THE STORY OF GIDEON
The LORD can do more with few than with many

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” Ps.20:7

     Faith in GOD and His Christ is the supreme goal of the LORD for His every child. All throughout the history of Israel, and even through the days of Jesus Christ the LORD has meticulously worked in the lives of His children to establish and fortify faith in His creative power: to provide, to protect, and to resurrect the soul from death. He Who Spoke stars, angels, and men into being declares the power to transform hearts from doubt and discouragement into a victorious faith where presumption outside of Scripture has no place.

     The story of Gideon represents one of the finest examples of the LORD doing more with little than with much. In his day, “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.” Jud.6:1. In the great warfare for the souls of men every time the children of Israel turned away from the Word of the LORD to Satan’s methods of governance (allowing for sin), the LORD gave Satan a free hand to work his destruction in the lives of men. It is one of the rules of engagement that the Apostle Paul spoke of when the threat of apostasy was encroaching on the souls of men: “To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” I Cor.5:5. When someone’s mind is made up to choose a course that brings ruin to the soul we must let them go as Jesus gave counsel when the rejection of truth is adamant: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Matt.15:14. Tyranny is forbidden to force them into conformity to obedience to Jesus Christ. This is why the history of Rome is so deplorable, for it denies the explicit command of Christ to His disciples: “And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so.” Lu.22:24-26.

     Throughout history we this principle of GOD working His marvelous salvation in the midst of man's disobedience. In the rules of engagement between Christ and Satan certain lines have been drawn. Psalm 107 centers its theme on this very point: “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Ps.107:8-15

     The threat of sin is such that GOD’S manner of dealing with Satan is that when people find themselves in the great strait and cry unto the LORD, this gives GOD the legal right to restore His authority in the life and halt of progress of Satan’s agenda to lead every man to stand condemned with himself. This is why prayers of intercession for family, friends, and foes is precious in the great controversy over sin. “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith.” Acts 26:18.

     So when the buffeting hand of Satan was felt among the chosen of GOD, the LORD raised up Gideon. And the LORD chose wisely, for his character of godliness stood above all the men of Israel, just as in the earlier days of Deborah the prophetess who alone could lead the children of Israel to victory over their enemies.

“And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice [through the pen of Moses]. And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, 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. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.” Jud.6:6-17.

     How often the LORD chooses the lowest to raise them to the highest: “The LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.” Deut.23:5. As the Gideon’s need for reassurance led him to say unto the LORD: “Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once…And God did so that night. Gideon’s faith was not fully established in the promises of the LORD.

     The LORD then gave Gideon guidelines for Israel’s victory that was to establish and fortify their faith in the heavenly truth that great numbers of soldiers and weapons are not to trust in ourselves as Solomon warned twice in his proverbs: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Prov.14:12; 16:25. There is only one place where we are safe to place our faith: in the LORD’S overruling power.

     First things first, Gideon destroyed the altar to the heathen god, Baal. It was always Israel’s turning to idols under Satan’s authority that brought every calamity on the Jewish people. By deceiving Israel’s leaders, Satan brought great affliction on the multitudes. (And so it is today in the agenda of the New World Order: “novus ordo seclorum”). Next came the command to reduce Israel’s army to a select few. “And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.” Jud.7:2. Pride is the leading destroyer of souls. In the eyes of sinful men to be meek is viewed to be weak. But the LORD views this opinion as destructive to His salvation. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Matt.5:5; Ps.25:9,10. To be meek is to be patient, mild mannered, teachable, and humble.

     After the first sifting of the men “the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; 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 whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 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. 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. 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.” Jud.7:4-7.

     The LORD set a spiritual ambush against the Midianites. In the LORD’S wisdom Gideon gave every man a trumpet, a pitcher and a lantern. And during the night, at the proper moment, every man blew their trumpet, crashed the pitcher, and holding their lanterns cried, “The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.” Jud.7:20-22. The children of Israel chased after them, routed them, and captured and killed the two princes of the Midianites. Thus a great victory was won, and a deep faith in the LORD was reestablished among the people.

     And as is typical when a great man is raised up by the LORD the people urged him to become king. In this offer made to Gideon he rebuked the people for even considering this tradition of heathen nations. “Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.” Jud.8:22,23. Hence, the seeds were sown that led to the kings of Israel and of Judah. And through Satan’s manipulation of the kings via the insatiable lusts of the sinful heart: “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” Israel was setting a course to self destruction (I Jn.2:16).

    And here we are today, setting the same course that caused the ruin of Israel. The warnings of the LORD go unheeded just as in the days of old:

“Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!” Isa.31:3.

     But as in the days of Gideon, the LORD will set His chosen ones apart from the rest. Few in number, but the glory of the LORD will be seen in how they complete the Gospel commission within the confines of Sacred Writ: “I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak” “for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.” Nu.24:13; Ps.85:8.