Gideon and Joash
“The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."
"But sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, 'Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?' But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian." (Judges 6: 11-13)
This passage is important to this discussion because Gideon references “the wonders that our fathers told us about” Gideon wants to know why the blessing that were upon his fathers were not upon his generation. The wonders he references ended because Israel had ‘worshiped the gods of the Amorites’ whose redemptive purposes we have looked at. It was false worship and false sacrifice that lead to Israel being oppressed by the surrounding nations.
“Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and for seven years he gave them into the hands of the Midianites. Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country. They camped on the land and ruined the crops all the way to Gaza and did not spare a living thing for Israel, neither sheep nor cattle nor donkeys. They came up with their livestock and their tents like swarms of locusts. It was impossible to count the men and their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it” Judges 6: 1-5)
The false religion that develops becomes a bondage that is generational and Gideon’s father is powerless to do anything about it. This powerlessness in cultural. There are times when it takes a son the break generation bondage for a father. The destruction of the idol becomes the redemption of Joash. The first thing that God has Gideon do is establish true worship.
“So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.” (Judges 6:24)
The next thing that he is told to do is:
“Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.” (Judges 6:25)
Gideon completes this task in secrecy because of fear. “So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the men of the town, he did it at night rather than in the daytime.” (Judges 6:27) When this task is completed not only is Gideon and Israel set free but so is Joash his father. This is evidenced by Joash’s reaction to the angry crowd that gathered to attack Gideon. It is important to note that it was Joash’s false altar not the towns. Joash says,
"Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning!
In a moment in time Joash goes from being and idol worshiper to a prophet of God. This occurs because of the redemptive gift of a child and the redemptive relationship that can exist between a father and son. Israel would go on the gain victory in war ‘by faith not by might’ and its redemptive purpose as a nation begins to establish itself again.
Jonathan and Saul
Jonathan is one of the most unappreciated personalities in the scriptures. He is the son of a King with all the character qualities to be a King. He was a proven warrior and leader, a steadfast friend, and a faithful son. When Jonathan is first mentioned in the scriptures his partnership with his father is well established. They are in the midst of a battle and Saul divides his army demonstrating great confidence in his son.
“Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Micmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin.”(1 Samuel 13:2)
When the battles went bad and the Israelite army was down to two swords one belong to Saul the other to Jonathan.
“So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them” (1 Samuel 13:22)
Jonathan never sought to usurp his father’s authority even when the means were readily available to him. 1 Samuel 14 tells us the story of the initiative and faith that Jonathan took in attacking the Philistines. In the meantime Saul bound Israel to an oath of that included death to anyone who ate on the day of this battle. Saul’s decision to remain true to the oath, even when he learned that Jonathan had broken it in ignorance, lead to the Israeli army defending Jonathan against Saul. Other sons of lesser character and faith would have used this opportunity to become King themselves, but not Jonathan. He remained true to his father until their death together in battle. David’s dirge of lament is a testament to the power of their relationship.
"Saul and Jonathan, in life they were loved and gracious, and in death they were not parted. They were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” (2 Samuel 1:23)
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