After the episode with the men of Ephraim, we now have a new window into history. Gideon pursues the Midianites, because he also wants to capture the two kings, Zebah and Zalmunna. However, he encounters considerable opposition along the way.
Judges 8
4 Then Gideon came to the Jordan, and he crossed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint from hunger, but pursuing.
5 Then he said to the men of Succoth, “Please give cakes of bread to the people who follow me, for they are faint from hunger, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
6 Then the princes of Succoth said, “Is the hand of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we may give bread to your army?”
7 Then Gideon said, “Therefore, since the LORD has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, I will thresh your flesh with desert thorns and briers.”
8 From there he went up to Penuel and spoke to them, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
9 He also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return in peace, I will tear down this tower.”
hidden and unsung
Gideon crosses the Jordan with his three hundred men, a depiction of resurrection from the dead. They are weary and hungry, a description of the current position of Christ and the ecclesiain this world. Victory has been won, but it is not yet seen; Christ and His body are still hidden. In this passage, we see that Gideon is not recognized as a savior by the men of Succoth and Penuel.
Shadow and Reality
Zebah means: sacrifice, and Zalmunna means: the shadow is withheld/denied. This pair refers to the Jewish people who cling to the sacrifices of the old covenant, but fail to see and deny that they are only a shadow of good things to come (Heb. 10:1). The sacrifices under the old covenant are a foreshadowing of the true Lamb of God, Christ (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; Rev. 5:12). Gideon, who is a foreshadow of Christ, is also not recognized by the men of Succoth.
Gideon’s Victory Doubted
Gideon asks the people of Succoth for bread, but they refuse and mock him. They thus support Zebah and Zalmunna, because they keep them alive. This represents adherence to the old covenant. They doubt Gideon’s victory and thus disregard Gideon and his company. This speaks to the unbelief of the Jewish people in our time. They reject the Lord Jesus Christ and do not acknowledge Him as the Messiah.
Judgment
What exactly Gideon means in verse 7 by threshing the flesh of the men of Succoth “with desert thorns and briers” is not entirely clear. Threshing is the separation of the grain from the ear. Thorns and briers point to the painful process. When Gideon returns to Succoth, this is carried out (8:15-16). It is a depiction of the judgment that will come upon the unbelieving Jewish people at the Second Coming.
Tower
The men of Penuel also mock and disregard Gideon. Gideon foretells them that after the end of the battle, upon his return in peace, he will tear down their tower. Ever since Genesis 11, building towers has represented pride and human deeds. At the return of Christ, when the victory is complete and He establishes His kingdom of peace, all human works will be undone.