Psalm 83 makes a comparison to the invasion of Jehoshaphat’s day to that of the time of Gideon:
Deal with them as with Midian,
as with Sisera and Jabin, at the torrent of Kishon, Who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became as dung for the ground.
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
(Psa 83:9-11)
| Gideon (Judges) | Jehoshaphat | Comment |
|---|---|---|
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6:5 …the Midianites would come up with the Amalekites and the sons of the east and go against them…they would come up with their livestock and their tents, they would come in like locusts for number, both they and their camels were innumerable
7:12 Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the sons of the east were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore. |
Joel 1:4 What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.
2Chr 20:2, 12, 15, 25 A great multitude is coming against you… |
Compared to locusts – this is rare, but along with Rev 9:1-12, locust invasions are always associated with Arabic people.
Emphasis is also placed on the huge size of the invading force. |
| 6:25 “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it” | 2 Chr 17:3-6 Jehoshaphat…did not seek the Baals…and again removed the high places and the Asherim from Judah. | Gideon and Jehoshaphat start by destroying Baal and Asherah worship |
| 6:33, 7:1, 7:8, 7:12 Valley |
2Chr 20:26 Valley (twice) Psa 84:6 Valley Joel 3:2, 12, 14 Valley |
The word for Valley “”emeq” occurs 86 times, often in contexts related to 2Chr 20 (see also Gen 14 (4 times) and 1Sam 17 (2 times) |
| 7:3-4 So 22,000 people returned, but 10,000 remained. Then the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many…” | 2 Chr 20:17 ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf… | A victory without human strength |
| 7:6-7 Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands… | 2 Chr 20:12 “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on Thee.“ | Those who kept eyes focussed above and not to the earth are the means of deliverance. |
| 7:15 And it came about when Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, that he bowed in worship. | 2 Chr 20:18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the LORD, worshiping the LORD. | Both bow and worship God in thanksgiving after receiving prophetic messages of victory. |
| 7:15 He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the camp of Midian into your hands.” | 2 Chr 20:20 Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God, and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” | Both men exhort army prior to battle. |
| 7:16 And he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers. | 2 Chr 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the LORD and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army… | From a human perspective, these are both ludicrous armies – one is 300 men armed with trumpets and torches, the other is led by a choir! |
| 7:20-21 When the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and cried, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” And each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled. | 2 Chr 20:17 ‘You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.” | No need to fight! Both armies stand! |
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7:22 And when they blew 300 trumpets, the LORD set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. |
2 Chr 20:22-23 And when they began singing and praising, the LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; so they were routed. For the sons of Ammon and Moab rose up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir destroying {them} completely, and when they had finished with the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. | Both enemy armies begin to destroy themselves when the trumpets blow and singing starts. |
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8:24, 26 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his spoil.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)…And the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels’ necks. |
2 Chr 20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take their spoil, they found much among them, including goods, garments, and valuable things which they took for themselves, more than they could carry. And they were three days taking the spoil because there was so much. | Large spoil. |
| 8:28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon. | 2 Chr 20:29-30 And the dread of God was on all the kingdoms of the lands when they heard that the LORD had fought against the enemies of Israel. So the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God gave him rest on all sides. |
Peace. Nations fear God. |
| 8:33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-berith their god. | 2 Chr 21:1, 6 Then Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David, and Jehoram his son became king in his place. And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did (for Ahab’s daughter was his wife), and he did evil in the sight of the LORD. |
Extended period of apostasy and civil war follows death of Gideon and Jehoshaphat, resulting in part from mistakes they both made.
Baal worship returns. |
| 9:5 Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. | 2 Chr 21:4 Now when Jehoram had taken over the kingdom of his father and made himself secure, he killed all his brothers with the sword, and some of the rulers of Israel also. | Fratricide |
| 9:5 But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. | 2 Chr 22:11 But Jehoshabeath the king’s daughter took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, |
A baby survives.
(Gideon’s father was named Joash too – 6:11) |
| 9:8-14 The trees went forth to anoint a king over them…the olive tree…the fig tree…the vine …Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ | 2 Chr 21:13 and you have also killed your brothers, your own family, who were better than you | The worst child becomes king. |