Judges 7-8

 Scripture – Judges 7-8

Observation – 

• Judges 7:1-25 - War against Midian
• Judges 7:1-3 - God tells Gideon to send the afraid soldiers home
• Judges 7:4-8 - Gideon separates the men by a test.
• Judges 7:9-11 - Gideon spies on the camp and finds encouragement
• Judges 7:12-15 - God reassures Gideon through the Midianites.
• Judges 7:16-18 - Gideon announces his battle plan
• Judges 7:19-23 - God strikes the Midianites with a surprise attack
• Judges 7:24-25 - Gideon continues to attack and pursue
• Judges 8:1-21 - Gideon battles against the Midianites and Israelites
• Judges 8:1-3 - Ephraim complains and Gideon answers
• Judges 8:4-9 - Sins of Succoth and Penuel
• Judges 8:10-12 - The Midianite kings and army are manipulated
• Judges 8:13-17 - Gideon repays Succoth and Penuel
• Judges 8:18-21 - Gideon repays the Midianite kings
• Judges 8:22-35 - Israel under Gideon
• Judges 8:22-23 - Gideon refuses to be made king
• Judges 8:24-26 - Gideon rounds up a fortune
• Judges 8:27 - Gideon routes Israel into Idolatry
• Judges 8:28-30 - Gideon receives many concubines
• Judges 8:31-32 - Gideon relishes a hereditary rule
• Judges 8:33-35 - Israel rebels against the Lord

Application – Gideon was bold for the Lord, but didn't continue to be faithful.

Prayer – Dear God. Help me to be like Gideon, but not stop being faithful to you. Help me to not follow and chase after wordly desires because they will follow away. Help me to chase after you, who is eternal. Amen.

Sins to avoid – Chasing and worldly things. Conforming to the patterns of the world.

Promises to claim – 

Examples to follow – Don't be like Gideon in straying from the lord.

Commands to obey – 

Summarize and apply – Israel is freed from Midianite rule but falls away again.