Gideon-The Weak Mighty Warrior pt. 6

Judges

Week 16 — Gideon—The Weak Mighty Warrior

3. Victory in weakness.  

4. The Lord reduces the army.

5. The Lord Strengthens Gideon’s faith.

Listen to what they say. After that your hands will be strengthened to go down to attack the camp. (Jdg 7:11a)

… round loaf of barley bread (Jdg 7:13)

So when Gideon heard the retelling of the dream and its meaning, he bowed down in worship and returned to the camp of Israel. He said, “Get up, because the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hand.” (Jdg 7:15)

1. The Lord _________ the battle.

¹⁶ He divided the three hundred men into three groups. He placed a ram’s horn into the hand of each one of them, as well as empty jars with torches inside them. ¹⁷ Then he said to them, “Watch me and do whatever I do. When you see me arrive at the edge of the camp, do whatever I do. ¹⁸ When I and all the men who are with me blow our ram’s horns, the rest of you, who are around the whole camp, also blow your ram’s horns and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ ” ¹⁹ Gideon and the one hundred men with him went to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the Midianites had posted the guards. Gideon and his men blew their ram’s horns and shattered the jars that were in their hands. ²⁰ All three groups blew their ram’s horns and broke their jars. They held the torches in their left hands, and in their right hands they held the ram’s horns that they were to blow. They shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Jdg 7:16–20)

²¹ Each man stood at his station around the camp. The whole Midianite camp started running, raised the alarm, and fled. ²² When the Israelites blew the three hundred ram’s horns, the Lord turned the sword of each Midianite against the person next to him throughout the whole camp. The Midianite army fled up to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, up to the border of Abel Meholah, as far as Tabbath. ²³ Then all the men of Israel were summoned, from Naphtali, from Asher, and from all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian. ²⁴ Gideon sent messengers throughout the entire hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Go down to confront Midian. Seize the waters before them, all the way to Beth Barah and the Jordan.” So all the Ephraimites who were called out seized the waters as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan. ²⁵ They also captured Oreb and Ze’eb, the two generals of Midian. They killed Oreb at the Rock of Oreb and Ze’eb at the Winepress of Ze’eb. Then they pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Ze’eb to Gideon by the crossing of the Jordan. (Jdg 7:21–25)

¹¹ The Angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak that was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was threshing wheat in the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (Jdg 6:11)

²⁰ The Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” So that is what he did. ²¹ The Angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread, and fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. Then the Angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. (Jdg 6:20–21)

… mighty warrior" (Jdg 6:12)

The Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped, I will deliver you, and I will give Midian into your hand.” (Jdg 7:7a)

⁵ The Devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ The Devil told him, “I will give you all this power and the glory of these kingdoms, because it has been entrusted to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. ⁷ So, if you worship me, it will all be yours.” (Lk 4:5–7)

Jesus answered him, “It is written: ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ” (Lk 4:8)

When the Devil had finished every temptation, he left him until an opportune time. (Lk 4:13)

⁴¹ He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (Lk 22:41–43)

⁵⁵ … Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out to arrest me with swords and clubs as if I were a robber? Day after day I was sitting in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. ⁵⁶ But all this has happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” (Mt 26:55–56a)

It is finished. (Jn 19:30)

³ Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life. (Ro 6:3–4)

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. He said, “Take, eat, this is my body.” ²⁷ Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it all of you, ²⁸ for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:26–28)

[Jesus said] “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

¹³ I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. (Jn 14:13–14)

^5b The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:5b–7)

For God has said: I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you. (Heb 13:5b)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. ²⁶ And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.” (Jn 11:25–26a) 

Points to Ponder

1. What is one thing that stood out for you from this week’s message?
2. Why was it important that God reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300?
3. Was the battle plan Gideon’s idea or God’s idea? Why does that matter?
4. Why did God use weapons that looked foolish—ram’s horns, jars, torches, and shouting?
5. How do the words “rock” and “winepress” at the end of the battle connect back to the beginning of Gideon’s story?
6. What does Gideon’s story teach us about where confidence comes from in spiritual battles?
7. What weapons has God given us to fight against the devil today?
8. Why does the devil focus his attacks especially on believers?
9. How does remembering your Baptism help in times of temptation or spiritual struggle?
10. How does Jesus’ victory over the devil give us peace in our ongoing battles?
11. What is one practical way you can “arm yourself” this week for the spiritual battle?

Read: Judges 8