of Baal had been cast down. It was now built, and that not in some secret hiding-place, but on "the top of

this defense" - either on the top of the hill on which the fort stood, or perhaps above the place where the

people were wont to seek shelter from the Midianites. Upon this altar Gideon offered his father's "second

bullock of seven years old" - the age being symbolical of the time of Midian's oppression - at the same time

using the wood of the Asherah in the burnt-sacrifice. Such a reformation could not, and was not intended to

be hidden. The Baal's altar and its Asherah were indeed Joash's, but only as chief of the clan. And when on

the following morning the Abiezrites clamored for the death of the supposed blasphemer, Joash, whose

courage and faith seem to have been re -awakened by the bold deed of his son, convinced his clan of the

folly of their idolatry by an unanswerable argument, drawn from their own conduct. "What!" he exclaimed, in

seeming condemnation, "will ye strive for Baal? Or will ye save him? He that will strive for him let him die

until the morrow!254 If he be a god, let him strive for himself, because he has thrown down his alt ar. And

they called him on that day Jerubbaal255 ('let Baal strive'), that is to say, Let the Baal strive with him, because

he has thrown down his altar."

3. The Holy War. - Gideon had now purified himself and his house, and become ready for the work of the

Lord. And yet another important result had been secured. The test to which Baal had been put had proved

his impotence. Idolatry had received a heavy blow throughout the land. In Ophrah at least the worship of

Jehovah was now alone professed. Moreover, t he whole clan Abiezer, and, beyond it, all who had heard of

Gideon's deed, perpetuated even in his name, were prepared to look to him as their leader. The occasion for

it soon came. Once more the Midianitish Bedawin had swarmed across Jordan; once more their tents

covered the plain of Jezreel. Now or never -now, before their destructive raids once more began, or else

never under Gideon - must Israel arise! Yet not of his own purpose did he move. In the deeply expressive

language of Scripture: "The Spirit of Jehovah clothed Gideon,"  256 like a garment round about, or rather like

an armor. Only after that he blew the trumpet of alarm. First, his own clan Abiezer "was called after him."

Next, swift messengers bore the tidings all through Manasseh, and that tribe gathered. Other messengers

hastened along the coast (to avoid the Midianites) through Asher northwards to Zebulun and Naphtali, and

they as well as Asher, which formerly had not fought with Barak, obeyed the summons.

All was ready - yet one thing more did Gideon seek. It was not from unbelief, nor yet in weakness of faith,

that Gideon asked a sign from the Lord, or rather a token, a pledge of His presence. Those hours in the

history of God's heroes, when, on the eve of a grand deed of the sublimest faith, the spirit wrestles with the

flesh, are holy seasons, to which the superficial criticism of a glib profession, that has never borne the strain

of utmost trial, cannot be applied without gross presumption. When in such hours the soul in its agony is

seen t o cast its burden upon the Lord, we feel that we stand on holy ground. It is like a stately ship in a

terrific gale, every beam and timber strained to the utmost, but righting itself at last, and safely reaching

port.257 Or rather it is like a close following of Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane - with its agony, its

prayer, and its victory. In substance, though not in its circumstances, it was the same struggle as that which

was waged in the night when Jacob prayed: "I will not let Thee go except Thou ble ss me;" the same as

when, many centuries afterwards, the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus: "Art Thou He, or do we wait

for another?"

The "sign" was of Gideon's own choosing, but graciously accorded him by God. It was twofold. On the first

night the fleece of wool spread on the ground it was to be full of dew, but the ground all around dry. This,

however, might still admit of doubt, since a fleece would naturally attract the dew. Accordingly, the next

night the sign was reversed, and the fleece alone remained dry, while the ground all around was wet with

dew. The symbolical meaning of the sign is plain. Israel was like that fleece of wool, spread on the wide

extent of the nations. But, whereas all the ground around was dry, Israel was filled with the dew, as symbol

of the Divine blessing (Genesis 27:28; Deuteronomy 33:13; Proverbs 19:12; Isaiah 26:19; Hosea 14:5; Micah

5:7.). And the second sign meant, that it was equally of God, when, during Israel's apostasy, the ground all

around was wet, and the fleece of Jehovah's flock alone left dry.