“I will deliver you” (Judges 7:7). Though the evil army of the enemy is “like a swarm of locusts ... as innumerable as the sand on the seashore” (Judges 7:12), “I have handed it over to you” (Judges 7:9).
But how? How could Gideon and his tiny band of just three hundred, defeat an immense, well-equipped, well-trained army?
As Gideon pondered that question, the Lord directed Gideon to sneak into the Midianite’s camp at night. There, he overheard two Midianites talking. One was telling his buddy about a dream. “ ‘Listen, I had a dream: a loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp, struck a tent, and it fell. The loaf turned the tent upside down so that it collapsed.’ His friend answered, ‘This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has handed the entire Midianite camp over to him’ ” (Judges 7:13-14).
“When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel’s camp and said, ‘Get up, for the Lord has handed the Midianite camp over to you.’ Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies and gave each of the men a ram’s horn in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other hand” (Judges 7:15–16).
Gideon didn’t say, “Sharpen your spears!” or “practice your sword-play” or “fill your quiver with arrows!” Rather he gave each of his men a clay pitcher, a torch, and a trumpet. At Gideon’s direction, “each Israelite took his position around the camp” (Judges 7:21). Stealthfully, Gideon’s men surrounded the sleeping Midianites.
With a resounding crash, three hundred clay pots were smashed and crashed in unison. Three hundred flaming torched lit up the perimeter of the enemy camp as the Israelites cried out, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20) and three hundred ram’s horns bellowed, sounding the attack.
Startled. Shocked. Surprised. The Midianites jumped from their bedrolls, grabbed their swords and spears and immediately began slashing and jabbing as “the Lord caused the men in the whole army to turn on each other” (Judges 7:22). Soon, “the entire Midianite army began to run, and they cried out as they fled” (Judges 7:21).
“What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?” (Romans 8:31–32).
The story of Gideon proves that God can use each of us. God’s not looking for the capable, educated, and strong. God has called the least and lowest, like Gideon, like me, like you.
D. L. Moody said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.”
All Scripture quotations, except as otherwise noted, are from
Holman Bible Publishers’ Christian Standard Bible.
