Chapter 7--God devises an amazing battle plan for Gideon.  The Midianites & Amorites have approximately 135,000 fighting men (ch.8:10).  The Israelites had 32,000 men (ch.7:7).  The Israelites were outnumbered 4 to 1.  From a human perspective, the odds were definitely in favor of the Midianites. 
    Yet, in spite of being outnumbered, God said the Israelites had too many fighting men.  He didn't want them to think that they had won the victory.  So, Gideon had everyone who was afraid to go back.  22,000 men went back, leaving 10,000 men.  Now the odds are 13 to 1 against the Israelites.  But God said there were still too many men.  A second test (the way them men drank water from the water) decreased the number to 300 men!  God was satisfied with that number.

   God used 300 hundred men to defeat 135,000.  In reality, God defeated the army Himself, and the 300 men were along for the ride!  Gideon and his men divided up into 3 groups.  They surrounded the camp of the Midianites at night, armed with torches inside their pitchers, and a trumpet.  Just after the changing of the night watch, Gideon and his men broke their pitchers, raised their torches, blew their trumpets, and shouted, "For the Lord and Gideon." 
    The enemy army became confused, began killing each other...and took off running.  Gideon called for help in chasing and killing the runaways.  It was probably then that the other men (31,700) helped in the "clean-up." 

Chapter 8-- In the process of chasing & killing the Midianite soldiers, the men of Ephraim got angry that they weren't given a special invitation to join the fight.  But Gideon smoothed everything over, and helped to restore peace and harmony inside the borders of Israel for the next 40 years.
   The story of Gideon was one of amazing transformation.  He went from a fearful farmer...to a courageous leader of a fighting unit.  When asked to rule over Israel, he had the wisdom to defer to God ("I will not rule over you...the Lord shall rule over you" (v. 23).  His one downfall was when he made an ephod from the gold earrings captured from the Midianites.  It became a snare to Gideon.  Yet, he is remembered in biblical history as a man of great faith & valor.

Food for thought--Sometimes our greatest temptations come...after great victories!  Gideon was a hero.  His nation wanted to establish a dynasty through him (and his children & grandchildren).  Although he declined, he used the opportunity to request something from them...the golden earrings from the enemy.  With the gold, he made an ephod...which quickly turned hearts away from God.
    What Satan couldn't do with the sword...he did with earrings!  And, as the Israelites forgot about God...they also forgot to show kindness to Gideon's family for all he had done for Israel. 

Chapter 9--This chapter describes the corruption within Gideon's own family.  While Gideon had no desire to be king, his son (Abimelech) by a slave-woman did have that ambition.  He began his campaign to be king...in his mother's hometown, Shechem.  He won them over, and proceeded to kill all his 1/2 brothers (69 of them), thus eliminating any potential rival to the throne.
    However, what goes around comes around.  The men of Shechem decide they don't support him anymore.  An attempt to overthrow him fails, and he kills the people of Shechem.  Continuing his march, he comes to the city of Thebez.  He intended to do the same to the inhabitants here that he did in Shechem.  However, a women drops a millstone from the top wall...and hits Abimelech on the head.  Mortally wounded, he tells his armorbearer to kill him...so it wouldn't be said that a woman killed him. 
   After people see that Abimelech has died, they return to their homes.

Note:  God is longsuffering, but eventually evil is punished.  Abimelech & the men of Shechem both acted wickedly by lifting Abimelech to a place of authority that God did not appoint.  Both eventually were judged for their wickedness. 
    Sometimes we wonder if the wicked around us will ever get "their just desserts."  Although God's timing isn't our timing...it's always perfect timing.  Our responsibility is to be faithful to Him...and let Him take care of the rest!