Story of gideon fights the midianites – गिदोन की मिद्यानियों से लड़ाई की कहानी
The story of Gideon fighting the Midianites is a narrative from the biblical Book of Judges, found in chapters 6 to 8. It tells the tale of Gideon, a reluctant leader chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from the oppression of the Midianite invaders.
The events take place during the period of the Judges, a time of tribal leadership in ancient Israel characterized by a cycle of disobedience, oppression, and deliverance.
The Israelites had turned away from God and were being oppressed by the Midianites and other neighboring peoples. They were forced to hide in caves and strongholds for fear of the invaders.
An angel of the Lord appears to Gideon, who is threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the Midianites.
The angel addresses Gideon as a “mighty man of valor” and tells him that God has chosen him to save Israel from the Midianites.
Gideon, initially doubtful of his own capabilities, seeks a sign from God by placing a fleece of wool on the ground, asking for it to be wet with dew while the surrounding ground remains dry.
Gideon assembles an army of 32,000 Israelite men in response to God’s call.
However, God instructs Gideon to reduce the size of his army significantly to avoid giving Israel the credit for their victory.
First, God tells Gideon to allow those who are afraid to leave, and 22,000 men depart.
Then, God has Gideon conduct a test by observing how the remaining men drink water from a stream. Those who lap the water directly from their hands (300 men) are chosen for the battle.
Gideon’s small army, now numbering only 300, is divided into groups and armed with trumpets and torches concealed in clay jars.
They surround the Midianite camp during the night, and at a signal, they break their jars, revealing the torches, and blow their trumpets.
The noise, confusion, and fear cause the Midianites to turn on each other, resulting in a great victory for Gideon and his men.
After the victory, Gideon is offered kingship by the Israelites, but he declines, stating that only God is their ruler.
Gideon requests gold earrings from the spoils, which he uses to create an ephod, an object associated with religious worship.
Unfortunately, this ephod becomes an object of idolatry among the Israelites.
Gideon judges Israel for 40 years and dies, but his legacy is marred by the idolatry associated with the ephod.
The story of Gideon illustrates the theme of God choosing unlikely leaders and working through them to achieve deliverance for the Israelites. Gideon’s journey from doubt to faith and his victory with a small, unconventional army make his narrative a significant and inspiring part of the Book of Judges in the Bible.
Story of gideon fights the midianites – गिदोन की मिद्यानियों से लड़ाई की कहानी
