Judges 7:1-25
MEMORY VERSE
JUDGES 7:4 “Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ the same shall go with you; and of whomever, I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ the same shall not go.”
RECAP LAST WEEK!
ATTENTION GRABBER!
There are some things we cannot do by ourselves. There was no way that a small army of Gideon could win the battle against the Midianites! They needed God’s help.
We need God to help us with everything
Might nor power-
We need faith
What did we say faith is?
Remember the type of person Gideon was?
Remember what God called Gideon?
So, we need God to help us in everything we do.
LESSON TIME!
In our last lesson, we learned of Israel’s difficult time with the Midianites.
The Midianites would come into Israel’s land and wipe out all their food supply. They destroyed their livestock (cows and sheep), their crops (grains and wheat to make
bread), and other possessions of the children of Israel. For fear of the Midianites, the Israelites began to hide in caves.
The Bible says, “they cried out to God and He heard their prayers.”
Once again, God moved to deliver the children of Israel.
God called Gideon to lead a small army into battle.
Judges 7: New Living Translation (NLT)
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
1 So Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and his army got up early and went as far as the spring of Harod. The armies of Midian were camped north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
2 The LORD said to Gideon, “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. 3 Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’”
So, 22,000 of them went home,
leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.
4 But the LORD told Gideon, “There are still too many!
Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.”
5 When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him,
“Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands 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.”
6 Only 300 of the men drank from their hands.
All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream.
7 The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites.
Send all the others home.”
8 So Gideon collected the provisions and rams’ horns of the other warriors and sent them home.
But he kept the 300 men with him.
The Midianite camp was in the valley just below Gideon.
God moved to deliver Israel. He did not want Israel to
boast that their own strength and resources had won the battle.
God does not share His glory
He desired all the glory for the victory.
He wanted to teach the Israelites to depend on Him.
Like a baby depends on a mom or dad.
Gideon and his army were camped together near the well of Harod.
His army numbered 32,000 soldiers.
Gideon’s army was nothing compared to the Midianite army, numbering 135,000 soldiers (Judges 8:10).
Gideon was probably concerned; but perhaps, he thought his army of 32,000 could defeat them with the help of the Lord.
The Lord had other plans in mind.
The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claims glory for itself against Me,
saying, ‘my own hand has saved me.”
However, Gideon obeyed the voice of the Lord and followed His instructions.
He said to his army, “If there is anyone afraid among
you, let him depart from here.”
At that time, 22,000 left to go home
and only 10,000 remained.
The army was much smaller, but God was not finished.
God told Gideon that there were still too many people.
He told Gideon to take the men down and let them drink water.
He was to separate the ones who lapped up the water like dogs from those who got on their knees to drink.
Gideon kept the 300 men who drew water to their mouths and sent the other 9,700 home.
DEMONSTRATE IT WITH THE CLASS:
All but 6 on one side of the room and the 6 on the other
Now take two away (afraid)
Now take one away (who kneel down and drink with their mouths)
Now you have 3 men (the 300) cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs.
9 That night the LORD said, “Get up!
Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!
10 But if you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah.
11 Listen to what the Midianites are saying, and you will be greatly encouraged.
Then you will be eager to attack.”
So, Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp.
pu'-ra (purah, "branch"):
Gideon's "servant,"
literally, "young man," i.e., armor-bearer
(Judges 7:10, ").
12 The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts.
Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count!
13 Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream.
The man said, “I had this dream, and in my dream, a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp.
It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!”
14 His companion answered,
“Your dream can mean only one thing—
God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!”
15 When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the LORD.
Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the LORD has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!”
16 He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
17 Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do.
18 As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too,
all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’”
19 It was just after midnight,
after the changing of the guard when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp.
Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars.
20 Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars.
They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands,
and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
21 Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape.
22 When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords.
Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
23 Then Gideon sent for the warriors of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, who joined in chasing the army of Midian.
24 Gideon also sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down to attack the Midianites. Cut them off at the shallow crossings of the Jordan River at Beth-barah.”
So, all the men of Ephraim did as they were told.
25 They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite commanders,
killing Oreb at the rock of Oreb,
and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb.
And they continued to chase the Midianites.
Afterward, the Israelites brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan River.
PRAY
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