Judges 7:1-25 - L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

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ISRAEL'S ARMY REDUCED BY GOD

(vv. 1-9)

Gideon's influence had gathered 32,000 men, and they encamped south of the encampment of the Midianites, prepared for battle (v. 1).Compared to Midian, this army was pathetically small, but in God's eyes not small enough.He told Gideon that there was a danger of Israel's boasting of their victory if they thought that their strength had anything to do with it. Therefore, he must decrease his army.First, he was told to tell any who were afraid, to leave.This depleted their number by 22,000, leaving only 10,000 (v. 3). But the Lord required a further decimation, telling Gideon to bring the army to the water to test each man as to how he drank.Those who got down on their knees to drink were refused, but those who took the water in their hands to lap it were chosen to go with Gideon (vv. 4-5).Only 300 passed this test (v. 6), but this was sufficient for God to use.He promised Gideon that by the 300 men He would deliver the Midianites into his hand (v. 7).

Gideon and his 300 men were on a hill above the camp of the Midianites, while 31,700 of his men returned home! Certainly the Lord knew that Gideon would feel pathetically weak with his small company, so he told Gideon to go down to the camp with only Phurah his servant, to hear what those in the camp might be saying (vv. 10-11). Verse 12 tells us of the tremendous number of men and of camels that might well have struck fear into Gideon's heart.

But God had sent a dream to a Midianite soldier and God so ordered events that the man was telling his dream to another, which Gideon heard from the shadows. He had dreamed that only a loaf of barley bread had tumbled into the camp of Midian, overturning and collapsing a tent (v. 13). What a surprise it must have been to Gideon to hear the man's friend interpret the dream as he did!He made not the slightest question that this dream indicated that Gideon the son of Joash would lead Israel in defeating Midian, God delivering all the camp of Midian into his hand (v. 14).

GOD GIVES THE VICTORY

(vv. 15-25)

How could the slightest doubt remain in the mind of Gideon? He may go forth with firm confidence. Yet first he takes time to worship the Lord in the calmness of being guided by His faithful hand (v. 15). Then he alerted his 300 men for immediate action. He divided them into three companies of 100 each, giving each man a trumpet and a pitcher with only a lighted torch inside. The men came to the edge of the camp, being spaced wisely around the camp (v. 16).

Then Gideon told them to look at him and to do do as he did. How lovely a picture of having Christ as our true leader! He does not only tell us what to do: He shows us by His own example, and we need only to follow Him (v. 17).

When Gideon blew the trumpet, they were told to do likewise, and say, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon" (v. 18). Coming then in the middle of the night, just after the changing of the watch, the trumpets were blown and the pitchers were broken so that the torches were exposed.Thus 300 lights suddenly appeared around the camp of Midian (vv. 19-20). Rushing from their tents, the Midianites, hearing the trumpets and seeing the lights, were thrown into confusion (v. 22). They thought the enemy had infiltrated into their camp, and therefore lashed out with their swords against others who had swarmed out of their tents. Thus the Lord set every man's sword against his own companions, and the whole army fled.

It was the element of surprise that gained the victory.God's methods of warfare are different than men's, and the spiritual significance of God's instructions to Gideon is by far the most important matter for us in this victory. The light speaks of the testimony of the truth of God in practical life. The vessels speak of our physical bodies. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7). But the vessel must be broken that the light may shine out, as 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 indicates, for the vessel must not have the honor for the victory: that honor belongs to God alone, though He uses frail human beings to accomplish His own ends. The trumpet speaks of testimony also, not the testimony of practical life, as the lights, but a declared testimony.In other words, we are called to both declare the truth of God and to live the truth of God.

The enemy being routed, then Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and Manasseh gathered and pursued the Midianites (v.23). Also Gideon sent messengers throughout Ephraim to bring their armies to help in mopping up operations by taking from the enemy the watering places that are so necessary for the welfare of an army.In doing this they also captured and killed two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb, then brought their heads to Gideon on the other side of Jordan.

Related Commentaries of Judges 7:1

Judges 7:1-25

1 Then Jerubbaal, who is 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.

2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

4 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.

6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7 And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

8 So the people took victuals 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: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

9 And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.

10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host:

11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed mena that were in the host.

12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.

13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, 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.

14 And his fellow answered 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.

15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretationb thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.

16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpetc in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.

18 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.

19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.

20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.

22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

23 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.

25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.