QUALITY OVER QUANTITY (JUDGES 7:1-25)
An American was visiting London and after walking around all day he really had to take a leak. Not finding a public restroom, he decided to go down an alley and do his business there. Just as he was starting to unzip a bobby came along and said” Right....what’s going on here?” The man said, “I really have to take a leak, and I couldn't find a public restroom.”
“Come with me,” said the bobby, “I'll show you where you can take a wiz,” leading the man down the street a few yards. They came to a beautiful garden with pretty green grass, lots of flowers and neatly trimmed hedges. Pointing to a bush the bobby said,” here you go do your business right here sir.”
The gentleman looked around and thought ok, if he says so. He unzipped his pants and started to wiz, looking back at the bobby he said, “Is this the usual British hospitality?” “No, sir,” says the bobby, “It's the French embassy.”
Gideon was a very different kind of a leader. He was not called a judge although he was undoubtedly one. In chapter Gideon faced a full-blown national crisis and catastrophe. For the first time the Midianites, the Amalekites and the children of the east – three parties - were assembled and pitched in the valley of Jezreel when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Thereafter Gideon sent messengers to Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali and gathered an army to meet him (Judg 6:33-35). No book in the Bible was the “Spirit of the Lord” (Judg 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 13:25, 14:6, 14:19, 15:14) more revealing and repeated, but the Spirit’s debut in the Bible did not reassure or relax Gideon. The fleece in the last chapter was definite; now the fight will commence.
What transformed a person from weak to strong? How do we conquer our fears? Why is God’s work done not merely with physical resources?
Be Committed and Competent
1 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. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink. 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.” 8 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.
Norman Vincent Peale was a young news reporter who happened to meet Henry Ford at a Detroit train station. Peale realized this was a chance of a lifetime and asked Ford if he had any advice for a young man starting out in life.
“Who your best friend, son?” Ford asked. Then before Peale could answer, Ford went on to say, “I l tell you who it is- it the person who brings out the best in you. Always associate with the best people – that where you will find such a person.”
In his later years, Peale reflected, “I convinced that Henry Ford really knew what he was talking about. A best friend is one who tells you, “Yes, you can make your dreams come true. Yes, you have something valuable to offer to the world. Yes, your life can make a difference!”
“And there an opposite side to Henry Ford question, too,” continued Dr. Peale. “It whose best friend are you? Try asking yourself that question from time to time. Then when you answer it, make sure that you deserve that title by bringing out the best in that person, every day, in every way.”
No chapter in the Bible has as much emphasis on the word “camp/host,” altogether 17x in chapter 7, also translated as host (Gen 32:2), bands (Gen 32:7), company (Gen 32:8), drove (Gen 33:8) and tents (Zech 14:15). It is an encampment, an army and a force. It is a numbers game, lots of numerical advantage and numerous weapons at disposal. They had enough fighters, beasts of war and armory and weapons.
The verb “boast” (v 2) means glory (Ex 8:9), beautify (Ezra 7:27), boast (Isa 10:15) and glorify (Isa 44:23). It usually results in pride, pretentious and pompous. This self-boast means to consider oneself self-made, self-sufficient, self-important, superior.
The verb “announce/proclaim” (v 3) is more than an instruction; it is an imperative. Gideon could not miss, minimize or mute the call or command. The phrase “trembles with fear” is “fearful and trembling” (quaking, shaking) in KJV. The verb “fearful” is best applied to two groups of people in the Bible, Gideon (vv 3, 10) and the sailors who attempted to rescue Jonah (Jonah 1:10, 16). The sailors were worse off at sea with nowhere to go. Gideon’s family was poor in Manasseh, and he was the least in his father's house (Judg 6:15). This is the first instance of “trembling” in the Bible. They had reasons to be scared. Israel had served the Midianites for seven years (Judg 6:1). Gideon had to let others go, leave them out and lower his percentage. There were more people left than those who remained. Twenty two thousand left and ten thousand remained, or more than two thirds of the people left and less than one third remaining.
The verb “take down” (v 4) is an imperative. The verb “thin/try” is translated as
goldsmiths (Neh 3:8), pure (Ps 119:140), purge away (Isa 1:25), refine (Isa 48:10) and melt (Jer 6:29). The purpose to try in the first part was to eliminate the “fearful and trembling” – those who had no fight in them. The second comes with a contrast - to lap (Judg 7:5) or lick (1 Kings 21:19) like a dog versus to bow down to drink . It is the sternest test. The dog stance was more alert, aggressive, agile , ardent and active. The number left were three hundred men, or three percent of ten thousand people left, or less than one percent (0.009375). Further, water (vv 4, 5, 6) are plural.
The first and second instances differ in that the first is negative – fearful men- and the second is seen positive – feisty men. The ones chosen are the most dogged, durable and direct.
The verb “kept/retain” (v 8) can mean laid hold (Gen 19:16), prevail (Gen 47:20), strengthen (Gen 48:2), harden (Ex 4:21), urgent (Ex 12:33), encourage (Deut 1:38), strong (Deut 11:8) and sure (Deut 12:23). It was not simple as that. Gideon had a lot of work to do to, not just employ them but to encourage and embolden them. This is a new way, not just to involve them but to inspire them, too.
Be Courageous and Cheered
9 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. 12 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.” 15 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.”
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
The phrase “thick as locusts/grasshoppers for multitude” (v 12) to describe the Midianites presence and invasion was previously recorded in the previous chapter (Judg 6:5). Camels made their presence in the book when the Midianites and their camels without number entered into the land to destroy it – “without number” is also a repetition from the previous chapter (Judg 6:5), and “thick/for multitude” is repeated in verse 12.
The tent’s “overturn” (v 13) is turn every way (Gen 3:24), overthrow (Gen 19:21), change (Lev 13:16) and tumble (Judg 7:13). Not just crumbled and collapsed but thrown, tossed, twirled, like a washing spun around, lifted up and flipped over. What was so unusual was the force of a round loaf of barley bread that struck the foundation of the tent. Bread is soft as a tent is hard. The size of the barley loaf was not mentioned, but no loaf of barley bread no earth, whatever the size, could trouble, turn and topple it.
The verb “worship” (v 15) is pivotal in the book of Judges. Three times so far in the book the Israelites “worship” other gods (Judg 2:12, 17, 19). There is no good or godly worship up to this point. This is the fourth and last time the verb “worship” shows up in the book, but this time no longer bowing to foreign gods. The spell was broken. In the previous chapter Gideon threw down the altar of Baal and cut down the grove by the altar (Judg 6:25). After struggling through insecurity (Judg 6:15) and indecision (Judg 6:39), now Gideon worshipped the Lord. He could trust in the Lord’s strength, superiority and steadfastness.
Be Clear and Calm
16 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.’” 19 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. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they took the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25 They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
A man who was on a luxury liner suddenly he falls overboard. He can’t swim and in desperation he begins calling for help. Several would be rescuers were on deck witnessing the incident. The first man was a MORALIST. When he saw the man fall overboard he immediately reached into his briefcase and pulled out a book on how to swim. He now tossed it to him and he yelled: “Now brother, you read that and just follow the instructions and you will be all right.”
The man next to him was an IDEALIST. When he saw the man fall overboard he immediately jumped into the water and began swimming all around the drowning man saying: “Now just watch me swim. Do as I do and you will be all right.”
The person next to him was an established church member. He looked upon the drowning man’s plight with deep concern. He yelled out: “Now, just hold on friend. Help is on the way. We are going to establish a committee and dialogue your problem. And then, if we have come up with the proper financing, we will resolve your dilemma.”
The next man was a POSITIVE THINKER. He yelled out to the drowning man: “Friend, this situation is not nearly as bad as you think. Think dry!”
The next man was a REVIVALIST. By this time the drowning man was going down for the third time and desperately began waving his arm. Seeing that, the revivalist yelled out: “Yes brother, I see that hand, is there another? Is there another?”
And finally, the last man was a REALIST. He immediately plunged into the water, at the risk of his own life, and pulled the victim to safety.
Gideon’s story was not just one of vision; he had a plan. The text did not say the idea was given by God. It was time to put on his thinking cap and show his true colors. God did not choose a man without sense, intelligence or thinking. First, he divided the three hundred people left into three companies to surround the camp. Then, he had to think of the right time. They attacked when the Midianite army was tired, unprepared in the middle watch, which was from 10 P.M. to 2 A.M., around midnight
Second, there were objects – trumpets, jars and lamps. Frankly, they did not have many fighters, beasts or weapons of war. They had conventional objects but not lethal weapons. The task at hand was challenging. They held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow it (Judg 7:20). The coordination was not easy. Blowing a trumpet one-handed is not natural.
Third, Gideon credited God for the victory. The frightened men on his dream feared “the sword of Gideon” (Judg 7:14), but Gideon proclaimed “the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” putting God’s name first, his name last, both times saying “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon (Judg 7:18, 20). Gideon knows His weaknesses, inexperience and limitations.
The Lord said to him, “Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand” (v 9), but he turned it round to say to the Israelites, “Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian” (v 15). He gave the credit to Israel and kept God’s revelation to himself. It was unique in the bible for God to command one to “rise,” and more common for the person to say the same to another.
There were also the six W in this passage.
What Get up, v 15
Where From all around the camp, v 18
Who For the Lord and for Gideon, v 18, 20
When At the beginning of the middle watch, v 19
How 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!, v 20
Why (For) The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands, v 15
Ran and fled (v 21, 22) are different because the latter means disappear out of sight to escape. The Lord did not want them to boast (v 2) because eventually it was the Lord who caused them men to turn (v 22) on each other with the sword.
Conclusion: Where do you place your trust? Do you trust in chariots and horses (Ps 20:7), bows and swords, wealth (Ps 49:6) and riches (Mark 10:24), princes and men (Ps 146:3), vanity and lies (Isa 59:4), ourselves (2 Cor 1:9) and our flesh (Phil 3:4)? Let us trust in the living God (1 Tim 4:10), His name (Isa 50:1) and His word (Ps 119:42) at all times (Ps 62:8) with all our heart (Prov 3:5).
