Gideon Defeats the Midianites

Judges Chapter 7

Gideon and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north in a valley. The Lord told Gideon that he had too many warriors with him and that with that many, the Israelites would think they won based on their own strength, not God’s. So he had Gideon ask the people whoever was timid could go home. That left only ten thousand men. But the Lord said it was still too many warriors. So he had Gideon take the men down to the spring and the Lord would weed them out. He had the men divided into two groups: one with those who cup water in their hand and lap it like a dog. The others were men who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream. Only three hundred drank from their hands; all others kneeled down and drank from the stream. The Lord said to take the three hundred men and he would give victory over the Midianites and to send the other men home. So Gideon did as the Lord commanded and collected provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home.

During the night, the Lord told Gideon to get up and attack the Midianite camp. But if Gideon felt afraid, he could go down to the camp with his servant Purah and listen to what the Midianites were saying.
So Gideon took Purah and went down to the outposts of the enemy camp. The armies had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. There were too many to count. Gideon heard a man telling his friend about a dream. The man said in his dream, a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp and hit a tent and knocked it flat. His friend said that the dream could mean only one thing – that God chose to give Gideon son of Joash victor over all the armies united with Midian.

When Gideon heard the dream’s interpretation, he thanked God and returned to the Israelites camp and shouted for them to get up because the Lord had promised them victory over the Midianites. Gideon divided the three hundred men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. He told them to keep their eyes on him and when he comes close to the edge of the camp, do as he did. Blow your horns, he said, and those of you on the other sides of the camp blow your horns and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”

When Gideon’s warriors did as they were told, the Midianites rushed around in panic and fought against each other in the dark. Those not killed fled to far away borders with Gideon’s warriors in pursuit. He sent messengers ahead throughout the hill country of Ephraim and told the people there to attack the Midianites and cut them off at the shallows of the Jordan River. After the battles, the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, two Midianite generals, to Gideon who was by the Jordan River.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Self –sufficiency is an enemy when it causes us to believe we can do what needs to be done with our own strength. To prevent this attitude, God reduced the size of Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300 men. Then there was no doubt that the victory was from God. Gideon’s army did not even draw their swords against the Midianite camp. God wanted to demonstrate to Israel that victory depends not on strength or numbers but on obedience and commitment to him.

How does this chapter relate to us today? We face many daily battles and should never forget that it is God who gives us the strength we need for any situation. We should never be startled by the way he helps us. Like Gideon, we must listen and be ready to take that first step for God. Only after we begin to obey God, will we find the courage to move ahead. Praise be to God!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family. Update on Stella: She has good days, but is far from out of the woods. Pray for her, please and her parents too.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.