There’s a long-time member of our church named Gideon. Gideon had over 5 dozen sons (with multiple women). One of Gideon’s sons received financing from his mother’s hometown community to hire worthless and reckless fellows to carry out genocide against his brothers. But the youngest of Gideon’s sons escaped the genocide.

The youngest son of Gideon confronted the genocidal son and his worthless reckless accomplices saying, “If you acted in good faith and integrity, and if you have dealt well with my father’s house by killing 70 of his sons – if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with my father’s house then rejoice in your choice! But if not, then let God send an evil spirit amongst you, causing you to devour one another.” Then the youngest son of Gideon ran away.

God sent an evil spirit between Gideon’s genocidal son and his supporters; and the one-time accomplices dealt treacherously with Gideon’s genocidal son.

The former supporters of Gideon’s genocidal son started endorsing another guy named Gaal. And one night there was a big rally for Gaal, and Gaal had been drinking heavily, and he went around saying, “Who is Gideon’s son!? Would that this people were under my authority! I would remove Gideon’s son from power! I would challenge him to his face! I would tell him to increase his army and come fight me like a man!”

A dude named Zebul didn’t appreciate Gaal’s swagger, and so he sent a message to Gideon’s genocidal son letting him know that Gaal was talking trash; and he provided Gideon’s genocidal son with critical intel regarding the best ways to ambush Gaal.

So Gideon’s genocidal and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Gaal in four companies. And Gaal went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Gideon’s genocidal son and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. And when Gaal saw the people, he said in a panic to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountaintops!” And Zebul said to him, “You mistake the shadow of the mountains for men.” Gaal spoke again and said, “No! Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners’ Oak.” Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said, ‘Who is Gideon’s genocidal son, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.” And Gaal went out at the head of the former supporters of Gideon’s genocidal son and fought. And Gideon’s genocidal son chased Gaal, and Gaal fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. And Zebul drove out Gaal’s relatives, so that they could not dwell in the city anymore.

On the following day, Gideon’s genocidal son took his troops and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. Gideon’s genocidal son and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. And Gideon’s genocidal son fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.

The leaders of the Tower of the city heard of the genocide, and they entered a stronghold called the house of El-berith. Gideon’s genocidal son was told that all the leaders of the Tower of city were gathered together. And Gideon’s genocidal son took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Gideon’s genocidal son they put their fiery bundles against the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of city also died, about 1,000 men and women.

Then Gideon’s genocidal son went to a placed called Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. And there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. And Gideon’s genocidal son came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Gideon’s genocidal son’s head and crushed his skull. Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Gideon’s genocidal son was dead, everyone departed to his home. Thus God returned the evil of Gideon’s genocidal son, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. And God also made all the evil of the men of Gideon’s genocidal son’s one-time supporters return on their heads, and upon them came the curse of Gideon’s youngest son.