Judges 8:4-12
Gideon Defeats Zebah and Zalmunna (Part 1)
4 And Gideon came to the Jordan and crossed over, he and the 300 men who were with him, exhausted yet pursuing. 5 So he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 And the officials of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 So Gideon said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 And from there he went up to Penuel, and spoke to them in the same way, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 And he said to the men of Penuel, “When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.”
10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with their army, about 15,000 men, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East, for there had fallen 120,000 men who drew the sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of the tent dwellers east of Nobah and Jogbehah and attacked the army, for the army felt secure. 12 And Zebah and Zalmunna fled, and he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and he threw all the army into a panic.
Leadership is a tough job in all vocations. Even in the family of God, leaders can be blind-sighted with conflicts and betrayals due to rivalries, jealousies, or just plain meanness. The problems come when leaders try to discern between conflicts and betrayal. Each has to be addressed accordingly with the hopes that both parties can resolve differences and come to an agreement. This is especially important in the family of God because the world, as a whole, are watching to see how Christians react. Do they truly walk the talk they profess? After all, the Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples, which we also claim to be, to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34. John 15:12). The unity in Spirit is our goal. The Apostle Paul says this best in Ephesians 4:1-6,
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
In our passage today in Judges 8:4-12, we see another episode of Gideon’s great ability to lead. In the passage before, Judges 8:1-3, Gideon had to wisely, calmly, discerningly, and lovingly, correct the jealous behavior of the Ephraimites. As the men of Ephraim fiercely argued with Gideon, almost to the point of commencing in violence, Gideon placified and placate them and their anger resided. The Ephraimites left relieved, justified, and united together as one people with the other tribes of Israel. Today’s passage will show us how Gideon reacts when a tribe goes beyond just sheer conflict, to the point of betrayal.
Gideon and his 300 men are chasing the enemies of the East, the Midianites and the Amalekites. They are running back to their homeland beyond the other side of the Jordan River. To do this, the enemy is going right through the land that Moses gave to the tribes of Gad, They went to the cities of Penuel and Succoth. Since Gideon and his men are in pursuit, they obviously need nourishment and provisions so they may have the strength to carry on and claim victory for the Lord and for Israel. However, when Gideon and his men arrive at Penuel. The people of Penuel refused to help their brothers. It is interesting to note, that Penuel was a city named by their ancestor, Jacob, which means in the Hebrew language, the “face of God.” About one-half a millennium earlier, the Israelite patriarch, Jacob was returning to Canaan after living in Padanaram for twenty years. He had to escape for his life because his brother Esau vowed to kill him when he stole his brother’s birthright. To come back home, Jacob knew he would have to meet his brother, Esau. Upon returning, Jacob and his family came in three different droves in order to meet and appease the anger of Esau. First, Jacob sent a huge herd of camels and sheep as a gift to present to Esau. Then came Leah and her sons, and then Rebeccah and her son, and finally, came Jacob. When Jacob and Esau saw each other, they embraced and kissed. Jacob said to Esau that it was like seeing the face of God, as he looked at Esau’s loving face. The night before their meeting, Jacob contended and wrestled with the angel of the Lord, Jacob said that he had seen the Lord face-to-face. Therefore, he named the place Penuel, because he has seen the face of God (Genesis 32:24-30). As Jacob continued following Esau to the land of Canaan, Jacob stays in the place where he built tents so he and his family can rest. Jacob called the place Succoth, meaning ‘tabernacle’ as Jacob and his family stayed in the tents to rest from their journey (Genesis 33:17).
These two cities of Penuel and Succoth are in the Israelite land given to the tribe of Gad. We remember that two and one-half tribes came to Moses and asked if they can stay on the Eastside of the Jordan river because the land for good for pastures and they had large herds of sheep. Moses allowed them the land only if they would not discourage their brothers but go with them across the Jordan to conquer the land from the Canaanites. (Numbers 32:33). This promise was fulfilled by Joshua in Joshua 22:9, which says,
“So the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh returned home, parting from the people of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the land of Gilead, their own land of which they had possessed themselves by command of the Lord through Moses.”
Yet, in our passage today, the Israelites people in the cities of Penuel and Succoth refused to give sustenance and provisions to their brothers, Gideon and his 300 men. Gideon answered the unhospitable Gadites and said, “Well then, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will flail your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers” (Judges 8:7). For our passage today and for our understanding, we know that the Bible does not allow us to be vengeful because vengeance belongs to the Lord. Romans 12:19-21 says,
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.“
Therefore, in conclusion, and in the application, we must pray for wisdom to discern the difference between conflicts and betrayal. Conflicts can easily, with prayer and godly wisdom, be resolved. The two parties are talking with each other face-to-face and seeking a resolution. As we saw in today’s study, Penuel was the place where two brothers resolved their differences when they were hurt by betrayal. After twenty years of separation, Jacob and Esau made amends and resolve their conflict in brotherly love. It takes two to make a relationship, but only one disgruntled individual to destroy. This is the way of betrayal when one individual refuses to seek unity and resolve differences. The betrayal, it seems, is structured by one to end the relationship completely. As hurtful as this is, only our God is able. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” In times like these, we cannot resolve and restore peace and unity in our own strength and abilities. Only the Spirit of God can convict and bring godly repentance that leads to salvation. The only thing we can do, in matters of betrayal, is to pray. And pray, we must! Consistently, fervently, and wholeheartedly, we must pray!
><> ><> PRAYER <>< <><
My Jesus, gentle and lowly, I praise and worship You. Thank You for bringing me into the family of God amidst the chaos, confusion, and with all hatred in the world. Praise You, Lord Jesus! I confess that I need Your wisdom to discern and know when and how to resolve differences in the name of Jesus and for the unity of the Spirit. I need you, Lord Jesus. Every hour I need You. Please, Lord Jesus, work in the hearts of those to restore unity because of betrayal. Give me a heart of forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!
><> ><> HYMN <>< <><
In Times Like These, by Ruth Caye Jones in 1944 (during World War II, when the world seemed to be falling apart):
