The Skeptics Annotated Bible (230 page)

(5.31b)
“As the sun … goeth forth in his might.”
The sun, according to the Bible, goes around the earth.

(6.1-8.10)
Gideon’s story: The Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow
Here’s a story about Gideon. You know, the guy they named the Bible after.

It starts out in the usual way. The Israelites do evil in the sight of the Lord (6.1); God forces the Israelites to be slaves (6.1b) ; the Israelites cry out to God (6.7); God kills the guys he delivered them to. (7.22) (The Midianites this time around. See Judges 2.14, 3.8, and 10.7 for other versions of the same story.)

6
And
the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

(6.1)
“The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.”

2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

3 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and
they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number
: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

(6.5)
“They came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number.”
Every male Midianite was killed during the time of Moses (Numbers 31.7), and yet 200 years later they flourish like grasshoppers “without number.”
143 Did the Israelites kill every male in Midian?

6 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

7 And it came to pass, when
the children of Israel cried unto the LORD
because of the Midianites,

(6.7)
“The children of Israel cried unto the LORD.”

8 That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

10 And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

(6.11-12) An angel was sitting under an oak tree when he saw Gideon threshing some wheat. So he started up a conversation with him.

11 And
there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak
which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

(6.11)
“There came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak.”

12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.

(6.12) “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”

13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

(6.14-16) And then God joins in the conversation with Gideon and the angel, promising to help Gideon kill all the Midianites.

14 And
the LORD
looked upon him, and
said
, Go in this thy might, and
thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

(6.14)
“The LORD … said … thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?”

15
And he said
unto him, Oh my Lord,
wherewith shall I save Israel?
behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.

(6.15)
“And he said … wherewith shall I save Israel?”

16 And
the LORD said
unto him, Surely
I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

(6.16) “The LORD said … I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”

17 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

(6.17)
“Shew me a sign.”
So Gideon has a three-way conversation with the angel and God, but he doesn’t believe either of them. He demands a sign.

18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.