Gideon has gathered his company with which he will engage the Midianite army. But before the battle begins, there is another interlude. This fourth interlude also speaks of God’s action in the time between the first and second coming of Christ.
Judges 7
9 And it was that night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down into the camp (NASB: invade the camp), for I have given it into your hand.
10 And if you are afraid to go down (NASB: to invade it), go down, you and Purah your servant, to the camp.
11 Then you will hear what they say. Then your hands will be steadfast, and you will go down into the camp (NASB: invade the camp). He and his servant Purah went down to the edge of the camp.
12 Midian and Amalek and all the people of the east lay in the valley like locusts in multitude, and their camels were without number, as the sand on the seashore in multitude.
Arise!
God tells Gideon that He has given the enemy camp into his hands and tells him to go down to the camp and hear what they say. “Arise!” He says, a reference to the resurrection of Christ and the third time we encounter this in Gideon’s story (6:38; 7:1; 7:9).
Gideon goes in the night, which speaks of our time (Rom. 13:12), when the world is in darkness. It is the period before the day of YAHWEH (>the day of the Lord) dawns and the Sun of Righteousness rises (Mal. 4:2).
Glory
Gideon goes with “his young man,” named Pura. The word pura is elsewhere translated as: splendor (Ezra 7:27), to crown/adorn (Ps. 149:4), to glorify (Isa. 49:3; 55:5). Pura represents Gideon’s glory. Together they represent the resurrected and glorified Christ.
Hidden among the nations
Gideon was to spy in the camp of the Midianites to hear, during his hidden stay, what was being said by a few among the nations. So before Gideon and his army would gain victory over the nations, he would first secretly dwell among them and secretly (at night and in a dream) hear of Israel’s redeemer. It speaks of “the riches of the glory of this secret among the nations: Christ in you, the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:27).
five
They descend to the edge of “the army.” The word chamushim refers to “five” (Hebrew: chamesh), compare the King James Version in Exodus 13:18. The number five speaks of God’s promises and grace. Think of AbraHam and SaraH, who had the letter “Hee” added to their names when they received God’s promises (Genesis 17:5,15).