Judges 7 "The Might of the Faithful Few" 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. Let us now take a closer look at Gideon and his little band of three hundred men. 1. The DYNAMIC FORCE EXHIBITED by the faithful few. verse 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. For over seven years the Midianites continued to cause trouble by attacking Israel and overrunning the land. It was then that God appeared to one man by the name of Gideon and called upon him to defeat them. In order to prevent the sin of self-sufficiency and self-complacency from taking hold of Gideon's army, God reduced the number of soldiers to 32,000 to 10,000 and then to 300. God works with mnorities Noah stood alone as he built an ark only to be laughed at by his neighbors. Abraham worshiped alone as the Sodomites perished in the flames. Daniel prayed alone in the lion's den. Elijah witnessed alone before Ahab the king. Jeremiah wept alone because of the people's sin. Paul appeared alone before a civil court and declared: (II Timothy 4;16). At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Even Jesus died alone. He cried from the cross: (Matthew 27:46). And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 2. The DREADED FEAR ELIMINATED by the faithful few. When Gideon was commissioned by the angel of the Lord we read these words in ch 6 v 23:And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Later Gideon declared to the 32,000 men Judges 7:3. 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. And when the Lord told Gideon to slip into the enemy camp of the Midianites, He encouraged him with these words:
Judges 7:13 And when Gideon was come, 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.. (a) There is the fear of INADEQUACY. Listen to the conversation between God and Gideon in chapter 6 vs 14 - 16 as God commissioned him to deliver Israel: 14 And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? 15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. (b) There is the fear of UNBELIEF. Give ear to Gideon's two requests as found in verses 36 through 40 of chapter 6: Fleece (wet, then dry) Now God answered both of Gideon's requests. But Gideon knew as indicated in verse 39 that in reality these requests by him displeased the Lord. 39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. We read in Matthew 13 v 58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (c) There is the fear of being UNPOPULAR. Notice God's words to Gideon in verse 4: And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try 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. And then we read in verse 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. First of all, when facing overwhelming odds we must put our total trust in God Secondly, we don't have to belong to the majority in order to be victorious. Think of Moses standing alone in the strength of God against Pharaoh. Think of Elijah standing alone in the strength of God against Ahab. Think of Hebrew men standing alone in God's strength before Nebuchadnezzar. Think of John the Baptist standing alone in God's strength against king Herod.
3. The DIVINE FIGURE ENCOUNTERED by the faithful few. Note :- (a) Gideon ENJOYED the PRESENCE (SPIRIT) of God. Notice the words found in chapter 6 v 34: But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. Another Translation renders it: "Then the Spirit of God took possession of Gideon." Gideon now became the total possession of God. He owned him completely and could use him totally. (b) Gideon EMBRACED the PLAN of God. (7:4). And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try 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. So in obedience to God Gideon assembled the men at the water. verse 8: So the people took victuals 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. What general would go against the powerful Midianites with a reduced number from 32,000 to 300? (c) Gideon EXPERIENCED the POWER (VICTORY) of God. verses 20 and 21 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. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 4. THE DISCIPLINED FIGHT ENCOURAGED by the faithful few 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. I. THE REALITIES OF GOD’S PLAN ie. Fight II. THE REQUIREMENTS OF GOD’S PLAN ie. Focus A. God’s Plan Requires Surrender B. God’s Plan Requires Strength C. God’s Plan Requires Steadfastness 1) They Had to Blow the Trumpet “…they blew the trumpets and …cried, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ ” (7:19–20). 1 Thes 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God–ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. Augustine said, “When the Scriptures speak, God speaks.”
2) They Had to Break the Pitchers “…they …brake the pitchers …(7:19). This represents the cross of Christ in our witness and testimony. We can only serve with effectiveness when we know what it is to be broken at the foot of the cross. The cross, in the life, spells death to self (see Luke 9:23). And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Paul could face a heathen city and declare, “…I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). 2 Tim 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. 3) They Had to Bare the Torches They “held the lamps in their left hands:20. As the pitchers were broken, the lamps, flared into a dazzling blaze This represents the Spirit of Christ in our witness and testimony. Our witness can never be bright and bold until we know the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This is why Jesus said, Acts 1:8.But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (2 Cor. 10:4).(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) James 4:7. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. And so we read that the Midianite hosts “…ran and cried and fled” (7:21). John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. III. THE RESULTS OF GOD’S PLAN ie. Flight A. God’s Enemies Are Vanquished V. 21-22 B. God’s People Are Victorious V. 23 C. God’s Name Is Venerated V. 2, 15-23
