Gideon

Biography

Gideon was a farmer threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from Midianite raiders when the angel of the LORD appeared and called him "mighty warrior"—an ironic greeting for a man hiding in fear. God called Gideon to deliver Israel from seven years of devastating Midianite oppression. Gideon's response was hesitant: his clan was weakest in Manasseh, and he was least in his family. He asked for signs—the famous fleece tests—and God graciously provided them. Gideon's first act was to tear down his father's Baal altar, earning him the name Jerubbaal ("let Baal contend"). When 32,000 men gathered to fight, God reduced the army to 300 to ensure Israel would know victory came from Him alone. With torches, trumpets, and jars, this tiny force routed the Midianite horde. After victory, Gideon wisely refused to become king, declaring "The LORD will rule over you." However, he made a golden ephod that became a snare of idolatry. His seventy sons by many wives led to tragedy—after his death, his son Abimelech murdered his brothers and briefly seized power.