Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Period Of The Judges, Gideon Modestly Declines the Government of Israel

The Period Of The Judges, Gideon Modestly Declines the Government of Israel
22 The men of Israel said to Gideon, “You, then your son, and then your grandson, must rule us. You rescued us from Midian.”-Judges 8:22-23 (GW)

Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon…Some time after his return, the chief men of Israel met in a body to decide upon the future government of Israel. They decided upon Gideon, and sent a deputation to him with an offer that would make him king over Israel. The success of Gideon against the feared and hated Midianites marked him as the one blessed with divine favor. He was the strongest man in Israel, as far as his influence and popularity is concerned, and the most likely candidate for ruler.

"The men of Israel" did not include all the twelve tribes, but probably only the northern tribes of the western part of the land already mentioned in [1]Judges 6:35 , who had suffered more severely from Midianite oppression, and had been the first to gather round Gideon to make an attack upon the foe.

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