Gideon's Victory
JUDGES 7:14
Examination of Gideon’s call: “Go in this thy might…” [6:14].
§ His circumstances; the discouragement; his inadequacies; his testing of God.
Gideon is now ready for the battle: “Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up…” [7:1].
§ Humanly speaking, victory in such a situation is all about self-belief; preparation is through training and building self-confidence.
§ The attitude is - ‘If we believe we can, we can’; ‘Men, we can do it. We have got what it takes!’
- THE PREPARATIONS [7:1-8]
It is evident from the beginning of ch.7 that Gideon finally accepted God’s call to divine service.
1. Gideon
Gideon was a man who had power with God: “Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon…” [6:34]. He was called: “Jerubbaal…let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altars” [6:32].
§ l[;B;ruy - “Jerubbaal” [7:1], from ribh ‘to strive or to contend’, plus Baal: “let Baal plead against him, because he has thrown down his altar” [6:32].
a. Gideon’s Army
Gideon had called together a large army: “he blew the trumpet…he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh…” [6:35].
§ The people were willing: “they came up to meet them” [6:35].
§ Gideon had gathered a strong army: “twenty and two thousand…ten thousand” [7:3].
b. The Midianites
The Midianites were of a larger number: “the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east…” [6:33].
§ The number of the army: “fifteen thousand…twenty thousand men” [8:10].
Application.
Gideon will be well aware that, humanly speaking, the task is impossible.
2. God’s Preparation
The people are “too many” [7:2]. This message/passage arises out of the danger of the people’s smugness: “Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand has saved me” [7:2].
§ raeP't.y - “vaunt” [7:2], hithpael imperfect, ‘to glorify’; ‘to beautify’; ‘to adorn’;
§ yl;[ - “against me” [7:2], literally ‘above me’; “My glory I will not give to another…” [Isa.42:8].
a. Test of Fearlessness
So Gideon is issued with a command: “Go…Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let them return and depart early…” [7:3].
§ arey - “fearful” [7:3], ‘to fear’; ‘to be afraid’;
§ drex - “afraid” [7:3], ‘to quake’; ‘to tremble’;
§ d['l.GIh - “Gilead” [7:3], ‘to be afraid’;
§ Taken together both phrases equate to: ‘who tremble with fright’.
i. Fear is Contagious
Fear is contagious: “Let him depart to his own house, so that he might not make his brother’s heart melt like his own heart” [Deu.20:8].
§ bvoy - “return” [7:3], ‘to turn around’; ‘to withdraw’;
§ rPoc.y - “depart” [7:3], rare verb; best to associate with the rPc, “bird”; describes an enemy jumping up from a table in fear; ‘to fly away’.
ii. Response
The response: “there returned of the people twenty and two thousand…” [7:3].
§ bv'Y - “returned” [7:3], ‘to turn back’; ‘to retire or withdraw’;
§ Wra'v.n - “remained” [7:3], niphal perfect, ‘to be left over’; ‘remnant or remainder’;
b. Test of Fervency
The remaining “ten thousand” [7:3] of: “the people are yet too many…” [7:4]. Gideon is to issue another command: “bring them down to the water, and I will try them for thee…” [7:4].
§ WNp,r>c.a - “try” [7:4], used of refining ore by removing the impurities; ‘to smelt’; ‘to refine’; “his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder (goldsmith), who made thereof a graven image” [17:4].
§ The quenching of thirst is a necessity of life, and especially in battle: “he shall drink of the brook in the way…” [Psa.110:7].
i. A Simple Test
Gideon was to watch how the men drank:
§ Action one: “every one that laps the water with his tongue…” [7:5]; some would ‘fall flat on their faces’ and ‘forget about everything else’.
§ Action two: “every one that bows down on his knees…” [7:5]; some would ‘scoop up water with “their hand to their mouth” [7:6].
ii. A Secret Test
It was a secret test: “I will try them for thee there…” [7:4].
§ Gideon was unaware of what was to happen: “it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee…” [7:4].
§ The people were unaware of what was to happen: “bring them down to the water…” [7:4].
iii. It Significant Test
It was a significant test: ‘the manner of drinking revealed an attitude to the enemy’.
§ Most of the men – “rest of the people” [7:6] – totalling some nine thousand seven hundred men, had their mind only on drinking.
§ A small minority – “three hundred men” [7:6] – drank “putting their hand to their mouth” [7:6] because they had a different perspective: ‘they would not take their eyes of the enemy’.
iv. Result
Lord’s judgement: “by the three hundred men that lapped will I save thee…” [7:7].
§ This handful of men represents the pure gold which Yahweh desires in his service: “I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined…” [Zec.13:9].
Application.
God is concerned in teaching us trust and not self-reliance: “Hear, O Israel…do not be fainthearted or afraid…for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you” [Deu.20:1-4, 8].
§ God does not call us to believe in ourselves and in our own adequacy
§ Personal smugness - You cannot be ‘too small for God to use’, but ‘you can be too big’.
§ God usually tests us when we are unaware of it.
- THE ENCOURAGEMENT [7:9-15].
With the number of his army reduced to “three hundred men” [7:7], it is understandable that Gideon would be having third thoughts - second thoughts: “if thou wilt save Israel…” [6:36] – and needed to be encouraged by the Lord.
1. The Mission
The message of God: “The Lord said unto him, Arise, get the down into the host…” [7:9].
a. Gideon’s Lack of Faith
The message is given due to Gideon’s lack of faith: “if you are afraid to go down, go with Phurah thy servant…” [7:10].
§ arey - “afraid” [7:10], qal participle, ‘to fear’; ‘to be afraid of’;
§ ^r>[;n - “servant” [7:10], normally means ‘young man’, but in military contexts probably refers to a personal attendant, perhaps his armour-bearer.
b. The Army
The sight of a great army: “all the children of the east lay along the valley like grasshoppers…” [7:12].
§ hB,r>a;K - “grasshoppers” [7:12], ‘a kind of locust’;
§ The forces of the enemy blanket the valley like locusts: “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you” [Joe.2:25].
c. The Encouragement
Gideon was to be encouraged through the enemy’s conversation: “thou shalt hear what they say, and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened…” [7:11].
§ T'[.m;v'w - “hear” [7:11], ‘listen to’; ‘receive the report’;
§ hn"q.z:x/T - “strengthened” [7:11], ‘to be strong’; ‘to be courageous’;
§ T'd>r;y - “to go down” [7:11], ‘to descend’; ‘to march down’;
2. The Message
a. Parable
They came to the camp and overheard a conversation: “there was a man that told a dream…” [7:13]. The parable provides a picture of outright crushing and destroying.
§ lylic - “cake” [7:13], ‘a pastry’; ‘a griddle cake’;
§ %Peh;t.m - “tumbled” [7:13], ‘to turn or overturn’;
§ hnEx]m;B - “tent” [7:13], ‘the camp’; ‘encampment’; a collective for the entire camp.
§ WhKeY - “smote” [7:13], ‘to strike’; ‘to beat or kill’;
§ lPoYIw - “fell” [7:13], ‘to fall’; ‘to be cast down’; ‘to fail’;
b. Interpretation
The other man understood the message: “his fellow answered and said, This is nothing…” [7:14].
§ Barley was food very poor people ate. This was a fitting picture of Israel. Midian had seized their wheat and turned Israel into eaters of “barley” [7:13].
§ The tent was an obvious symbol of the nomadic Midianites:
§ Interpretation: “this is nothing else save the sword of Gideon…” [7:14].
i. Sovereignty of God
It is obvious from the story that Yahweh is exercising his own sovereign control over these historical events.
§ God directed the steps of Gideon: “when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream…” [7:13].
§ God planted that dream in the Midianite’s head: “I dreamed a dream…” [7:13].
§ God led the other Midianite to interpret it, even using Gideon’s name: “his fellows answered…” [7:14].
c. Message
The essence of the message is that it is God who fights the Midianites: “has God delivered Midian…” [7:14].
§ Gideon and his men are just the channels: “unto his hand God has delivered…” [7:14].
§ Response of worship: “he worshipped and returned into the host of Israel…” [7:15].
Application.
Readiness for the battle: “he divided the three hundred men…” [7:16].
§ This passage arises from Gideon’s personal lack of faith.
§ Lesson: ‘victory is gained, not by self-confidence, but by God-confidence.
§ We need to learn the lesson of dependence so that we may move on to the lesson of confidence.
- THE BATTLE
1. The Army
Gideon: “divided the three hundred men into three companies…” [7:16].
a. The Armour
Gideon armed the men: “he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers” [7:16].
§ tArp'Av - “trumpet” [7:16], ‘a ram’s horn’; used to call the people to battle: “he blew the trumpet…and the children of Israel went down” [3:27].
§ ~yDIk - “pitchers” [7:16], ‘an empty jar’;
§ ~ydIPil - “lamps” [7:16], ‘a torch’; the torches were hidden inside the jars: “lamps within the pitchers” [7:16].
b. The Strategy
The people were to keep and eye on Gideon: “look on me and do likewise…” [7:17].
i. The Cry
The battle cry: “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon” [7:18].
§ hw"hyl – “to the Lord” [7:18],
§ l - “of” [7:18], indicating ‘ownership’ rather than ‘dedication’; ‘belonging to’;
§ !A[d>gIl.W – “and to Gideon” [7:18],
§ This declaration recognises that the battle belonged to Yahweh, the Commander-in-Chief – David before he fights Goliath: “the battle belongs to the Lord” [1Sam.17:47] – and that Gideon was the deputy.
c. The Battle
The three hundred people followed Gideon’s battle cry:
§ Action 1: “they blew their trumpets…” [7:19].
§ Action 2: “broke the pitchers that were in their hands” [7:19].
§ Action 3: “they held the lamps in their left hands…” [7:20].
§ Action 4: “and they cried out…” [7:20].
i. The Cry
The actual battle cry: “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon” [7:20].
§ War>q.Y - “cried” [7:20], ‘to call out’;
§ br,x - “sword” [7:20], stands for the battle; the irony is that no one on the offensive carried a sword.
§ The only swords were in the hands of their enemies and: “The Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow…” [17:22].
Application
An army and its weapons – open to ridicule by its size and by its armour.
§ Humanly speaking: “whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return…” [7:3].
§ It is not our responsibility to understand how God is going to keep his word.
§ Our weapons: “though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare…are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” [2Cor.10:3-4].