The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-10-11

.,,o.al l<<sou for October ~.
sax rho Triumph of Gideon --Jsagss

camp aeLii.N' Law ~
is.sr's sr,.,ns Includes chapters o and =.
,.',.tncr Win glance AZ tho remainder OF the
box 49,. -..t..y, -.
.,,er the .seath OF Joshua. 6ideons ludReship
attended from B G. is2.-ilss
tacr-C idcon's home was IN ophrah near
sre~bem The gathering OF his army was
.r,,, iis,ance 10 tho north. at the fountain OF
,,a~os near the hill Moreh. IL was at the foot
!, Mount t:slboa some fifteen or twenty miles
ssu,hwc,t Of the sea OF Galilee. and In the
called Gaiilee
LESSON NOTES.
seven Years Oppression by the Midi
antics. The plain of Esdraelon the
creek form Of Jezreel). northeast Of
,h.. Carmel range. was the most pro-
du.tiyc grain-growing region Of the
uoiv Land. The wandering hordes Of
~. desert. the precominating power
,...iuo the Midianitcs. coveted the
r;rhes OF this favored region which
seemed the very gates of Paradise, and
- the number of AT least one hundred
and thirty-five thousand Judges 500
".treamcd over the fords Of the Jordan
year by year. migrating thither, with
their households and herds. in such
numbers as could only be compared.
bv those whom they invaded, To a
flight Of locusts; which. indeed, they
rivalcd in dcstructiveness. '-Geikie.
"The people fled To mountain Businesses
and hid themselves in caves. and a
gricvous famine ensued. Dean Mil
man. All this continued for seven
II I'D
10 the Lord in their distress. .
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
70 teach them TO trust and obey God
Hence the method of gaining the vic
tory; for the victory would amount to
very little unless il 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 10 one. 70 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 IA 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 10 take 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.
''unbuclxled their swords, and eased
their arnor and knclt down TO drink. =
-Elmslie. These were sent home.
Then God told Gideon that il he had
any fear he should take his servant 10y
night down TO the host of the Mid
ianites.
IL. When Gideon was Gomez" 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 Israelitcs- Game
unto a tents" 1t should be the tent,
that Of the king or captain Of the host.
Cook. And smote IL that il fell"
This poor little cake caused q great de-
struction. altogether beyond its natur-
al power.
IL. Ills fellow answered. Inter.
preting the dream rs 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.
IL. Arise: for the Lord hath deliv.
cred etc: Gideon tells his story to his
little army. for their encouragement.
ID. And he divided the three hun.
dred into three companies" Under
leaders - Trumpets. pitchers and
lamps" Which were obtained from the
numbers who went home Trumpets
were not usually in the hands of com
nun StlultE,. Iioi "thC taAsH's -
rather. torches These belonged only
10 leaders. so that each of the hundred
would appear TO the Midianites As Z
leader Of a large band.
-. THE sword of the Lord" Jehovah
the real commander. the source oi
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 stratagcm Of Gideon was simple
Three hundred trumpets and torches
represented three hundred companies
of troops The breaking OF the jars
the outfiashing Of the lights. thu
deafening blarc Of trumpets on every
side aroused the enemy from sleep
The Israclitcs seemed by the MANI
lights and trumpcts to be present il
overwhelming numbers. Each heather
In the darkness mistoolx his ncighbo
for foe. They slew one another. TIL
invaders fed in confusion. and scattcre,
over the country. throughout which
Gideon Immediately sent runners I.
ernuxa thu ,,a<xx.1, Tl.~ f,~Iu - e..