for my father fought for you and risked his life to deliver you from the hand of Midian, for my father fought for youThis phrase refers to Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, who was a judge and military leader in Israel. The Hebrew root for "fought" is "לחם" (lacham), which conveys the idea of engaging in battle or warfare. Gideon's leadership was marked by his reliance on God's guidance to deliver Israel from the oppression of the Midianites, as recorded in Judges 6-8. Historically, Gideon's victory was significant because it demonstrated God's power working through a small, seemingly inadequate force, emphasizing the theme of divine strength in human weakness. risked his life
The phrase "risked his life" highlights the sacrificial nature of Gideon's leadership. The Hebrew word for "risked" is "שׁלך" (shalak), meaning to cast or throw, implying a willingness to put oneself in danger. Gideon's actions were not for personal gain but for the deliverance of Israel, reflecting the biblical principle of self-sacrifice for the greater good. This mirrors the New Testament teaching of laying down one's life for others, as seen in John 15:13. to deliver you
The word "deliver" comes from the Hebrew "נצל" (natsal), meaning to rescue or save. Gideon's role as a deliverer is a foreshadowing of the ultimate deliverance found in Jesus Christ, who delivers humanity from sin and death. In the context of Judges, this deliverance was both physical and spiritual, as it involved freeing the Israelites from their oppressors and calling them back to faithfulness to God. from the hand of Midian
The "hand of Midian" symbolizes the oppressive control and domination the Midianites had over Israel. The term "hand" in Hebrew, "יד" (yad), often signifies power or authority. The Midianites' oppression was a consequence of Israel's disobedience to God, as they had turned to idolatry. Gideon's victory over Midian was a divine intervention that restored Israel's freedom and reaffirmed God's sovereignty and faithfulness to His covenant people. Persons / Places / Events 1. Gideon (Jerubbaal)Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, was a judge of Israel who led a small army to victory against the Midianites, as described in Judges 6-8. He is the father referenced in Judges 9:17. 2. AbimelechThe speaker in Judges 9:17 is Abimelech, the son of Gideon, who is addressing the leaders of Shechem. Abimelech is seeking to establish his rule over Shechem and is reminding them of his father's deeds. 3. MidianitesA nomadic people who oppressed Israel for seven years. Gideon's victory over them is a significant event in Israel's history, demonstrating God's deliverance. 4. ShechemA city in ancient Israel where Abimelech seeks to establish his rule. It is a place of historical and covenantal significance in the Bible. 5. IsraelitesThe people of God who were delivered from the oppression of the Midianites through Gideon's leadership. Teaching Points Remembering God's DeliveranceJust as Abimelech reminded the people of Gideon's deliverance, we should remember and recount God's past faithfulness in our lives as a foundation for trust and obedience. The Cost of LeadershipGideon's willingness to risk his life for Israel highlights the sacrificial nature of godly leadership. True leaders prioritize the well-being of those they serve over personal gain. The Danger of ForgetfulnessThe Israelites' quick forgetfulness of Gideon's deeds serves as a warning against spiritual amnesia. We must actively remember and teach God's works to future generations. The Consequences of AmbitionAbimelech's ambition and manipulation to gain power contrast with Gideon's humility and reliance on God. Ambition unchecked by godly principles can lead to destructive outcomes. Faith in ActionGideon's account is a testament to faith in action. Despite overwhelming odds, his trust in God led to victory. We are called to act in faith, trusting God for the results. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Gideon's account of deliverance from the Midianites encourage you to trust God in your current challenges? 2. In what ways can you actively remember and recount God's past faithfulness in your life to strengthen your faith? 3. What qualities of godly leadership can you identify in Gideon's actions, and how can you apply them in your own leadership roles? 4. How does Abimelech's ambition and the resulting consequences serve as a warning for us today regarding the pursuit of power and recognition? 5. Reflect on a time when you acted in faith despite overwhelming odds. How did God show His faithfulness, and how can this experience encourage others? Connections to Other Scriptures Judges 6-8These chapters provide the background of Gideon's call by God, his testing of God with the fleece, and his eventual victory over the Midianites with a small army, emphasizing God's power and deliverance. Hebrews 11:32-34Gideon is mentioned in the "Faith Hall of Fame," highlighting his faith and the miraculous victory over the Midianites, which connects to the theme of divine deliverance. 1 Samuel 12:11Samuel recounts the deliverance of Israel through judges, including Gideon, reminding the people of God's faithfulness and the importance of obedience. | Abimelech, the Adventurer | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Ambition Destroys the Finer Feelings of Men | H. E. Channing. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Bramble Rule; Or, the People and Their Leaders | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Forms of Usefulness in Life | Marcus Dods, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Parable | R. A. Watson, M. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | King Bramble and His Subjects | A. F. Vedder. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Misleading Self-Judgments | A. Rowland, B. A. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Pulpit Brambles | Homilist | Judges 9:1-22 | | Self-Fulfilment | E. G. Murphy. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Bramble | H. Whittaker. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Election of the Usurper to be King | J. P. Millar. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Faithful Olive-Tree | Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of Jotham | A London Minister | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | J. Bayley, Ph. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Parable of the Trees | A. Raleigh, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | The Refusing of Leadership | W. Morison, D. D. | Judges 9:1-22 | | Jotham's Fable; Or, Popular Election, its Dangers and Abuses | A.F. Muir | Judges 9:7-20 |
People Abimelech, Ebed, Gaal, Hamor, Jerubbaal, Jotham, Ophrah, Zalmon, ZebulPlaces Arumah, Beer, Beth-millo, Diviners' Oak, Lebanon, Midian, Mount Gerizim, Mount Zalmon, Ophrah, Shechem, Thebez, Tower of ShechemTopics Adventured, Cast, Danger, Deliver, Delivered, Fought, Free, Hands, Midian, Mid'ian, Rescue, Rescued, Risked, WarDictionary of Bible Themes Judges 9:1-21 5356 irony Judges 9:7-20 5438 parables Library Here, by Way of Objection, Several Questions are Raised. ...
Here, by way of objection, several questions are raised. Scripture relates that God sometimes complied with certain prayers which had been dictated by minds not duly calmed or regulated. It is true, that the cause for which Jotham imprecated on the inhabitants of Shechem the disaster which afterwards befell them was well founded; but still he was inflamed with anger and revenge (Judges 9:20); and hence God, by complying with the execration, seems to approve of passionate impulses. Similar fervour …
John Calvin—Of Prayer--A Perpetual Exercise of FaithTrials of the Christian
AFFLICTION--ITS NATURE AND BENEFITS. The school of the cross is the school of light; it discovers the world's vanity, baseness, and wickedness, and lets us see more of God's mind. Out of dark afflictions comes a spiritual light. In times of affliction, we commonly meet with the sweetest experiences of the love of God. The end of affliction is the discovery of sin; and of that, to bring us to a Saviour. Doth not God ofttimes even take occasion, by the hardest of things that come upon us, to visit …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan Hence is Also that which Thou Hast Mentioned that they Speak Of...
28. Hence is also that which thou hast mentioned that they speak of, that the Lord Jesus, after He was risen, walked in the way with two disciples; and upon their drawing near to the village whither they were going, He made as though He would have gone farther: where the Evangelist, saying, "But He Himself feigned that He would go further," [2435] hath put that very word in which liars too greatly delight, that they may with impunity lie: as if every thing that is feigned is a lie, whereas in a truthful …
St. Augustine—Against Lying The Hebrew Sages and their Proverbs
[Sidenote: Role of the sages in Israel's life] In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (Jer. xviii. 18; Ezek. vii. 26) three distinct classes of religious teachers were recognized by the people: the prophets, the priests, and the wise men or sages. From their lips and pens have come practically all the writings of the Old Testament. Of these three classes the wise men or sages are far less prominent or well known. They wrote no history of Israel, they preached no public sermons, nor do they appear …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
BY JOHN BUNYAN. London: Printed for Benjamin Alsop, at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry, 1684. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. THIS valuable treatise was first published in a pocket volume in 1684, and has only been reprinted in Whitfield's edition of Bunyan's works, 2 vols. folio, 1767. No man could have been better qualified to give advice to sufferers for righteousness' sake, than John Bunyan: and this work is exclusively devoted to that object. Shut up in a noisome jail, under the iron hand of …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 The Greater Prophets.
1. We have already seen (Chap. 15, Nos. 11 and 12) that from Moses to Samuel the appearances of prophets were infrequent; that with Samuel and the prophetical school established by him there began a new era, in which the prophets were recognized as a distinct order of men in the Theocracy; and that the age of written prophecy did not begin till about the reign of Uzziah, some three centuries after Samuel. The Jewish division of the latter prophets--prophets in the more restricted sense of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible An Exhortation to Love God
1. An exhortation. Let me earnestly persuade all who bear the name of Christians to become lovers of God. "O love the Lord, all ye his saints" (Psalm xxxi. 23). There are but few that love God: many give Him hypocritical kisses, but few love Him. It is not so easy to love God as most imagine. The affection of love is natural, but the grace is not. Men are by nature haters of God (Rom. i. 30). The wicked would flee from God; they would neither be under His rules, nor within His reach. They fear God, …
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits Derived from It.
1. A general summary of what is contained in the previous part of the work. A transition to the doctrine of prayer. Its connection with the subject of faith. 2. Prayer defined. Its necessity and use. 3. Objection, that prayer seems useless, because God already knows our wants. Answer, from the institution and end of prayer. Confirmation by example. Its necessity and propriety. Perpetually reminds us of our duty, and leads to meditation on divine providence. Conclusion. Prayer a most useful exercise. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Judges
For the understanding of the early history and religion of Israel, the book of Judges, which covers the period from the death of Joshua to the beginning of the struggle with the Philistines, is of inestimable importance; and it is very fortunate that the elements contributed by the later editors are so easily separated from the ancient stories whose moral they seek to point. That moral is most elaborately stated in ii. 6-iii. 6, which is a sort of programme or preface to iii. 7-xvi. 31, which constitutes …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Judges 9:17 NIVJudges 9:17 NLTJudges 9:17 ESVJudges 9:17 NASBJudges 9:17 KJV
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