Scripture:
Judges 7:9-22 NKJV
[9] It happened on the same night that the Lord said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. [10] But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, [11] and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. [12] Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude. [13] And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.” [14] Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” [15] And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, “Arise, for the Lord has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand.” [16] Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. [17] And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: [18] When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ ” [19] So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. [20] Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” [21] And every man stood in his place all around the camp; and the whole army ran and cried out and fled. [22] When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled to Beth Acacia, toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel Meholah, by Tabbath.
Observation:
This is not the first time this particular portion of scripture has been brought to my attention. In fact I would have to say that Gideon is one of my favorite stories in the book of Judges. Next to Samson, who had a thing for the wrong kind of woman. Gideon is the one I relate to the most. If we have been around the Bible for any length of time we have more than likely either had the opportunity to read his story or hear a pastor preaching out of judges chapter 6. That’s where the story of Gideon begins, and that’s where we see the issue is in his life. Gideon’s confidence was not where it should be. As we give a quick overview of how it all started. The angel of the LORD had to tell Gideon who he was. He was built by GOD to be a mighty warrior. His insecurities kept him from seeing who he was called to be. The picture I get in my mind of what Gideon looked like is almost silly and honestly probably incorrect. I see him as a frail little man, small in stature, almost nerdy looking, used to getting pushed around. I get that picture from his response to the angel as he was told who he was in the sight of GOD. Moving forward to what it is I believe GOD wants us to know this morning, Gideon’s confidence had to be built to where GOD had always intended for it to be. All the years of the Midianites keeping the Israelites subdued. Had formed his mindset, weak and worthless, not worthy, the least of these. But that’s not who GOD had built, in his name alone was his identity, the LORD had selected a name suitable for HIS calling, He was a mighty warrior. That’s the identity GOD had in store for him. As we see this portion of scripture being to play out, I can picture Gideon building the men up after seeing a few victories, pulling down the idols that had been built by Israel, of course that had to be done at night so that no one saw him. Nonetheless it was done. Now it was time to go kick some Midianite tail, and with several thousand men following him I can see his chest puffed up a little bit ….” We got this, look at all these men willing to go to war with me. They are as tired of it as I am.” But GOD had a different plan. Building Gideon’s confidence was only the beginning. The glory didn’t belong to Gideon or anyone else in that group of men, it was GOD glory. As HE dwindles the men to a number so small that Gideon’s confidence begins to waver again, HE tells the young worrier to keep the same identity in his mindset. The LORD makes a statement to Gideon, seeing that he was beginning to question their ability to overcome the odds with only 300 men, HE tells him to sneak into the camp and hear what they are saying about you. You see GOD had already arranged the victory. Planting a dream inside the mind of a Midianite guard. His dream was of a loaf of bread that had rolled down the hill and smashed his tent. Honestly it’s not the bream that surprised me, it’s the interpretation of it, “ This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash. “ I still don’t get it, but here we are. The ones that needed to believe it… did. With Gideon’s confidence restored and the Midianites set for turmoil, Gideon heads back to the 300. But how he prepared the army was just as unusual as the dream, “ Put the sword down and grab that pitcher, a torch and this trumpet, I have a plan.” You see after hearing the dream and its interpretation, he knew what would happen as soon as 300 trumpets sounded and 300 torches were seen. The confidence Gideon found knowing that fear had already set in on the Midianites didn’t even require a sword. The panic that would take place would be enough to send them into distress turning their swords against one another. As the moment unfolds that’s exactly what we see. The victory was already at hand. Gideon’s confidence and the wisdom that was provided by overhearing a simple dream was all that was needed. The LORD had already been making a way. Victor was already in HISTORY. The situation just called for a mighty warrior who had the confidence to obtain it.
Application:
All too often we face overwhelming odds and end up turning the other way. But all the LORD needs is for us to show up with confidence in HIM. We may play the scene over and over again in our mind and not see what HE has already set in motion. I’m not speaking from a lack of understanding. I have faced this kind of thing over and over in my mind. Living through some of the most horrific tragedies… that only took place in my head. You see fear is a tool of the enemy. Confidence is where the LORD wants us to stand. I mean HIS word tells us if HE is for us who then can stand against us. Every time I panic I make the wrong decision. There are still times in my life when I want panic to be the reaction, but as I age in my walk I find those times to be further and further apart. Walking in confidence in who has called me to the battle changes my battle stance. HE has a perfect record of wins and losses, not one battle has escaped HIS purpose, and victory is in HIS hands. All HE needs is for you to rest in who HE is, and who you are in HIM. HE has an unbeatable plan, a plan that just needs you to show up, so that HE can show out. HE has already defeated the enemy, HIS ways are not our ways. You see I probably would have showed up to this battle and begun swinging a sword cutting the ears off of those who needed to hear the words HE had for them, “The sword of the LORD and of Gideon.” GODSword is sure victory. That’s what HE has promised me… that what HE has promised you… if you don’t believe me go back to the beginning of the book and read the 3rd chapter. Then continue to read example after example as you read through HIS road map for your life. I know it’s difficult to see at times, especially when it looks like you’re outnumbered, but your confidence is not in what you can do, its in what HE has already done.
Prayer:
Father, all we can say is thank you… thank you for the reminder of who you have made us to be. We know that there is so much more to all this than what we can see. As we learn to just trust you when you say go, and listen to you when you say no. Help us to have the confidence in who you are and what you have already done. You see more than we do. You know what is going on across enemy lines. You are making ways that we can’t see and all you need from us is to be willing, having confidence in you. So as we approach what is going on in our lives, give us that confidence. Help us to see what you have already done. Stepping to the battle knowing that you have already won. Knowing that we are not fighting for victory… that has already been secured. Knowing that in and of itself allows us to fight from a different position. Not fighting for victory but fighting from it. We can not be defeated so it’s time to stop living a life that says we are. Thank you for showing us the confidence needed to approach the battle from the right side of it. You never lose, and you won’t start now. Show us who we are in your eyes. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus we pray amen.