The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-04-14
!. Sunday School Notes
/, SIDELIGHTS on NEXT SUNDAYS
Lesson for Teachers and Pupils.
Edited by CHARLES X. MEYERS

April 18-GideOn the Judge and
Avenger Of His People-Judges.
We have today a lesson which treats
of one of the great men Of the bible
times. He lived 1856 years before Jesus
was born, and the Jews were living in
the land of promise along the Jordan
river. AS we noted last Sunday. the
\ history of these people was a series of
worshfping idols, and then returning to
the true God when their situation be-
came desperate.
81 Our lesson relates to one of the
times of4declines lin religious life. The
hosts of the Midianites came swarming
down on the Jews like grasshoppers,
despOiling the land and the inhabitants
had to live in caves and keep their
property by secreting it from the gaze
of the enemy. The case became so
bad some of the Jews began to recog-
nize that only by turning 10 God
would there be any rescue. With this
turning the strong arm Of God was
shown.
Gideon, strong farm boy, was chos.
en- as the man of the hour. He comes
to notice while threshing his fathers
I grain in place where the Midianites
would not see him. To his surprise a
stranger came near and spoke to him
. as the messenger of God telling him
that he was to be the deliverer of his
people, Modest man, Gideon said there
must be some mistake for he was "a
very small man in the community. In
fact he was weak in faith in God, for
he could not. understand why if God
loved the Jews, he let them be so op.
pressed by their enemies. 1t took a
number of miraculous things to con
VINCE Gideon that he had been chosen,
and that he was to have success as a
leader.
Gideon's first move was to cut down,
a prominent grove of trees, in which a
well known altar for the worship of.
Raal was located. This he did one
night. overthroWing the heather altar.
and building up one for the use of the
God Of his people. " There was big
stir among the followers of Baal and
they we're hot for revenge. The act
was recognized as one Of revolt, and
the Midianites gathered an army. Gid
con was not slow in arousing the peo-
pie. He blew his trumpet. sent out
the word and soon over thirty thous-
and men were with him under arms.
It was not the plan of God that deliver
ance be given in a way that the Jews
could say they did it. but rather there
must stand out in the clear that the
supernatural had the prominent part.
1t Is not the intent to restate what
the bible says about this remarkable
occurrence: suffice it to say that the
force under Gideon was reduced tO
three hundred picked men and they
were armed but with each a trumpet
and light borne in an earthen pitcher.
At night when the camp Of the Mid.
ianites was surrounded, at a given sig
nal. the pitcher was broken the trpm,
l neS sounds and the three hundred e
1.-THE 18th /, sword q f the Lord and an, Gid
ii took tfaith in Cod ard determine.
ZION 81 character fol, that band of
thee hundred to start q out without
Weapons of cosnbat 70 put to flight the
hosts 81 the lMidianites 1t, was done,
ties began fighting each other and soon
there was a complete route with the
Was oyer Tie. Israelifes wanted Gideon
% II sffS Sis gr es ep W1i Mt ut rule IL
over YOU, neither shall my son /" rule
over you, The, Lord shall rule oyer YOU"
Let us thank God for such men as
Gideon mall, al ages They q are tbs men rae
front as leaders in history. The bible
ii fun OF the doings OF such men and
they can be named as mountain tops
in the records of nations. The char
acter Of Gideon is most lovable Mod
est. not over-confident. always obeying
the commands of God. He was not
puffed up, anxious to rule, but put that
thought aside. and held up the Lord
as the object of true Worship and
worthy to be obeyed 1t is no wonder
that great order of men has been
formed in our day. proud TO be called
.Gideonites.'' and that prompted by
his example they labor TIC extend the
power and Influence Of the mighty
God sin the world Just now iT the in
terchurch world wide movement Of
evangelization there is call for menI
of the Gideon kind, men who have
faith to do and attempt great things
and ready to obey Just what Gods lead
ing seems to be. hope that some OF
the. young readers of this column, from
week to week, will hear the call to dedi.
cate their lives for the, mission work at
home or abroad. 1t is all right to be
modest, not overestimating ones
powers, but let it be remembered that
with God behind one, there is no limit
to what the humblest can do. 1t is my
earnest wish that the study of the
character of Gideon may be the means
Of hundreds of young men and women
s.s.1-s.s.ssss