Israel has just come out of a forty year period in which they experienced peace from their enemies who lived all around them, but they took it for granted and began to do evil in the sight of The Lord, and that peace that they enjoyed was removed and replaced with oppression and bondage, as the enemy rose up and terrorized them until they cried out to God. The Lord being gracious then raised up a most unlikely leader a man named Gideon, who came from a family not known for bravery or for strength, but of weakness.