I. THE PEOPLE ARE TO MANY Vv.2-6a
A. The Battle of The Lord
ESDRAELON
1. Gideon means He that cuts down. They camped by the well of Harod. Harod
means fear.
2. The valley of Jezreel which stretches across Central Palestine from the
Jordan to the Mediterranean, separating the mountain ranges of Carmel and
Samaria from those of Galilee, extending about 14 miles from north to
south, and 9 miles from east to west. That ancient river, the Kishon,
which flows westward to the Mediterranean, drains it. At one point was the
most important road that led through the Mediterranean coast.
3. The Midianites were attempting to develop a trading empire. Control
over this land would give them dominion from Egypt to Mesopotamia. Here
Gideon gained victory over the enemy. Here also Barak defeated Sisera.
This plain has been well called the battlefield of Palestine. It has been
a chosen place for encampment in every contest carried on in this country
from the days of Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Assyrians, Napoleon Bonaparte
from Egypt to Syria.
4. There is also a battle that will happen here in the Valley, here in
Brownsville
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B. Test and Sifting Being Afraid (Vv 2-3)
1. The people thought they were ready for battle but they were not. 32,000
men are camping ready to go into battle God says the people are too many.
God used different test in preparation for the battle. 7:12, 8:10 The
midianite army was composed of 135,000 men Gideon was out numbered 4 to 1
God is saying “Gideon there is something wrong with army”
Gideon probably thinking I know what it is we don’t have enough
people. No the problems is you have to many people.
1. The message was that whoever was afraid he could turn and go home.
2. This demonstrates God’s love and concern. He does not want nobody
to serve Him by force or of a sense of guilt
3. 22,000 men went home. There was a reason why they went home. They were
afraid, in other words they were not prepared for battle. There hearts
were not consecrated to the Lord because in the perfect love there is no
fear. Here now Gideon is out numbered 13 to 1 Now the ones who were
fearful went away
C. Test and Siftings Drinking WaterVv4-6a
1. But now there were only 10,000 men left. More than half left. God says
to Gideon the people are too many.
2. There was still another test. When they went to the water those who
laps from the water like a dog, those will be set aside for battle. Those
who knelt down like a dog were disqualified for battle.
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3. 9,700 of them got on their knees to drink water. These that were
kneeling were tired, and in the position they got into demonstrated that
they wanted to rest.
4. They wanted to drink water so bad that they lost the urgency of the
moment.
5. There is a lesson for us. God does not want us to loose the sense of
urgency towards His work. There is only one-way to loose it and that is to
think about our needs think about how tired we feel that we need a break.
So we excuse ourselves with God because we are tires. Brothers we need to
make a sacrifice on our time a sacrifice in our rest, to come to battle.
Sacrifice means that I will come and support it means that I will not stay
home and watch TV. We do this not because I am saying this but because we
love Jesus and if we love Jesus we will be willing to sacrifice for Him
because He sacrificed it all for us.
6. Second lesson that we can learn is that God does not depend on numbers
but depends on consecrated people who want to serve the Lord.
7. The people are to man.
II. GOD’S DREAM TEAM Vv.6b-9
A Few Good Men Vv.6b-7
1. God’s team was composed of only three hundred men.
2. Now Gideon is out numbered 450 to 1.I can imagine Gideon” God I
think we are in trouble,
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3. God was saying to Gideon Trust me, Don’t worry, I am in charge.
Whenever you are in a situation where you had it, don’t fight like
the world does, say here I am Lord, I do not know what to do, Help me to
trust you. God is the one who well get the praise; God wants you to trust
Him. Sometimes when things are going wrong is maybe because something is
going right. God maybe doing a Gideon in your life, in your family, job,
and maybe your health. Cutting back is not about loosing but sometimes
about you wining. God takes five fish and three loafs to feed five
thousand. He calls twelve to spread the gospel. When we don’t have
enough of something is sometimes when we have more. Why? Because we trust
more and depend wholly upon God. The ones who had no sense of urgency were
disqualified. 1 Samuel 14:6
4. . You see God’s method was that the army would slaughter it self.
This would even out the odds.
5. All that God needed was a few good men, a dream team. This team was not
going to fight; all they were going to do was to follow instructions. The
one who was going to do all the fighting was God.
6. These men who drank the water with their hands were ready to fight
a. Gideon was to trust on his military power but only in the word of God.
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b. This group was prepared for battle. To what group do you want to belong
today? To those that are prepared for battle, those who want to trust in
the Lord for the results? Or those who want to take a break?
III. GOD’S WEAPONS Vv8-9
A. Pitchers Vv 16
1. The jars breaking symbolized God breaking down kingdoms Jerm 9:11
2. These jars that were made of clay were going to be broken down. Empty
pitchers, we are the empty pitchers, (2 Cor. 4:6) earthen vessels that
need to be broken.
B. Torches
1. Torches symbolized salvation, the light of salvation that would shine
forth in the midst of darkness.
2. Salvation is described as a light Isa.62:2
3. Salvation is a rescuer operation. Have you ever seen a rescue
operation?
4. Second, they needed torches inside the pitchers. We need to be broken
many times so that the light of Jesus might shine forth.
C. Trumpets
1. The trumpets were to be place on the right hand. Josephus calls these
trumpets the ram’s horn such used in the destruction of Jericho.
2. The trumpets in the Bible were used to give warnings about coming
judgments. We need to blow our
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3. trumpets witness, invite some one to these meetings that Jesus is about
to come.
4. They had a trumpet represents our voice, our invitation, participation
D. Take your PositionsVv.17,21
1. Wait upon the Lord. In other words leave the results to God
2. Ellen G. White says that we only do 3% of the work and God does 97% of
the work.
3. Don’t go to one extreme or another but be centered.
E. The Word of The Lord Proclaimed 6:14
1. Finally they had to proclaim that this battle would be won by the word
and power of the Lord.
2. Yes we will be presenting God’s word in the San Benito Community
Center but also in this church. Let us not forget that this God’s
work.
3. These weapons brought confusion, division, and destruction to the
enemy. I believed that Satan’s army would be disturbed as we sound
our trumpets as we let our light shine, as we trust in the Lord for the
results, as we proclaim God’s Word.
F. Arise for I have delivered it unto your hand 7:9
1. Imagine what did those who left felt as soon as they heard that God
gave them victory? I should of stayed, I should helped, I should brought
some one, I should gone to the meetings.
2. Brothers God is inviting us to arise, to consecrate ourselves. But the
question who wants to be on the Dream Team. Because the Dream team is not
special because you and I are in it but because the undefeated champion is
the captain.
3. Who would like to be part of that group today? Illustration: First
crusade in Laguna de Sanchez
