April 8, 2012 – Judges 8

After the initial battle, it says the enemy had 15,000 left.  It says that 120,000 had perished.  Numbers are a little unreliable in the Bible because many are symbolic and are not to be taken literally.  So, this could mean that Gideon went against 120,000 men with 300 or he went against a great army with 300.  Either way, God is the one how was responsible for the victory. 

We also see that Israel was eager to make him king and his lineage king.  We will see this request again, I believe, even though Gideon here warns them and they will be warned again that God is to be their king.  That will not stop them from asking.  This is something else to think about as we hear the Passion narrative and the Jewish leaders crying out “we have no king but Caesar”.  Not only was this to persuade Pilot to act but it is a confession as to where their loyalties and their hearts lie.  It was not the truth, they wanted to be in charge, but the lie reveals that God was not their king, which is what a good practicing Jew would have understood is the case.  Gideon puts it so well, “The Lord must rule over you”.  Verse 23  Then hear “we have no King but Caesar” from those that were supposed to be leading the Jewish people and we see why they wanted Christ dead and why they didn’t believe in Him.