TOO MUCH OF ME
Judges 7:1-8
INTRODUCTION: Many times the workings, methods, and ways of God seem to make absolutely no sense. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why God does things the way He does. We see it in His choosing of Israel to be His people and the nation through whom the Messiah would come—He said that is wasn’t because of
their great strength or numbers that He chose Israel, but because of their smallness and weakness.
Because of His love and covenant—Deuteronomy 4:37 And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt.
He chose David with a sling and one stone to save His people from Goliath—1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
The apostle Paul was the least of the apostles and saints, yet the chiefest of sinners—1 Corinthians 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Gideon was the weakest of the weak and poorest of the poor—Judges 6:15. 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.
Often God waits until we are down to “Gideon’s 300” to answer our prayers—do a mighty work.
I. GIDEON’S POSITION (v.1)
1. Pitched by the well of Harod. They were in great fear because they were far outnumbered by the Midianites—32,000 to a “host”.
2. In Hebrew Harod means fountain of trembling, affliction.
3. Are you pitched at the fountain of trembling and affliction tonight? Are your resources depleted?
ILLUSTRATE: Bank account exhausted.
4. That’s the kind of place that God works best—Isaiah 59:19 When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
5. The host of Midianites was camped by the hill of Moreh. In Hebrew Moreh means early rain!
ILLUSTRATE: Elijah’s cloud the size of a man’s fist in 1 Kings 18:41-45.
6. God was about to bring VICTORY—the early rain was going to fall again! God was going to destroy the Midianites and once again pour out a rain that would eventually turn into a harvest.
7. Today we have the latter rain—power of the Holy Ghost!
II. GIDEON’S POWER (v.2)
1. The people are too many. Gideon’s needed to find God as his Source of power and strength. 32,000 was too many.
2. It wasn’t that Gideon couldn’t defeat the Midianites with that number. Clearly he could have.
3. Gideon, not God would have received the glory (v.2).
4. The life of faith is not for the weak of heart (v.3).
5. 22,000 was still too many. 10,000 was still too many.
6. God then did the incredible and tested Gideon’s faith (vv.4-7). One of the hardest lessons God’s people seem to have a hard time learning is that we can NEVER do in the flesh what God must do in the Spirit. Had Gideon used his 32,000, 22,000, or 10,000 it would have been a victory by the flesh.
7. It would take a miracle for God to use 300. Zechariah 4:6—Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
8. Gideon’s power was not in himself. His Source of power was God. Your source of power and strength is the One who spoke the world into being and by the POWER of His Word sustains all things.
9. The people are too many. Are you down to your 300 yet? God will meet whatever your need is by His power!
III. GIDEON’S PROMISE FROM GOD (vv.7,8)
1. God gave a wonderful two-part promise to Gideon:
a. “I will save you.”
b. “I will deliver the Midianites into your hand.”
2. I believe that there is someone here tonight that God will not only save from your situation, but will deliver the enemy into your hands—will let you take what the “Midianites” did to do you harm, and give you a blessing from it.
ILLUSTRATE: Exodus 12:34-36 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
3. God will give back what the enemy stole with interest.
CONCLUSION: Now notice in verse 8 that the host of Midian was now in the valley. The days of God’s people being “cave and den dwellers” was at an end. God was turning the tables on the enemy!
