Day 91: Gideon's Story

Today's readings: Judges 6-8, Ruth 3, and Psalm 135.

I. Judges 6 introduces Gideon, called by God during a period when Israel was being oppressed by Midian. Israel's plight was due to its sin against the Lord. Yet Gideon, who, in his own words, was from a clan that's "the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family," but was still called. This will happen again and again in Scripture, where God will use what the world considers weakest or lowest to do His bidding, as seen most clearly in the life of Jesus here on earth. That aspect is something I've always enjoyed. Gideon then took a bull, tore down his town's altar to Baal and the Asherah pole, built an altar to the Lord, and made a sacrifice to Him. The next morning, the townspeople were outraged, but Gideon's father defended him. The chapter ends with Gideon asking God for a sign that He will deliver Israel, which He grants.

In the next chapter, Gideon gathers an army of 32,000 to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites. Yet, God winnows Gideon's forces down to just 300 men by various methods. With this small force, Gideon attacks his enemies, who fled in terror. Two princes of Midian were captured and executed.

Judges 8 recounts how Gideon pursued two Midianite kings, routing their army again and capturing them. He also took revenge upon Sukkot and Penuel, who had refused food to his men. Then the Midianite kings were executed for killing his brothers. Gideon is offered the opportunity to rule over Israel, which he turns down. However, he falls into idolatry, whether intentionally or not, by fashioning an ephod out of captured gold. In his later years, Gideon subdues Midian, Israel enjoys peace for forty years, and he dies an honored man. Israel soon after, though, goes back to worshipping Baal instead of God and fails to show gratitude to Gideon's family.

II. Ruth 3 gives the climax of the story, with Naomi coming up with a plan for Ruth to seek marriage and protection from Boaz.

As the BIY Companion, Vol I, notes:

In Ruth 3, we see the "kinsman-redeemer" (goel) as a defined role in the life of Israel. If an Israelite falls into slavery, loses land, or is killed, a kinsman-redeemer will rescue him or her or ensure justice (see Lev 25:25, 25:48, Num 35). A kinsman-redeemer will also carry on the family name by marrying a childless widow (see Deut 25:5-10) - like Ruth. The role of the kinsman-redeemer is to buy people out of slavery. Through his passion, death, and resurrection, this is what Jesus has done. He has redeemed us from the slavery of death by dying and rising from the dead so that you and I can have eternal life. (p. 194)

Boaz acts as a kinsman-redeemer, a type of Christ foreshadowing His greater acts.

III. Psalm 135 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed): 

A psalm of praise. The Lord is worshipped for his sovereignty over the natural world and for his goodness toward Israel, evidenced by the election, deliverance, and victories given to his people in early biblical history. He is a God far superior to the idols of the nations, which are nothing but the lifeless creations of men. The psalm ends with invitations for the whole congregation to bless the Lord. (p. 946)

That's all for today!