Show Me a Sign Of Your Favor1
Judges 7:9-21; 23-25
9That same night the LORD said to [Gideon], “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand. 10But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. (See how gently the Lord deals with his servant. He tells Gideon there is no reason to be afraid and gives him a way to overcome what fear still remains.) 11And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” (God does give signs and assurances to certain sincere people. However, for others it might be sinful to even hope for them. Just because Gideon was given so many signs, does not mean we should expect them. Instead, we should remember our Lord’s words in John 20:29: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”) Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp.
12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. 13When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.” (God brings about a remarkable combination of circumstances. One soldier has a particular dream, another gives it a fearful interpretation, and Gideon is listening in on their conversation. The wonders of Providence2 deserve the careful and adoring eye of the observer. The dream was just what Gideon needed. He was the poor barley cake that would turn the Midianites upside down and flatten them.)
15As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.” (Notice that Gideon takes time to worship even before he returns to the camp. Devotion does not wait for a convenient time.) 16And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. 17And he said to them, “Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”
19So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 20Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. (Seeing so many torchbearers, and hearing so many trumpeters, they assumed that the army itself must be immense. They panicked and ran for their lives.)
23And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh, and they pursued after Midian. (Those who cannot go first, may still be a great help if they will come in later and aid the good cause.)
24Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan. (A wise leader is anxious to obtain all the success he can from a victory. When we have overcome evil of any kind we must work hard to make the success a permanent one.) 25And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. (Faith wins the day against unnumbered foes. Let us only believe and we shall be victorious. The Lord Jesus is our Captain. We shall be more than conquerors.)
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1 Psalm 86:17
2 Usually, when used with a capital “P”, Providence refers to God; when with a lower case “p”, it refers to God’s will, his divine intervention, and his predetermination (predestination).