JUDGES 7

Our study tonight teaches us that God loves to work in the realm of what you and I call the impossible. Therefore, He is His divine providence places us in what we call impossible situations to display His glory and power.

Remember the promise that God gave to Gideon in Judges 6.16? Thou shalt save Israel out of the hands of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? Surely I will be with thee; and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”

1 ¶ Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod (trembling): so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

• Convinced that God was with him, Gideon arose early in the morning and brought the army with him to the well of Harod.
• It is to be noted that Gideon’s battle with the Midianites began with his tearing down of his father’s idols, thus he earned the name Jerubbaal.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

• We know from Judges 8.10 that the size of the Midianite army was 135,000 men besides an abundance of camels and iron chariots. That is 4 to 1 odds against the Israelites.
• No doubt, in comparison to the invincible war machine of the Midianites, Gideon would have though that the 32,000 army was too small. But The Lord instructs Gideon that the army is too big and reduce it to 10, 000. Thus the odds increase to 14 to 1 in favor of the Israelites.
• Because God knows that we are prone to self-congratulation and self-exaltation, the numbers of the army had to be reduced in order that the victory shall be unmistakably God’s, not theirs. Alexander Maclaren
• Another question to ask ourselves is why were the fearful dismissed from battle? Because fear is contagious. Cowardice, dressed up as cautious prudence, weakens the efficiency of every regiment in Christ’s army. Alexander Maclaren
• Fear usually is born by looking at the enemy or the difficulty of the task. Beloved, God is looking for men and women who have their eyes on Him rather than the strength of the enemy. Looking at God inspires courage. If God be for us, who can be against us?

4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them (test or sift them) for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

• Soldiers who lapped as a dog, scooping water with their hands as a dog uses its tongue, were chosen; while those who sank to their knees to drink were rejected.

6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

• So now the size of the army is reduced from 10,000 to 300. Compare this further reduction of the size of Gideon’s army to the  saying of Jonathan, There is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few 1 Samuel 14:6.
• We need not be anxious as to head counts when we are sure that we are doing The Lord’s work.This is a powerful reminder that you cannot be too small for God to use, but you can be too big. If you want the credit for what God is doing, God will not use you. He says that He alone is Lord and there is no other and that He will not give His glory to another (Isa 42:8).
• The overthrow of the hosts of Midian by three hundred Israelites was manifestly the effect of the power of God fighting on their behalf. But yet what marvellous heroism was there in those three hundred! what strength of purpose, what iron-firmness of nerve, to see above thirty thousand of their comrades leave them in the face of the myriads of their foes; to remain quietly at their post, and, when the time came, to leave their camp and pour down into the plain.

8 So the people took victuals (provisions) in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

• The narrative shows us the two armies confronting each other on the opposite slopes of the valley of Jezreel, where it begins to dip steeply towards the Jordan.
• Perhaps you are in an “impossible” situation tonight. Whatever the situation, know that God delights in doing the impossible to display His glory and power. Here is a key for us to keep in mind…whatever the cause of the impossible situation, maintain a God glorifying, Christ like attitude.

9 ¶ And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

• See how gently the Lord deals with his servant.  He assures him that there is no room for fear, but lest a fear should remain, he removes it. CHS
• Gideon is recorded in the 11^th chapter of Hebrews as a man of faith. The faith that believes God and obeys Him is not a perfect faith that is void of fear.
• Even though God had assured Gideon that his promises did apply to him, he still knew the personal anguish that Gideon felt as he looked out on the Valley of Jezreel and saw the enemy arrayed before him as the sand of the sea. Despite everything he knew, he was immobilized by fear.

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened (encouraged) to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

13 And when Gideon was come (arrived at the camp), behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.

14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

• At the Lord's initiative, Gideon and a young boy went down to hear Midianite sentries talking about the dream in which a barley loaf flattened a tent.

• It is evident that God influenced the mind of this man, to give this interpretation to the dream of his companion, for the encouragement of Gideon; otherwise, considering the numerous host of the Midianites, and the small force which Gideon had, it does not seem probable that a Midianitish soldier should have entertained such a conjecture. Joseph Benson
• God Himself orchestrates the dream, the interpretation, and the conversation. Once again, God’s power and sovereignty are clearly evident. Pastor Keith Krell
• The wonders of providence deserve the careful and adoring eye of the observer.CHS
• Beloved, may we learn once and for all that there are no coincidences or accidents in God’s universe. God set this whole sequence of events and the conversations that Gideon would hear up!
• But let me ask you a question beloved, how did this man, who just a few days earlier was hiding in a winepress, get the reputation for being a fearless warrior? He obeyed God in pulling down the altar of Baal. Obedience to God will always develop strength and courage for battle. Sin and compromise weakens faith.

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

• Note that Gideon worshipped God in the face of his enemy. Following this “word from The Lord” and a time of worship of his God, Gideon calls the people of God together for the battle at hand.
• Jesus has risen, and the trumpet call to action has been sounded. The flesh is crucified, the world is overcome, Satan is judged. May these truths of God fill us with courage and a God confidence tonight.

16 ¶ And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

• He placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. So, the only “weapons” that the Israelites had were torches covered by pottery and horns slung over their shoulders.
• The lamps within the empty pitchers is a beautiful picture of how every believer possesses this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us (2 Cor 4.6). Oh beloved remember this very important principle in walking with The Lord Jesus. It is not about us, never, it is always about Him and His glory. He must increase and we must decrease.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

• Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. Paul told the saints at Corinth, follow me as I follow Christ (1 Cor 11.1). Gideon here teaches us that leadership, be it on the field, in the home or in the church is not about lecturing, but about leading. Spiritual leadership is about leading by example….the Bible does not teach the saying, “do as I say, but not as I do.”

18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch (just after they had changed the guard; about 10PM): and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

• They blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets declaring the battle cry, the sword of The Lord and the sword of Gideon.
• The agency of God and that of men are both employed in the accomplishment of his designs.  There is therefore no good reason to imagine that there is any inconsistency between them. FBN
• Also note that they came together to fight their common enemy. You can be sure that even in an army the size of 300 men, they were apt to have issues amongst themselves. But when it came to battle, they knew who the real enemy is. Beloved, no brother or sister in Christ is ever your enemy, they are your family.

21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

• Did you notice saints that Gideon’s army did not have a single weapon in their hands other than the torches and trumpets! The Lord stirred up the host of the Midianites to turn on one another.

23 ¶ And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

• See how the faith of the 300 men inspired the rest of the men from these 3 tribes to join them in the battle.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

• Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.

Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

When we pick up in chapter 8, Gideon is going to face an even greater challenge than the Midianites. The people are going to ask him, his sons and his grandsons to rule over them. In other words, they want to make him a national hero! I believe that we are most vulnerable when we are being praised than when we are being persecuted or are under enemy attack.

Men, tonight is the last night to sign up for our Men’s Meal this Friday night, with pastor/teacher David Whiting from Northridge Church being our guest.

Next Wed PM is our monthly time of prayer and The Lord’ Supper, and I would love to see the sanctuary full, because we have a lot to pray about, don’t we.