Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/238

 delivered the  children  of  Israel  into  the  hands  of  the  Madianites on account  of  their  sins.

The Lord  sent  an  angel  to  Gedeon,  as  he  was  threshing  and winnowing wheat  at  his  father’s  house. The angel  said  to  him: “The Lord  is  with  thee,  O most  valiant  of  men. Go in  this  thy strength, and  thou  shalt  deliver  Israel  out  of  the  hands  of  the Madianites.” Gedeon  asked  how  he  could  deliver  Israel,  seeing that his  family  was  the  lowest  in  the  tribe  of  Manasses,  and  that he himself  was  the  least  in  his  father’s  house. The angel  assured him that  God  would  be  with  him,  and  that  the  Madianites  should be cut  off  to  a man.



Soon after  this  the  Madianites  crossed  the  Jordan  with  a large army, and  encamped  in  the  valley  of  Jezrael. But the  Spirit  of the  Lord  came  upon  Gedeon,  and  he sounded  the  trumpet,  and  calling  together the Israelites,  formed  an  army  of  thirty-two  thousand  men  and  drew  them  up in  battle  array. Before commencing  the attack Gedeon  said  to  God:  “If  Thou wilt save  Israel  by  my  hand,  I will  put this fleece  of  wool  on  the  floor ;  if there  be  dew  on  the  fleece  only,  and  it be  dry  on  all  the  ground  beside,  I shall know that  by  my  hand,  as  Thou  hast said,  Thou  wilt  deliver  Israel. And it was  so. The next  day  he  asked  God  that  the  fleece  might  be dry  and  the  ground  wet  with  dew. And God  did  as  Gedeon requested.