Good day to all. Let us delve into Judges Chapter 8. This chapter is a compelling one, yet I find it perplexing to fully grasp. Some may ask: Have you now understood it? I would say I have managed to comprehend it, albeit with some difficulty. I have been troubled for days, and on Monday, I noticed some brethren had begun reading this chapter and sharing their insights. How should I respond? I confessed: I have not yet fully understood it.

The theme of this chapter is "Overcoming Enemies, Yet Failing to Conquer Oneself." This theme is not explicitly stated in the text, but I believe it is fitting. The author intends to convey through the story of Gideon that one can overcome enemies yet fail to conquer oneself.

I. Gideon Defeats 135,000 with Three Hundred Men

How many men are mentioned here? How many escaped? Fifteen thousand escaped. How many were killed? One hundred and twenty thousand were killed. These 120,000 were armed, not cooks. In battle, there must be a catering corps responsible for cooking; soldiers cannot cook for themselves. So, the cooks are not counted. I reckon one cook for every twenty soldiers, so there were actually more than 135,000 people.

Gideon, with three hundred men, defeats 135,000. This is the work of God, not Gideon. Did Gideon participate? Yes, he did. But was it Gideon's doing? No. Do not think it was Gideon's own achievement. However, Gideon must have felt exceptionally good. Have you ever felt this way, as if you have overcome a small demon and been delivered, feeling great? Or overcoming a slightly larger demon, feeling even better? A prayer, and a fever is healed; a prayer, and a stomachache is healed.

One sister had a fever and a churning stomach in the night, with a frequent urge to urinate. I sleep late, and when I saw the message, I quickly called her and led her in prayer, resolving it in no time. Not quite a swift kill, but taking an hour to vanquish it is still quite satisfying.

Have you had the experience of casting out demons? Yes. If you have had a victorious experience, you will know the feeling I am describing. Gideon's feeling should be quite similar to yours. Leading three hundred men to pursue fifteen thousand. Does that not sound strange? Having killed 120,000, they continue the pursuit. I tell you, God can easily grant us victory. Do you know why? Gideon had three hundred men, but the enemy saw thousands upon thousands. Some might say: Is it that exaggerated? Yes, it is.

Once, there was a man named Elisha, who had only two servants. The Aramean army surrounded the small hill where Elisha resided, layer upon layer. After the hill was surrounded, Elisha arose in the morning, stretched in the courtyard, and his servant exclaimed: Master, it is terrible! The foot of the hill is swarming like locusts, it is frightening! But Elisha was remarkable. Elisha said: You spiritual blind man. Meaning, you fool. That is my interpretation.

Elisha said: Open your spiritual eyes. And when the servant opened his eyes, he saw thousands upon thousands of heavenly hosts between the Aramean army and his master Elisha.

Some might wonder: Is it not just a small hill? Why not charge and kill Elisha with ten thousand soldiers? What are they waiting for? Similarly, the 135,000 Midianite soldiers were encamped, and Gideon with his three hundred men were encamped on the other side. I wonder: Did the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, have something wrong with their heads? They saw the small hill opposite, with only three hundred men. Why not send some men to kill them? But that was not the case.

I tell you, the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, saw thousands upon thousands of angelic hosts, far exceeding their numbers. You think it was just Gideon's three hundred men? Not at all. So, do not think it was your doing; it was God's doing. God can grant you victory. You may not even know there are thousands upon thousands of angelic hosts.

Once, I could not breathe. Oh my goodness, my chest felt so uncomfortable, I could not inhale. That was many years ago. I lay in bed praying, and I thought: Am I going to die? God, is this the end? I said: God, it is not that I am afraid of death, but like many brethren, I feel like I am not ready yet. If I die now, will I go up or down? This is a bit frightening.

I continued to pray, and God opened my eyes. I saw a 3D image of demonic forces, covering the mountains and fields. Each one was shooting arrows at my chest, making it difficult to breathe because the arrows were hitting me. Oh, it was so uncomfortable.

At that time, the church was not very victorious. I continued to pray and discovered that I had angelic hosts behind me. Oh my goodness, they outnumbered the enemies. Then I saw the demonic enemies routed and completely defeated. Suddenly, I could breathe again. I understood what was happening. Brethren, you must know that all battles are spiritual battles.

I said: God, you are so good! You have given me a few more years of life to preach Genesis well and to understand Ecclesiastes thoroughly. When that time comes, I will say: God, I have finished the race, I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith. Wonderful! So, this is very interesting.

Gideon's three hundred men were so hungry that their chests were pressed against their backs. I thought: They should have water bottles, even if they did not bring food. Being so hungry, they asked for bread, but the people refused. They continued to pursue. Actually, it is alright to just pursue; missing a piece of bread is not a big deal. Even when people are hungry, they can still be victorious.

I have a lot of experience with this. I tell you, when you are hungry, it is just a feeling. Many things are just feelings, and feelings are not always accurate. I was hungry and uncomfortable, but after praying, the hunger disappeared. It is quite miraculous. I tell you, prayer can not only heal pain but also itching, and it can heal many things, including hunger. Why not try it? If you are so hungry that your chest is pressed against your back, oh my goodness, if you cannot take it anymore, quickly eat something; your blood sugar is dropping. If your blood sugar is dropping, then quickly eat something. People can eat something to alleviate hunger.

But I tell you, if it is the kind of hunger that is unbearable, then quickly pray. There is also a condition where one cannot bear hunger, and eating causes stomach upset. That is a spiritual issue. I ask you, can the frequent urge to urinate be resolved? Yes. We must know that prayer is a great grace.

The men of Succoth and Penuel did not give them bread or help them, yet they still captured the kings of Midian. This was all God's doing. God made the kings of Midian run so slowly. Can you imagine? The kings of Midian, hungry and with their chests pressed against their backs, were still leading fifteen thousand men. How could they run so slowly? How could they be caught? I am also surprised! Later, they were caught because God made the legs of Zebah and Zalmunna heavy, which is easy for Him to do, and made Gideon's legs light. Think carefully; it is good to be a spiritual person. Spiritual people walk lightly because God is their strength.

But the problem is: Was overcoming the 135,000 your doing? It was God's doing. But if you fail to conquer yourself, that is a tragedy. Many prominent pastors, extremely prominent pastors, have failed to conquer themselves. So, we ask God: God, have mercy on me, let us not box without direction, let us set our goals, let us discipline our bodies and bring them under control. That is conquering oneself.

Some ask: Are the men of Succoth and Penuel Israelites? Can we not ask this question? Are you doing archaeology? As for whether they are Israelites, they are just supporting characters, passing by in this vast world. A few people, and that is it. Later, the men of Penuel were all killed, and that was the end of it. Exit stage left. The men of Succoth and Penuel acted for a while, and then their roles were over. Actually, the Bible does not bother to tell us what happened to these people.

We must grasp the key point. I may be making the same mistake as you, liking to ask irrelevant questions. When I study the Bible, I also ask: Why? When I do not grasp the key point, I ask everything. Can we grasp the key point? The key point is: Overcoming enemies, yet failing to conquer oneself. Many preach the gospel to others but lose their own grace.

II. Gideon Wisely Responds to the Israelites' Criticism

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. (Judges 8:1)

Oh my goodness, they chided him sharply. That is no joke. Gideon was very capable and wise.

And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? (Judges 8:2)

That is well said. After saying this, he continued:

God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. (Judges 8:3)

Sometimes I think it is truly remarkable to be able to speak well. I ask you, could Gideon speak well? Yes, he could. If I were standing there, I would say: What? You think victory depends on you? You little thing. That would be bad. The men of Ephraim would definitely stone me.

Gideon's three hundred men, in the eyes of the men of Ephraim, were just three hundred men. They could not see the angelic hosts. That is very interesting. Gideon was good at speaking. He said: I am nothing. Your farts are more powerful than my words. That is roughly the idea. The grapes you leave behind are better than the ones we carefully select. You are so powerful, you captured the two princes, Oreb and Zeeb. Gideon said: What was I able to do in comparison of you? He really knew how to speak.

Did Gideon have wisdom? Yes, he had wisdom. How could he not have wisdom? Gideon had this wisdom, but he failed to conquer himself. Among these people, Gideon was not humble; this is called wisdom. Some think: What is the matter? Are you looking for trouble? So, being able to speak well is important, but it is not as important as conquering oneself. A person who cannot conquer himself is in a terrible state, always planting the seeds for future disasters.

So, brethren, do not be too concerned about yourselves. If you do not even have this little bit of wisdom, you can forget about conquering yourself. You cannot even overcome the enemy, let alone yourself. Then you are completely finished. When you are taken out of the jar, you are like pickled vegetables, sour and fermented, like Korean kimchi. Even if you can speak well, you might still become kimchi. Those who cannot speak well are completely finished, becoming kimchi soup.

III. Gideon Uses Force to Subdue the Men of Succoth and Penuel

You know, the men of Succoth and Penuel were quite bad because they could not see the angelic hosts. They were bewildered by Gideon. Why? Zebah and Zalmunna had just passed through there, looking miserable and disheveled, with their spears and pots not properly carried, running in a panic. Oh my goodness, they looked so pathetic.

The men of Succoth and Penuel saw: Oh my goodness, an endless line of fifteen thousand men. When Gideon arrived, Gideon said: Do you have bread? They said: Why should we give you bread? Have not Zebah and Zalmunna already been delivered into your hands? They were mocking him. But the men of Succoth and Penuel were a bit wicked. They did not realize that these three hundred men had defeated the fifteen thousand and killed one hundred and twenty thousand. They did not understand the situation.

The men of Succoth and Penuel thought: Gideon, you three hundred little men, hungry and with your chests pressed against your backs, are you not going to your death? They have fifteen thousand men, and you have only three hundred. Why? They could not see the angelic hosts. They thought: If I give you bread, you will go to your death. If Zebah and Zalmunna come back and ask us: Did you give them bread? The men of Succoth and Penuel would say: I gave them bread. Let us not get involved in this mess. You two are fighting; do not take anything from us. Actually, they were saying the opposite.

The men of Succoth and Penuel thought it was just Gideon's three hundred men. They thought the fifteen thousand men would coordinate from the inside and outside, making dumplings out of them. Whether it is the war in the Middle East or the war in Ukraine, if three hundred men go there, they will definitely be made into dumplings. There is not enough filling, so they will make small dumplings and send them to their death. That was roughly the idea.

As a result, Gideon took these three hundred men and captured the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. That was not Gideon's accomplishment either. It was God who delivered them into Gideon's hands. What does the Bible say? The fifteen thousand men were scattered and gone. The kings were captured, so they quickly went home to live their lives. Gideon did not have the strength to cut down fifteen thousand trees, chop fifteen thousand pieces of firewood. That would be too tiring. He captured the two kings and returned. It would have been alright to offer them bread at this time. But they did not get bread then. When I capture Zebah and Zalmunna, I will bring them back for you to see.

As a result, he captured the leaders and elders of Succoth, seventy-seven men, and beat them. That was quite something. After beating them, the men of Succoth would not dare to mess with Gideon again, coordinating from the inside and outside, colluding with outsiders. That is how people are. We do not know what kind of people they are. Some research this and find that they do not seem to be Israelites, so we do not care much about this matter.

What happened? Gideon tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of Penuel. Was that necessary? God did not care much about this matter. Actually, the Bible did not criticize it, so let us forget about it. Killing them is fine. Anyway, the director said: You are not needed in the next scene. Go home. That is the end of it. God did not pursue this matter later, so let us not pursue it either. Do not take up the cause of these people. If you do not destroy the enemies that God hates, I tell you, God will hold you accountable. If these people do not help you, God will sometimes deal with them.

Gideon could subdue these people with just three hundred men. They had seventy-seven elders. How many men were there in Succoth and Penuel? I tell you, there must have been at least tens of thousands. The three hundred men came and killed the seventy-seven elders and leaders, and that subdued them. Gideon was quite something. But here is the problem: Even if he led three hundred men to defeat thirty-five thousand and captured their two kings, even if he could wisely respond to the Israelites' criticism, even if he could deal with the men of Succoth and Penuel, could he conquer himself? Gideon had a petty bourgeois mentality. If he were in China, he would have become a king, an emperor.

IV. Gideon Kills Zebah and Zalmunna

Zebah and Zalmunna's assessment of Gideon is quite interesting. Gideon said to his son, "Rise up, kill them." His son was named Jether. This name sounds like it lacks strength. You see, "David" sounds powerful, while "Jether" seems a bit weak.

When Zebah and Zalmunna saw that Gideon's son Jether did not dare to kill them, they said, "Rise yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength." These two kings truly understood this principle. Gideon was a ruthless man; he could ride a polar bear into battle. As a result, Gideon personally killed these two kings.

Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, "What sort of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" They answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king." Gideon said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had spared them, I would not kill you." (Judges 8:18-19)

Because those men were Gideon's brothers from the same mother. Gideon was indeed a powerful man, with wisdom and God's presence, capable of victory. However, did he conquer himself? The most difficult enemy to defeat in life is oneself; the strength of the ego often represents spiritual decline.

V. Gideon Possesses Worldly Political Wisdom

After Gideon's victory, the Israelites came to him. In reality, the Israelites did not see angels or heavenly armies; they could only see Gideon, such was their perspective.

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian." (Judges 8:22)

As a result, Gideon did not fall for it. If one day someone suddenly says to you, "Ah, in our village, let's make you the emperor." You must never accept this. Hasn't China already caught several peasant emperors? They were enthroned in the village, but whether it's true or fake is unknown, or maybe it's a Douyin video, but it's really funny. Knowing nothing, they were enthroned in the remote mountains. Isn't that courting death? Just a few people were really serious, everything was prepared, even the imperial seal.

Gideon is different from these people; Gideon has wisdom. But he has this worldly political wisdom. What does he say?

Gideon said to them, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you." (Judges 8:23)

Do you understand? If you don't understand, then you are too naive. Does Gideon not want to rule? He does. Gideon is saying, "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you." Where is the Lord? Everyone can't see Him. As a result, isn't it still the Lord ruling over them through Gideon? Everyone needs to know this, even though Gideon said it this way.

I ask you, if he truly managed Israel, with all the resources in his hands, and he said to start a project here, this place would become valuable; to start a project there, that place would become valuable. Gideon can't say that. If he had the final say, would that work? Would the Ephraimites let him go? Would the twelve tribes of Israel let him go? No.

In the future, when you are asked to speak, you should also say, "I will not rule over you." This is called "worldly political wisdom." Why is it called worldly? Some people say, "Gideon didn't mean that." Do you think that's what he meant? No, that's not what he meant. Gideon is using the name of the Lord to manage.

Then Gideon said to them, "I would like to make a request of you, that each of you give me the earrings from his spoil." (For the enemy had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) (Judges 8:24)

That is, those whom they defeated, the Midianites and Ishmaelites, they all had a habit of wearing earrings, and they were all gold earrings. It's similar to us Chinese, wearing earrings. If each person gives one piece, one earring, at least three pieces, three pieces of gold. One hundred and twenty thousand people, three pieces each, that's three hundred and sixty thousand pieces, three hundred and sixty kilograms, quite a lot.

How skillful is his speech? "I would like to make a request of you," truly skillful. As a result, he used the one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold collected to make an ephod. I was thinking, what's the point of making an ephod? In fact, the meaning is: I will manage you, but I am holding the banner of God.

We must remember that there is a kind of political wisdom where what can be said cannot be done, and what can be done cannot be said. You must understand it. Some people say, "You understand it quite well." Of course, without this wisdom, wouldn't leading everyone in Bible study go astray?

Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare for Gideon and for his family. (Judges 8:27)

If you ask me what to say, just put on the ephod and say what God said. That's not what I said. It's quite interesting. So this is called political wisdom. Is it a scheme? It is a scheme. Is it real? It's fake. Politics is all played this way.

So the Israelites asked Gideon to rule Israel. Did he accept? He accepted. But Gideon could not accept directly. The yellow robe could not be added to him directly; it was forced upon Gideon, and he wore not a yellow robe, but an ephod. How great is that!

What did this ephod prove? I, Gideon, patting my chest, I, Gideon, with three hundred men, God once used me. I led three hundred men and wiped out one hundred and twenty-three thousand people. The Israelites looked and said, "My goodness, there must be God's presence." Gideon's words must be God's words.

So I want to advise everyone, I don't want to do this. Do you all understand? I hope that the brothers and sisters become wise people. I don't want you to think that everything I say comes from God. Never think that way. I am also exploring this path little by little. When I was in the church, the pastor invited to the local church stood on the platform, and everything said on this platform was the word of God. I was underneath and said, "Cut it out. You can deceive others with that stuff. Do you think you're amazing just because you put on an ephod? I think you're about to become Peter."

So that's how it is. Remember, the most important thing for a person is to overcome oneself. You can't do that. What are you trying to get by doing that? You still want to gain benefits. With power, you can manage the Israelites. In fact, Gideon is a very powerful person who has learned from the experiences of past judges. Gideon learned from experience and was so wise that later judges could not compare to him.

But the Bible mentions this ephod, that later the Israelites whored after the ephod, and it became a snare for Gideon and his family. Why? People came to Ophrah, which was Gideon's own home. He didn't build a palace; he lived in his own home. In his home, he kept an ephod. Then what did people do when they came? Gideon said, "The ephod is there." The incense money was also very powerful. Gideon began to arrange everything for people there. He was quite a powerful person.

As a result, thanks to God, Israel was at peace for forty years during Gideon's lifetime. Why was there peace? In the past, when Gideon called people, they didn't come. Now, isn't it easy for him to call people? He has God, he has a signboard. This signboard is powerful. God is his signboard. This ephod is his testimony of victory, a testimony of God's presence, and also his snare. Did Gideon know this was a snare? He didn't know.

VI. Gideon Longs to Become a Large Family

Why did Gideon have seventy sons? He longed to become a large family. I read this stuff quite deeply. Why?

Gideon said to him, "But how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." (Judges 6:15)

I ask you, who says this? It's Gideon who feels that his family is a bit small. Gideon looked at others and thought, "My goodness, their families are so big, and my family is the smallest. I am the least in my family." In fact, Gideon longed to become a large family. Then how can you become a large family? If you only have one son, can you become a large family? You can't. Gideon worked hard and became a stud. He mated and produced offspring every day. Pigs give birth to seventy, and if people give birth to seventy, it's quite tiring. Gideon was exhausted.

The most amazing in China only gave birth to forty or fifty. My goodness, Gideon worked super hard. Why so hard? He found that his eldest son was a band-aid. Why? He couldn't even kill someone with a knife. Ah, that's really not good. If you have seventy sons, with a fifty percent success rate, that's still thirty-five. If you have a thirty percent success rate, that's still quite powerful. Gideon was playing the odds.

I ask you, what logic is this? It's worldly logic. In the end, he didn't overcome himself. I tell you, what a person longs for will bring disaster. Longing for money, money will bring you disaster. Longing for descendants, this kind of longing to become a large family, this is Gideon's carnal family. In fact, Gideon was much more powerful than Abraham. God said, "Abraham, your descendants will be like the sand on the seashore and the stars in the sky." Gideon said, "Then I must also be like the sand on the seashore." As a result, out of seventy, only one was left. They were all killed. Ah, those seventy sons plus an ephod became a snare.

Moreover, Gideon not only did this, but he also trained his sons. Later, he had a son by his concubine who lived in Shechem, and Gideon named him Abimelech. Isn't Abimelech a Canaanite name? A Canaanite name. Why name him Abimelech for no reason? That Abimelech had a good name in that place. Why? It's like today when we say Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Yongzheng, Emperor Qianlong. Then you name your son Qianlong, you name your son Yongzheng. That's about the name. Abimelech is the name of a king.

Gideon taught his children from a young age how to speak. Gideon was good at speaking, teaching them how to be wise, teaching them how to play politics, teaching them how to manage. He was quite powerful. Later, his concubine from Shechem gave birth to a son named Abimelech, who learned many dirty tricks from Gideon. Then he killed the other sons. Did he overcome himself? No.

So I hope that the brothers and sisters can know that killing a few demons doesn't mean anything. Killing yourself is what counts. If you always throw a tantrum and lose your temper, don't become your own snare. People always want to get something. If they can't get it, won't they get angry? If they can't get it, they get angry. If people don't want to get anything, then I ask you, what's there to be angry about? There's no need to get angry about anything. I don't want to get anything. That's it.

So this worldly logic system kills people. There are many worldly things in this world that you desperately pursue, desperately want to prove something, and in the end, you prove that you are your own snare. As a result, you make yourself miserable. What's the benefit of making yourself so miserable in life? Everyone needs to know that sometimes I understand, I think about it and calm down and understand, and sometimes I get confused again. Then I have to remind myself every day not to become my own snare.

What is it to live? Living is just a matter of burping and farting. Do you understand? So when people die, they "burp and fart." So when you're alive, don't do worldly things, like large families, growing bigger and stronger. One of our sisters, her parents said to me when they saw me, "You have to grow bigger and stronger."

I smiled and thought, "I just don't want to become my own snare. I don't want to grow bigger, and I don't want to grow stronger. I just want to eat my meals honestly and drink my wine happily, still Erguotou. Anyway, just that Jiangxiaobai stuff. As long as it's not alcohol mixed with water. Then I'll pass. I don't want to drink something that makes me shake all over."

So people have to see clearly what they are pursuing in this world. What people are pursuing in this world is nothing more than being able to walk in God's will. Our hard pursuit in the end is just a desolate dream.

VII. The Israelites Do Not Remember God's Salvation, Nor Do They Remember the Grace Given to Them

We people in this world, don't expect others to remember us. Sometimes I feel emotional, emotional about what? What Gideon could not overcome, how can ordinary people overcome? What Gideon could not overcome, can the Israelites overcome? They can't overcome. But thank God! This lays the groundwork for the New Testament. Jesus Christ came, and the greatest grace is to overcome oneself through God. Because our carnal desires are very powerful.

Like Gideon, who was once used by God, relying on God, the Gideon of "the Lord and Gideon's sword," without the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ, could not kill his carnal habits. But I thank God, I thank Jesus Christ for coming, for dying on the cross for us, for rising from the dead for us, and for opening a path of sanctification for us.

This path of sanctification is that God will become your strength, killing your carnal habits. Don't get it wrong. A person's greatest enemy in life is oneself. Don't expect others to give you any grace, and don't expect others to give you any remembrance. Remembering or not remembering is not important.

If I expect everyone to remember me, I will be very painful in my heart. My whole life is to kill my carnal desires. Everything I do is just to hope that everyone will receive the benefits of this gospel. Let's bring our goals back, killing our carnal habits. Don't be like Gideon, who, although he became the Gideon of "the Lord and Gideon's sword," did not overcome himself, did not overcome those worldly logic systems within himself.

The Book of Judges records an event, that is, everyone did what was right in his own eyes. We no longer do what is right in our own eyes, but from a young age, we remember our God and walk in God's will. Many worldly things corrupt people. Sometimes we preach the gospel, but our church doesn't have this, it doesn't seem to advocate this stuff. It never preaches, it just lets people get benefits.

But the other party wants to satisfy your wishes. Why? Because they want to get some benefits from you, playing fake with you. So brothers and sisters, let us wake up and remove those worldly desires within us. This is true salvation, this is the power of the gospel. Amen!

May God bless everyone!