Friday
Gideon and his three hundred men, exhausted yet keeping up the pursuit came to the Jordan and crossed it. He said to the men of Succoth, “Give my troops some bread; they are worn out, and I am still pursuing Zebah and Zulmunna, the kings of Midian.”
But the officials of Succoth said, “Do you already have the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna in your possession? Why should we give bread to your troops?”
Then Gideon replied, “Just for that, when the Lord has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will tear your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
From there he went up to Peniel and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Succoth had. So he said to the men of Peniel, “When I return in triumph, I will tears down this tower.”
(Judges 8:4-9, NIV)
This brief excerpt records a minor incident that happened during the period of judges. The Lord had called Gideon, the son of Joseph the Abiazrite, to free Israel from seven years of oppression at the hands of the Midianites. Chapter six of Judges recounts the painful cries of the Jews as the Midianites ravage their land. An angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon as he was threshing wheat and called him to lead his people in defense of their land.
The subsequent chapter traces the story of Gideon’s heroic efforts, aided by God’s promise that “I will be with you” (6:16). In chapter eight, Gideon and his three hundred men are in pursuit of the armies of two kings of Midian; Gideon’s men are exhausted and when they approach the cities of Succoth and Peniel and ask for food, their request is denied. Gideon’s response is surprisingly harsh: “When I return in triumph (Shalom), I will tear down this tower” (8:9).
Unlike the previous usages of the word shalom that we have meditated on during the early part of this week, usages that are commonly found throughout the entire Old Testament, this use of the word shalom to mean “triumph” or “victory” is a rare one. Gideon’s threat was exactingly carried out. Following his victory over the armies of the Midianites, he returned to the town of Succoth, punished its elders, and then traveled to Peniel where he pulled down the tower and killed the men of the town (8:15-17). To our growing list of meanings for the word shalom, we must add the concept of “victory.”
Prayer
Lord, when we trust in you we have true peace, true victory. Teach us to put our confidence in you and to only seek success by being in your will. Amen.