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JUDGES

CHAPTER 7

1 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 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.

We, all too often, test God and ask for signs. Late one evening a little girl dropped her glass on the kitchen floor. She apologetically began to reach toward the glass. her mother, trying to keep her from getting cut said, "Honey, go get the broom off the back porch." But it was dark outside and the girl was afraid. She said, "Mom! It's DARK!" Mom said, "It's OK, Jesus is there." The little girl went obediently to the door, cracked it open, stuck out her hand and said, "Jesus, if You're out there, would you hand me the broom?"
Gideon had tested God with the fleece (Chapter 6); now God tests Gideon. One test of servantship to God is fearfulness. There had benn 32,000 fighting men gathered. God said that was TOO MANY! Someone might attribute the glory of the battle to the amount of troops - and not to God.
Gideon's army was camped on a hill (Moreh), and the Midianites were in the valley below. The Israelite army could see the Midianite army. I imagine it was a FEARFUL sight. (Over 135,000 fighting men - see Chapter 8:10)
Have you ever stopped to think of how many are in the army against God's people? When you look around, do you see the enemy entrenched in virutally every area of society? Less than 20% of the world are active Christians!
So God instructed Gideon to send home all those who were admittedly afraid. We must point out here that probably ALL were afraid, including Gideon (See vss. 10-11). But God's point here is those who are afraid to the point of quitting. Cowards are generally braggerts, and later they may take the glory due to God and place it upon themselves. God has no need of ANYONE to win a battle; but He desires to USE those who are willing and trust solely in Him.
Over two-thirds of the army was dismissed because of fearfulness. Why should we be fearful? Romans 8:31 says, "..if God be for us, who can be against us?"

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. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 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.

Still God says there are too many! Another test of servantship to God is awareness. The men who lapped were men who were WATCHING while they drank. Their focus was upon their mission, and they (though thirst) would sacrifice self for the work to which they were called. And they were wary of any enemy which would detour them from that mission.
All too often God's people are sidetracked by selfishness and wantonness; desiring to squander uupon themselves and fail in dedication to the mission.
God does not need those who will not both pray AND watch (Matthew 6:24). So Gideon sent another 9,700 home; leaving only 300 with which to war against the vast numbers of the Midianites.

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. 9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 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. 15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

The fearful and the unwary now dismissed, there remains only a handful (less that 1%) of the original enlistment. To defeat the Midianites now is truly a task only GOD can perform!
God gives Gideon a special message. Gideon is fearful, but dedicated - and God wants him to be ASSURED. Gideon is given the ability to slip into the Midianite camp by night and listen to a story told by one of the enemy. The story revealed that the whole aremy was FEARFUL of Gideon's army - not because of their army, but because of GOD!! ((see verse 14))

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 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. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 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.

Gideon, in a striking battle maneuver outwits the enemy. The 300 men are broken into 3 groups of 100 each. Each man is given a sword, a trumpet, and a pitcher with a lamp in it. The pitcher covers the lamp until just the right moment. Now, instead of charging in and striking the enemy, the Israelite army is instructed to "stand still." This reminds us of Moses' statement in Exodus 14:13, "...stand still and see the salvation of the Lord"!!
While the Israelite army stands still in the darkness, tremendous confusioin is wrought in the enemy, and they begin fighting one another! Those who remained alive ran like scared puppies!
What we need in this world today is a surprise attack of LIGHT on the enemy! Let those who are unfearful, and those who are wary bring forward the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

Now the remainder of the "church" joined in the battle. And Gideon sent messengers to call some more.
The surprise attack had routed the enemy, and all the remainder of the "church" were invited to join in the complete defeat of the enemy.
This smacks of Revelation and the "judgments" God will send on earth before He "..comes with all His saints..."
Thank God for the few who will go in their fear and be dedicated. Thank God for the many who will join in the battle when their faith is strengthened.
For BOTH are of God, it is HIS battle to win, ours to fight.

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