Faint, yet pursuing

God brought a great victory over the Midianites (Judges 7:16-23)

Explanation: God had reduced Gideon’s army to only 300 warriors, and the army of the Midianites numbered around 135,000. It is also important to note that Gideon’s 300 did not have swords; they were equipped with clay pots and torches and trumpets! (v. 16) God put terror and confusion into the Midianite camp and the Midianites turned and killed one another (vv. 21-22). The victory clearly belonged to God and all the glory was His!

The battle may be over and won, but the war continues (Judges 7:23)

Explanation: The victory was incredibly one-sided! The Midianite forces were shattered and the survivors were headed back to the desert by the shortest route following the rout! (90% of the horde was dead). Instead of just letting them get away to maybe come back later, Gideon has his 300 pursue them. Gideon also called in Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh and they joined in the pursuit.

Application: God does not grant us victory over the forces of evil, and then just expect us to kick back in the recliner. The time following a victory is NOT the time to get comfortable. Matter of fact, when a God event takes place in a church, that’s the time to raise the prayer level, not lower it! Satan doesn’t have to bother Christians / Churches that aren’t doing anything for the Kingdom

Believers can suffer from petty jealousy (Judges 7:24-8:3)

Explanation: Gideon also summoned the Tribe of Ephraim to assist with the cleanup operation. The Ephraimites do show up, and they do help, but at the first opportunity they take out their frustrations on Gideon (8:1). This tribe thinks more of itself than it should, and they wear their feelings on their sleeve. Instead of rejoicing with the great victory, they complain about the small role they had. They are angry at Gideon for “missing out” on the big show.

Application: You can do the right thing and take the right stand for God, but that won’t protect you from the critics. It seems like some of God’s people are perpetually upset and simply looking for a reason to sound off. These folks are highly sensitive and get their nose out of joint at the slightest opportunity.

Be courteous and kind. Prov 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Gideon did not respond with a knee-jerk comment.

If you are one of the quick to complain, get some maturity and stop criticizing those who are actually doing something for the Kingdom. Learn to consider others more important than yourself (cf Phil 2:3-4)

Persevere even when you want to quit (Judges 8:4)

Explanation: After his sidetrack conversation with the easily-offended Ephraimites, Gideon and company keep on keeping after the fleeing Midianites. Again, 90% of the force has been shattered, but Gideon and the 300 are still hot on their heels. Remember, this was a night attack, and the 300 had probably not gotten much (if any rest the previous day before the attack - they were probably thinking they were getting ready to be killed )

The text doesn’t indicate the passage of time when his men crossed the Jordan, but at that point they were tired. The text describes them as “faint, yet pursuing.” (v.4) They may have felt like stopping, but they kept on going. And because they went on, God allowed them to achieve another victory over a still-superior force in terms of numbers (Judges 8:10-12)

Application: Life in a fallen world gets difficult. Our plans don’t work out, sickness invades our lives, outside forces of evil gain more ground, and we sometimes simply want to quit. We cry “Marantha! Even so, Lord, come quickly!”

Quitting the race is not an option available to the believer. There are indeed times when we require healing and we need to step back or slow down, but we are never told in Scripture that we can simply quit. As tough as life gets we can remember that His grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9) and that we, like Gideon and his 300, can be “faint, yet pursuing.”

Be willing to stand with other believers instead of playing it safe (Judges 8:5-9)

Explanation: Gideon and his 300 had won a great victory because God wiped out 90% of the enemy. The remnant of the enemy had been running past the fellow Israelites in Succoth and Penuel. These trans-Jordan Israelites had not been involved in the battle, but the routed forces going by their homes would have been impossible to miss. They were aware that their brother Israelites had won a victory.

Instead of helping out with Gideon’s reasonable request for aid, they tried to play it safe - they hedged their bets. It was possible that the Midianites and the forces of the East could regain power. If they did, and it was discovered that they had given aid to Gideon and his men, it could turn out bad for them. Because they lacked fortitude, they refused to help and were actually sarcastic.

Not a good choice. They faced some serious consequences when Gideon returned victoriously (cf Judges 8:13-17). This section of the text displays the further crumbling of the nation state of Israel. The tribes were not united against the common enemy, they were doing what was in their (seemingly) best interest, and they were not trusting God

Application: Christians need to stand together on the Word of God and for His truth. While their are issues that have room for differing views, there are some definite non-negotiables on which we must remain together. Examples include, but not limited to: The inerrancy of the Word of God, the Return of Christ, Jesus is the Only Savior, the doctrine of the Trinity.

We should also be united in the great moral issues of the day. And if we agreed on the first issue - the Authority and nature of the Word - we would be in agreement. Some of the issues at hand include: the sin of abortion, the sin of homosexuality, women serving as pastors, and the acceptance of transgenderism. There are other divisive moral issues as well, but these few will give evidence of the lack of unity in the church.