Judges 6:31-35
Judges 6:31
And
Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save
him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet
morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down
his altar.
Now
Joash begins to ask the people questions which were more like he was badgering
them. He asks if they will plead
for Baal? If he is all powerful as
his worshippers think, could he not defend himself?
Will ye save him? Does a
true god need to have people to save them and if they do, then the people are
stronger than that god. Joash was
then basically giving them a warning that God deals with idolatry very seriously
and that those who are pleading for Baal could be put to death immediately,
before noon. He then states that if
Baal is a real god, let him plead for himself.
The word plead carries with it the meaning of “contend or debate.”
If Baal is a real god, then let him contend with the person that threw
down his altar. These questions and
statements hopefully would have caused some to think very seriously about their
idol.
Judges 6:32
Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against
him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
The
name “Jerubbaal” carries with it the meaning of “he that revenges the idol or
let Baal defend his cause.” If Baal
was a true god as the Midianites believed he was then he would have the power to
contend with a mere mortal like Gideon.
Of course, we know that idols do not have life nor do they have the
ability to contend with those who attack their worship sites as Gideon did.
Psalm 135:15-18 (KJV) The idols of
the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
{16} They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see
not; {17} They have ears, but they
hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
{18} They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that
trusteth in them. Psalm 135
15-18 gives a good understanding of the uselessness of idols.
Judges 6:33
Then
all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered
together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.
Once
the word had spread that Gideon had attacked and destroyed the idol of Baal the
Midianites, Amalekites, and the Arabians had gathered their forces together to
attack Israel and to kill Gideon for destroying their idol and the groves.
Remember these were the same three groups who stole all the food that the
Israelites had grown.
Judges 6:3 (KJV)
And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the
Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;
The valley of Jezreel was a large and fruitful plain.
It lay on the borer of Issachar and Manasseh and lay at the foot of Mount
Gilboa which was about 42 miles (68 km) north from where Gideon had lived.
Judges 6:34
But
the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abi-ezer was
gathered after him.
The
deliverance of Israel was about to begin as Gideon must have gotten the news
that there was an alliance of three nations ready to attack and attempting to
destroy the Israelites. So Gideon
had blown the trumpet for the call to arms to meet this army head on.
The Abiezerites were a family in Manasseh who after seeing the fact that
Gideon did not suffer any retribution for the destruction of the idols had
rallied to the trumpet call of Gideon and supposed him to be a strong man of God
who did not fear false gods.
Judges 6:35
And
he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and
he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they
came up to meet them.