Winning An UnWinnable War

Joke

A priest and a pastor are standing by the side of a road holding up 
a sign that reads “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!” A passing driver yells, “You guys are nuts!” and speeds past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—then a big splash. The priest turns to the pastor and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?”

What Got us Here

I was able to preach thanks to Pastor Mark at the beginning of the month. We started Gideons journey. This morning I want to continue that journey but I feel it is important to remember what got us here to this place.

God came to Gideon to save His people from the Midianites.

Gideon was afraid and unbelieving and tested God and his promises. When God showed grace and proved His promises would be true, then Gideon was able to put his faith even small, over his fear.

Gideon raised an army of 32,000 men to go against the 135,000 plus of the Midianites.

That leads us to todays text.

The question we have to ask as we are going through todays text is, how do we win a war that is un-winnable. By pure definition it makes no sense. You cannot win a war if it is un-winnable. My goal today through our text is to give you 3 steps to win such a war.

Step #1

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Proper Preparation

I have never been in any type of military, however I know enough to know that people in the military are very well prepared. What are they prepared for, for everything! To win the battle that God was asking Gideon and his men to fight they also had to be well prepared. No matter what that may look like.

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Judges 7:1–3 (ESV)

Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the people who were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod. And the camp of Midian was north of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’ ” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

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I know you all could figure this out but it helps to see how many he lost.

Now it is Gideon’s turn to be tested. God had proven that he was faithful to Gideon, would Gideon prove he is faithful to God.

Gideon and his army needed to know that the only possible way that they win is if God leads them. That means they need to rely on Him and Him alone. There can be no doubt.

Look what 2 Corinthians says about needing God in times like these.

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2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God wanted Gideon and his men at their lowest point. This verse tells us that when we are weakest, that is when we are strongest. When we are weakest we have no choice but to turn to the Father. That is when He gives us the strength needed to fight whatever war we are in.

Gideon told his men. If you are afraid then no harm done, go home.

There is 0% chance of winning this war. It is a suicide mission so you can imagine the fear that is going through the camp. At this point the 10,000 brave men are nothing but sacrificial lambs to the slaughter. They either caught some of the faith that Gideon had or they were just dumb!

God still thought that there were to many so look at what He does next.

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Judges 7:4–8 (ESV)

And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

God tells Gideon that he needs to shrink the number even more. How much more.....a lot more.

Take them and get them a drink. If they drink like a dog, they stay. If they drink normally, send them home.

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Only 300 men were left! That mens that Gideons army was 0.02% the size of the Midianite army! Now they were ready.

Everyone loves a good underdog story but this is ridiculous! Most underdogs at least have a slight chance of defeating the big bad whatever they are going up against. Even if it looks really unlikely. This isn’t a underdog situation. This is a flat out suicide mission.

So why? Why do this to an already fragile Gideon? God tested Gideon for 2 reasons.

#1- Was Gideon’s faith real? Was he talking a big game or did Gideon actually trust in the promises of God?

#2 - The task that Gideon had in front of him was monumental! Even with 32,000 it was a no win situation. God needed to prepare Gideon for the fight that he had coming no matter what that may look like.

God needed Gideon’s people, HIS people to see that God was the answer. The only answer. This was the way that this could happen. There is no way that these men and all of the people that were waiting to hear the results of this war could look at Gideon and his 300 men if they win and say that it was anything but God.

Now that God had the army that HE wanted the preparation was done. God was ready to share the game plan with Gideon.

Step 2 of God’s plan to win a un-winnable war is.

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A Winning Strategy

If you pull a Rambo and think you can just go in and win such a war you are going to get smashed. We have to plan! We have to study! We have to listen to people in charge, in our case a God who knows far more than we do, and can help us win the war.

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Judges 7:9–18 (ESV)

That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.” And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’ ”

At this point one would assume that Gideon is absolutely defeated. The Bible doesn’t say that however. It could be that Gideon remembers the stories that were told to him of how God’s people had been taken care of by God’s promises in the face of immense obstacles. The red sea, Abraham and Isaac, the plagues, Jericho! Maybe he thought that even with only 300 people God would again fulfill His promise and win this war. And really, for Gideon, what other option is there? Belief or despair.

Even though God had already promised Gideon the victory multiple times, and shown Gideon some amazing proofs of who God was, God still wanted to re-assure Gideon that He was in control so God gives Gideon 2 different encouragements to bolster his confidence. God knows how imperfect we are. God knew how imperfect Gideon was.

#1 In verse 9 God again flat out tells Gideon that He(God) was going to deliver the Midianites into Gideons hands. Don’t worry, you got this. Just in case this wasn’t enough.....

#2 God through a dream reassures Gideon. Gideon and his servant because God told them to, go down into the Midianite camp. The Bible says that they were like locusts in abundance and their camels were without number! I would not feel assured. Yet as they go down they somehow hear the one guy who had a dream that their camp was going to be turned upside down. Then this guy goes so far as to say that it must be Gideon! The word around the camp is that God is going to give us into their hands! What a confidence boost!

I think we all know that not everyone is meant to lead. Let me go back to the military as an example. Not everyone becomes a general. People in the military often get used where they are best suited. Gideon was not a born leader but God saw that He could use Gideon and the gifts that he did have to win this war.

The third step us believers need to do in order to win this battle is to...

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Believe You Can Win

Judges 7:19–23 (ESV)

So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. When they blew the 300 trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath. And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian.

Gideon and his 300 men won the war without ever touching a member of the opposing side in the initial battle.

300 men with torches and their voiced defeated an army of thousands. By chance, because they were lucky? No. Because they served a God who was far powerful than any army man can make. Now the Israelites as well as the rest of the world were reminded of that fact as well.

Like Gideon I feel that the believer right now, today, is in what seems like an un-winnable war. We are constantly fighting people who are not just anti anything God. They flat out hate anything to do with God. And they hate anything or anyone that wants anything to do with God. The worst part, they seem to be louder than we are. While we may not be in a physical war like Gideon was up against we are in serious war for the soul of our nation.

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Story of the painting.

There is a painting that once hung in the Louvre museum in Paris, painted by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch. Today, the painting is popularly known as “Checkmate.” It is now in private hands, having been sold in a Christie’s auction in 1999.

The painting depicts two chess players. One is Satan, who appears arrogantly confident. The other player is a man who looks forlorn. If Satan wins, he wins the man’s soul. You can view more of the creepy details below.

The story goes, there was a tour at the Louvre. A chess champion was in the tour. The tour guide explained the painting, and then moved on with the tour.

After a while he noticed that the chess champion was missing. He found the man still at the painting staring. He asked the man if he was ok to which the man replied “you know that I am a chess champion right?”

The tour guide told him he knew exactly who he was. The champion said that the guide needed to change the name of the painting and the description.

The tour guide was shocked and asked why he would say such a thing. He was a painting expert after all. Again the man reminded the guide that he was a chess champion. The champion said it was wrong because the man should not look so defeated. “Why” asked the guide. Because, said the champion, his king has another move.

I think that we can all agree no matter what side your ideals sit that a week from Tuesday is a very important day. Although I believe that it is vital that you make yourself heard, if you have the ability to vote do it. I feel that the direction of our country may very well depend on it, but, it doesn’t meant that the battle that we are fighting as believers will be settled. In fact I would go so far as to say that the war that we are fighting as believers is FAR from over, and seems very un-winnable. But that doesn’t mean that we stop fighting it! It means we stop relying on ourselves and we start realizing that we are going to win because of who we serve.

Gideon and the Israelites learned through the amazing feet we read in todays text, that even though we may forget at times, God loves his people and God ALWAYS keeps His promises. It is often a painful journey to get there but if we get out of the way, if we do the right preparation. If we read the word of God which is the winning strategy and always has been. If we believe that our God is stronger than the biggest armies and the biggest obstacles. We Will Win.

It doesn’t matter if we go in with 135,000 strong or 300 willing we will always win in the end because no matter what gets thrown at us by our enemies. No matter How bleak it may look for us we will always win in the end because our King ALWAYS has another move, and HE always will until the day that He takes us home! And that day, we can say CHECKMATE.

Let’s pray.

BENDICTION

WHY do we fight this war? We fight because someday God will come back for His people. We will be with Him in glory. The worship song Hymn of Heaven says. There will be a day when all will bow before Him There will be a day when death will be no more Standing face to face with He who died and rose again Holy, holy is the Lord

And on that day, we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice, a thousand generations Sing, "Worthy is the lamb who was slain" Forever He shall reign"