and assured him of his presence in the undertaking, and of ultimate success in it : " Thou shalt save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites : have not I sent thee ? Surely I win be with thee ; and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man''."
In confirmation of his call, God accepted his offering, which he caused to be miraculously consumed by fire out of the rock ; and thereby gave him an undoubted evidence that he was that same Almighty Bemg, who had formerly commissioned Moses to deliver Israel from their Egyptian bondage^.]
2. His preparation for it —
[The work to which he was called was exceeding arduous; and it was desirable that before he undertook it, he should have an opportunity of proving his zeal for God, and of seeing the sufficiency of God to carry liim through it. God there- fore ordered liim to begin the work of reformation in his father's house ; to cast down the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove where that idol was worshipped, and build an altar to Jehovah, and offer a bullock for a sacrifice upon it. This was impracti- cable by day, because the worshippers of Baal would have interfered to prevent it : but he effected it by night ; and exe- cuted in every respect the divine mandate. The people, as might be expected, demanded that he should be given up and put to death : but, notwithstanding his father was a worshipper of Baal, he was overruled by God to protect his son, and to threaten with death any that should take part with Baal ; since, if he was a god, he was able to plead for himself; and, if he was not, his worship ought not to be upheld''.
Thus, by this successful effort, Gideon was prepared for that far greater work which he was now to undertake against the Midianites.]
3. His encouragement to it —
[The attempt, according to human appearance, was mad- ness itself; so dispirited was the state of Israel, and so great the power of their oppressors'^. We wonder not therefore that he should request of the Lord a sign, whereby he might be assured of success in his enterprise. He begged of God that a fleece of wool should be put out into the open air, and be filled with dew, whilst all the surrounding ground was dry : and on that sign being given him, he entreated permission to reverse the sign, the fleece being kept dry, whilst all the earth around it was wet. The events corresponding with his desires, he was assured, that God could make that distinction between the
a Judg. vi. 12—16. !> Judg. vi. 17—24.
c Judg. vi. 25—32. ^ Judg. vi. 2—6.
267.1 Gideon's victory over midian. 31
Midianites and him, which was necessary to a successful issue of his contest with them.
Thus encouraged, he entered on the office that had been assigned him; and went with two and thirty thousand men whom he had assembled, to attack the Midianites. But God knew that if so many were to go dow^l to the attack, they would ascribe the victory to their own prowess : and therefore he ordered Gideon to dismiss from liis army all who were afraid: in consequence of which no less than twenty-two thousand forsook his standard in one night. Still there was the same objection to his retaining ten thousand; and therefore God undertook to determine, by a particular test, who shovdd go to the attack : those who on being taken to the water bowed down on their knees to drink, were not to go ; but those who in a more temperate and self-denying luay took up water in their hands and lapped it, as a dog lappeth, were to be the chosen band. But by this test no less than nine thousand seven hundred were cut off from his army, and he was left with only three hundred persons to undertake this arduous work^.