GIDEON. 119

diligent’ in business. ‘“ The Lord is with thee, thou
mighty man of valour,” were the first words spoken to
Gideon by his heavenly visitor. The son of Joash ex-
pressed surprise at this address. “ If the Lord be with
us,” he said, “ why is all this evil come upon us.” The
angel addressed him alone, but he identifies himself with
the whole people of Israel. He did not think anything
could be a blessing to him if it did not also bring relief
to his suffering brethren. His example here teaches us
to love others as we love ourselves. “Go in this thy
might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the
Midianites : have not I sent thee ?” were the next words
spoken by the heavenly being who sat under the oak,
who was no created angel, but the eternal Son of God.
The humility of Gideon made this speech seem no less
strange to him than the former one. How could he
save Israel, he said; his family was poor in Manasseh;
it was a family of no note even in Manasseh, and the
tribe of Manasseh was not powerful; besides this, the
son of Joash pleaded that he was the least in his father’s
house. The reply of the Lord conveyed the very
strongest encouragement, “ Surely I will be with thee,
and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”
Humility would have been misplaced after this. Gideon
had not been in the least exalted by the praises bestowed
upon him; he had not been inclined to trust in his own —
valour and might ; but when the Lord promised to be
with him, the difficulty of the task was nothing to him;
he shrunk not from it. Here he sets us an example of