God’s 300: Judges 6 & 7

The story of Gideon, his calling from God, and his victories through God are recorded in the book of Judges in the Old Testament. Gideon was a military leader, judge, and a prophet of God. When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor.” Gideon responded, “My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” He did not see himself as a “mighty man of valor.” Manasseh was one of the 12 tribes of Israel and a clan was a smaller subsection of the tribe headed by the family’s Father or extended family’s patriarchal (male) leader.

During the days of Gideon, the Israelites were living in fear of their enemy, the Midianites, because God had allowed their enemies to harass, defeat them, and steal their flocks and crops. The Israelites had strayed from the Lord and even worshipped the idol Baal which was direct disobedience to God’s commandments of not having idols or worshipping anything other than the Lord God of Israel. The people had cried out to God to save them and help them.

When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he told him that God was with him and that God would deliver his people from the Midianites. That night the Lord spoke to Gideon and told him to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and cut down the wooden image beside it. In place, he was told to build an altar to the Lord and place a sacrificial bull on it and burn the wood from the image for the sacrificial offering.

In the morning the men of the city saw what had happened and were angry. They investigated and found out that it was Gideon. They went to Gideon’s father, Joash, and demanded that he turn over his son so that they could kill him for what he did. Joash, who knew that God was not pleased with their idol worshipping but had practiced it anyway, told the men that if Baal is god he should be able to avenge himself and that he didn’t need men to do it. He announced that he who wants to plead the case for Baal, let him be put to death by morning. The Israelites knew God’s law (Exodus 10:3-6) but had willfully disobeyed. No one stepped up to avenge Baal’s altar and wooden image.

The Midianites and the Amalekites, their enemies, crossed into the Valley of Jezreel, which was land that was given by God to the tribe of Manasseh. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon and he blew the trumpet and sent out messengers to the rest of his tribe and other tribes to gather for battle against the Midianites. There were approximately 135,000 men in the army of the Midianites and Amalekites who were gathered to attack the Israelites. Thirty-two thousand Israelites gathered to fight. God told Gideon that there were too many of them. They would claim the victory as their own and not give glory to God. Gideon told the men that they could go back to their homes if they were fearful and afraid. Twenty thousand left and ten thousand remained. God told Gideon that there were still too many.  

The Lord God told Gideon to bring the men down to the water and watch how they drink. He said that all those that kneel to the ground and those that lap the water like a dog were to be dismissed. He said to choose only those that would use their hands to bring the water to their mouths and were not on their knees. Another 9700 were dismissed with 300 men left. God had a plan to use 300 brave men. The night of the attack, the Lord had instructed Gideon to give every man a trumpet, an empty pitcher, and a lit torch inside of it. They were divided into three companies of 100 men surrounding the enemy's camp. Once they heard Gideon blow the trumpet they were to do the same, break the pitchers and hold the lit torches in their left hands and yell, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” When this happened the enemy