When Less Is God's Best

God's Unconventional Method: Using Our Weakness for His Glory

Bible Passage: Judges 7:2–7

Judges 7:2–7 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Big Idea: In God's economy, what appears to be insignificant or weak can be transformed into the vessel through which He demonstrates His unparalleled strength and glory, inviting us to trust in Him, even when we feel inadequate.

1. God's Humble Selection

Judges 7:2 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

The army of Midian numbered around 120,000 soldiers while Gideon was able to gather an army of 32,000. Although the numbers were overwhelming, God knew that because of Israel’s pride, they would still take credit for the victory.

God will place the child of God in a situation where the numbers seem overwhelming. Or where victory does not look assured.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

God creates this situation because He is trying to remove pride from the child of God so that the child recognizes the need for God! Many times, we feel that we are able to make something happen through our own strength or intelligence or skill, but God wants us to realize that if we trust in Him, He will win the battle for us!

Zechariah 4:6 KJV 1900

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.

2. God's Call for Courage

Judges 7:3 KJV 1900

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

First thing God uses to reduce the number who were with them was to tell those who were afraid to go home. When fighting a battle, God commands us not to be afraid. In the Bible, there are close to 100 passages of scripture where God tells His people not to fear!

When you are afraid, it is an expression of doubt that God will deliver you or that you will overcome.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

God is calling you to be of good courage and to trust Him in spite of the situation. That goes back to removing us from our comfort zone and preparing us to move into the camp of the enemy and do something that is unexpected!

What is holding you back from stepping out of your comfort zone? What is holding you back from trusting God enough that you will say I am going to do something that I have never done before and trust that God is going to move like never before?

When Gideon tells those who are afraid to fight to go home, 22,000 of his 32,000 leave! 2/3 of his army immediately leaves and places him in an even more dire position to fight his enemy!

What do you do when you thought you had the resources to overcome a situation and God reduces what you have to almost the bare minimum? Do you have enough faith to trust that God is going to bring you out?

3. God's Purposeful Testing

Judges 7:4–5 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

But then God tells Gideon that he still has too many people! First, He removes the people who are afraid but now God wants those who are alert and prepared!

God uses the water as a way to test the people. In the Bible water symbolizes several things: Jesus states that He is the living water. Water also means cleansing as we say it used during baptism. But water also means times of trouble or testing as we see with the Red Sea, the Jordan River, Peter walking on the water.

Isaiah 43:2 “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; Neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

God tells God to take the men to the water and whoever is left after this test will be the army he will use to defeat the Midianites!

4. God's Victorious Remnant

Judges 7:6–7 KJV 1900

And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

When the men came to the water to drink, 9,700 men put their face in the water and drank while 300 dropped to their knees and cupped the water in their hands. Those who cupped the water could see the attack of any enemy coming against them but those who drank with their faces in the water could not!

God told Gideon to send home the 9700 and fight with the 300! How do you fight a battle with such a small number? God’s best is less!

God says you don’t need overwhelming numbers because God plus you are a majority!

God loves working with a remnant! He loves working with the underdog! He loves working with the least of these!

He used a shepherd to defeat a giant!

He an exiled murderer to bring the greatest nation in history to its knees and lead slaves out!

He took down the walls of a fortress without a battering ram but with a shout!

He used a baby born in a manager to bring salvation in the world!

God’s best always uses less!