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GIDEON (VI)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25
Judges 7:1-8

Deuteronomy 20:1-10

 

“…bring them down unto the water,

and I will try them for thee there…”

 

GIDEON (VI)
 
The fifth lesson we find in God’s dealing with Gideon in relation to his call is the necessity of obedience. For God’s work to receive God’s blessings, it has to be done in God’s way and for God’s glory. The only way to do God’s work in God’s way is to obey God’s Word.
 
“And the LORD said unto Gideon…” (Judg 7:2, 4, 7). Victory is not guaranteed by numbers on your side. Victory is influenced by attitude not multitude. The attitude presented to us in Gideon is that of obedience. Their oppression was due to their spiritual departure. They sought after other gods, they were enticed into, and enslaved by, the idolatry of the land. This would happen again unless they were fully persuaded and committed to their God. The victory that they were to get against the Midianites must accomplish this. If their victory makes them trust in the arm of flesh, they will soon falter and fail, and go astray again for the arm of flesh is limited and hence always failing. The victory must not vaunt them up but humble them, and so the instructions given to Gideon were directed at thinning, not beefing up, the army. In obedience to God, the army was reduced from over 30,000 men to 300 men!
 
“…By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you…” (Judg 7:7). There is no special significance in the lapping of water as opposed to bowing the knees to drink. We should not place undue emphasis on it, as that would diminish from why the LORD reduced the numbers. Remember, all this was because they were prone to say, “Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judg 7:2). What effect the drastic reduction in the numbers had on those who remained cannot be stated. What effect it had on the enemy as the army of Gideon was gathered when the Midianites had pitched at Jezreel is unknown. But what is clear is the aim and end to which the reduction was made: that the Israelites might attribute the victory to God and thus place their trust and confidence in Him alone. The greatest hindrance to trusting and obeying God is often self-confidence.
 
THOUGHT: “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.”

PRAYER: Grant us obedience to Thy Word, and rest in Thy pleasure.

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