If Gideon really is the least in his family, and if his family really is the least in Manasseh, and if Gideon did destroy the altar of Baal though with much trepidation, why do they follow? “From the succeeding narrative of the dew and the fleece (vv. 36–40) it seems that nothing has changed internally or personally. Gideon remains hesitant. Juxtaposed with a text that portrays Gideon doing all he can to avoid a leadership role, the answer must lie in the opening clause of v. 34: the Spirit of Yahweh clothed
Gideon.”1 This is a remarkable testimony to the Lord’s work. The assembling of this host of Israelites can only be attributed to the Spirit of the Lord, who clothed Gideon to equip him for his task. If anything positive happens in the book of Judges, the credit must go to God.
34 But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.