The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We are coming to our second study concerning Gideon. We are sure that many things of value will be found in this remarkable chapter. Introductory to the study there are a few things we wish to suggest:
1. Gideon was chosen from among the poor in Manasseh. He, himself, said, "My family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in ray father's house."
It is usually the case: God calls the weak things of the world, and the foolish things, and the base things, and the things which are despised, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are. God's reason for His choice is that no flesh should glory in His sight.
Along this same line, in this study, God cut down Gideon's army two different times, lest they should say that they had themselves wrought salvation.
It was of this very thing also that Moses gave warning to the Children of Israel, when he said, "Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt," "and thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth."
It is more than easy for us to take glory to ourselves, forgetting that no man should glory in men, neither should any man glory in the flesh.
2. Gideon with his people pitched their forces over against the hosts of the Midianites. We cannot but imagine how small Gideon must have felt in his own eyes, as he viewed the mighty hosts of Midian and then turned his eyes upon his own thousands. The enemy were well prepared for battle; they possessed every appliance of warfare known to their day. Gideon was without any arms worth mentioning.
We are reminded of that verse which says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."
Samson went forth to fight, holding in his hand the jawbone of an ass, yet he literally routed the enemy, cutting them down to the ground as mown grass.
David went forth against the armies of the Philistines, and against their chieftain, Goliath, carrying in his bag but five smooth stones, and in his hand a sling; yet he utterly routed the hosts of the enemy and left their champion dead upon the field.
Jonathan, with his armor-bearer, climbed up on their hands and knees against an innumerable host, yet the Lord wrought victory that day in Israel. First of all, Jonathan and his armor-bearer slew about 120 men on as much ground as a yoke of oxen might plow, and then God sent discomfiture among the hosts, and the men turned every man against his fellow and ruthlessly they slew one another, David said, "For by Thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall."
I. THE PEOPLE ARE TOO MANY (Judges 7:2-3)
We are not sure that Gideon would have agreed with the Lord in His statement, "The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands." Thirty-two thousand must not have seemed many at all even to faithful Gideon.
David once sinned against the Lord when he numbered Israel. There is a certain danger in numbers. We become proud and self-centered. We are prone to trust in men and to lean upon the arm of flesh, when we have many followers.
God said to Gideon, The people are too many, "lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me."
When the Children of Israel came to the waters of the Red Sea, God straightway shut them up; the mountains were to one side; the Red Sea was before them, and the Egyptians, fully armed, were hot on their heels. It was in their extremity, however, that God found His opportunity. The Lord said unto Moses, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." He also said, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."
Thus it was that when Israel had crossed over the sea by dry land, and the Egyptians, which pursued them, were overthrown in the returning waters, that Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song unto the Lord, saying, "I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously." "The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation." "The Lord is a Man of war." "Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power." "Thou hast overthrown them that rose up against Thee." How we need to watch lest we take the glory which belongs unto God.
God told Gideon to proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, "Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead." Of Gideon's army twenty-two thousand returned and there remained but ten thousand. A little more than two-thirds of his people were fearful and afraid.
We are quite sure that with those twenty-two thousand fearful ones Gideon would have been hindered, instead of helped. Unbelief breeds discontent, and people who are fearful are sure to pull back on the straps. How many are there today, in the churches, who are utterly afraid to do what Carey did, "Attempt great things for God, and expect great things from God!"
II. THE PEOPLE ARE YET TOO MANY (Judges 7:4-6)
Is it not strange that ten thousand were counted too many with which to face a great multitude? Warriors in the battles of the world have never been known to cut down their forces. In the spiritual realm also, there is no complaining about large numbers. Most of us like the large church, and delight in the mighty throngs.
With Christ it was not so. We remember how He said to His disciples as the multitudes left Him, and turned back from following after Him, "Will ye also go away?" How few were ready to go all the way with Christ. They enjoyed loaves and fishes, and they relished the miracles which He wrought, but they were unwilling to suffer for His sake.
Instead of taking the Lord's way; probably some of the present-day church representatives, seeing the crowds leaving them, would have announced a dainty church supper and endeavored to hold the leaving crowds by a church entertainment.
The Lord said to Gideon, "Bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there." Then the Lord told Gideon that those who lapped of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, should be set to themselves. Likewise, every one that bowed down upon his knees to drink, should be set to themselves. Of the ten thousand, there were three hundred men, who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth; while all the rest got down upon their knees.
The message in this to us is: God wants His servants to be eager for the fray. Did yon ever notice this statement concerning our Lord, "And He shall drink of the brook in the way"? Having loved His own, the Lord loved them unto the end. He never drew back; He never hesitated; He pressed on up the Blood-marked track to the brow of Calvary, where He died; He pressed on past hades and the grave and stood in resurrection glory with their keys in His hands; He pressed on up in His ascension through principalities and powers, until He sat down at the right hand of the Father, exalted. He will yet press His way back once more to the physical earth, breaking forth in the beauty of His holiness from the womb of the morning; coming with the dew of His youth upon Him; He will press His way as He judges among the nations, filling the places with dead bodies, and wounding the heads over many countries. "He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head."
III. BY THE THREE HUNDRED WILL I DELIVER (Judges 7:7)
Can you imagine how Gideon felt as twenty-two thousand returned? If so, can you imagine how he felt when of the ten thousand, nine thousand seven hundred were sent back to their homes? We imagine that Gideon was learning, step by step, to trust less and less in the arm of the flesh, and more and more in the arm of the Lord. As men left Him, He learned to lean upon God. It is so easy for us to be followers of men. When we are, we are liable to lose the blessings of God, "Vox Populi," the voice of the people, is not, "Vox Dei," the voice of God. If we are followers of men, how then can we be followers of the Lord? Paul very plainly said, "For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
The Lord Jesus made Himself of no reputation. Herod went with the crowd. Pilate went with the crowd. Many go with the crowd, but Christ goes with the few that trust Him.
Where is the preacher who is willing to go forth with the faithful few who are ready to pay the price of separation, of consecration, and of Spirit-filling; allowing the card-players, and the worldly among the rich, and the godless among the poor, to return every one to his place?
There is one other lesson, however, that we may mark. As the three hundred passed over with Gideon, they took only victuals in their hands, and their trumpets. Gideon had but three hundred men; and he had but three hundred men, without weapons of war with which to meet multiplied thousands of soldiers, fully equipped for battle.
IV. "IF THOU FEAR TO GO DOWN" (Judges 7:9-15)
Gideon had already allowed those who were afraid, and who were fearful, to return home. Then he had sent back every one who was not eager for the fray. Now, however, matters were different. With but three hundred men about him, and the shades of night upon him, the Lord speaks unto Gideon, saying, "Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand." Then the Lord added, "But if thou fear to go down."
We remember how Paul once said, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." Afterward, Paul halfway admitted, that he was wanting to send Timotheus, as soon as he could see how it would go with himself. Thus, Gideon had sent back those who were fearful and afraid, although he, himself, was not yet made perfect in faith.
We are sure, however, that Gideon's faith was growing with leaps and bounds. We believe also that God was seeking to perfect his faith. To Gideon, God said, "If thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah, thy servant down to the host; and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward, shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host."
God was working with Gideon under that rule, "To him that hath shall be given." Gideon had faith, but God would give him more faith.
When Gideon was come down, he heard a man telling a dream unto his fellows. The fellow 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. 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."
This must have seemed ridiculous, to dream that a cake of barley bread tumbling into the host of Midian, could smite it. Gideon realized very easily that he was that cake of bread, tumbling in. He knew that he was nothing at all, and that his three hundred were but little more. However, the consternation which the barley bread caused in the host of Midian, and the interpretation which was given to the dream, was all that Gideon needed. Immediately, he worshiped, and returned unto his three hundred, and said, "Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian."
V. THE SWORD OF THE LORD AND GIDEON (Judges 7:16-22)
After the three hundred were divided into three companies, with a trumpet in every man's hand; and with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers, then Gideon started down. He said unto his men, "Look on me, and do likewise." "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."
Are you able to visualize this scene? Three hundred men, separated into three companies and slipping down mid the shadows, unto the outside of the camp? The guards of Midian were watching, but the hosts were asleep. Suddenly, from around the camp, was heard the blast of the trumpets and immediately the pitchers were broken. In their left hands they held the lamps, and in their right hands they held the trumpets to blow withal. Between the blast of the trumpets, they shouted their shibboleth, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon." Do you know what happened? There was pandemonium in the host. The whole army ran and cried, and fled, while the three hundred were still blowing their trumpets. Then the Lord wrought for Israel and for Gideon. He set every man's sword against his fellow, throughout all the host, and the host fled.
Victories such as these bring glory to God. The men who led the fight, under Gideon, knew that they had not accomplished anything of themselves. They realized that the power and the glory was God's and God's alone.
VI. COME DOWN AGAINST THE MIDIANITES (Judges 7:24-25)
With the battle already accomplished, so far as certain victory was concerned, Gideon hastened messengers through all Mount Ephraim, calling upon the people to come down against the Midianites. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and the victory already made sure, was sealed by their valor.
We have decided to change the application somewhat, and to suggest this for your consideration: We have a wonderful Captain, a glorious Gideon, even the Lord Jesus, who has gone before us and met the enemy. In His conquest in the wilderness, upon the Cross, and in His Ascension, He utterly routed Satan and his hordes. He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, far above all principalities and powers, and He is calling upon us to stand, and to withstand, as the battle is hastening on toward its final issue. Satan will soon be cast down; first, from the air to the earth, and then from the earth into the pit.
Even now the Lord, who is our Victor, our Gideon, is calling unto us to go forth with Him in the final issues of Satan's undoing. Let us go forth to the fight, nothing doubting.
What a princely Leader is Christ Jesus. If He shall fight for us, we must conquer. His victory will be ours. In Him we will be more than conquerors.
Gideon and his three hundred routed the enemy, but they needed the aid of Ephraim, as the scattered hosts of Midian were too many for the three hundred to reach. The Lord Jesus Christ has met Satan and we know Him victor; however, against Satan's army and the hosts of evil, the Lord desires every one of us to be good soldiers enduring hardness, as we join with Him making effective the larger scope of His victory.
For our part we feel it a great honor that the Lord has deigned to call us to go forth with Him to the battle.
AN ILLUSTRATION
The union of the two the Lord and Gideon, is illustrated by
THE MACHINE-SHOP ILLUSTRATION
The following quotation is from the pen of a writer whose name I cannot recall.
"Bid you ever visit a great machine shop, where there are great forges, in which pieces of iron, great and small, are fired until they are so softened that they yield to the mighty blows of the great trip hammers? There are lathes, and emery wheels, each doing their appointed work. The power of the engine is the power of the Holy Ghost. The burning coals, in the furnace, are the words of God on fire. The cold, resisting and hardened irons, are cold, hardened and rebellious sinners. The heat of the furnace is the convicting power, the Holy Ghost, penetrating sinners and disposing them to yield in the day of God's power. The red-hot irons are convicted sinners. The trip hammer is the Word of God, wielded by the power of the Holy Ghost, but tinder the control of the Church. The lever is God's promise, and the smith's foot on the lever is faith resting on God's promise, connecting the converting power of the Holy Ghost with the great trip hammer of God's truth, by which the Holy Ghost molds and fashions the sinner from a child of the devil into a child of God. When the smith takes his foot from the lever, the hammer is disconnected from the power, and becomes motionless. So, every Christian has it in his power to connect the energy of God with, or disconnect it from the Word.