THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR US.          Judges, chapters 7and 8

The Church sometimes seems to struggle to find the resources it needs to accomplish what God wants it to do. Gideon can sympathise with our problem. When he accepted the fact that God was calling him to lead his people against the marauding Midianites he did the usual things to raise an army. He sent out the recruiters to call the able-bodied to arms and he had a gratifying response. Judges 6:34-35 (NKJV).

“But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also gathered behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.”

32,000 fit and healthy warriors flocked to join Gideon. I’m sure Gideon was gratified. Human nature judges’ success by size but that is not God’s way and that was not God’s plan. Gideon only saw strong armed young men anxious to make a reputation for themselves. God sees things differently because God looks on the heart.

How many does the Lord need to win His battles? God never complains of having too few people on His side. We read, “Where two or three are gathered together in My name there am I.” We also read that He says, “One shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight”. You never read in the Bible of Him saying, “You must get more people if I’m to win this battle. God does not say, you must get more people involved or the Divine energy will not be equal to the occasion.” It is people who are obsessed by numbers, especially big numbers.

What He does say in the case of Gideon is, “Gideon, you have far too many people.” If I were to fight the Midianites with so great a host, the people would say, after the victory had been won, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ Great spiritual achievements have always been accomplished by a few people. There are very few who are truly inspired. There are few truly great poets and few truly great and influential leaders. In the account of the destruction of Sodom ten men would have saved the cities of the plain. Potiphar's house is blessed because of Joseph. The ship tossed and thrown about in the storm on the Adriatic Sea was saved because there was an apostle of God on board. It is not surprising, then, that the Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me’.  Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead’. And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. Judges 7:2-3

Gideon’s faith is to be severely tried, and the courage of his army will be sorely tried, by the reduction of his fighting men on the eve of battle so that the whole nation may see that “with God it is a little thing to save by many or by few.” To see, on the one hand, the Midianites "as grasshoppers for multitude," and, on the other hand, twenty-two thousand turning their backs on their enemies at the very first sound of the trumpet, must have been a fearful sight indeed. Gideon would need to look for consolation to God's own promise.

We can see here striking evidence of the difference men make of danger and hard work at a distance compared to close at hand. Large numbers of the Christian army are similarly made up those who talk big and brave at home, but are cowards in the field. They answer, or seem to answer, God's summons at first, but take the earliest opportunity of backing out of the spiritual conflict.

Why were the fearful dismissed?

Because fear is contagious; and, in undisciplined armies like Gideon's, panic, once started, spreads swiftly, and becomes frenzied confusion. It was much better to get rid of the fearful and afraid before battle commenced. One reason for getting rid of the fearful is that fear is the opposite of faith, and that where it is uppermost the door by which God's power can enter to strengthen us is closed.

The odds are now around 5 to 1. God says, "The people are still too many; bring them down to the water. I have another test".

There are many seemingly small things in life that test the quality of men. Did it really matter how they refreshed themselves at the stream? It did to God and it revealed to Gideon those who were focussed on the battle and those who were more concerned about their personal comforts. It was a little thing that made the difference between "the three hundred" and the rest of the army but little things reveal much. Little things test and reveal character. We are taught here that success in God's cause does not depend upon numbers. The victory is already potentially ours when we use the right means in the right spirit. The great want of the Church is not more members but more of the right stamp. The only soldiers that amount to anything in God's service are volunteers. Men, who enlist, put on the armour, obey orders, and delight in the service. Then, the few may stand firm, and do noble service in spite of the bad example of the many. Divine wisdom was afterwards seen in the selection of these men. That is how it must be in God's spiritual army and in our conflict with self and sin. Evil habits and false principles, must all be pursued, and dealt with. It is harder to live Christianity than it is to be converted to it.

There is a tremendous difference between Gideon's army as it was at first and Gideon's army when it actually engaged the enemy. There is a colossal difference between the thirty-two thousand who set out with him in the morning and the three hundred who stayed with him at night. A difference which is far more wonderful than that is the difference between the visible Church of Christ and His real Church. Just think of the number of outwardly baptised people and reflect on how many out of all this vast company are really chosen by the Lord to be His soldiers. How can this remnant be distinguished from the rest? Is there not something which, like the waters in the case of Gideon's army, may make the difference apparent between the true and the false? The world forms a very good test by which you may discern a true Christian from a false one. Look at their conduct. See how they bow down to drink at the waters of the world. See how they chase the world’s pleasures with no thought of eternal things or they set their affections upon things in Heaven rather than those of this world. These may be compared to those three hundred men that lapped. A little of earth's comforts is enough for them. They do not covet the great things in this life. If the Lord shall give them only "food and raiment," they are well "content."

Their moderation is known unto all men. God required only a few men, but He required that these should be fit for the purpose. The first test had sifted out the brave and the willing. There were "fewer persons, but not fewer men," The second test was still more stringent. It demonstrated those who were really ready and those who still had other priorities.The dwindled ranks were led down from their camp on the slopes to the fountain and brook which lay in the valley near the Midianites' camp. Gideon alone seems to have known that a test was to be applied there; but he did not know what it was to be till they reached the spring, and the soldiers did not know that they were determining their fate when they drank. The two ways of drinking clearly indicated a difference in the men. Some were focussed on their physical needs. The others were focussed on the coming battle.

300 ill-armed men pitted against 135,000 well-armed and experienced fighting men — outnumbered 450 to one! What an uneven and unfair contest it appeared to be — and, indeed, turned out to be . . . for the 135,000! Courage, obedience, and faith, accompanied by trumpets, jars, torches and shouts, brought victory.

 If you do not know the end of the story you will do much better reading the account of the battle first hand in the Bible. Reading the Word of God for your self will convey the message much better than anything I can say. If God blesses your heart, or if you can enlighten me about the truths taught in this part of the Bible, drop me an email and tell me about it.