MPV Commentary

Gideon's Present Consumed by Fire.

18. Gideon asked him to stay until he brought out his offering and presented it to him. The Hebrew word for "offering" is mincha, which refers to a meat offering. It seems that Gideon wanted to test whether the visitor was more than just a man by sharing his food with him.

19-23. Gideon went inside and prepared a young goat as an offering. He put the roasted flesh in a basket and the broth in a pot, similar to what Abraham had done for the three visitors (Genesis 18:7). The flesh was likely roasted by cutting it into small pieces and skewering them over the fire. The broth was ready to be consumed immediately, while the other portion was brought out in a hand-basket as a future supply for the traveler. When the miraculous fire consumed the offering and the stranger vanished in the flames, Gideon was filled with awe. Every fallen person is aware of their demerit and fears God's wrath when they think about Him. In ancient times, people believed that seeing an angel would result in immediate death, which added to Gideon's fear.

The acceptance of Gideon's sacrifice indicated that his person was also accepted by God, but he needed a direct assurance of the divine blessing to restore his comfort and peace of mind.

24-32. The next night, the Lord spoke to Gideon again. This conversation took place after the events described in the previous verses.

25. Take your father's second bullock and use it as an offering. It seems that the Midianites had reduced their family herd or that Gideon's father had dedicated his best animals to idolatrous worship, leaving only this second bullock suitable for sacrifice to God. Gideon was instructed to throw down the altar of Baal that his father had built on their property and cut down the nearby grove dedicated to Ashtaroth. With the help of ten trusted servants, he demolished the altar and built a new one in its place, but they did this under cover of night due to fear of opposition.

The next day, a violent commotion erupted, and people vowed vengeance against Gideon for his actions. His father, Joash, intervened by reminding them that it was not their responsibility to take matters into their own hands, much like the town clerk in Ephesus had done.