At the Gardens living community in Springfield, we take every opportunity we can to help our residents in their spiritual walk with God by delving into his Word with them. Before the time of kings and prophets, before the conquests of David and the golden age of Solomon, Israel was led by a series of righteous men and women called by God to guide, defend and serve his people with their lives. The Old Testament refers to these shepherds of Israel as judges.
The book of Judges records the succession of these holy Israelite leaders following the death of Joshua, who had finished what Moses started with the exodus and successfully led the Israelites into the Promised Land through a campaign of conquests. If you grew up in church, you most likely heard their stories in Sunday school as a child — the maternal wisdom of Deborah, the mighty strength of Samson and, of course, the unfailing courage of Gideon and his army of 300. Gideon appears about midway through the book of Judges, becoming Israel's fifth judge during a time of oppression by the Midianites. Here's a closer look at how the Lord called upon Gideon to defend Israel against an army of 135,000 with a mere 300 men.
"Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I don't care whether they are clergyman or layman, they alone will shake the gates of hell and establish the kingdom of Heaven on Earth." — John Wesley
The difficulties of living a Christian life in the midst of a godless and pleasure-driven culture can be daunting. In this day and age, fewer and fewer believers are willing to take up their cross (Matthew 16:24) and make an effort to influence the world around them; instead, many seem to slip into states of hopelessness and depression, forgetting how much God can do with a few. The story of Gideon and his army of 300 serves as a fantastic reminder that the faith of a few people can go a long way in changing lives around you, and even the course of history itself.
God had promised Gideon that he would work through him to deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Gideon's army had a mere 32,000 men while the Midianite infantry numbered 135,000, thus outnumbering Gideon four to one in terms of human reasoning. Despite this, the Lord tells Gideon in Judges 7:2, "You have too many troops for me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might elevate themselves over me and say, 'My own strength saved me.'"
God knew his people well. Even in the midst of blessings, providence and deliverance, Israel had a tendency to backslide into complaining and arrogance. The Lord wanted to make an example of the Midianite resistance effort that would remind the Israelites that their trust should be in him and not themselves. The fear factor was responsible for the first force reduction; in verse 3, God tells Gideon to announce to the troops, "Whoever is fearful and trembling may turn back down and leave Mount Gilead." Of the 32,000 in Gideon's army, 22,000 turned back, leaving only 10,000 at his side.
Why did God act in this manner? The answer is simple: He understood that fear inspires others to fear, and faith inspires others to faith. In Deuteronomy's laws regarding war, military officers are told to address their army and say, "Is there any man who is afraid or cowardly? Let him leave and return home, so that his brothers won't lose heart as he did." (Deut. 20:8)
When the Lord applied a second test based on drinking habits, Gideon's 10,000 dwindled to 300. This may seem like a strangely mundane criterion to judge the worthiness of a soldier by, but God sometimes tests his followers in the mundane experiences of life. It's important to remember that others analyze your reactions and decisions not only in times of crisis but also in times of normalcy; in order to be used by God in the big moments, you must also be faithful to him in the little things as well.
God had finally made it so that the men could put their trust only in him. Gideon and his small army were about to find out what God could do with a faithful few on fire for him. However, the Lord seemed to have been aware of Gideon's own fear creeping back into his heart as he considered the odds, which were now 450 to 1. Rather than altering his plans, God encouraged Gideon once more: "Get up and attack the camp, for I have already handed it over to you." (Judges 7:9)
In Hebrews 11, Old Testament heroes of faith like Gideon are praised for the strength and conviction of their faith in God. Gideon is described to this day as having "escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle and put foreign armies to flight." (Hebrews 11:34) Perhaps you're facing great fear in your own personal walk with God. It's important to remember that you have God's Word and presence to lean on for encouragement and strength in these times, for he himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
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The Gardens Assisted Living and
Memory Care
1302 W. Sunset St.
Springfield, MO 65807
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