Judges 6-7 (Psalm 91)

After experiencing victory over their Canaanite enemies through the judge Deborah the people of Israel fell back into sin again pursuing evil instead of serving YAHWEH, so they are delivered into the house of bondage of the Midianites. The history of the Midianites is an interesting one, so back in Genesis 25 after Sarah dies Abraham takes Keturah a second wife who bears six sons, one of which is Midian who proves to be a recuring people group in conflict with Israel. Joseph is sold to Midianite traders, Moses marries Zipporah the daughter of a Midianite priest Jethro, Midian allies with Moab (descendant of Esau) to rise against Israel during the 40 years in the wilderness period - this is the whole Balaam curse/blessing incident, there is an incident at Peor (Numbers 25) where Israel is seduced into sexual immorality with Moabite and Midianite women and God instructs Moses to treat the Midianites as enemies and in Numbers 31 an offensive was launched against them where 5 of their chiefs or princes were killed. Gideon now is visited by the angel of the LORD and told that Israel would be delivered from Midian by the powerful hand of God.

Psalm 91:11-13 (NET) "For he will order his angels to protect you in all you do. The will lift you up in their hands, so you will not slop and fall on a stone. You will subdue a lion and a snake; you will trample underfoot a young lion and a serpent."

God is a strong deliverer from deception. Since the incident with Midian at Peor the Israelites would know the Midianites to be people of deception who drew them away from YAHWEH dabbling in idolatry and sexual immorality, the spirit of deception is often depicted as a serpent or snake throughout scripture beginning with the imagery of the devil in the Garden of Eden with Eve. The hand of oppression by the kings of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb was about to be loosed by the power of God through the hand of Gideon. We can stand firm on the promises of God in Psalm 91 just at Gideon did and know that our God is greater than the forces of darkness and deception, God is a deliverer and still does miracles today.

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