In Judges 6:11 a man called Joash the Abiezrite
calls his son Jerubbaal, meaning:
Let Baal Contend Against Him,
or, let Baal show increase;
The Lord Contends; Baal Contends.
JERUBBAAL jĕr’ ə bāl יְרֻבַּ֣עַל,
jer-u-ba’-al, je-rub’-a-al yerubba`al,
ירבעל
Why did he do that?
The son of Joash the Abiezrite was Gideon, the fifth judge of Israel
And the name Jerubaal was given to Gideon when he destroyed his father’s Baal altar at Ophrah.
The name
Jerubbaal
is a combination of two Hebrew words:
the first is
riyb or rub,
which means literally
to grapple
and holds the figurative meaning
to wrangle
or
to hold a controversy.
From (1) the verb ריב (rib), to contend,
ריב
This very common verb ריב (rib) means
to strive or contend
and ranges from
a mere bickering to full scale combat.
Noun ריב (rib) means
strife, dispute or plea.
Noun יריב (yarib) denotes
an opponent or adversary.
Noun מריבה (meriba) refers to
a place or agent of strife or contention.
and
The second is the proper noun
Baal, the name of the Phoenician god
that Gideon contended against.
the verb בעל – ba’al, to be lord.
The verb ba’al
בעל
means to exercise dominion over;
to own, control or be lord over.
The noun ba’al means
lord, master and even husband,
and its feminine counterpart
ba’ala
means mistress or landlady.
Jerubbaal/Gideon, had seventy sons by several wives, and he had one son, named Abimelech, by his servant girl, or his concubine. Gideon, as one of the judges in Israel, was a true servant leader, as were all of the judges of Israel, in those days.
גדעון
Gidon: a judge of Israel.
Original Word: גִּדְעוֹן.
Part of Speech:
Proper Name Masculine.
Transliteration: Gidon.
Phonetic Spelling: (ghid-ohn’)
The name Gideon comes from the Hebrew verb
גדע
gada’
meaning
to hew down or cut off:
mostly of religious regalia and holy trees.
There are no nouns formed from this verb,
suggesting that whatever was cut off,
was no longer discussed and
even cut off from speech itself.
The waw/vav-nun/noon extension
of the name Gideon
denotes a personification of the verb:
he who does what the verb means.
His name is connected with his occupation, that is,
he was a Hacker
or
One Who Hewed Down the enemy.
Now we know why computer hackers are so named!
GIDEON
גדעון
Gimmel Daleth Ayin Vav Nun
Strong’s Hebrew: 1439. גִּדְעוֹן (Gidon) — a judge of Isr.
Strong’s Greek: 1066. Γεδεών (Gedeón) — Gideon, an Israelite
Transliteration: Gedeón. Phonetic Spelling: (ghed-eh-own’) Definition: Gideon, an Israelite. Usage:Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel.
The account in Judges tells us that when Israel was experiencing invasive attacks for 7 years by the Midianites, an angel of YeHoVeH appeared to Gideon.
When the angel of the Lord first met Gideon he was hiding out in a winepress threshing wheat – Judges 6:11.
You don’t thresh wheat in a winepress.
The threshing floor stood in the open,
the winepress was usually below ground or in a low area,
a place where someone could easily hide
which Scripture tells us Gideon was actually doing, hiding or fleeing.
The word in Hebrew is
lenis or lehanis
from the root
word nos or nus
(noos)
which means
to flee or disappear. נוּס
Strong’s Hebrew: 5127. נוּס (nus) — to flee, escape
At that time, the Midianites were in control in Israel who had no standing army, There was no one to lead an army against the Midianites who were a well armed band of mercenaries who would suddenly appear and raid the Israelites homes killing everyone in that town or city and take what they wanted and destroying the crops on the land, It was a horrible time for the children of Israel and they lived in perpetual fear of an enemy attack that would come without warning. This scenario could be likened to the nations in the world today Many are living in constant fear of attack from both a seen and an unseen enemy such as a virus.
As is the case in most places where people have faith in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob/Israel, some were on their knees, some interceding by weeping and petitioning in prayer. However, Gideon was not praying, his attitude needed an adjustment because, when the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and announced he was a great and mighty warrior (verse 12) his response was to ask why has God forsaken us, why are we being tormented by these Midianites, where are all the miracles, the promises of God? Many are asking that question today and God is answering, we just need to listen and pay more attention to what He is saying. First, the angel of the Lord said that God had called him to deliver Israel and that He would be with Gideon and would empower him (verse 14). Gideon’s response was not exactly full of faith! (verse 15). The second time the Angel of the Lord reassures him in verse 16.
This was still not enough for Gideon and he asks for a sign in verse 17. Gideon prepared an offering and the Angel of the Lord touched it with his staff and immediately it burst into flames.
Gideon was so impressed that he became fearful that he had just seen God Himself and might die. Due to the belief that if anyone saw God they would die or you were dead. However Gideon now had enough confidence to confront the Midianites pagan god and tear down the idol of the and offer a sacrifice to God on the same place.
Judges 6:11-24
The angel of the LORD came and sat down – under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite,
where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites
and instructed him to cut down the altar of Baal that same night
and to destroy the nearby
image of Asherah, אשרה אשירה
plural, אשרים or Asherim
a primary Canaanite goddess namely אשרות or Asheroth.
Judges 3:7, & Judges 6:25.
In the Bible, Asherah is mostly associated with
sacred trees or poles Exodus 34:13, Judges 6:25.
When the people who lived there found their shrines destroyed the next day, it didn’t take them long to find out who had done it.
They went to Joash and demanded that he surrender his son Gideon, because they wanted to execute him.
Joash responded by saying that if Baal wants his revenge, they would be foolish to ruin his pleasure by killing Gideon before their god could get him. He cleverly challenged them by saying that if Baal was truly a god, Baal would contend with Gideon, and if he were not, then Gideon would contend with Baal!
This is why Joash named his son Jerubbaal.
The people were not worshipping the one true God and their false gods and idols had to be removed before they could have victory over their enemies.
This is true for believers in Yeshua today we are to tear down any altars we have made to anything or anyone else in our lives. Putting our Heavenly father first place in everything we do is essential in walking a victorious life by His spirit.
After that Gideon goes after the Midianites and the other members of the Eastern Coalition. 32,000 men from Israel joined up for the battle, after God instructs Gideon to separate out the chosen ones only 300 remain.
He gives the 300 each a trumpet, a pitcher and a torch and at midnight they attack because of their unusual approach it caused the Midianites to stampede. As they fled, Gideon summoned the entire Israeli army and they pursued them, killing their leaders and 120,000 swordsmen.
Judges 7:15, 20: The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”
After Gideon’s victory over Midian, Israel remains undisturbed for 40 years. When Gideon dies, his son Abimelech takes the office of Judge of Israel.
Gideon had 72 sons, namely Abimelech, the seventy brothers he killed, and Jotham who got away.
Paul mentions Gideon in his letter to the Hebrews 11:32
calling him a hero of the faith spelled Γεδεων, Gedeon
There is much more to the story of Gideon but for the purpose of this post there are 2 points one is in 6:34 where
Judges 6:34 So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, who
Came upon
Strong’s 3847: Wrap around,
to put on a, garment,
clothe Gideon, גִּדְע֑וֹן (giḏ·‘ō·wn)
Noun – proper – masculine singular
Strong’s 1439: Gideon —
a judge of Israel and he blew וַיִּתְקַע֙ (way·yiṯ·qa‘)
God Put On Gideon!
Strong’s Hebrew: 3847. לָבַשׁ (labash or labesh) — to put on
law-bash’, law-bashe’
to dress, wear, clothe, put on clothing, be clothed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put on clothes, be clothed, wear
1a2) to put on, be clothed with (figuratively)
1b) (Pual) to be fully clothed
1c) (Hiphil) to clothe, array with, dress
2304) sbl (לבסה LBSh) AC: Clothe CO: Clothing AB: ?
-
V)sbl(לבסה LBSh) – Clothe: To put on clothing. [Hebrew and Aramaic] KJV (115): (vf: Paal, Hiphil, Pual) clothe, put, array, wear, arm, came, apparel, upon – Strongs: H3847 (לָבֵשׁ), H3848 (לְבַשׁ)
-
dm)sfbl(לבוסה LBWSh) – Clothing: [Hebrew and Aramaic] KJV (34): clothing, garment, apparel, vesture, clothed, put, raiment, vestment – Strongs: H3830 (לְבֻשׁ), H3831 (לְבוּשׁ)
adm) sfblm (מלבוסה MLBWSh) – Clothing: KJV (8): apparel, raiment, vestment – Strongs: H4403 (מַלְבֻּשׁ)
icf2) tsfblt (תלבוסהת TLBWShT) – Clothing: KJV (1): clothing – Strongs: H8516 (תִּלְבֹּשֶׁת)
It has to be noted that in the Hebrew it is written
which is very interesting!
And second,
the angel called him a mighty man of valor
or a valiant warrior
we saw him hiding in fear in the threshing floor
yet the angel spoke of him as a man of valor
what is this word
in Hebrew?
Mighty man or masterful man
is
גִּבּ֥וֹר
gibbowr or gib·bōr
Strongs 1368
And
of Valor
הֶחָֽיִל
he·ḥā·yil. Or chayil
Strongs 2428
He ha yil gib bo w rim me ka Yahweh
יְהוָ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ גִּבּ֥וֹר הֶחָֽיִל
Gideon was filled with fear and even after five miracles he still needed help to overcome his fears. But there is a reason that He delivered a nation, that God gave him a wonderful victory and restored his land:
He was obedient.
He prayed,
he called out to God
and ultimately let God take charge
so that the world could see this deliverance
was from God and God alone.
echil gbur
masterful man of the valor
translated as
mighty man of valor
If as the scripture says
He
meaning God
put on Gideon
then it would seem clear that His Ruach haKodesh
filled Gideons spirit;
both his inner man as well as his physical body.
Reading it one more time
God PUT ON and wrapped Himself in Gideon!
And as the meanings above say,
like He was putting on a garment of clothing
which really seems like
God was wearing Gideon!
Hebrew for PUT ON…
Our bodies cannot function without us inside them so as we are born again by His spirit the scripture tells us Yeshua said,
I and My Father will come to live abide IN you!
If He is inside us then He is wearing us too!
With this thought a inexplicable spiritual reality and His ways not being our ways shouldn’t we then be walking in all manner of holiness.
Christ in us the hope of glory! So when we think are we wearing God as His representative
or is it that like Gideon,
He is wearing us.
This gives another aspect of the things Yeshua said about not being concerned or anxious about what we shall wear, our physique, what we look like or following the fashion.
Fashion is nothing more than the worlds attempt at beautifying the flesh.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. Romans 7:18
and this is a liberating message. Gender,skin tone, shape size weak strong, its all physical and temporary. We will not be taking these bodies with us.
The new ones we are promised may not be exactly as we are now for even Mary did not recognize Messiah in His glorified form outside the tomb until He called her by name (Jn 20:14-16).
