Study Desk

The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel.

He sent them a prophet who said, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

And I said to you: 'I am the LORD your God. You must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.' But you did not obey Me."

And the Angel of God said to him, "Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth." And Gideon did so.

When Gideon realized that it was the Angel of the LORD, he said, "Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face!"

Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering."

But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Are you contending for Baal? Are you trying to save him? Whoever pleads his case will be put to death by morning! If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself if someone has torn down his altar."

Then Gideon said to God, "If You will deliver Israel by my hand, as You have said,

Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me; let me speak one more time. Please allow me one more test with the fleece. This time let it be dry, and the ground be covered with dew."

And that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry, and dew covered the ground.

His friend replied: "This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has delivered Midian and the whole camp into his hands."

God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?" When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.

And as soon as Gideon was dead, the Israelites turned and prostituted themselves with the Baals, and they set up Baal-berith as their god.

The Israelites failed to remember the LORD their God who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

When this was reported to Jotham, he climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim, raised his voice, and cried out: "Listen to me, O leaders of Shechem, and may God listen to you.

But the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?'

But the grapevine replied, 'Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?'

God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully,

And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.

In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers.