29. The Midianite’s Dream for Gideon
The Dream Setting/Backstory
* * *
God sent this dream to an unnamed Midianite soldier over 700 years after the last of the Genesis dreams and over 200 hundred years after Balaam’s two dreams. In those days dreams were scarce.
God’s prophecy in Abraham’s Covenant Dream had come to pass. The sins of the Amorites eventually reached their full measure and Israel had been resident in the Promised Land for nearly four hundred years. Moses had warned,
When you enter the land the Lord your God
is giving you, do not learn to imitate the
detestable ways of the nations there. Let
no one be found among you who
sacrifices their son or daughter in the
fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in
witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a
medium or spiritist or who consults the
dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these
same detestable practices the Lord your
God will drive out those nations before
you. You must be blameless before
the Lord your God. [1]
The main problem was whenever Israel prospered and had peace for any amount of time they foolishly turned their backs on God and began to imitate the detestable ways of their enemies. This was such a time.
Deborah's victory over Israel’s foes resulted in forty years of peace and prosperity but when God’s Chosen People again turned to idols God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites for seven years.
Israel soon became impoverished, reduced to hiding in caves and mountains and eating coarse barley bread, a food usually fed to animals. Eventually they turned to God. The Scripture says,
When the people of Israel cried out to
the Lord on account of the Midianites,
the Lord sent a prophet to the people of
Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up
from Egypt and brought you out of the
house of slavery. And I delivered you
from the hand of the Egyptians and from
the hand of all who oppressed you,
and drove them out before you and gave
you their land. And I said to you, ‘I am
the Lord your God; you shall not fear the
gods of the Amorites in whose land you
dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my
voice. [2]”
God reminded His chosen people how He’d kept the covenantal promises but how they’d broken them. The Angel of the Lord then appeared to a young man, Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh, and called him to deliver the people and condemn their idolatry. The Angel of the Lord was Jesus.
There were seven interactions between God and Gideon. In Gideon’s first conversation with The Angel of the Lord, Jesus tells Gideon he is called to save Israel from the oppression of Midian.
Gideon wasn’t convinced. He wanted a sign so Jesus caused supernatural fire to shoot up out of a rock and consume an offering. Then He vanished.
The second conversation occurred later that night in an incident reminiscent of a dream in which Gideon was given specific instructions to destroy Baal’s alter and grove and build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice on it.
The third and forth conversations occurred around two supernatural signs Gideon wanted concerning a fleece over two consecutive nights. The fifth and sixth conversations between Gideon and God resulted in the Israeli army being reduced from 32,000 soldiers to 10,000 soldiers to 300 soldiers.
God only wanted a small group of soldiers in order to show Israel it was Him and not man who delivered them.
The seventh conversation occurred during the night and has great similarities to early Genesis dreams. During this incident God instructs Gideon to either immediately begin the battle or if he is still fearful to take his servant Purah and go down to the enemy’s camp and listen to what they are saying so he could be encouraged.
God is willing to work with Gideon’s further need for confirmation and more faith. After all, Gideon is about to embark on what looks like an impossible mission. He is going to war against a vast and powerful well trained army with only his three hundred men.
The Dream Scripture
Judges 7:9-15
* * *
The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”
His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”
The Problem
* * *
Despite all his interactions with Jesus as the Angel of the Lord, Gideon still didn’t have the required level of faith to commence the battle. So God allowed him to hear a relevant dream being interpreted in order to increase his faith. Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. [3] A dream from God is a word from God.
The Dreamer’s Metron
* * *
Gideon’s metron increased rapidly from that of an idol maker’s son to a mighty warrior who’d deliver Israel from all her enemies. Although Gideon’s call was to save all Israel, God had him first work with his metron closer to home. He was told,
Tear down your father’s altar to Baal
and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this
height. [4]
Our metrons concerning our family and neighbours are often the hardest and most intimidating assignments to accomplish. The stakes are usually highest in the home mission field.
After his obedience and success in the local area Gideon’s metron quickly expanded into a national one. He was anointed when the Spirit of the Lord came on him. Afterwards he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him. He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali, calling them to join with him.
The importance of ministering to those closest to us within our metron is stressed throughout Scripture. When God called Abraham, He said,
For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. This is how the Lord will fulfil to Abraham what He promised him. [5]
It's always much easier to preach to people we might never set eyes on again than it is to minister to our own spouse, children, friends, and loved ones. All authentic ministry starts from the home place.
The Message
* * *
The message is clear enough; Gideon will win this battle because God is with him.
God’s Purpose
* * *
God was still keeping his covenantal promises to Abraham. When Israel again turned to Him and asked for help from their enemies God immediately responded by raising up Gideon as a deliverer.
God also sent this dream to the Midianite soldier so Gideon could hear its interpretation and have his faith strengthened enough to believe God and obey him. God also arranged the timing of this divine appointment so Gideon would be in the right place at the right time.
Satan’s Purpose
* * *
Satan’s purpose was to wipe out God’s chosen people by a vastly superior army including lots of Nephilim soldiers and thereby stop the Messiah from coming to crush his head.
Dreamer’s Eyes Enlightened
* * *
The dreamer’s eyes are enlightened. The Midianite soldier now knows he is on the losing side of this battle because Israel’s God has given the whole camp into Gideon’s hands. Hopefully the Midianite used this dream interpretation to save himself and his friend.
This dream interpretation was really meant for Gideon. The significant thing as regards God’s plans and purpose is that Gideon’s eyes are enlightened and his faith is strengthened.
Dreamer’s Response and Application
* * *
We’re not told what the dreamers response was but we know Gideon was finally encouraged enough to believe and obey God and to go to war against overwhelming odds.
Know God Better
* * *
God patiently worked with Gideon until Gideon’s faith level was strong enough for him to believe God and take decisive action. God also wanted Israel to know it was His power and not the strength of man that brought victory. God was still keeping His thousand-year-old covenantal promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Joseph. He was still moving his agenda for the Messiah forward.
Through this dream and its implementation God also displayed His total superiority over the gods of the Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples. God is the One who can protect His Son’s seedline.
The Dream Process
* * *
This is a simple symbolic dream easily interpreted by the Midianite soldier’s friend. Using The Symbol Replacement Method the round loaf of barley bread represents Gideon and his rough army who are reduced to eating coarse barley bread. Perhaps Barleybread was a Midianite nickname for Gideon.
This loaf that overturned and collapsed the Midianite tent symbolised Gideon’s army supported by a God powerful enough to destroy the vast Midianite camp of soldiers.
This is the only place in the Bible where a dreamer’s dream is for someone else and the dreamer didn’t realise this fact. The dream has national importance and international importance.
The Usual Suspects
* * *
God is patiently waiting in the wings for his beleaguered people to ask him for help. Satan and the gods on the other hand are seducing and harassing the people. God has removed His hand of protection because His people are ignoring His words through Moses and are worshiping the gods of the Amorites in whose land they now live. Jesus is everywhere as the Angel of the Lord and the Holy Spirit came upon Gideon and anointed him for battle.
Takeaways
* * *
Through this dream and its implementation God demonstrates His total dominion over the powers and principalities attacking His covenant people and their seed line. He also shows His complete ability to protect his chosen ones.
Although Gideon talked with Jesus and was anointed by the Holy Spirit his life didn’t end too well. Moses had warned Israel before they entered the Promised Land, that their king must not take many wives or his heart would be led astray. He also must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. [6]
Like Solomon after him Gideon violated both of these warnings. Fame went to his head. He had seventy sons from his many wives. Gideon then went on to make an ephod [7] out of the gold won in battle, which eventually caused all of Israel to turn away from God yet again.
There was peace in Israel for forty years during the life of Gideon but as soon as Gideon died of old age, the Israelites again turned to worship the false god Baal-Berith and ignored the family of Gideon.
Gideon had failed to instruct his children after him. Like Solomon, a dreamer who started off well and ended up badly, Gideon didn’t leave a good legacy.
Dreams and supernatural encounters are wonderful things but we still need to pay careful attention and obedience to the word of God.
We still need to look after our families.
1 Deuteronomy 18:9-13
2 Judges 6:7-10
3 Romans 10:17
4 Judges 6:25-26
5 Genesis 18:19
6 Deuteronomy 17:17
7 Judges 8:25–27