Gideon

Bible Reference: Judges 6-8

When Israel once again turned back to idolatry, they were invaded and conquered by the Midianites.
For seven years, the Midianites oppressed and held the Israelites in a state of unseen poverty to the point that they cried out to the Lord for help.
God raised up and called Gideon who was hiding and threshing wheat in a winepress so he wouldn’t be discovered and taken by the Midianites.
After being called, Gideon obeyed God by making sacrifices and tearing down an altar to Baal that belonged to his father.
When the Midianites invaded again, he assembled an army, and before going to battle, he had God confirm their victory with the sign of a fleece.
Assured of the victory, Gideon assembled 32,000 men to attack the armies of Midian numbering 135,000.
To show His power, God had Gideon cut back his forces to just 300 men and through a clever strategy, he tricked the Midianites into thinking they were surrounded.
In fear, the Midianites turned on one another, and their army was wiped out by God.
Many of the Israelites wanted to make Gideon their king, but he resisted this temptation, recognizing the leadership of God over the people.
One of the spoils of the battles was a pair of golden earrings that weighed fifty pounds, which he crafted into a golden ephod. After his death, it was worshipped as an idol, leading to Israel’s demise.

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