Read Judges 7:1-25

² The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ ³ Now, therefore, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.

⁴ And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and any one of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and any one of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” ⁵ So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, everyone who kneels down to drink.” ⁶ And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water.⁷ And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” ⁸ So the people took provisions in their hands and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.

¹³ When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” ¹⁴ And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”

¹⁶ And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. ¹⁸ When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’”

The army of God was ready to fight. They were able to assemble 30,000 men. Not as many as their enemies but Gideon had no other plan. When he presented the men to God, God said that they were too many. When Gideon ask the men who are fearful to go to war, more than 2/3 left.

Keypoint #1: Doing God’s work requires courageous men. 

Yet with 10,000 men, God still said that they were too many. God was not about to give the glory to the men. When Gideon asked the men to drink the water from the brook, God set aside the 300 men he needed for the battle.

Keypoint #2: For God, it will never be a numbers game. 300 plus God is the majority. 

God then asked Gideon and some men to spy the land to hear what the Midianites thought of them. And in a strange dream, the Midianites knew they were about to be routed by Gideon. God went ahead of Gideon and fought his battle even before it started.

Keypoint #3: Let God fight your battle. 

Upon hearing what the enemy thought of them, Gideon went back to the camp and devised a plan to defeat the Midianites with 300 men. And they had a great victory that day.

Keypoint #4: We make our plans, but God directs our steps.

Talk it over:

1.  Are there any areas in your life where God requires that you step out in faith and live courageously? Share to the group.
2. What are some battles that you need to surrender to God?
3. What does it mean to make your plans but letting God direct your steps?