“Then he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet into every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and torches inside the pitchers. 17 And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise; watch, and when I come to the edge of the camp you shall do as I do: 18 When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets on every side of the whole camp, and say, ‘The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!’ So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just as they had posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers—they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing—and they cried, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” (Judges 7:16-20)
Happily for us, the Bible is full of true and instructive stories. It offers within its pages an extensive selection of human experiences, all apt to minister knowledge and wisdom to the sincere inquirer.
The narrative of Gideon is no different. It is soaked in sagacity and loaded with practical instructions. In this present article I will draw a didactic parallel between Gideon’s story and our Christian life, for the former exhibits helpful principles that should be integrated in the latter.
Three hundred men
When we read the story of Gideon we immediately notice that his army was not impressive. It was made of three hundred men God had selected among thirty-two thousand, for as Jonathan pointed out: “Nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6). Hence, the story of Gideon epitomizes an important difference between God and men, for while we, humans, tend to seek security or popularity in numbers, God simply leans on the sufficiency of His own name, on the name that is a strong tower and a refuge for the righteous (Prov. 18:10).
God’s methodology
Another thing to notice is that the men forming Gideon’s army had no traditional weapons, i.e., no sword, no spear, and no bow; for as David told Goliath, “… the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands” (1 Sam. 17:47). What a contrast with Goliath who was putting his faith in his armor and weapons: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied’” (1 Sam. 17:45).
The main idea here is that the battle we are fighting should not be fought with worldly means, but with heavenly means. Now I know this might seem obvious to all of us, yet we are often tempted to imitate the world and adapt its methods to achieve victory. So we put our trust in diplomas and experience, or perhaps in human charisma or in the arm of flesh, not to mention the strength of Egypt that constantly lurks around to assist us in time of fear and doubt. But with Gideon it was not so. He was deprived of all these human conventionalities, for God had organized the battle and He had done it relying solely on His own name. So Gideon and his companions were left not only few in number, but also denuded of mundane methodologies.
The plan
The third thing to notice is that Gideon followed the plan meticulously. He prepared 300 trumpets, 300 empty pitchers, and 300 torches. Added to it, all of them had the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon (Judges 7:20).
Today nothing has changed. God has also planned everything well. Like Gideon He has prepared trumpets, empty pitchers, and torches. And we, as they, have access to the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon. What a privilege we have to be among the “three hundred” so to speak, i.e., among them relying on the name of the Lord to achieve victory.
The trumpet
Likewise, on the fashion of Gideon’s men, all of us have a trumpet. The trumpet of the Spirit has been given to us, and as the trumpets of old it is used to warn.
When he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 33:3–9).
So God has prepared a trumpet for each one of us. He has given us the Message and the possibility to proclaim it with His anointing. When this happens, the proclaiming voice is filled with power: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet” (Rev. 1:10). Such a voice can only be derived from God, a voice reminiscent to a mighty trumpet.
The pitcher
Likewise, God has also provided a pitcher for us, an earthen vessel so to speak. This is what Paul affirms in his letter to the Corinthians.
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
Here Paul puts the emphasis not so much on the vessel per se, but rather on the treasure hidden inside of it. His juxtaposition highlights beautifully the absolute contrast between the two, for while the former is base, deficient and breakable, the latter is glorious, efficient, and indestructible. This contradistinction has been set forth for a specific reason: “… that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7).
Herein is the wisdom of God manifested, a wisdom contrasting with the ways of man at the highest possible level, for while we shrink from a base appearance, God has chosen and still chooses “the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:27–29).
The problem is that at times we, Christians, fail to see what is inside the vessel. So we despise the person in whom the treasure is, and this on the basis of their unimpressive appearance. This sort of attitude clearly demonstrates our lack of understanding when it comes to God’s ways.
Exhorting Christians the apostle James writes:
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? 7 Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?” (James 2:5-7).
Brethren, let us give heed to the words of exhortation, for the One who came into the world in a manger continues to confound the wise. This is the way God has chosen and it is absolutely marvelous.
So Gideon was left with an unimpressive army holding unimpressive earthen pitchers in their hands, yet the glory was about to brake forth.
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