EXPERIMENTS IN GOVERNMENT
After Sisera was conquered, the Hebrew tribes which had combined
against him immediately fell apart, relapsing into the same state of
disunion and disorganization as before. And very soon other enemies
took advantage of it to plunder and kill.
=The Midianites.=--Among the most harassing of these enemies for a
time were the Midianites, who lived as nomads, roaming over the
deserts just as the Hebrews themselves had done except that they made
their living chiefly by robbery. Every spring just after the wheat and
barley had begun to sprout, covering all the fields with a carpet of
the brightest green, bands of these nomads would drive their flocks
across the Jordan and turn them loose on the young grain while the men
stood guard in armed bands. In the summer and fall after what was left
of the grain had been harvested and beaten out on the threshing floors
they would come again and steal the threshed grain, taking it away in
bags on the backs of camels.
Sometimes the Hebrews would keep the wheat and barley unthreshed with
the sheaves piled up in grain ricks and would thresh it out, a little
at a time, in the low, half-concealed wine presses, which were dug in
the rock. No one's life was safe where these marauders were in the
habit of coming, and no family could be sure of food to carry them
over the winter months.
GIDEON, THE ABIEZRITE
In the tribe of Manasseh there was a little clan called Abiezer. One
night a band of Midianites came on camels and raided the villages of
this clan, killing some of the people, and carrying away whatever they
found of value. They then fled back across the Jordan River to the
desert before enough Hebrew men could get together to resist them.
=The counter-raid.=--In the heart of one young man, the brother of
some who were killed, God planted a sudden determination to put a stop
to these murders and robberies. He called for volunteers to pursue
this band across the river, and when some three hundred had responded
they set out in hot haste, down the hillsides into the plain of the
Jordan, up the slopes on the eastern side, and out onto the plains
where the Midianites supposed they were safe. It was hard to track
them over these solitary wastes; and they had their swift camels. But
Gideon trailed them; stealing up at night, he surprised them. They
fled in terror leaving much spoil, and for many years the Hebrews were
not molested by this particular tribe of desert wanderers.
=The kingdom of Gideon.=--Out of this experience the Hebrews in
central Canaan gained another lesson in cooperation; and they made up
their minds to profit by it. Here is a man, they said to themselves,
who can lead us to victory against our foes. If we all agree to do as
he says we can all stand together, each for all and all for each. So
they came to Gideon, and asked him to be their ruler. He refused at
first, but it is clear that he finally accepted and really became king
over some of the tribes and clans of central Canaan. One of his sons,
a certain Abimelech, seized the kingdom after Gideon's death and
proved to be a selfish tyrant. He was killed by his enemies, and that
was the end of the dynasty of Gideon. "How can we have unity and
cooperation under a strong leader," the Hebrews asked themselves, "and
not at the same time be in danger of slavery under a ruthless tyrant?"
That was a difficult question.
THE PHILISTINES
Meanwhile a national enemy far more dangerous than any previously
mentioned had begun to threaten their existence as a people. About the
same time that the Hebrews settled in Canaan there had landed from
ships on the southwestern coast some newcomers of another race,
perhaps akin to the Greeks; they were called Philistines. They quickly
became a rich and powerful nation, holding the coast towns of Gath,
Askelon, Gaza, Ashdod, and Ekron. They were ambitious to become
masters of the whole land of Canaan. Their soldiers, in well-trained
bands, built forts and established garrisons here and there, in the
leading towns, and compelled the Hebrews to pay tribute.
At the same time they did not protect the country from other enemies.
For example, there were the Amalekites on the southern border, who
were robber-nomads, just like the Midianites on the east. There were
the people of Ammon, a town east of the Jordan. From these and other
petty enemies the Hebrews suffered much, and the Philistines did
nothing to help them. All they cared about was the tribute. "O for a
leader like Deborah and Gideon!" the Hebrews once again began to cry.
=The messengers with the raw meat.=--One day messengers came hurrying
through the towns and villages of central Canaan bearing sacks or
baskets of raw beef chopped into small squares. To the leading men of
each village, they handed a piece of the bloody flesh with this
message: "This piece of ox flesh is from Saul, the son of Kish, of
Gibeah in Benjamin. As this flesh is cut into small pieces so will the
flesh of the men of your village be chopped up if you do not come at
once, armed for battle, to help our brothers in Jabesh in Gilead east
of the Jordan, which is besieged by the Ammonites." "Who is Saul?"
many asked, and few could answer. Some perhaps were able to explain
that he was a brave and able young farmer, a friend of a prophet named
Samuel, in the tribe of Benjamin. But it was the raw meat that
persuaded them to obey the summons. Here is a real leader, they said,
a man who means what he says. And two or three nights later an army of
Hebrews, with Saul in the lead, came dashing in among the tents of the
Ammonites who were besieging Jabesh and put them to flight. The
Gileadites were saved; and for years to come they remembered Saul with
gratitude.
THE KINGDOM OF SAUL
Shortly after this victory there was a great gathering of the Hebrews
of Benjamin and some of the neighboring tribes and Saul was elected as
king. Would he also become a tyrant? Would he make their children
slaves and take the best of their flocks and herds and wheat and oil,
leaving them in poverty while he lived in luxury? There were many who
thought so. The prophet Samuel, himself Saul's friend, warned them of
the danger although he helped to make Saul king. But the danger from
the Philistines was so great and they had suffered so much from their
enemies on account of their lack of unity that they were willing to
take the risk of organizing themselves as a kingdom under Saul.
=The first victories over the Philistines.=--Soon there came a summons
to battle. The first encounter turned out well for the Hebrews. One of
Saul's sons named Jonathan was especially brave and skillful as a
leader, and was much loved by the people. Other victories followed.
More and more clans and tribes flocked to Saul's standard. A young man
from Judah, named David, became famous as a captain and was made the
chief commander of Saul's armies. The Philistines were not driven out
from their forts, but they were held in check and the sky seemed
brighter. There was a chance now for victory and peace. Everyone was
hopeful for better things. When the soldiers came back from fighting
the Philistines, the women would go to meet them with songs and
dances. One of their songs ran like this:
="Saul has slain his thousands
And David his ten thousands."=
=Saul's jealousy.=--When Saul heard of this couplet he was jealous.
"They gave more glory to David than to me," he thought. "One of these
days, they will make him king in my place." His son Jonathan did not
share his fears. He loved and trusted David. But from that time
forward Saul hated David, and finally drove him out as a fugitive.
Instead of fighting the Philistines he spent all his strength chasing
David from town to town and from cave to cave. Of course the
Philistines took advantage of this quarrel between the two ablest men
among their foes and came back with a strong counter attack. Saul's
own life was forfeited and that of Jonathan also in a disastrous
defeat. The Philistines were masters once more. Saul's kingdom also
had proved for the most part a failure.
STUDY TOPICS
1. Locate on the map the Midianites and the Philistines.
2. Why would it have been a calamity for the world if the Philistines
had conquered the Hebrews?
3. Study carefully the parable of Jotham (Judges 9. 8-15). In the
light of this shrewd illustration, why is it hard to get _good_ men to
run for political office, even to-day?
4. If we should undertake to have an _entirely different kind_ of
mayors, aldermen, governors, Presidents and so on, perhaps really good
men would accept these offices. What kind?