January 10, 2025

Judges 7:15-25  (HCSB)
Gideon Attacks the Midianites
15 When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to Israel’s camp and said, “Get up, for the Lord has handed the Midianite camp over to you.” 16 Then he divided the 300 men into three companies and gave each of the men a trumpet in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it in the other. 17 “Watch me,” he said, “and do the same. When I come to the outpost of the camp, do as I do. 18 When I and everyone with me blow our trumpets, you are also to blow your trumpets all around the camp. Then you will say, ‘For Yahweh and for Gideon!’” 19 Gideon and the 100 men who were with him went to the outpost of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch after the sentries had been stationed. They blew their trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 The three companies blew their trumpets and shattered their pitchers. They held their torches in their left hands, their trumpets in their right hands, and shouted, “A sword for Yahweh and for Gideon!” 21 Each Israelite took his position around the camp, and the entire Midianite army fled, and cried out as they ran. 22 When Gideon’s men blew their 300 trumpets, the Lord set the swords of each man in the army against each other. They fled to Beth-shittah in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. 23 Then the men of Israel were called from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh, and they pursued the Midianites. The Men of Ephraim Join the Battle 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim with this message: “Come down to intercept the Midianites and take control of the watercourses ahead of them as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out, and they took control of the watercourses as far as Beth-barah and the Jordan. 25 They captured Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian; they killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb, while they were pursuing the Midianites. They brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.

Christine Mullins
Yesterday we saw how there were initially 32k Israelites soldiers and then 22k left due to being afraid. It was because they saw the size of the army. Then the army was reduced to 300. This means there were 400 Midianite soldiers to each Israeli soldier. There was nothing else to trust but God with those stats. Even though Gideon was initially afraid to go into the camp (hence why he took his servant in v.11), he came back encouraged that they would have victory. In the dark of the night the Israelites would wake up the Midianite soldiers through an explosion of noise, light and movement. It threw the Midianite army into confusion where they attacked their companions and retreated. The Israelite army had victory but it was quite the journey to get to this point. Gideon’s private faithfulness allowed public usefulness. We often want to see God do big things in our life but we may forget the daily private faithfulness it takes.
This life is a marathon and while we will have victory in the end, we must keep pressing on, keep studying, keep praying, keep focusing on heavenly things, and keep fighting the good fight. God will use your daily faithfulness for His Glory.