Revealing God - an incident in the life of Gideon (Judges 7:1-8)

1. Introduction

This passage has always fascinated me. I don’t much like the military violence that follows, but there is something about God’s call of Gideon and the events that happened at this time, that seems to want to tell us something that remains important. I’m going to invite you to answer a why question! Look at the passage (Judges 7:1-8) and consider why God reduced Gideon’s army from a very strong 32,000 to an unremarkable and vulnerable 300. This in the face of significant danger! Why? 32,000 in to 10,000, then in to 300 … how does this make sense? Surely the greatest strength would have been found in the greater number! What could be gained by this?

2. Background (Judges 6 – 8)

This was another of those times when the people of God were under severe oppression, this time at the hands of “the Midianites”, which severely affected their food supply and greatly impoverished them. We see Gideon threshing wheat in a secluded place lest the Midianites came and stole his meagre harvest (6:11). Even though some of the fault for this oppression was laid at the feet of these Israelite people themselves (as they had again rebelled from God), God would still seek to bail them out! So much so did God want to be in relationship with this community, that when the people cried out to him, God put the people’s misguided behaviour behind him, and sought their welfare. God would never give up on his people despite plenty of good reasons to do so.

So God would seek to raise up yet another effective leader of people to try to rid them of this unbearable oppression. The person of God’s choosing was Gideon, who may on the surface have appeared to lack confidence and surety, but ultimately would be able to meet the challenge and deal with the demands placed upon him. God knew this – Gideon began to understand this – and God was able to bring all the necessary reassurances that would seal the deal. There was in Gideon enough commitment to step up to the plate, and finding that he didn’t fall at the first hurdle, he became utterly convinced about his role. Gideon was not even greatly perturbed by the huge decrease in his army numbers. As far as the way he utilised his resources and got the Midianites to flee, Gideon succeeded magnificently.

We can deduce from the way the story unfolds that the biblical writers saw that Gideon’s military campaign was righteous and successful. It’s interesting though that when the violence and revenge escalated God seemed to be absent, both from the narrative and quite possibly from the mind of Gideon. So often when we find ourselves in better more comfortable places, we forget God and go back to some of our former attitudes. As Arthur Cundall commented: “Perhaps it is easier to honour God in some courageous action in the limelight of a time of national emergency than it is to honour [God] consistently in the ordinary, everyday life, which requires a different kind of courage”; and then added: “Yahweh might well be the God for a time of crisis, but the fertility gods appeared to offer more for the everyday life”.

These were very harsh times, and retribution was the order of the day, and God had very difficult human cultural extremes to interact with. Yet we have the benefit of the New Testament and a clear knowledge of Jesus, through which to run a critical eye over some of these ancient happenings. And with such eyes we might consider that once very valid concern for the downtrodden turned toward a desire for revenge … things went downhill. Towards the end of chapter eight we see that Gideon’s fame may have got the better of him, as he sets himself up as one to be idolised and seeks a legacy all about his own greatness. At an earlier point of the Gideon story, he courageously tore down an altar that his father kept for Baal, and built an altar to God in its place, which facilitated a very significant community response (6:27ff … fodder for another sermon). Yet later he allows himself to be self-indulgent and put himself in the position of being publicly acclaimed and worshipped (8:24ff).

This can be such a subtle snare; and not just for the person themselves, but also for those under their influence. Gideon losing the plot towards the end provides further background into the message of today’s text. He was only human after all, subject to the possibility of gross failure, therefore not one in himself to ever be worshipped! Worship is only to be offered to God. Any good that Gideon did was short-lived, as at the moment he died, we read that, “the Israelites relapsed and prostituted themselves with the Baals” (8:33), so any hope of a proper and lasting legacy was lost. We see this in politicians quite a bit – so interested in their own legacy that they lose sight of everything else, and thereby tarnish their legacy anyway.

3. Text (7:1-8)

So making preparations for his attack on the Midianites, we find Gideon and his army camped beside a spring. Normally there would be doubts raised as to whether there were enough troops to carry out the planned mission, but in this case quite the opposite – amazingly the discussion was about having too many men. There is then given a reason behind such a notion. When such a large army had success then it would be easy for the troops and their leader to claim victory in their own strength.

Now this would be right in the face of the people’s prior rebellion and disobedience to God which led to the perilous state they were in, and God’s own benevolent activity in raising a leader up through which this nation might gain hope. So the army taking all the credit for themselves would be unthinkable, and also in the longer term, as they began to think of themselves as independent and secure, it would also be self-destructive.

But surely this still would not be good military strategy! On the other hand, perhaps an army like this can actually be too big, with too many under-trained or less motivated troops getting in the way, becoming a burden, or pulling the better ones down. In this case we read that there were 22,000 clearly fearful troops. And fear is listed as a reason for exemption from military service in Deuteronomy 20. Whilst such fear in the face of mortal combat would be understandable, we have to see with theological eyes that fear is the most debilitating adversary of faith.

So at this point we may concede that 10,000 prime and ready troops would be sufficient for the task at hand, and maybe even better placed than the original 32,000 for success. But now incredibly that number is trimmed to just 300. While some commentators suggest that the lappers demonstrate more active alertness than those who knelt down, this just seems to a random selection based on simple personal drinking behaviour – lapping up water like my dog Monty versus the more civilised cupping of the hands and pouring gently into the mouth. God chose the lower number of troops – the 300 lappers as against the 9,700 pairs of cupped hands.

What are we to deduce from this??

We could say that quality is more important than quantity – however while that would seem to be a reasonable deduction from the first sifting (due to the prevalent fear), it doesn’t fit well with the second sifting where there doesn’t seem to be much of a qualitative test applied.

Better to see all this in terms of the need for us to truly appreciate the role of God in the world and in our lives, and that all real effectiveness in tackling life depends upon our relationship, reliance, trust and faith in God. This is in line with the second part of verse 2 (the major interpretative clue we have here), where we read that Israel would have taken credit for any success themselves based on the ease of their victory. But if 300 troops defeated thousands of their opponents it surely would have been God that brought this about!

If we lose this particular insight, that our true effectiveness relies on God alone, no matter how successful we believe we have been, we will eventually hit a wall. After all, Gideon understood a lot of this it seems, but still in the end hit a wall anyway (when he started to believe his own publicity). We put ourselves in peril by trying to put or keep ourselves in the spotlight. From this God seeks to protect us and show us another way.

If, like Israel, we are tempted to start taking credit for things that were only really possible through God, and start to want to draw attention to ourselves – then what are we actually drawing attention to? Even the most renewed, mature and together of us … is still a fallible, limited human being with a propensity to make mistakes each and every day. So if we are putting ourselves under any sort of spotlight there will undoubtedly be a downside to this. What we need to be doing is pointing beyond ourselves to the one who sustains and guides and empowers us – God!

What the community around us need to see is not just a person who functions quite well because they’ve got some good support systems in place, but more so a person who creatively deals with the challenges of life because they have God working in and through them! If we are promoting ourselves, eventually we will disappoint. If we are promoting God, and not trying to be who we are not, then we can be forgiven for our errors in judgement as they occur.

Now just off on an aside for a moment – before we start thinking about trimming off anyone we see as ineffective from our community organisations or churches, we should remember the significant contribution everyone has to make, and that God is completely inclusive in his love and grace. So better to see it round the other way – that small numbers of people, rightly committed and wholly focussed can overcome mighty adversaries and meet huge challenges. And this will continue to happen as they give honour and credit to God.

Sometimes we might be tempted to wait for bigger numbers on our side before we take on what seems to be a difficult task, yet it might just be that God is saying to just launch out simply with the numbers currently available and watch for how God will be revealed.

4. Application

God is a bit like a wrapped up present. God is there (indeed God is everywhere), but until he is unwrapped by us and this present [God] is fully revealed for everything he is – then the world is missing out. As we learn more about Jesus, and apply good biblical principles in our lives, and thus effectively live out the Jesus-following life we can introduce people to God. Every interaction, communication and relationship should be seen as potential opportunities to reveal God to another. God was always hopeful that Israel would give the credit for their many instances of liberation to God, so that the nations of the earth would know the one true living God.

There are ways for us to move forward in this cause of revealing God to all those around us who are unsure about God or trying to survive life without any sense of God. God can be revealed in our smile to a stranger, our word of thanks to someone serving us in a shop, or in a word of encouragement to someone struggling with a task.

This will take a fair degree of seriousness on our part both individually and collectively. But if the 300 were enough troops when 32,000 were preferred against a very strong adversary, then we are strong enough to get the job done. Certainly God will be revealed as we prayerfully and courageously take on significant ministry and mission challenges in this community and pull them off in God’s name. When the right youth worker comes along to join us in our mission, this will help us further to reveal God as alive, active, loving and concerned.

As already mentioned, we should seeing ever interaction as significant and possibly God given. In this way, when one of those real God moments comes along, when someone comes across our path that really needs a word of encouragement or a helping hand, we won’t be caught out under-prepared or un-practiced. We should seek to be welcoming to newcomers into our lives – new neighbours, new people at church, unknown people at community functions. Not all these people will become part of our lives or our friends (some may even cause us grief); but a basic and natural welcoming attitude prepares us to reveal God when it will really count.

Aligned with this welcoming attitude is a degree of positivity about other people and the level of ability they have and the contribution they can make. This will open all sorts of pathways in a culture which so often is filled with negatives, put-downs, and isolationism – a big fence and security system mentality. Raelene and I really feel for our next door neighbours who have found it so hard to find acceptance and friendship with their two teenage autistic sons – who appear on the surface to be difficult and intimidating, yet form part of what is a lovely family. Obviously we have gone to some effort to offer support and friendship in their very challenging situation, but would also have to say that we have gained as much friendship as we have given. Have we revealed God – I think so, but time will tell! Maybe though they have revealed more of God than we have!?!

In a way we want to be seen as everyday normal people, and not ‘super-spiritual nutcases’, but in another way this can sell God short, but God doesn’t just want people to know about him, but of course wants to form relationships with people. So in another way we need to wear our salvation, our sense of having been rescued and forgiven, and our commitment to discipleship on our sleeve for all to see and remark upon. This is called living with ‘redemptive intent’ – meaning we give priority to witnessing to what God has done in our lives and his availability to do the same for others.

God sought to reveal himself through the activity of Gideon in support of a downtrodden people. It was necessary for the people to understand who was behind the compassionate and liberating actions done on their behalf. The same applies now – may God be revealed in this community – may God’s will be done on earth as it is already done in heaven. Amen!