“In Sukkot he asked the people there, ‘Please give some loaves of bread to the men following me, because they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zevach and Tzalmuna the kings of Midyan.’But the chiefs of Sukkot said, ‘You haven’t captured Zevach and Tzalmuna yet, so why should we give bread to your army?’Gid‘on said: ‘If that’s your answer, then after Adonai has put Zevach and Tzalmuna in my hands, I will tear your flesh apart with desert thorns and thistles!'”-Judges 8:5-7
Gideon and his men are in hot pursuit of the enemy.
But they’re tired and hungry.
And it was just them.
There weren’t any women and children following behind with food and other supplies.
They had to make do with whatever edible shrubs they could find as they tracked down their Midianite enemies.
Nearing the point of starvation and feeling like they were about to fall over, Gideon and his men stop at a town called Succoth and ask for something to eat and a place to rest up for a bit.
And wouldn’t you believe it, the leaders of Succoth refused to help.
Their behavior went against every known custom of the time that demanded that strangers in distress seeking hospitality should be helped.
What made their refusal all the worse was that they were fellow Israelites!!!
Gideon assured them that after he returned in victory, he was gonna pay them back for their offense by tearing their flesh apart with desert thorns and thistles.
I’m not exactly sure what that meant.
Was he going to drag the men over a bed of thorn bushes?
Or possibly use the thorn bushes as whips to rip the flesh off of their bodies?
The Hebrew word translated into “tear” here is DOSH and it does mean “to thresh”…as in to thresh wheat.
Well either way, the fate that awaited these inhospitable Hebrews sure didn’t sound pretty.
Unfortunately, Gideon and his men didn’t fare any better at the next place they stopped.
Their next stop was a town called Penuel which was located about 5 miles east of Succoth.
Gideon again asked the leaders to show him and his men some kindness since they were in a famished state.
And again he received the same cold-hearted answer.
In response, Gideon told them he would pay back their coldness by destroying the watchtower of Penuel.
This watchtower was a key landmark for the residents of Penuel and was crucial to their survival.
So they’re losing that tower was gonna hurt ’em…bad.
And by the way, does the town of Penuel ring a bell for you?
It should because that’s where Jacob had his famous wrestling match with that mysterious midnight visitor.
Both Succoth and Penuel were located a good 50 miles from where the main battle took place in Jezreel Valley.
Did you catch that last detail?
These 2 towns were located a whopping 50 miles from the place Gideon and his men had fought their main battle.
So you had best believe they had good reason to be tired.
So what are the takeaways from all of this?
There are 2 actually.
First, understand that those 3 Hebrew tribes who decided to stake their claim OUTSIDE of the Promised Land on the east side of the Jordan River had completely lost touch with their brothers who were living inside Canaan.
Over time their identity and values became more aligned with the “people of the east”, the very men who Gideon was now chasing.
I think the lesson here is that although Moses permitted them to live outside of the land, at the end of the day, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to do so.
So we can see that your environment matters.
It matters a lot!
If you’re not living within close proximity to other believers, you gotta make an effort to stay connected somehow…whether by Zoom calls or something.
Lest you be swept away by an unbelieving world which is what happened to Reuben, Gad and 1/2 of Manasseh.
Finally, understand we are commanded to help our brothers (fellow Israelites) in need.
Not to do so is considered a grave sin.
Remember the reason God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah was because of lack of hospitality on their part.
It really had nothing to do with homosexuality
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“For I was hungry and
you gave me something to eat,
I was thirsty and
you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and
you invited me in,
I needed clothes and
you clothed me,
I was sick and
you looked after me,
I was in prison and
you came to visit me.’
Then the righteous will answer him,
‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you
something to drink?
When did we see you a stranger
and invite you in,
or needing clothes and clothe you?
When did we see you sick
or in prison and go to visit you?’
‘The King will reply,
‘Truly I tell you,
whatever you did for one of
the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine,
you did for me.’”
-Matthew 25:35-40
Many thanks boss. God bless you abundantly.
You too! May the Lord bless you abundantly!