Judg 8:12 | KingComments | STEP | The main goal Gideon wants to achieve by chasing the remainder of the Midianites is to capture and eliminate both kings. Without the authority and strategy of these kings, the army of the Midianites is rudderless. These kings did not get involved in the battle themselves, but were in the background. From this position they passed on their orders to the warriors. These kings represent evil powers in the heavenly places, which also operate in the background and pass on their orders to the visible world and exert their influence on it. The leaders we met in Judges 7 ( ) represent persons by whom the evil powers exercise their authority. In the meaning of the names of these kings their character is clearly expressed. Zebah means ‘a religious sacrifice’ or ‘a victim to sacrifice’. Zalmunna means ‘a forbidden shadow’ or ‘a spiritual shadow of death’. That there are two kings says something of the diversity of evil within the sphere of authority of satan who is called “the prince of the power of the air” ( ). Zebah does not represent a sacrifice to God, but the massacre that satan without mercy wants to inflict upon God’s people. Zalmunna characterizes the atmosphere in which this takes place. If we want to be free or unbound, we must not allow these enemies to influence our life. Strife – this is as we have seen the meaning of the name Midian – is an enemy that is also today making countless victims among God’s people. The terrain and the atmosphere in which strife takes place is the shadow of death. Strife does not brings life, but sows death and destruction. It is not for nothing that these two kings are located in the city of Karkor, which means ‘city of destruction’. Isn’t that an appropriate name? There is another aspect to this victory that is important to point out. The victory over Midian is a foreshadowing of the final victory Israel will achieve over its enemies in the future ( ; ).

‏ Judges 8:12

The Remainder Is Beaten

The main goal Gideon wants to achieve by chasing the remainder of the Midianites is to capture and eliminate both kings. Without the authority and strategy of these kings, the army of the Midianites is rudderless. These kings did not get involved in the battle themselves, but were in the background. From this position they passed on their orders to the warriors. These kings represent evil powers in the heavenly places, which also operate in the background and pass on their orders to the visible world and exert their influence on it. The leaders we met in Judges 7 (Jdg 7:25) represent persons by whom the evil powers exercise their authority.

In the meaning of the names of these kings their character is clearly expressed. Zebah means ‘a religious sacrifice’ or ‘a victim to sacrifice’. Zalmunna means ‘a forbidden shadow’ or ‘a spiritual shadow of death’. That there are two kings says something of the diversity of evil within the sphere of authority of satan who is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2). Zebah does not represent a sacrifice to God, but the massacre that satan without mercy wants to inflict upon God’s people. Zalmunna characterizes the atmosphere in which this takes place.

If we want to be free or unbound, we must not allow these enemies to influence our life. Strife – this is as we have seen the meaning of the name Midian – is an enemy that is also today making countless victims among God’s people. The terrain and the atmosphere in which strife takes place is the shadow of death. Strife does not brings life, but sows death and destruction. It is not for nothing that these two kings are located in the city of Karkor, which means ‘city of destruction’. Isn’t that an appropriate name?

There is another aspect to this victory that is important to point out. The victory over Midian is a foreshadowing of the final victory Israel will achieve over its enemies in the future (Psa 83:4-12; Isa 9:3-4).