The passage that I am working on is Gideon 2, Jdgs. 7:1-25. When I first read
this passage I thought that it was about Gideon and his troops conquering Midian.
As I see it, the main concept of the passage is that, but it tells of much more.
After reading the passage once, I had many questions about it. I first wondered
“Why did Gideon and his troops conquer Midian?” I also thought, “How and
why is God going to help Gideon and his soldiers?” I was very curious of how
300 me were to overtake an entire city. Why would God help them take over Midian?
I read the passage a few more times, and read a different translation. That
helped me enormously in understanding the text. The reason that Midian was to be
conquered was to save Israel from the incursions of the Midianites. Gideon was
called by the angel of God to do so. In reading different translations, I found
that Gideon did not actually fight. God fought all of the battle himself. With
God fighting, the 300 soldiers did not have to battle. God must have helped the
Israelites because they are the people of God. Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal,
means “hewer” or “warrior.” He was the son of Joash, and in the Abiezri
clan, part of the Manasseh tribe. The story of the Midianites being attacked to
free the Israelites from incursions is a lot like the story of the Israelites
being set free from slavery. Without God, neither story would have turned out
the way it did. God made it possible to defeat the Midianites. God made it
possible to convince Pharaoh to free the Israelites. The point I am trying to
get across is that God has done many things that show he cares for his people
has helped them out of many hardships. The Israelites would have had a much
tougher life if their God had not helped them. This passage teaches us that with
God’s help anything can be done. In modern day God helps us out of trouble
like he did with the Israelites, but with our daily lives. We may not all
realize how God helps us, but he does.