Beginning of the End

The Sad Story of Continual Backsliding

The king of Mesopotamia, the king of Moab, after them the Philistines and the Canaanites of Hazor led by Sisera, became oppressors of Israel, one right after the next. Othniel, Shamgar, Ehud, Deborah, and Barak were raised up as deliverers of their people, but again “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian.” BOE 274.5

The Midianites had been nearly destroyed by Israel in the days of Moses, but they had since become numerous and powerful. They thirsted for revenge, and now that the protecting hand of God was removed from Israel, the opportunity had come. The whole land suffered from their violent destructions. Like a plague of locusts they spread over the country, coming as soon as the harvests began to ripen, and staying until the last fruits had been gathered. They stripped the fields of their increase and robbed and mistreated the inhabitants. The Israelites who were living in the open country were forced to seek safety in fortresses or even find shelter in caves among the mountains. For seven years this oppression continued. Then, as the people in their distress confessed their sins, God again raised up a helper for them. BOE 274.6

God’s call came to Gideon to deliver his people while he was threshing wheat. Not daring to beat it out on the ordinary threshing floor, he had gone to a spot near the winepress. The season of ripe grapes was still far off, and no one yet took much notice of the vineyards. As Gideon worked in secrecy, he sadly thought about the condition of Israel and how to break the oppressor’s yoke. BOE 275.1