prophets, of his goodness and their ingratitude, raised up a deliverer in the person of Gideon, son of Joash. Q. How did the Lord call Gideon ?

A. While he threshed wheat secretly for fear of the enemy, the angel of the LORD appeared to him under an oak, and bade him go and smite the Midianites. Gideon having asked a sign, was commanded to place some provisions he had brought, on the top of the rock, out of which fire arose and consumed them; and the angel departed out of his sight.

Q. How did this affect Gideon?

A. Perceiving it was an angel of the Lord, he said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. But the Lord said unto him, Fear not thou shalt not die."*

Q. By what was the deliverance of Israel necessarily preceded?

A. By a reformation from idolatry: Gideon assisted by ten of his servants, threw down the altar of Baal by night, and cut down the grove; then, having raised an altar to the Lord, on the top of the rock whence the fire had issued, sacrificed one of his father's bullocks thereon, by Divine command.

Q. What was the consequence ?

A. The people of the city having seen what was done, insisted that Gideon should die for his offence; but Joash, his father, contended that those who pleaded for Baal should be put to death; observing, that if Baal

* See note (*) p. 39, and compare it with Exod. xxxiii. 20.

were a god he could plead for himself: therefore be called Gideon-Jerubbaal.*

Q. What followed this?

A. The spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he summoned the men of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulon, and Naphtali, to join his standard; but wishing further ́assurance that God by his hand would deliver Israel, he sought two tokens, which the Lord mercifully granted. On two successive nights he exposed a fleece in the floor the first night, it was drenched with dew, while the surrounding earth remained dry; and on the second, it continued dry, though the dew† had fallen all around. Q. How were the Israelites to be taught that God alone delivered them?

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A. By the reduction of Gideon's army, which consisted at first of thirty-two thousand men. The fearful being commanded to return home, two and twenty thousand left the field:‡ the army being still two numerous,

* Judg. vi. 32." And he called him that same day Jerubbaal, saying, Jareb bo ha-baal,” Let this Baal plead against him.

The dews in the holy land are very copious, and supply the want of rain. It was considered as a great blessing, Gen. xxvii. 28. Its abundance, and its fertilizing effects are noticed by the prophets, Deut. xxxii. 2.-xxxiii. 13. Psalm exxxiii. 3. Hosea xiv. 5.

There were several exemptions from military service among the Israelites, of which this was one. The others were If a man had built a house, and had not dedicated it; if he had planted a vineyard or an olive yard, and had not eaten of the fruit; if he had betrothed a wife, and had not married her, Deut. xx. 2-8: if he had married a wife, he was exempt for one year from any state business, Deut. xxiv. 5.

the Lord commanded Gideon to conduct the remainder to the water, and to separate those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, from those who went on their knees to drink. Of the former, there were only three hundred; and the Lord appointed these to conduct the war against Midian.

Q. How was Gideon encouraged to trust in God?

A. Having gone down, by God's command, to the camp of the enemy, he heard a Midianite observe, as the interpretation of a dream, that God had delivered all their host into the hands of Gideon. On this he returned to his troop; and, having given to every man a trumpet, and a pitcher containing a lamp, led them, in the beginning of the middle watch,* against the host of Midian, which was encamped in Jezreel.

Q. How was the arm of the Lord displayed in the discomfiture of Midian ?

A. In a very signal manner: Gideon's troop standing "every man in his place round about the camp," they "blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands, and cried, The sword of the LORD and of Gideon. And the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host ;" and they fled before Gideon. Being intercepted, however, by the

*"The night was originally divided into three parts, or watches the first or beginning of watches, Lam. ii. 19. the middle watch, Judg. vii. 19. and the morning watch, Exod. xiv. 24. It is probable that these watches varied in length according to the seasons of the year."-HORNE's Introduct. vol. iii.

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Ephraimites, who, at Gideon's request, had seized the fords of Beth-barah and Jordan, "there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men* that drew sword," and two princes, Oreb and Zeeb.†

Q. What effect had this victory on the Ephraimites? A. It excited their jealousy towards Gideon, "and they did chide with him sharply," because they were not summoned to the battle.

Q. Who refused him and his men assistance in their pursuit of the Midianites ?

A. The men of Succoth and of Penuel.

Q. Did he overtake the fugitives?

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A. Yes and defeated them; and having taken the two kings prisoners, he slew them with his own hand, and took away the ornaments from their camels' necks Q. How did he punish the men of Succoth on hi return?

A. He crushed the princes and elders of the city under thorns and briars.

Q. How did he punish the men of Penuel?

A. He demolished the tower, and slew the men o the city.

Q. How did the Israelites show their gratitude t Gideon?

This victory was long remembered as the "day of M dian." Psalm lxxxiii. 9, 11. Isa. ix. 4.

+ Orb signifies a crow, and Zeeb a wolf.

He acted as the avenger of blood, Zebah and Zalmuni having slain his brethren, Judg. viii. 18-21.-See Appendix: Hasharonim, little moons, supposed to refer to the wo ship of the lunar orb.

A. They offered to make him king; but he refused the dignity for himself and son, saying, "The Lord shall reign over you."

Q. What favour did he request of them?

A. That they would give him the ear-rings of gold* they had taken from the Ishmaelites: this being complied with, he made of them an ephod,† which became a snare to Israel.

A. M. 2847.

Q. Who began to judge Israel at this

B. C. 1157. period?

A. Eli, the high priest.

Q. How many children had Gideon ?

A. Seventy sons.

Q. How long did the land rest after the defeat of Midian?

A. "The country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon."

Q. When did this rest terminate?

A. M. 2852. A. At the death of Gideon, when the B. C. 1152. Israelites again apostatized, and worshipped Baalim and Baal berith; ‡ forgetting "the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of

*Judg. viii. 24—26. Ear-rings were worn both by men and omen, Exod. xxxii. 2, 3, 24.

The ephod was a kind of surtout coat. A description of the high priest's ephod, which was exceedingly splendid, is given Exod. xxviii. 4-35.

This Canaanitish deity, the lord of the covenant, was proably invoked, like Vulcan the avenger, at the conclusion of treaties. For an account of the Baalim, see Judg. x. 6.