Be on the alert!

Advent Second Sunday(11/8/2019)

Judges 7:1-8

Be on the alert!

 

A. Salvation is up to God.

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, My own power has delivered me.”(2)

 

I would like to talk about Gideon’s 300 warriors. Today’s text teaches that salvation is up to God. Israel soldiers against Midian soldiers was inferior in number. Nevertheless God said, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.”

 

In verse 2, “God will not give the Midianites into their hands.” From this, we can find that war is in God’s hands. If God is with us, we will win the war. If God is not with us, we will lose.

 

B. The number of soldiers is not important.

Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The soldiers are still too many.”(4)

 

God said, “All of you who are afraid of war, go back home.” Of the 32,000 people, 22,000 have left, and only 10,000 remained. Considering the number of soldiers, of course, it is certain that Israel will lose the war. 10,000 soldiers can not beat 135,000. But God said “there are still too many soldiers.” “You still have a lot of people.” That means the number of soldiers is not important from God’s sight. War is in God's hands. It never depends on the number of people.

 

The text shows the greatness of God to win through the chosen 300 soldiers. Sure, it is true that the Gideon’s 300 soldiers are the choicest warriors. However, no one can beat 135,000 soldiers with only 300. Therefore, that was the work of God. That’s what God did. God’s power is great. The number of soldiers can never be a problem before all mighty God.

 

Elijah faced 450 Baal prophets at Mount Carmel. Elijah was alone. But by the power of God, he defeated the prophets of Baal. No matter how many, Baal’s prophets relied on fake god. Elijah, however, relied on Jehovah God. God defeated them(1Kings 18).

 

C. Stay alert!

“Now the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was 300 men; but all the rest of the people kneeled to drink water”(6).

 

God said that 10,000 soldiers are too much for Israelites. So God took the test with a water drinking attitude. “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who drink water in their hand and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream”(5). In this way, God separated the unconscious soldiers who are absorbed in drinking water from the soldiers who drink water on guard.

 

That time was a wartime. No matter how urgent it was to drink water, the soldiers should have come to their senses. Here is the important thing. They drank ‘with the hand’(yad, singular). It refers with one hand, which means holding a sword or spear with one hand while drinking water with the other hand. The message is that we should not forget our duty as a soldier of the Lord and stay alert in any situation. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour”(1Peter 5:8). This is the attitude of a spiritual soldier.

 

Today we must have the eye to read the times. We need wisdom to know what the will of God is in this age. We must also have the sense to discernment what is right and wrong. We should not simply be distracted by eating and drinking and pursuing pleasure. We must do our best our lives to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

 

D. Be on God’s side then you win.

“And Gideon sent all the other men of Israel, each to his tent, but retained the 300 men and the camp of Midian was below him in the valley”(8).

 

Gideon sent all the rest of Israelites to their tent, but retained the 300 chosen men. In this, ‘retain’(hazaq) means ‘give strength more’ or ‘support courage more.’ In other words, God encouraged and gave strength more 300 warriors that night. This is a God’s great grace.

 

A man who is with God has the power of God. Gideon’s 300 warriors defeated 135,000 midian soldiers. Because God was with them. Look at the verse 20 and 21, “300 soldiers cried, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ Each stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.” And verse 22, “When they blew 300 trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the whole army, so the enemy fled.”

 

Remember David’s victory over Goliath. David defeated Goliath with the help of God, not with his own power. “All this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand”(1Sam 17:47). One who is with God wins. One who stands on God’s side wins. Everytime all we have to do is be God's side.