Gideon - Part IV

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.” Judges 7 : 9

Good morning.

The LORD said to Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, 'Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' " So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained. But the LORD said to Gideon, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them 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." Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. "Watch me," he told them. "Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 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.' "

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. 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!" While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.

Gideon was again and again confirmed by the Lord that He would deliver Midianites into his hands. We saw in the last email that Gideon demanded so many signs. But this time when the Lord told him that 23000 men were too many and asked him to have just the 300, he didn’t question God. He didn’t need anymore confirmation. But this time God himself asked him once and go to the place where Midianites’ troop were sleeping and then God again confirmed Gideon through a Midian’s dream. Normally in wars, the warriors trust the weapons they carry though they believe in God. But here to our surprise, Gideon’s men were having just a torch and an empty pot. Doesn’t sound silly? But the one who asked so many signs one day, later completely trusted God. With just a torch and an empty pot, he was willing to lead his army believing that the Lord who spoke to Him would deliver as He promised. When they shouted and broke the pots and blew the trumpets, the enemies themselves started killing themselves.

Going around the wall for seven days to conquer a place is too stupid actually, but when they didn’t think too logically on that as they had faith on God’s Word, Joshua and his men went around the wall for seven days and shouted praise to the Lord, the wall of Jericho fell down. Similarly having asking 20000 men to go back and 300 alone with just a torch and an empty pot going for a battle was too illogical, but when Gideon and his people believed and blew the trumpets, the enemies were destroyed by themselves.

Dear friends, many of us sometimes feel that we’re left alone with all our problems. You may think you’re not fit to solve these problems as you don’t have anything to fight against the biggest problems you have today. But remember God’s people can stand in the battle without even a weapon in their hands. As Paul says when we’re weak and empty, He becomes stronger and fills us in abundance. A trumpet sound (the praise) is enough to deliver us. Your enemies (the problems) will be scattered from you. Don’t rely on the weapons/strengths you have, just trust Him because the battle is not yours, it is His.