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APRIL 20
Midianites would come up; also Amalekites save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in
and the people of the East would come up Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s
4
against them. Then they would encamp house.”
against them and destroy the produce of the 16 And the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be
earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites
for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. as one man.”
5 For they would come up with their livestock 17 Then he said to Him, “If now I have found
and their tents, coming in as numerous as favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that
locusts; both they and their camels were with- it is You who talk with me. Do not depart
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out number; and they would enter the land to from here, I pray, until I come to You and
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destroy it. So Israel was greatly impoverished bring out my offering and set it before You.”
because of the Midianites, and the children of And He said, “I will wait until you come back.”
Israel cried out to the LORD. 19 So Gideon went in and prepared a young
7 And it came to pass, when the children of goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of
Israel cried out to the LORD because of the flour. The meat he put in a basket, and he put
Midianites, that the LORD sent a prophet to the broth in a pot; and he brought them out to
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the children of Israel, who said to them, “Thus Him under the terebinth tree and presented
says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I brought you up them. The Angel of God said to him, “Take
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from Egypt and brought you out of the house of the meat and the unleavened bread and lay
9
bondage; and I delivered you out of the hand of them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And
the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who he did so.
oppressed you, and drove them out before you 21 Then the Angel of the LORD put out the end
of the staff that was in His hand, and touched
the meat and the unleavened bread; and fire
rose out of the rock and consumed the meat
and the unleavened bread. And the Angel of
6:8 the LORD sent a prophet. He used the LORD departed out of his sight.
prophets in isolated cases before Samuel, the 22 Now Gideon perceived that He was the
band of prophets Samuel probably founded Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord
(1 Sam.10:5),and later such prophets as Elijah,
Elisha, and the writing prophets—major and GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face
minor. Here the prophet is sent to bring the to face.”
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divine curse because of their infidelity (v. 10). Then the LORD said to him, “Peace be with
you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon
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built an altar there to the LORD, and called it
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and gave you their land. Also I said to you, “I The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in
am the LORD your God; do not fear the gods of Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.” But 25 Now it came to pass the same night that
you have not obeyed My voice.’ ” the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s
11 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat young bull, the second bull of seven years old,
under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father
which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while has, and cut down the wooden image that is
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his son Gideon threshed wheat in the wine- beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your
press, in order to hide it from the Midianites. God on top of this rock in the proper arrange-
12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, ment, and take the second bull and offer a burnt
and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you sacrifice with the wood of the image which you
mighty man of valor!” shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men
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13 Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the from among his servants and did as the LORD
LORD is with us, why then has all this hap- had said to him. But because he feared his
pened to us? And where are all His miracles father’s household and the men of the city too
which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did much to do it by day, he did it by night.
not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ But 28 And when the men of the city arose early
now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered in the morning, there was the altar of Baal,
us into the hands of the Midianites.” torn down; and the wooden image that was
14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go beside it was cut down, and the second bull
in this might of yours, and you shall save Is- was being offered on the altar which had been
rael from the hand of the Midianites. Have I built. So they said to one another, “Who has
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not sent you?” done this thing?” And when they had inquired
15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash

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