In those days, Israel didn't have a king, people did what was right in their own eyes. Judges 17:6 . . . learning from the men, women and children of Bible times             Gideon,  a valiant soldier and judge of Israel                                                         This is a true story!                            An angel of the Lord tells Gideon that he will be the one to deliver God's people out of the hand of the Midianites. Maybe the reason that God ruled out the soldiers who drank from the stream on their hands and knees is that they weren't ready to fight if the enemy approached them suddenly. How quickly can you fill in the blanks?  The timer starts when you press the 'start' button. The Midianites  sowed destroyed harvested   the Israelites' crops and killed nursed painted their cattle. Gideon painted built up tore down the idols of Baal at night because he was afraid looked up to hated of the people. Gideon used the fleece on the ground to ask God for a sign that he was the one to feed deliver thresh Israel. When Gideon had too many men to help fight, God killed sent home wrote about anyone who was afraid and anyone who got down on his knees to eat weeds catch fish drink water from the stream. Gideon realized that the army of Midian was afraid of the Israelite army when he overheard wrote about read about one of the soldiers' dreams. Midian's army was so happy scared comforted when they heard the trumpets and the crashing of the pitchers that they ran around in the dark hugging saluting killing each other. After Gideon and his 300-man army caught up with and captured had dinner with saluted the kings of Midian, they killed some men in Penial and Succoth because they would give them no bread. Gideon would not agree to babysit rule over kill the people of Israel because he wanted them to realize that God was their Creator and King.     Copyright © 2006, 2007, Woodruff & Woodruff