The children of Israel didn't remember Yahweh their God, who had delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies on every side;
"Gideon is a man God used in spite of himself. He is a rough vessel if ever there was one. But God is determined to get His work done. In the absence of genuinely qualified leadership, He will use surprising vessels." [Note: Block, "Gideon . . .," p. 27.] 