PIPPIN’S GIDEON NARRATION
I have always loved this Bible narration, given by Pippin when he was in first grade. He had an assignment in his Language Arts book to retell the story of Gideon and the Midianites, and he was given a list of words to use. I read aloud from Catherine Vos’s excellent Story Bible. Pippin gave an oral narration {with some prompting from myself and the word list}, which I typed and he then copied into his book.
I especially love his juxtaposition of Bible English {‘Whoever shall lap’} and more modern vernacular {‘they had no time to turn on the lights’}.
Gideon pitched camp near the Valley of Jezreel. God said to Gideon, ‘Tell everyone who is afraid to fight to go home.’ Then God said, ‘There are too many soldiers still. Go down to the river to drink. Whoever shall lap will stay. Whoever shall go on his knees and drink straight out of the river shall go home.’
God said to go down to the Midianite camp and spy with the servant. Gideon overheard two Midianites talking in a tent. One said, ‘I had a dream that a barley loaf fell down on a tent and smashed it flat.’ The other one said, ‘It was the sword of Gideon.’ Gideon had been fearful, but God gave him courage.
Gideon and his servant crept back and told the soldiers it was time to attack. They all crept down without a sound, and Gideon blew the trumpet loudly. Everyone flung out their torches and threw their pitchers on rocks. They all cried, ‘The sword of God and Gideon!’ All the Midianites were very scared. Since they had no time to turn on lights, they killed each other.
It was God’s strength that helped Gideon win over the Midianites.
• illustration by an unknown artist •
September 20, 2013