We want to study from the Old Testament about a great Bible character named Gideon. He was a great judge and deliverer from the tribe of Manasseh. (Judges 6:15) I have heard many lessons about Gideon, but I do not recall ever hearing that he had any brothers. I do not know how many brothers Gideon had, nor whether they were older or younger than Gideon himself. I don’t know any of their names. We do know they had the same Mother as did Gideon. So, like Paul Harvey’s radio broadcasts from years ago, you need to read on for “the rest of the story.”
For seven years the Midianites would come during the harvest season in the Valley of Jezreel to destroy and use-up the fruits of harvest which left very little for the Israelites. (Judges 6:1-4, 33) The Israelites hid in caves and strongholds in the mountains. (Judges 6:2) The Midianites had at least four kings. Their names were Oreb, Zeeb, Zebah and Zalmunna. (Judges 7:25; 8:5) For sure the last two, Zebah and Zalmunna, are responsible for killing Gideon’s brothers, probably during an earlier invasion of the land. His brothers were slain on Mount Tabor. (Judges 8:18-19)
At the time of the harvest (Judges 6:11), God calls Gideon to deliver Israel from their enemies. God first wants him to rid their land of idolatry which was the real reason for the oppression of the Midianites. (Judges 6:25-27)
Gideon calls the tribes who lived around the Jezreel Valley to fight the Midianites. The tribes who helped were Asher, Zebulon and Naphtali who were north of the valley and Manasseh who was south of the Jezreel valley. Gideon raised an army of 32,000 men. But the Lord allowed all who were fearful to go home. Now, only 10,000 men were left. God in a test by the waters eliminated 9,700 more, leaving a grand total of 300 men to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7:2-7) who were 120,000 strong. (Judges 8:10)
Israel surrounded the enemy’s camp while it was night and each man broke the pitchers with lamps inside and blew their trumpets. The enemy in fright and confusion killed one another in the darkness. (Judges 7:16-22) Those who survived fled and Gideon pursued them.
Gideon calls on the tribe of Ephraim to take the fords at the river. It was here that the Midianite kings, Oreb and Zeeb, were captured and put to death. (Judges 7:24-25) While pursuing the enemy, Gideon asked food from the cities of Succoth and Penuel to feed his men. They refused to help because they still feared Zebah and Zalmunna. (Judges 8:5-9) Gideon persisted to follow these two kings into enemy territory. At Karkor, Gideon defeats the remaining 15,000 of the once great army and captured Zebah and Zalmunna. (Judges 8:10-12) Gideon returned to the cities of Succoth and Penuel and punished them for their refusal to help earlier. (Judges 8:13-17)
It is at this time that we hear Gideon’s conversation with the two kings. “Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you.” (Judges 8:18-19) Since Gideon’s brothers were innocent civilians, this act of murder was avenged by Gideon and is the rest of the story. (Judges 8:20-21)