Judges 7 GOD GIVES VICTORY When 32,000 men who are essentially unarmed and untrained farmers and laborers are called to go up against an army of 135,000, many who were able to ride into battle on camels, then it was only natural for them to have some fear and trepidation. The uniqueness of the situation was that the Lord had already promised victory before the battle started. In our frail humanity we often cannot look beyond our human experience and human reasoning to the authority and power of our sovereign Lord. To set these aside and move confidently forward by faith is not common to man. We have to learn from the Lord, by the way of His choosing, the fact that self sufficiency is a serious handicap in spiritual warfare. When we think we win battles in our own strength, we will find ourselves on the losing side.
There are come common sense practices to follow when called upon to serve God in any situation. There needs to be a sense of timing. Don't wait until it is too late to do anything about the immediate problem. Gideon and those with him rose up early. Another thing to consider after evaluating a situation as God sees it, is to focus our attention on the matters at hand first that have to be dealt with before getting to the big problem. Warfare without preparation pretty well assures losing the battle. Arrogance and pride have no place in the work of the Lord. When God says there are too many men, then there are too many no matter what we think. When the time comes to test the faith of the Lord's people, that must be done with understanding. Confidence in the outcome of a battle against temptation and challenge must come from trusting the Lord - not ourselves. When it comes to gathering the Lord's people, I have to ask myself, "Do I cause strife or unity?" Spirit-filled people will always gather God's people together. Gideon blew the trumpet (Spirit of God upon him). The people gathered together in preparation for battle and Gideon and all the people rose up early. They pitched beside the well Harod (trembling). Midian was on their north. Their position was important. Camped by the hill of Moreh (instruction), reminds us that victory comes "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord."
Fear is a legitimate emotion, but in our weakness, we still can trust God. He knows how to give courage and strength in spite of fear. He knows what we need to overcome in our times of uncertainty. Really, we are only useful in proportion to our humility and faith. Practical dependence on the Lord will enable us to see the big picture and have the needed insight to initiate and carry out our divinely appointed tasks.
In compassion and grace, the Lord sent Gideon and his servant Purah to the Midianite camp to give them the assurance they needed. In that great camp at the precise place and precise moment God used a dream about a barley cake to strengthen Gideon's faith. God can use the least and lowest to bring out the best and highest. The Lord assured Gideon again of victory through one soldier telling his dream to another. The sovereign Lord controls even the "thoughts and intents" of the hearts and minds of all men. In that way there is not a person who is exempt from their responsibility to believe God. "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when sleep falleth upon men ..." When assurance comes from the Lord as to what needs to be done now, it is our responsibility to act on what He has told us. The sovereignty and greatness of God has to be learned, and through that means, His will has to be acted upon. A radical dependence on Him leads to wholehearted confidence in Him.
When the spirit of fear has been replaced by power, love and sound mind, perceived obstacles are no longer a problem to us. Gideon learned the lesson that what is of little value in itself, is of great value when the Lord uses it. Purah, Gideon's servant, would have learned much of God by his association with his master. It is appropriate for those who are older to take those who are younger along with them, even when we are going through problems that seem to us to be huge. No matter how I analyze a situation, it is well to teach others our confidence is in God. We know He is in total control. We may not know how God is going to accomplish His work and keep His word. We just know He is going to do it and we are to obey Him and do what He commands.
There was never a question about victory happening. That was clearly promised by the Lord. But we need to be prepared for victory. There had to be preparations for the army. The numbers began at 135,000 to 32,000. The army had to learn the most important principle of warfare is the glory is God's alone. There was the test of fearlessness so 22,000 went home. There was the test of fervency. It was a simple test carried out in plain view of the Midianities. It seemed like a simple test to see if when a person drank water, they lapped like a dog in order to keep alert to what was going on around them. God's tests come when we are unaware of the fact it is a secret test. The significance of the test was to make sure the 300 had the right perspective. We need to remember: do not take your eyes off the enemy; do not forget your purpose; do not take unnecessary time even with life's necessities. Now the numbers were 450 to 1. That meant simply: depend on God or perish. By that means Israel had to learn again that God gives the victory. "It is not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord."
Our part in the plans for victory is first of all, trust the Lord. The preparation of Gideon was that he had to go to the camp of the Midianites, both Gideon and Purah. There they would again be reminded that God is sovereign. They learned that from the dream of the Midianite. Gideon was again caused to realize it was God fighting the Midianities. That teaches us again some of the circumstances of worship. Gideon's worship was real because he had experienced and learned: balance, recognition of his need, availability, loyalty to God and His people, leadership of God's people, quietness of soul, how to rise to the challenge, the ability to reach out, action to take, the understanding of the impact of others, real convictions, a sense of what is valuable, understanding of that which is right, timing as to what is appropriate, and willingness to respond with his heart to the Lord his God. Until he had his confidence in God alone and could worship in reality, he wasn't ready for battle. God put fear into Midian as a way of preparing the Midianites for defeat. Else why would they be afraid of 300 men?
In order for us to accomplish the work our Lord puts before us, we need to commit ourselves to maintain an orderly approach to the work, keep both hands full to attend to the business at hand and not get sidetracked. We must hear the word of the Lord and obey it. When our Lord instructs us to do what must be done, we must enthusiastically act. The fear that was in Gideon was replaced by faith and confidence. The confidence that was in the Midianite army of 135,000 was replaced by fear of "the sword of the Lord and of Gideon." 300 faithful men who were fervent in spirit so they could shout with a loud voice, and had their fears replaced by the promise of God, were exactly the ones the Lord wanted to use. They were not depending on weapons in their hands. They had a horn to blow - an alarm to awaken those who slept; a jar to break at the same time as 300 others that would have the disconcerting sound of hand-to-hand combat; a light to shine as evidence of the power of an army surrounding them in a dark night; and a voice to shout as a signal to all as to who they served. These are the same items the Lord uses today in the spiritual warfare in which we are engaged.
We have the trumpet of warning to sound to those who are asleep in their lethargy and sin. We have the container of the light of truth to break open and let the Gospel message to shine forth. We have the privilege and responsibility to herald the word of God forth to defeat the powers of darkness and bring salvation to those in bondage. To most people, the practice of fighting fire with fire, or equals against equals, is the way things should be done. But how are the powers of darkness to prevail? How do you fight against those who oppose and do not use weapons? It is impossible for strife and evil to be victorious when our miracle- working Lord uses the means and people He chooses to bring about victory. When all is settled with the problem of strife, there may still be times when conciliatory words and diplomacy can be used to calm down brothers and sisters, who didn't get the recognition they think they deserve. The Ephraimites were heady, high-minded, vaunting themselves, puffed up and they thought they were the greatest tribe in Israel (Josh.17:14). There will always be someone wanting to start fresh trouble; usually about their own self- importance. Their complaint was that they hadn't been asked to go. Nobody stopped them from going. Someone makes a move and God blesses it, and instead of saying "Praise the Lord," they say, "You shouldn't have done it on your own. You should've asked us."
The unity of God's people will come, when we respond with a Christ-like spirit even though there is weakness and fear at first. Hard words and a big stick do not unify God's people. Defeat of strife comes when God's people stand together "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" and then God intervenes on our behalf. The unity of saints that is needed comes with humility, honesty and hope that can be expressed. Ultimately all of us have to say, no matter what our role has been in some challenging situation, "To God be all the glory for the victory won," - and we will bow in humble adoration and worship to Him alone.