Judges 7 - So Jerub-baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and
went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of
them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have
too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the
Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.
Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain
and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were
willing to fight.
But the Lord told Gideon, “There are still too many!
Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go
with you and who will not.” When Gideon took his warriors down to the water,
the Lord told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those
who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the
other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the
stream.” Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on
their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.
The Lord told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will
rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.”
So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and
sent them home. But he kept the 300 men with him.
The Midianite camp was in the valley just below
Gideon. That night the Lord said, “Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for
I have given you victory over them! But if you are afraid to attack, go down to
the camp with your servant Purah. Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and
you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack.”
So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the
enemy camp. The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had
settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of
sand on the seashore—too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was
telling his companion about a dream. The man said, “I had this dream, and in my
dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit
a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”
His companion answered, “Your dream can mean only one
thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and
all its allies!”
When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he
bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and
shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite
hordes!” He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s
horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I
come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me
blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and
shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
It was just after midnight, after the changing of the
guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp.
Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three
groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in
their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A
sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
Each man stood at his position around the camp and
watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to
escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the
warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who
were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to
the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher,
and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian. Gideon also sent messengers throughout the
hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them
off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.”
So all the men of Ephraim did as they were told. They
captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders, killing Oreb at the rock
of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. And they continued to chase the
Midianites. Afterward the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to
Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.
This is our last day with Gideon. We’ve been exploring Gideon’s struggle with
trusting God. Well, he finally gets it
right here. He quickly follows the
Lord’s instructions this time even when it seems like bad advice – facing the thousands
in the Midianite army with just 300 men.
Gideon finally learned the bedrock truth. It doesn’t matter how many there are on the
Lord’s side; whose side the Lord is on is what matters.
So my simple and straightforward message to you today
is to remind you that the Lord is on your side.
God’s plans are for you to eventually triumph. I don’t know what it will look like. Gideon’s victory is almost comedic, while
others victories are rather dramatic. I
don’t know the timing, but I know that your victory is secure. You’re not outmatched; your challenge is
outmatched. You don’t need more to win;
God can do it with even less than you have now.
The question is whether you will march toward that challenge knowing it
is not you that will get the job done but the God who fights with you. Time to move!
Prayer: Lord,
Help me move forward with the confidence that you move forward with me, Amen.
Prayer Focus:
Pray for those who are weary and need strength today.
Song: Lauren
Daigle - Trust In You
