Judges 7-Gideon

Sermon/Devotion

Points borrowed from

https://voices.lifeway.com/church-ministry-leadership/5-leadership-lessons-from-gideon/

Judges 7 ESV

1 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. 2 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.’ 3 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. 4 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.” 5 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.” 6 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. 7 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.” 8 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. 9 That same night the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 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. 12 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. 13 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.” 14 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.” 15 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.” 16 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. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18 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.’ ” 19 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. 20 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!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 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. 23 And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. 25 And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. Then they pursued Midian, and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

This story is found in Judges 7.

Read Judges 7:4-7

Judges 7:4–7 ESV

4 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.” 5 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.” 6 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. 7 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.”

Tell the story of 300 men in a creative way.

Say, “you ever just about to start a game and you look around at your team and go, nope!”

“We are way too good. We have got to get rid of some people. “

(Maybe ask a coach if they have ever started a game or a season by getting rid of the most seasoned, veteran athletes cause winning like that would just be wrong.)

Now tell them this is kind of the way God starts this battle scene off with Gideon in a story from judges 7.

“This is kind of how it went”

Either get everyone to stand up or raise hands.

“If ever…sit down”

(Ideas)

Benched over 250

If ever ran faster than 4.8/40

If ever squatted over 475

If ever been in the 10th grade.

Yes! (sarcasticly) This is my dream team coach. This is who I’m taking to battle.

It’s not that you guys are bad or weak or anything like that.

You’re just young and untested in battle.

That’s who Gideon has now. Those other guys were her battle tried warriors.

God did that.

But They’ll go on to win the battle.

Here’s some truths that we see

Gods mission hasn’t changed. (Probably won’t use)

This season hasn’t gone like you hoped it had, but he’s still working.

Maybe you have really struggled through the year. Working for You good and His glory

Either way, the mission is still the same-make disciples, live out your faith, lean on his strength for his glory.

God does such big things in some funny ways

God does things so funny sometime. And most of the time, it seems it’s not like we would have done it.

God is still working victory in his people’s life for His glory and their good.

It’s not your battle

You can read this story in judges 7 for yourself.

There isn’t much Gideon did.

God did everything I don’t care how big and bad you are, the reality is we are all the 300 pathetic soldiers. Doesn’t matter. Battle wasn’t ours anyway.

There’s some people in this room that need to understand that: it’s not your battle

Maybe you need to understand you can’t save yourself. You can’t ever do enough good to outdo the bad. Only Jesus can win that battle for you. Will you trust him tiday.

Maybe it’s the family battles or sin battles. Maybe you feel like giving up. Coaches this ain’t just for these students.

It’s not your battle. God fights for his people.

God always accomplishes his plan.

Judges 7:7 ESV

7 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.”

We already said God works in some bizarre ways sometimes.

I have no clue what Gods plan for you is.

Maybe you “ain’t got no clue” either.

God always accomplishes his plans though.

And for his people it’s a good plan.

God wants leaders that love him and walk in confidence by faith.

The confidence is in God.

They know He can do it and will do it.

They’ve seen him work and know he’s got this thing.

And they can lead anyone put in their trust by faith.

1st, Do you have faith? You can’t give what you don’t have. Do you trust God that much?

2nd, Will you lead those around you to follow His plans?