Chapter 6:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Judges 6
Concise Complete
Israel oppressed by Midianites. (1-6) Israel rebuked by a
prophet. (7-10) Gideon set to deliver Israel. (11-24) Gideon destroys Baal's
altar. (25-32) Signs given him. (33-40)
Verses 1-6 Israel's
sin was renewed, and Israel's troubles were repeated. Let all that sin expect to
suffer. The Israelites hid themselves in dens and caves; such was the effect of
a guilty conscience. Sin dispirits men. The invaders left no food for Israel,
except what was taken into the caves. They prepared that for Baal with which God
should have been served, now God justly sends an enemy to take it away in the
season thereof.
Verses 7-10 They
cried to God for a deliverer, and he sent them a prophet to teach them. When God
furnishes a land with faithful ministers, it is a token that he has mercy in
store for it. He charges them with rebellion against the Lord; he intends to
bring them to repentance. Repentance is real when the sinfulness of sin, as
disobedience to God, is chiefly lamented.
Verses 11-24
Gideon was a man of a brave, active spirit, yet in obscurity through the times:
he is here stirred up to undertake something great. It was very sure that the
Lord was with him, when his Angel was with him. Gideon was weak in faith, which
made it hard to reconcile the assurances of the presence of God with the
distress to which Israel was brought. The Angel answered his objections. He told
him to appear and act as Israel's deliverer, there needed no more. Bishop Hall
says, While God calls Gideon valiant, he makes him so. God delights to advance
the humble. Gideon desires to have his faith confirmed. Now, under the
influences of the Spirit, we are not to expect signs before our eyes such as
Gideon here desired, but must earnestly pray to God, that if we have found grace
in his sight, he would show us a sign in our heart, by the powerful working of
his Spirit there, The Angel turned the meat into an offering made by fire;
showing that he was not a man who needed meat, but the Son of God, who was to be
served and honoured by sacrifice, and who in the fulness of time was to make
himself a sacrifice. Hereby a sign was given to Gideon, that he had found grace
in God's sight. Ever since man has by sin exposed himself to God's wrath and
curse, a message from heaven has been a terror to him, as he scarcely dares to
expect good tidings thence. In this world, it is very awful to have any converse
with that world of spirits to which we are so much strangers. Gideon's courage
failed him. But God spoke peace to him.
Verses 25-32 See
the power of God's grace, that he could raise up a reformer; and the kindness of
his grace, that he would raise up a deliverer, out of the family of a leader in
idolatry. Gideon must not think it enough not to worship at that altar; he must
throw it down, and offer sacrifice on another. It was needful he should make
peace with God, before he made war on Midian. Till sin be pardoned through the
great Sacrifice, no good is to be expected. God, who has all hearts in his
hands, influenced Joash to appear for his son against the advocates for Baal,
though he had joined formerly in the worship of Baal. Let us do our duty, and
trust God with our safety. Here is a challenge to Baal, to do either good or
evil; the result convinced his worshippers of their folly, in praying to one to
help them that could not avenge himself.
Verses 33-40
These signs are truly miraculous, and very significant. Gideon and his men were
going to fight the Midianites; could God distinguish between a small fleece of
Israel, and the vast floor of Midian? Gideon is made to know that God could do
so. Is Gideon desirous that the dew of Divine grace might come down upon himself
in particular? He sees the fleece wet with dew to assure him of it. Does he
desire that God will be as the dew to all Israel? Behold, all the ground is wet.
What cause we sinners of the Gentiles have, to bless the Lord that the dew of
heavenly blessings, once confined to Israel, is now sent to all the inhabitants
of the earth! Yet still the means of grace are in different measures, according
to the purposes of God. In the same congregation, one man's soul is like
Gideon's moistened fleece, another like the dry ground.
Chapter 6:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Joshua Ruth
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
