135,000 Vs. 300 men
Which side will win?
No brainer. Do you even have to ask? This is a ludicrous face up !! A snowball has a better chance of lasting a minute in Chennai heat than the puny number on the right against the huge force on the left.
Perfectly reasonable observations on the probability of the tiny Israeli army surviving the onslaught of the enemy forces. Check out Judges 7:12
Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
But as the saying goes “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. In this story, Gideon gets going. Sure there was God’s promise (Judges 6)
16 And the Lord said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.”
But Gideon was a rational being. Even after satisfying himself that it was the Lord talking to him, he needed to be sure, very very sure. So he devices a fleece test. For the Lord God almighty it was jujubee. Gideon reverses the test thinking this might pose some difficulty (what a laugh!). Again jujubee!
Then it was the turn of the Lord to make things difficult in the sight of Gideon. After just one announcement 22,000 men leave. Ten thousand remain. A further random test specified by the Lord brings the number of Israelites down to 300.
Gideon’s new-found conviction that the Lord will perform His promise began to totter. But the Lord was saying at this time (Judges 7) 9 ………………., “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand”. But what follows is instructive, and reaffirms the truth that the Lord knows our thoughts (Job 21:27). The Lord goes on “10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.”
As we read on (Judges 7), we learn how miraculously the Lord arranges for Gideon and Purah to overhear a Midianite dream and its interpretation; Gideon was dazzled and his resolve received a much needed boost.
In the end of course, the surprise sound and light show of Gideon’s army thoroughly discomfited the Midianite combo and they ran helter-skelter, in the confusion largely destroying themselves .
Yes, “For with God nothing will be impossible” Luke 1:37 NKJV . But in a situation where you are involved, it is quite natural to hesitate or harbour reservations; but the Lord does not bulldoze you. He meets you at the point of your need and addresses it, why redresses it! It happened in the case of Moses when God first called him to deliver Israel from Egypt. It happened when Saul was selected to be the first king of Israel and most notably it happened when Mary was chosen to be the mother of Jesus.
We know that Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are (James 5:17).
The difference was he prayed earnestly. Gideon talked with the Lord. Moses was the meekest of all men (Numbers 12:3), Saul obeyed Samuel and Mary submitted herself.
Has the Lord chosen you and entrusted you with a task? Have you been called to undertake some particular endeavour for God’s glory?
Do not draw back, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:5).
Muttering or murmuring only brings God’s displeasure as the children of Israel learnt to their dismay in the wilderness of Sinai. Rather take God into confidence and disclose your fears to him conversationally as Samuel did (1 Samuel 16:2), when God asked him to go to Bethlehem.
Cut the cackle and go for the ‘orses!
Be valiant for God; will you?