Gideon’s Army of 300
Gideon teaches us that there is always hope that we can still turn back to the LORD when we are disobedient. When we do something wrong in our lives all we have to do is get down on our knees and tell the Heavenly Father, the LORD God, that we have been disobedient and we are sorry and ask for forgiveness. Judges 7:1-25
Gideon proved the LORD to see if He really would save Israel by the hand of Gideon. then Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.
The LORD said unto Gideon, the people that was with him was too many to send against the Midianites. The Israelites could think that it was their numbers that defeated the Midianites. The LORD needed the Israelites to know it was by the hands of the LORD that saved them.
Gideon had to go to the people and tell them whosoever is fearful and afraid to leave. There was twenty two thousand that left and there was ten thousand that remained. Ten thousand was still too many.
The LORD told Gideon to bring the people down into the water and the LORD would decide who would go with Gideon. Whoever the LORD said would go would go. Whoever the LORD said would not go they shall not go.
Gideon brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, him shall be set by himself; likewise every one that bows down upon his knees to drink.
The number of the people that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. These are the three hundred that the LORD chose to use to save the children of Israel to deliver the Midianites into their hands. The rest of the people left.
The people took provision and food in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men. The army of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
It came to pass the same night, which the LORD said unto Gideon, Arise, get down unto the army; for I have delivered it into your hand. If they fear to go down alone then Gideon could take his servant Phurah with him. Gideon was to listen to what the army of the Midianites should say. Doing this would strengthen them.
The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like a multitude of grasshoppers; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side.
When Gideon went down to the army below he heard a man that told a dream unto his fellow soldier, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
The fellow soldier interpreted this dream and said, “This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.” (Judges 7:14).
So it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the army of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD has delivered into your hand the army of Midian.
Gideon divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every manís hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. Then Gideon told them to do as he had done and come to the outside of eh camp, and whatever I do you shall also do.
Gideon said; “When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.” (Judges 7:18).
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning the night-watch which had newly been set and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow: and they cried, the sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. They stood every man in his place around the camp. All the army ran and cried and then fled.
The three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the army. The whole army fled. The army of Gideon pursued after the Midianites and slew them.
What Can This Story Teach Us?
The children of Israel were disobedient to the LORD and served other false gods. The LORD put them in the hand of their enemies. When they cried unto the LORD He chose Gideon to rescue them. Gideon was afraid to battle against all the enemies of the children of Israel.
Gideon conquered that fear and displayed faith to carry out the mission the LORD told him to do. He destroyed the false idols of baal, he got his countrymen to help him battle the enemies, he lowered the number of his army to 300, and most of all Gideon allowed the LORD God to control it all. Gideon was obedient and faithful to the LORD.
Gideon teaches us that there is always hope that we can still turn back to the LORD when we are disobedient. When we do something wrong in our lives all we have to do is get down on our knees and tell the Heavenly Father, the LORD God, that we have been disobedient and we are sorry and ask for forgiveness.
You need to know no matter the great odds that may be stacked against you your faith in the LORD God can help you win the battles you will face in your life. Proverbs 3:5-7 says it all; “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Gideon’s Army of 300:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Jan 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1947,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, January) “Gideon’s Army of 300:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1947,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Gideon’s Army of 300:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (January), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=1947, (accessed).
