The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1907-11-15
Gideon and His
Three Hundred
Sunday schOOlLessOn iorNOv. II. 1907
spsel.lly Prepared iss rAIs Payer

TIME The period OF the Judges lasted.
according TO our bible mGrgins. 80 years.
II. c. it.7-i0 1903 Including En and samuslD.
Gideon lived about the middle OF this pc
Rod. Many scholars make the period
shorter, and place II later. The question
IL unsettled.
PIAcE-Ths broad valley OF JsEreel.
which extends from the plain OF Esdrae-
Ion southeast 10 the Jordan. The south
was bv the We'll Harod. u miles from
the Jordan aud ten miles south Of Mas
arssh. In this region took place the great
battle N which saul and his sons were
slain q san. nj. AID.
Comment snd Suggestive ThsSoht.
The Period o. the jvdOss-The
Boob Of JUDGES Ia = aollsCtion Of rec
Ords belonging to the period between
The death OF Joshua and the birth OF
samuel. . period OF aso ysarp accord
tnu 10 our common chronology. Hat
~ vs add together the numbers niVeh
IN Judges they amount TO 40 years,
For THE and oshsr rsasons q ls gu
tirsiy probable that the OPPRESSION
and dshvsrAnoss vees not successive.
but In part syHehronouA There we're.
in fact. vithsut exception. local strug'
glss: and u IL not only conceivable.
but highly probable. that while one
part OF the land was enjoying seeur.
ity under its Judge other tribes were
grooming under the foreign yoke
Prof. Moore. While several OF the
events were thus occurring at the
same time IN different parts OF the
land. In other cases the judges ruled
practically over the whole The
judges formed temporary heads in
particular centers. or over particular
groups OF tribes. -Barak. in the north
OF Israel. Gideon. In the ceater, Jeph.
thai. on the east OF Jordan. Samson.
in the extreme southwest. Driver.
The Moral Decline.-At the close
OF long period Of peace and pros.
perity the people had degenerated
morally business transactions with
the Canaanites. transactions which
often required the performance Of re
ligious rites. made it easy not 10
realize the difference between them
They We're attracted by the easy NOR.
ais Of the heather.
The Cry from the Depths.-In their
great distress the people began TO re
pent and cry unto the Lord for help
a prophet was sent 10 show them that
their trouble was on account OF their
sins lJudg. 6.7-i0).
The Answer.-God Raises Up Gid
eon.-Gideon belonged TO the tribe OF
Manasseh His fathers name was
Joash and lived at ophrah. not tai
from Shechem. Tie was a man Of
highly noble person. and a noble race
like the son OF a king. and whose
brothers each one resembled ths
children OF king" CJudg. S:1Sl. II,
was a man OF strong common sense
a patriot. a true lover OF God. eau
tious. modest. brave. and enthusiastic
The signs Of the fleece (Judg 6: 80
i0). says Ewald. illustrate GIdeon'i
own character: warm and jealous
while all around were Indifferent anS
cold: calm and cool. when all aroun,
were excited Gideon was probably |
middle-aged man at this time. for b
had son OF his own almost grown NJ
(Judg. $500.
The Sitting OF the Army
proclaimed: Whoever is fearful ant
afraid. let him depart" In view O
the fearful odds against them two
thirds Of the army turned back. leav
ing only 10000 soldiers
Still there were too many for tn
purpose The second sieve was WOW
en- OF alertness. quick wit selfcontrol
vigorous strength. holiness The ties
was through their way OF drinking Il
the near presence OF the enemy
In order TO understand the test "
must see clearly the circumstances.
| Gideon's army was on one side Of IN
stream. and the enemy on the othei
and how near some scouting partie
might be was unknown. for the reed
| and shrubs along the banks aiforde
ample cover for hostile ambushei
Those who bowed down. drinkin
headlong. did not appreciate their y
sition or the foe
The Victory by the Sword Of N
Lord and Of Gdeon.-Vs. s.23. tn
Encouragement-Vs 9l5 Everythin
was now ready. except a new lnbreatl
ing OF COURAGE and faith. To accon
pl!sh this Gideon and his officer wei
early in the night into the camp ,
the Midlanites sleeping in the securii
Of their numbers. Listening near
tent. they heard n man telling to h
comrade dream from which he ha
just awakened Compare with VIA n
translation and annexation Of q
Polychrome Bible. Il dreamed III
a cake of barley griddlebread.--
kind Of fat, round. hard.haked, as
cake. representing the Israelite pea
antry-was rolling hither and thith
through the camp Of INDIAN. and
Mme to tent and struck IT al
turned II upside down" The mi
interpreted the dream as meaning Il
overthrow OF INDIAN by Israel
Practical Points.
The story Of Gideon does not tea
that he cares nothing for means ada
ed to the end. Gideon had faith,
he used his forces In the hest WI
: and selected the 800 because OF The
adaptation 10 the special service
.,,lraI