Deliverance By God’s Hand

KEY VERSE: “It was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation 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.” —Judges 7:15

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Judges 7:2-7, 19-21

AS WAS HABITUALLY true with the Israelites—as indeed it is with the whole fallen human race—they “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 6:1) In the case brought to our attention in this lesson, “the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” Then they cried unto the Lord, and he raised up Gideon to deliver them.

The unique method of securing his army is well known. In a remarkably short time it numbered thirty-two thousand. While this was a very small army by comparison with the hosts of Midian and their allies, the Lord said it was too large. So twenty-two thousand—those who manifested a measure of fear—were sent home. This left ten thousand, which the Lord explained were still too many.

Finally, Gideon’s army was reduced to the small number of three hundred. These he armed, not with swords or other weapons of destruction, but with a torch, an earthen pitcher, and a ram’s horn trumpet. This was by the Lord’s instruction. Knowing that Gideon’s faith and courage could well be shaken in having to lead such a small group of unarmed men against the great armed might of their enemy, described as laying along the battle line like grasshoppers for multitude” (Judges 7:12), he gave Gideon assurance that he would be with him and give him the victory. “Behold, there was a man [one of Gideon’s band] 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. 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.”—vss. 13,14

With this assurance, Gideon deployed his three hundred men in three companies, taking personal supervision of one of the groups. He instructed that the men in the other groups were to watch his company, and do as they did. First, Gideon and the hundred men with him, broke their earthen vessels which were concealing the lighted torches, and then they blew on their trumpets, shouting, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” Then, almost immediately, the other two companies did the same. This was done in the darkness of night, and it served to frighten and confuse the hosts of the Midianites. In their confusion, they started fighting one another, and so were defeated.

It is said that the only ones in an ancient army to carry torches were the captains, or leaders. Gideon’s strategy, therefore, would give the impression to the enemy that an army was attacking them which was so large that it required three hundred officers, for they could see the lights flickering, and hear the trumpets blowing from all over the surrounding hills. No wonder they were frightened!

There is a beautiful lesson in this for the Christian. We are to let our light shine by ‘breaking’ or sacrificing our ‘earthen vessels’. And we are to be zealous in doing this. In our association with the brethren we are to be humble, “in honor preferring one another.” (Rom. 12:10) Nevertheless, in zeal and loving devotion to the Lord and to his cause of showing forth his praises, we should each one feel a sense of responsibility, and thus be ensamples, worthy to be imitated by all those who likewise are called to break their earthen vessels, to let the light shine out.

Gideon, by nature, was a self-effacing man. He said to the Lord, “My family is poor … and I am the least in my father’s house. And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” (Judges 6:15,16) In keeping with the thought of this lesson, the Lord was with Gideon by teaching him his ways. It was because he followed the Lord’s ways that the enemies of Israel were defeated.

The Israelites who had fought with Gideon did not recognize this as clearly as he did. Seeing his success in battle, they assumed it was because of his own shrewdness, and wished to make him their leader. But Gideon knew that it was really the Lord who had defeated the Midianites, and refused the honor!

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