rallied 32,000 men from Ma nasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Napthali. The Midianites had gathered an army of 135,000. The contrast was very marked, but Gideon’s army was too large for God to use. It was, a mixed multitude. - _ There are two reasons for this, in the first place, God is constantly seek ing to teach men that their dependence must be upon Him. In the second place, the battle is not to the strong alone, but to the vigilant, the active and the brave. With God, one could chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight. , God’s method of testing Gideons army reveals the character of It. First, __He eliminated the cowardly who glad ly took advantage of the opportunity to depart— twenty thousand of them. Sec ond— the conventional— 9,700 of them.
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