Mother Stories from the Old Testament eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 51 pages of information about Mother Stories from the Old Testament.

Mother Stories from the Old Testament eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 51 pages of information about Mother Stories from the Old Testament.

In his address, Joshua said, “Ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one good thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.”  How faithful is God!  He never fails in His promises:  and we are told He is unchangeable, so that whatever He promises now He will fulfil, and whatever warnings He gives will surely come to pass.  How good is it to have this holy and wise God for our Father, and to know that He promises abundantly to bless all those that trust in the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  But let us take heed of the warnings against sin given in God’s Holy Word.

[Illustration:  Joshua exhorting the people.]

GIDEON AND THE FLEECE.

After the death of Joshua, the Israelites turned away from God, and served idols.  Therefore the evils came upon them of which they had been warned by Moses and Joshua.  But at different times God, seeing their distress, raised up “judges” to deliver them from their enemies, and to judge over them.  The first of these judges was named Othniel.  He was Caleb’s nephew.  The last was Samuel.  One that lived about one hundred years before Samuel was named Gideon.

The Israelites were at this time in great trouble.  They were hiding in dens and caves because of the Midianites, who had conquered them and overrun their country.  When their corn was ripe these enemies came and destroyed it, so altogether they were in sad plight.  One day Gideon was threshing wheat in a secluded place, so as to escape the notice of the Midianites, when an angel from God appeared to him, bidding him to go and save the Israelites from their foes.  Gideon obeyed the command:  but before commencing the battle he much desired a sign from God showing that He would give the Israelites the victory.  The sign Gideon asked for was, that when he laid a fleece of wool on the ground, if the victory were to be his, then the fleece should be wet and the ground dry.  He placed the wool on the ground, and taking it up the next morning found it wet, although the ground was dry.  So he knew God had answered him as he desired.  But he was not quite satisfied.  He begged God for a second sign.  This time the ground was to be wet and the fleece of wool dry.  God gave him this sign also:  and then Gideon felt sure that the Israelites would be victorious over the Midianites.

[Illustration:  Examining the fleece.]

THE DEFEAT OF THE MIDIANITES.

Large numbers of the Israelites gathered around Gideon, prepared to fight against the Midianites, who were encamped in a valley, “like grasshoppers for multitude.”  How Gideon’s host was reduced till only three hundred men remained, and the wonderful dream he heard related, when he and his servant went down as spies into the enemy’s camp, are recorded in the seventh chapter of Judges.  It was not by their own bravery or power that the Israelites were to overcome their enemies.  God was to give them the victory:  and He chose Gideon and three hundred men to overcome the great and mighty host of the Midianites.

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Mother Stories from the Old Testament from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.