A TEST OF FAITH #3

BLOG #58 - 6/5/2020  

The story about Gideon is found in (Judges 7). The Lord called Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, to fight against the Midianites. Gideon had an army of twenty-two thousand soldiers. The Lord told Gideon his army of twenty-two thousand soldiers were too many. Therefore, Gideon reduced his army to 10,000 soldiers. Again, the Lord told Gideon he still had too many soldiers. Gideon reduced his army to 300 soldiers. Then the Lord told Gideon with the three hundred soldiers He would defeat the army of the Midianites.

Why did the Lord command Gideon to reduce his army to three hundred soldiers? Jamieson-Faucett-Brown say, “it is scarcely possible to conceive a more severe trial than to command to attack the overwhelming forces of the enemy with such a handful of followers.” The Lord’s command was a divine test. The reason for the divine test was so God would get the glory. As it turned out, Gideon’s army did not even have to fight. The Lord won the victory on His own. The story in (Judges 7) is a reminder that nothing is accomplished by human ability alone. It is also a reminder that the only way we gain victory over our human weaknesses is through God’s power.