God showed Gideon his signs. But, now, God is going to ask Gideon to obey him.
Judges 7:1-3- Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 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. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
God told Gideon to tell his army that anyone who is afraid should go home. So, Gideon obeyed God and 22,000 people left! Over 2/3 of his army went home!
Gideon now had only 10,000 men. That seemed like a very small number to defeat the two large armies that had gathered against Israel!
But, Gideon had asked God to show him two signs. And God had one more culling to do of the army.
Judges 7:4-6- And 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.
God told Gideon to take the man down to the water. The ones who drank the water while remaining observant of their surroundings would stay to fight. The ones who just stuck their heads down in the water without looking around would be sent home.
Gideon's army of 10,000 shrunk to just 300 soldiers.
Judges 7:7-8- 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. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
God promised Gideon that he would win the battle with only these 300 men. I wonder if Gideon was worried? If he was, he didn't say anything to God. But, God is such a good God that He was going to answer Gideon's fears even if Gideon didn't say anything about them.
Judges 7:9-15- And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
Gideon obeyed God and went down to the enemy encampment. As Gideon looked about he saw enemy tents and soldiers every where! There were so many of them.
But, then Gideon heard one of the soldiers talking. The man said he had a dream that some bread came rolling at a tent and it made the whole tent collapse. Then, another soldier said that the bread was Gideon, and that God was going to help him defeat their army.
Gideon was so relieved and thankful that he worshiped God right there! Then, he returned to his own army to let them know the battle plans.
Judges 7:16-18- And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
Giedon told his men that they were to take lamps and put them into empty vessels. They were also to take trumpets. Then, they were to go all around the enemy army. There were only 300 of them! They weren't going to be together when they entered the battle; they were going to be alone.
Once they were in position, Gideon would give a signal. Then, each man would break the vessel so that the light shined out. Then, they would each blow on his trumpet. Once they had sounded the alarm, they would yell, "The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon".
Judges 7:19-22- So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they 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.
The enemy guard was just changing their night watchmen when Gideon's army sounded their trumpets. They looked up, and all around them they saw lanterns and heard trumpets. Then, the shout of the invading army.
It looked to them as if they were surrounded by thousands of soldiers in the night. They all got scared and started fighting each other! Midianites were attacking Amalekites, and the Amalekites were fighting back.
Gideon's army didn't have to do much fighting at all! The enemy army started to retreat!
Judges 7:23-25- And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.
All the remaining soldiers throughout the Israelite camp heard the call to battle and went after the enemy soldiers that were fleeing. Not only did they catch the enemy soldier, they caught the princes that led the battle! Oreb and Zeeb were killed and their heads brought to Gideon.
Judges 8:4-7- And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? And Gideon said, Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.
Gideon's army of 300 were chasing the kings of Midian- Zebah and Zalmunna. His army had been fighting since night time and they were tired and hungry and thirsty. Gideon came to a town and asked for some assistance, but the town refused because they were afraid of the kings of Midian. So, Gideon threatened to come back and punish them and he went to the next town.
Judges 8:8-9- And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
Again, this city refused to help. So, Gideon threatened them with punishment, also.
Gideon and his 300 men pursued after the kings of Midian.
Judges 8:10-12- Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
The fearful Gideon who asked God to prove to him three times was now chasing two Midianite kings and their army of 15,000 men with only 300 men. God had seen a mighty man of valor where there didn't seem to be one.
Gideon defeated this huge army and took the two kings captive. Then he went back to those 2 cities that refused to help them and kept his promise of punishment.
