Gideon Pt 3
Judges 7:1-25
A very brief summary of what we’ve studied so far: Gideon is an Israelite, who is nothing special on his own. His people are under oppression from the Midianites for the last seven years. They are this way because they have fallen away from God. Gideon is chosen to Help his people. He gets visited by an angel of the Lord and has a conversation with him. He asked the angel of the Lord for proof that he is from God. He delivers three different miraculous signs to Gideon. Gideon has doubts and fear, but the most important thing is that he is willing to be used by God.Now we find Gideon in charge of 32,000 soldiers.
Judges 7:1-3
“Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’ Now announce to the army, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ ” So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.”
It says that the midianite army was in the valley. This indicates that the Israeli army could see them. The number of enemy soldiers is estimated at 135,000.
The enemy already is over 4 times the size of Gideons army, yet God tells him that Gideons army is too large. What do you think he’s going through Gideons mind at this time?
Then God tells Gideon to allow anybody who is afraid to leave. Over 2/3 of Gideons army leaves him. Now he’s out numbered by 13.5 times his number. What do you think he is going through Gideon mind now?
We know why God says Gideon’s Army is too large. It says that Israel could boast. Even at a deficiency of over 10 times, there is still room for bragging. I think about the American underdog story…
Zechariah 4:6
“So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Psalms 20:7
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
If we really believe in these two verses, then the size of our army doesn’t matter.
Turn this concept onto yourself. Is there something that you think is too big for you to accomplish for God? Personally? Nationally?
Judges 7:4-8
“But the Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, “Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.” Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.” So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.”
Even after God reduced Gideons army by so many people, he still looked at it and thought it was too large. 2/3 of them were already too afraid I’m sure a bunch of them that stayed are still afraid. Can you imagine being in this place? At each point you’re shocked that God wants to reduce your strength. But then you finally come to acceptance, and he does it all over again. Can you imagine looking to the sky and saying are you serious? Isn’t it amazing the way God thinks versus how we think?
What is the problem with “having all your crap together?“
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
So God tells Gideon to separate the men. This is how God chooses to separate the 10,000 men. Lapping at water or cupping their hands to drink water. What on earth is going on here? What does it mean?
It doesn’t really say why God uses this as a test, but there is a theory. If you put the water in your hands and bring it up to your mouth, you can keep your head up in your eyes alert. If you stick your face down into the water to drink you are now, on aware of your surroundings.
Do you guys ever practice this in real life? I know at one point we talked about it in here. Do you have situational awareness?
We might say that God eliminated the fearful and those who thought first only of convenience, the easy way. “The thought is disturbing, but it may well be true, that the composition of God’s army to fight Satan’s hosts in any day is really little different. How many Christians are so fearful of the enemy that they are of no real use in this warfare, and how many of the remainder are so self-centered, rather than God centered, that they find little place for effective ministry.” (Wood)
Judges 7:7
“The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.””
God assured Gideon that victory was certain, even through they had only 300 men. Now the Israeli army was less than 1% of its original size and the proportion was 400 Midianite soldiers to each Israeli soldier. Gideon could only trust in God because there was nothing else to trust.
Judges 7:9-11 – NIV
- During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11. and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.
God gave Gideon a job. God knows that Gideon is afraid. So God provides a way for Gideon to be encouraged and reassured.
Do you think that if God gives you a job he will just leave you in the lurch?
We talk a lot about these “God jobs,” but getting Personal, do any of you have any actual jobs you think God is calling you to Weather small or large?
Judges 7:12-15 – NIV
- The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. 13. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.” 14. His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”
- When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.”
Look at verse 12. God just sent them on a trip to reassure them and give them courage. In the first thing they see our camels that can’t even be counted. There are so many. It’s a little funny.
Verse 13-14
Then look how God works, just as getting is arriving, he happens to go to the very spot of all these thousands of soldiers were two discussing a dream that one had.
Anything significant about a round loaf of barley bread?
Only the very poor at barley bread. The vision meant that the camp of the Midianites would be knocked over by a humble nobody.
Barley meal was rather food for dogs or cattle than for men; and therefore, the barley cake would be the emblem of a thing despised, Charles Spurgeon.
Gideon’s encouragement was contagious. Having received encouragement, he could not help but spread that encouragement to others and his encouragement built their faith.
It was no accident that the man dreamed the dream that night; no accident that he told his friend about it at just that moment; no accident that Gideon came to the exact place where he overheard the man telling the dream.
Does this level of “coincidence” give you encouragement?
Judges 7:16-18
- Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. 17. “Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ”
It doesn’t directly say here that God told Gideon exactly what to do. But look at what Gideon does. Does this seem like a reasonable battle plan by the worlds standards?
We don’t know if God told Gideon to do this directly, or if Gideon instinctively did this, because he was spirit filled . God speaks to us in different ways. Does anyone have an instance where God has spoken to you in different ways? What ways?
Judges 7:19-23
- Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21. While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 22. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23. Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites.
The Midianite soldiers awoke to an explosion of noise, light, and movement coming down on them from all directions. No wonder they thought they were being attacked by an army even bigger than they were.
The soldier shouted “a sword for the Lord, and for Gideon!” Is this ego on Gideon’s part?
Remember, the dream that Gideon overheard? The Midianites already knew Gideon’s name, and they were already afraid of him, because the Lord put it into them. By Gideon, screaming for the Lord and Gideon, this would make the median nights panic with fear… Just like they did.
The first phase of the battle wasn’t between Israel and Midian, but as the Midianites fought themselves. This is a good example of how we can be more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37). We get the spoils of victory though Jesus won the battle for us.
What do I mean?
Romans 8:31-39
- What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32. He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33. Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36. As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39. neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you need encouragement for what is going on in todays world, Isreal, or coming here soon, this is it.
Bonus: is it significant that they used torches and trumpets?
The early Christian writer Origen often emphasized elaborate spiritual meanings to Biblical accounts. In this story he made the 300 men types of preachers of the gospel. Their trumpets were a picture of preaching Christ crucified. Their torchlights or fire can represent the Holy Spirit or even God.
Exodus 3:2
- There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.
Exodus 13:21
- By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night.
Revelation 15:2
- And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God
Psalm 105:39
- He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.
Daniel 7:9
- “As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze.
Deuteronomy 4:12
- Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
Isaiah 66:15
- See, the Lord is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
Acts 2:1-4
- When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.