GIDEON:  A JUDGE AND A MIGHTY MAN OF VALOR*

 

The Preparation for Battle

Judges 7:1-8

Lesson #9

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     God has confirmed to Gideon that He will be with him in delivering Israel from the Midianites by giving him two signs.

 

B.      Gideon has called his family and those from the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali together for the battle. 

 

C.     God, however, has some plans in mind that must come to pass before the actual battle is waged.

 

D.     We have entitled this lesson, “The Preparation for Battle” (Judges 7:1-8)

 

I.                    THE REGION OF THE TROOP LOCATION (Jgs. 7:1)

 

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.

 

A.     Jerubbaal is the name that was given to Gideon when he destroyed the altar of Baal.

1.       The people were upset that the altar had been destroyed.

2.       Gideon’s father confronted the people and said:  “Let Baal plead against him.”

3.       Jerubbaal means:  “Let Baal contend.”

 

B.      The words: “…and all the people that were with Gideon” does not give us a head count.  We will learn the number of the army later in the text.

 

C.     They pitched “beside the well of Harod.”

1.       This is the only time this well is mentioned in the Bible.

2.       In 2 Samuel 23:25, two of David’s mighty men are said to have been from Harod.

3.       It was a town located off the Jezreel Valley floor.  The exact location is not known.

4.       It had a well.  This would be important for the maintenance of the troops of Israel.

 

D.     The Midianites were opposite the children of Israel on the north “by the hill of Moreh, in the valley.”

 

E.      It is at this moment that the emotions of the armies run high.

1.       There is anticipation.

2.       There is fear that mounts.

3.       There is an eagerness to begin the battle.

4.       Both sides can hear the sounds of the opposing armies as they get ready for battle.

 

II.                 THE REMOVAL OF SOME OF GIDEON’S TROOPS (Jgs. 7:2-3)

 

A.     The Stipulation by God (Jgs. 7:2)

1.       The Complication (Jgs. 7:2a)

 

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands…

 

a.       Gideon had only called the troops from four tribes together.

b.      Can an army ever have too many individuals to fight against the enemy?

2.       The Concern (Jdg. 7:2b)

 

…lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

 

a.       God was concerned about how Israel would react if they won the battle with a large host of soldiers.

b.      They could “vaunt themselves” against God and take credit for the victory.

1)      Vaunt

a)      Strong (6286):  to gleam, to boast

b)      BDB:  to glorify oneself, to get to oneself glory

2)      For some reason, man longs to take credit and boast himself in his victories.

a)      He does not yearn to give credit to God. 

b)      He longs to assign the victory to his own wisdom, skills, and power.

c)       He enjoys saying:  “Mine own hand hath saved me.”

d)     The Humanist Manifesto II:  “No deity will save us; we must save ourselves” (Section entitled “Religion”).

 

B.      The Solution Given by God (Jgs. 7:3a)

 

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.

 

1.       Warfare is a horrifying experience.

2.       Wounds, blood, tears, cries of anguish, pain, and death are all around the soldier while in battle.

3.       Even those who rise with courage to go into battle have fear deep within.

4.       Most would rather not fight if given the option. 

5.       On this occasion, God gave the soldiers the option of returning to their homes if they were “fearful and afraid.”

 

C.     The Sum Who Departed (Jgs. 7:3b)

 

…And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

 

1.       Thirty-two thousand men had gathered to fight against the Midianites.

2.       Two-thirds, however, were afraid.  When given the option to leave, they departed.  Clarke makes this observation:  “A state of slavery debases the mind of man, and renders it incapable of being influenced by the pure principles of patriotism or religion” (e-sword).

3.       Gideon was left with only ten thousand troops.

4.       NOTE: 

a.       This was quite a reduction in the number of fighting men.  How did Gideon feel about such a reduction in the size of his army? 

b.      This was not something that would be logical to a commander of an army.  Leaders know that to win battles man-power is needed.

 

 

III.              THE RELEASE OF MORE OF GIDEON’S TROOPS (Jdg. 7:4-6)

 

A.     The Supposition by God (Jgs. 7:4a)

 

And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many…

 

1.       Ten thousand troops were still too many in the eyes of God.

2.       Too many?  I thought God had promised Gideon that He would assist him in winning the war.  He had already lost 22,000 men.  How many more needed to be taken from him?

 

B.      The Site of the Test (Jgs. 7:4b)

 

…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 whosoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.

 

1.       The fountain of Harod flowed and probably formed a small body of water near its opening.

2.       God wanted the 10,000 men to draw near, and He would “try them for thee there.”

a.       Strong (6884):  to fuse (metal), that is, to refine

b.      BDB:  to smelt, refine, test

3.       Why the need for a test?

a.       Israel had been in bondage to the Midianite for 7 years.

b.      This was not a professionally trained army.

c.       These were all of the men who were twenty years old and up.

 

C.     The Stipulations of the Test (Jgs. 7:5)

 

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

 

1.       One way to drink the water was to take it in your hand and lap it like a dog.

2.       Another way was to put one’s mouth down into the water in order to take a big drink.

 

D.     The Sums Reported (Jgs. 7:6)

 

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.

 

1.       Three hundred lapped water like a dog from their hand.

2.       9,700 bowed upon their knees to drink the water.

 

IV.              THE RETENTION OF THREE HUNDRED MEN (Jgs. 7:7-8)

 

A.     The Selection by God (Jgs. 7:7)

 

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.

 

1.       Most commentators say that God chose this group because they were the better military men.

a.       They did not dispose of safety in order to satisfy their personal needs.

b.      These were the ones who were alert and cognizant of the need to constantly be watching for the enemy.

c.       Commentators:

1)      Barnes:  “They who threw themselves on the ground and drank freely were the more self-indulgent; while they who, remembering the near presence of the enemy, slaked their thirst with moderation, and without being off their guard for an instant, were the true soldiers of the army of God” (e-sword).

2)      Keil & Delitzsch:  “The 300 men who quenched their thirst in this manner were certainly not the cowardly or indolent who did not kneel down to drink in the ordinary way, either from indolence or fear, as Josephus, Theodoret, and others supposed, but rather the bravest-namely those who, when they reached a brook before the battle, did not allow themselves time to kneel down and satisfy their thirst in the most convenient manner, but simply took up some water with their hands as they stood in their military accoutrements, to strengthen themselves for the battle, and then proceeded without delay against the foe” (e-sword).

2.       Question:  Was this really a test of bravery or of military prowess?  Had this test ever been used by military commanders in the past?  Weren’t numbers more important to leaders than the way their men drank water from a pool?  Who would “X” off 9,700 men because of the manner in which they drank?

3.       Here we see some of the teachings of Paul about God being illustrated (See 1 Cor. 1:25, 27-29, 31).

 

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men…But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are:  that no flesh should glory in his presence…That according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

 

B.      The Securing of the Three Hundred (Jgs. 7:8)

 

So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets:  and he sent all the rest of Israel every men unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men:  and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

 

1.       The three hundred men were retained, that is, “fastened upon, seized, …bind” (Strong, 2388).  They were secured for this battle.

2.       The three hundred men were given their supplies and their trumpets.

3.       Everyone else was sent home.

4.       Gideon was poised to do battle with only three hundred men at his disposal.

5.       This was a serious conflict.  “…and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.”

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Gideon did not have a say in this selection process.  It was done completely by God.

 

B.      How did Gideon feel knowing he would battle the Midianites with only 300 men?  Well, three hundred men, and God.