GIDEON’S VICTORY.

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God, who gave peace and comfort | the Midianites. He sent a voice of
to Gideon and his little army, put | love to His friends; He sent fearful
fear and sorrow into the hearts of | dreams to frighten His enemies.

 

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Nr et

LXXXI.

B IDEON'S
CSSPIIDEON divided his army

PAK] into three companies, and
4 Wee gave every man a trumpet,
SS and a pitcher, and a lamp

in every pitcher. They
had no swords, nor spears, nor
bows, nor arrows. They had God
to fight for them, and they did not
want arms. Then Gideon said,
“Come with me, and do as I do.
When I blow with the trumpet, you
must blow too, and cry, ‘The sword
of the Lord, and of Gideon”” The
people did not murmur at Gideon’s
command, for they were humble
and obedient servants and soldiers
of God. He had taught them to
trust and to obey.

It was still night when Gideon
went again, with his soldiers, to the
camp of the Midianites. They all
stood round the camp; and when
Gideon commanded, they blew with
the trumpets, and broke the pitchers,
and cried aloud, “The sword of the
Lord, and of Gideon.” The Midian-
ites heard the noise, and the shout,
and were very much frightened, for
God had made them fear. They
knew not what to do; they were
like wild mad men. They all
fell one upon another, and killed
their own friends, and fathers, and
brothers, and those who were not
killed fled away, and the Israelites
followed after them, and killed them.
Gideon took the two kings of the
Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb, and put

  
  

 

 

Victory,

them both to death, and cut off
their heads. Then he came to Jor-
dan, and took two more kings of
Midian, Zeba and Zalmunna, and
killed them.

When Gideon had gained all these
victories, the Israelites came and
thanked him. They felt very grate-
ful for all he had done, and they
said, “Come and rule over us, and
be our king, and we will serve and
obey thee.” But Gideon was not
an ambitious man; he did not want
power, nor riches, nor possessions ;
he wanted only to be useful. We
read in history about many great
conquerors, who fought battles, and
conquered enemies, and gained vic-
tories, because they wished to be
rich, and powerful, and to have
great possessions; they were ambi-
tious, selfish men ; they thought only
of pleasing themselves, not of plea-
sing God, nor of being useful. But
Gideon was not like these men. He
was a servant of God; and God’s
servants must be meek and humble,
like Jesus Christ. So when the Is-
raelites asked Gideon to be king, he
said, “No, I do not wish to rule
over you; the Lord is your king;
obey Him.” But Gideon asked
them to give him all the earrings
and gold chains, which they had
taken from their enemies. The peo-
ple said, “ Yes, we will willingly give
them ;” and they spread out a large
garment, and threw into it all the