BUT Gideon’s father Joash defied the city councillors. He told them that if Baal felt offended, he must fight his own wars; Joash would not give up his son. The row escalated, and before long a Midianite army had encamped in the valley of Jezreel,* and Gideon had gathered loyal men from Manasseh and other neighbouring tribes, ready for battle.
Yet Gideon had always doubted his fitness to lead Israel, and now sought confirmation of God’s favour. He laid a fleece on the ground overnight, and promised that if the dew settled on the fleece only, and not on the ground, he would know that God was with him.* Next morning, Gideon squeezed a bowl of dew out of the fleece, though none lay on the ground.
Just to be sure, Gideon repeated the experiment the next night. When he woke to see dew on the ground but not on the fleece (which is what he asked for this time), he knew God was with him.
The Valley of Jezreel lies just to the south of Nazareth; in Gideon’s day, it was right in the north of Manasseh. See A Map of the Twelve Tribes of Israel at Wikimedia Commons.
In Christian belief, the fleece is taken as an allegory of the Virgin Mary, on whom the Son of God came down as the dew, filling her but leaving the rest of the world still ‘dry’. Among the names given to her son was Emmanuel, ‘God with us’.
Précis
Gideon’s father Joash refused to give up his son for punishment, and Gideon went on to drive out the Midianites. Yet he doubted his worthiness, so before the battle he asked for a sign from God: that overnight dew would settle on a fleece but nowhere else. Assured of God’s favour, he routed the enemy. (55 / 60 words)
Gideon’s father Joash refused to give up his son for punishment, and Gideon went on to drive out the Midianites. Yet he doubted his worthiness, so before the battle he asked for a sign from God: that overnight dew would settle on a fleece but nowhere else. Assured of God’s favour, he routed the enemy.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, must, ought, unless, until, whether, who.
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Word Games
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Build. Lead. Yet.
2 Ask. Own. Valley.
3 Fear. His. Overnight.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Verb and Noun Find in Think and Speak
Many words can serve as noun or verb depending on context: see if you can prove this with the examples below. Nouns go well with words such as the/a, or his/her; verbs go well after I/you/he etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 War. 2 Land. 3 Doubt. 4 Pay. 5 Gather. 6 Bowl. 7 Lead. 8 Demand. 9 Battle.
Variations: 1.if possible, use your noun in the plural, e.g. cat → cats. 2.use your verb in a past form, e.g. go → went. 3.use your noun in a sentence with one of these words: any, enough, fewer, less, no, some.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
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