The story of Gideon For seven years, Midian oppressed Israel, forcing the Israelites to hide in caves. When the Israelites called out to God, God sent an angel to a man named Gideon, of the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon was secretly threshing wheat in a winepress to hide it from the invaders. The angel called him a mighty warrior, but Gideon doubted himself. But Gideon agreed. Before Gideon went to war, God instructed Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal and the pole of Asherah and to make an altar to Him instead. Gideon did it by night. Gideon asked for a sign that God would be with him in the battle, so he asked God to make a fleece on the ground wet with dew, but the area around dry. It happened. Gideon reversed that and asked for the ground to be wet with dew, but the fleece dry. It happened again. Gideon gathered 32,000 men. God said this was too many, for God didn’t want the Israelites to boast that they won with their own strength. Gideon asked the men who were scared to leave, and 10,000 went home. Then those who knelt to drink water were sent home, and those who cupped the water stayed. About 300 men stayed. God had commanded Gideon to go at night, and he divided his 300 men into 3 companies, or 100 men for a company. Armed with jars of torches, they surrounded the Midianite army in the middle of the night. On Gideon’s signal, they shattered their jars, blew the trumpets, and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Scared, the Midianite camp didn't know what to do and turned on each other in the dark and fled. There was peace for 40 years. That is the end of the story. Here are the lessons: