Last time we saw timid, but stubborn Gideon. He thought he was incapable of obeying God in rescuing Israel from the Midianites. He asked God for several signs - including two different signs with the fleece as a way of proving that God was really going to do what He said.
So now it’s almost as if God is saying: "So you want proof beyond a shadow a doubt, huh?" He brings Gideon and a vast army up, then proceeds to strip Gideon of absolutely anything that could be considered confidence in order to show the only confidence we need is in God.
It’s the second part of God’s dealing with Gideon. First we saw the call to humility in chapter 6. Humility is not the absence of ability. Humility is the absence of pride. Humility is the belief in God over self. Here we see the creation of that humility in Gideon, and lessons for us as we attempt to obey God’s voice. God is going to do a series of things here that are totally counterintuitive to military strategy or even common sense - to prove that He doesn’t need anyone to accomplish His will.
Verses 1 - 3
I wonder if Gideon is thinking - "hold the phone, Lord - of course the people are fearful - we’re going to war after all!" It would be like saying "there’s a chance that you might die so if that makes you frightened then beat feet and get out of here!"
Perhaps he was secretly hoping that great courage had been instilled in the people or something - but it was not the case and two thirds of his fighting force turned and left. What a blow to the flesh!
"All right," Gideon thinks, "I’ve still got ten thousand. We’re outnumbered 135,000 to 10,000 (that’s thirteen to one) but we can do it!" Not so fast.
Verses 4 - 8
Some have suggested that how the 300 bent over, picked up water in their hands and lapped it up with their tongues meant that they were better warriors because they could scan the horizon for enemies instead of getting down low to drink like the others. I suppose too that those that didn’t bend over might be faster at reacting because they weren’t on their knees.
That’s very possible, but I’m not convinced. I think it’s also possible that God didn’t choose the best warriors; He simply knew that 9,700 of them would get down on their knees to drink and He wanted a force of only 300 so that’s how He got them!
No way now could Gideon convince himself that they could be successful. Now God has him right where He wants him.
Verses 9 - 14
One interesting thing we learn from this is that Gideon at this point was truly frightened. God says "if you are afraid, take Purah with you." So Gideon goes down with his servant. It’s okay to be afraid when responding to God’s call on your life. It isn’t a sign of weakness; you are simply acknowledging the reality of the situation. God is working humility into Gideon. He is frightened, but no longer timid, and there is a difference. Timidity says "I can’t and I won’t." Humility says "I can’t but I will if you say so."
So what a creative God we see. Gideon edges into the camp and goes up to a tent and happens to overhear one guy telling another about a dream he had! Dreams are strange things - in this one a cake of barley knocks down a tent - an interesting picture to be sure.
Some suggest that barley represented Israel. Barley was cheap and was all impoverished Israel could afford given the siege by Midian. It also represents the weak and vastly outnumbered army of Gideon. Gideon was a plain barley loaf compared to the incredible richness of strength in the Midieanite army. Interestingly, the word "tumbled" here means "to brandish a sword."
So the interpretation kind of makes sense, but talk about being obvious! As if Gideon wouldn’t get the symbolism of the dream, the other guy interprets it saying that God has given Midian into Gideon’s hands! This is now the fourth time God has said this, and this time Gideon worships God. Finally he is convinced.
Verses 15 - 18
I love how confidence in God rather than self leads us to worship. How much anguish could be avoided if we would hear God’s voice, and obey it, worshipping Him for what He is going to do?
I don’t know if you have ever seen the show "Lost" - but there is a scene from one episode that is very close to this one. In it the victims of the plane crash go into the jungle in search of "The Others." At one point one of "The Others" comes out and tells them to leave or else! Suddenly a bunch of torches light up and the crash people realize they are surrounded and leave.
It turns out that the torch bearers were the only ones present, but at night you don’t know that and can’t see. They had the impression that each torch might represent a bunch of people. Now, if you are one of the 300 soldiers you might be thinking "what gives with these strange weapons?" For us Christians, sometimes we don’t recognize the weapons God’s gives us to fight his battles. Perhaps you have a good sense of humor, or you can write clearly, or you have a gift for sewing or working on cars - God can use anything as a tool or a weapon-even if it doesn’t make sense to you.
That’s exactly the effect Gideon is going for here. Where did he get the idea? We don’t know.
Verses 19 - 23
The changeover of the watch happened at 10pm. The timing was good as in the darkness, the Midianite guards coming off watch might have been mistaken for attacking Israelite soldiers!
There are several things to note here. First: they are going to fight a battle, but they have a torch in one hand and a trumpet in the other. Notice anything missing? How about a sword to fight with? Well in this battle God provides the swords by the hand of the Midianites who massacre each other! The Israelites had no drawn weapons. Their weapon was surprise, confusion, and God.
They employed three things: torches, trumpets, and a shout. Notice that the torches were hidden in jars of clay - just as we have the treasure of God’s Spirit inside us as in a jar of clay. They broke the jars, suddenly showing the torches. For us, we are broken so that we do not rely on our own strength, and then the Spirit of God can shine from within us like a bright torch.
The trumpets were used to declare a convocation to the Lord (as in the gathering for the feasts like in Numbers 29 and for the rapture in 1 Corinthians 15), for judgment (as in Revelation 8), and for a call to battle:
Numbers 10:9-10 And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who oppresses you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and you shall be saved from your enemies. ESV
The shout was employed at Jericho (along with trumpets too). They declared God’s victory with their mouths and alternated between shouting and blowing the trumpets.
In a way the jars with the torches are the believer’s life shining forth with the power of the Spirit (the Spirit came like "tongues of fire" in Acts 2). The trumpets are the declaration of the gospel - God’s judgment of sin, his battle against death, and his gathering of those who believe and trust him Him to worship.
The torches confused the enemy ("how big of an army is out there?"), the shouts set them to flight ("we better get out of here"), and the trumpets set them against one another - another situation where God put the enemy into a panic.
Verses 24 - 25
So now, not only could the original force of 32,000 get into the fight, but others could join as well. The Ephraimites were a powerful force and Gideon sets them to hunt down the two princes of Midian. Notice the last one is killed in a winepress - what sweet justice as it was in a winepress that Gideon hid from this very enemy!
Lessons
Don’t be alarmed when God strips away your strength
Remember that humility is not the absence of ability, it is the absence of pride. What ability did Gideon have? Ingenuity. While everyone else was hiding in the caves, Gideon was threshing the wheat in a winepress. God strips away his pride but then infuses his ingenuity with the Holy Spirit and voila, you have the torches and trumpets.
God did the same to Peter. Peter had a quick mouth and pride. Jesus stripped away the pride and left the mouthpiece to speak the gospel and react in situations where quick words were needed.
The Apostle Paul had much knowledge and much pride. God stripped away the pride but left the knowledge, infused with the Holy Spirit, to write much of the doctrine we now call the New Testament.
For me, I had some abilities to teach the Word but had pride in my life. God stripped away the pride and then could use the teaching, with the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Pride says "I can do it." Humility says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13 NKJ)
You may be frightened, but that’s okay, it’s not about you ("If you are afraid go down")
Look for God’s encouragements along the way to victory (the Midianite dream)
You may feel defenseless (only with a jar, a torch, and a trumpet) but you aren’t really.
Stand your ground in living a life reflective of Jesus, powered by the Spirit, proclaiming the gospel
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