The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-10-10
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


10eB The Triuuph OF aAAson -Juages
Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Notes. ]
GOLDEN TnxT Though host should en-.
camp against me, my heart shall not fear. -
Psalms 27:8
TIE SECTION includes chspters q rand ..
together with glance st the remainder Of the
book Ef
TIxE-About B. G. i2e2 Two hundred years
after the death Of Joshua; Gideon's 1udgeship
extended from b. G. lH2s-li62
PLACE.-Gideon's home was in Ophrah, near
Shechsm. The gathering Of his army WAS
some distance to tho north, at the fountain Of
Of Mount Gilboa, some fifteen or twenty miles
southwest Of the sea OF Galilee, and in tho
southern part Of what in our Lords time was
called Galilee.
LESSON NOTES.
Seven Years. Oppression by the Midi
antics. The plain of Esdraelon (the
Greek form of JezreeD, northeast of
the Carmel range, was the most pro-
ductive grain-growing region Of the
Holy Land. The wandering hordes of
the desert, the predominating power
being the Midianites, coveted the
riches of this favored region which
seemed the very gates of Paradise; and
to the number of at least one hundred
and thirty-five thousand Judges s:1O)
"streamed over the fords of the Jordan
year by year, migrating thither, with
their households and herds, in such
numbers as could only be compared,
by those whom they invaded, to a
fight of locusts; which, indeed. they
rivaled in destructiveness. '-Geikie.
'The people fed to mountain Businesses
and hid themselves in caves, and a
grievous fannie ensued. d."-Dean Mil
man. All this continued for seven
years GID. When the people cried
to the Lord in their distress, a
prophet was sent to show them
that it was on account of their sins.
The object of this deliverance from
God was not chiefly to save the peoples
farms and crops from the Midianites,
but to save them from their sins, and
to teach them to trust and obey God.
Hence the method of gaining the vic
tory; for the victory would amount to
very little unless it taught the people
that all their hope was in God, and in
obeying Him, and thus led them to
trust in the power and goodness of God,
and to cleave to Him as their only Sa-
viour. The army was subjected to two
tests.
The first test was the permission for
all who were afraid in the presence of
the wild and warlike hordes, who out
numbered them four to one, to go
quietly home. Twenty-Five thousand,
or more than two-thirds, returned home.
The second test consisted of the way
they drank of the water of brook on
the march. Three hundred did not
break rank or stop in their march, but
dipped their followed palm into the
stream, and tossed little in their
mouth as they ran, ""as dog, running
along the bank of shallow stream,
and without stopping, snatches mouth
fuls or tonguefuls of water, too intent
on his pursuit to take a leisurely drink,
never even while shaking his thirst
turning aside or pausing from the
chase" The remaining nine Thousand
seven hundred stopped in their march,
''unbuckled their swords, and eased
their armor and knelt down to drink"
-Elmslie. These were sent home.
Then God told Gideon that if he had
any fear. he should take his servant by
night down to the host of the Mid
ianites.
13. "When Gideon was come:" to the
enemy's encampment, he overheard one
OF them telling to his companion a
dream he had just dreamed. "a cake
of barley Bread" the food of the poor
and Of the beasts, suggested by the
scarcity among the Israelites. "Came
unto tent" 1t should be the tent,
that Of the king or captain of the host.
"And smote it that it fell:"
This poor little cake caused a great de-
struction, altogether beyond its natur.
al power.
IA. His fellow answered." Inter.
preting the dream as signifying Gideon
and his little army; the Midianites, Of
course, saw this army and had heard
something of Gideon. "This is nothing
else save the sword of Gideon" etc.:
10. arise; for the Lord hath deliv.
ered," etc.: Gideon tells his story to his
little army, for their encouragement.
16. And he divided the three hun
dred into three companies:" Under
leaders. s. Trumpets, pitchers and
lamps:" Which were obtained from the
numbers who went home. Trumpets
were not usually in the hands of COM
mon soldiers, nor were lamps, or,
rather, torches. These belonged only
to leaders, SO that each of the hundred
would appear to the Midianites as
leader of a large band.
IS. "The sword of the rd:"Jehovah,
the real commander, the source of
power. The one who had overthrown
Pharaoh and Jericho, and had made
the sun and moon stand still for Joshua.
And Gideon" the leader of this host.
The stratagem of Gideon was simple.
Three hundred trumpets and torches
represented three hundred companies
of troops. The breaking of the jars,
the outflashing of the lights, the
deafening blare Of trumpets on every
side aroused the enemy from sleep.
The 1sraelites seemed by the many