This Week's Story
click here to play audioHow can 300 Israelite soldiers defeat an army of 135,000 Midianites?
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Are you sure? part two
“God, are you sure, that you want me to lead Israelite soldiers against the Midianites and their allied forces? They are in the Jezreel Valley preparing to attack us with 135,000 soldiers. Our army is too small. With only 32,000 fighters, we will be slaughtered!”
“Gideon, lead the Israelite army.”
“God, you told me to destroy my father’s idols and I obeyed you. Isn’t that enough?”
“No! Free your people from the Midianites.
“You have proof that I am with you. You saw the food, which you brought to me, burn. You escaped from being stoned, when you tore down an altar to Baal. Four tribes of Israelites sent troops at your request.”
“Lord, please prove yourself to me. I want to put a piece of wool on my grain floor. During the night there will be dew. If my wool is wet in the morning, but the ground around it is dry, I will know that you are going to help me.”
The next morning the wool was wet and the ground around it was dry. Gideon was unconvinced. “God, I have another request. Please keep the wool dry tonight and the surrounding ground wet.”
The next morning Gideon’s doubts were satisfied when he felt dry wool and wet ground.
He was unprepared for God’s next words. “You have too many soldiers.”
Gideon replied, “How can that be? I only have thirty-two thousand.”
“Too many! If you succeed in beating the Midianites, your soldiers will say, ‘How strong and skillful we are in battle! We conquered the Midianites.’
“Tell your soldiers, ‘Men, if any of you do not want to fight, go home.’”
Gideon shuddered. These directions were terrifying!
But he followed God’s order. Twenty-two thousand of his soldiers returned home. Ten thousand remained.
God said, “Gideon, you still have too many soldiers. Tell your men to drink water at the spring of Harod. Some will drink by scooping water with their hands. Others will lie down and drink by placing their mouth on the stream. Take the three hundred who drink from their hands. Send the rest home. With the 300 men remaining you will have victory.”
The Midianite camp was in a valley below Gideon and his men. At night Gideon took an aide to an enemy outpost. There he overheard a Midianite soldier talking about a dream. “I saw a loaf of bread fall into our camp. It struck and knocked over a tent.”
Another soldier explained, “That means God has given Gideon, the Israelite, victory over all the forces united with Midian.”
Gideon returned to his camp and shouted. “The Lord has given us victory.” Quickly his soldiers prepared for attack. They formed three groups, each with 100 men. Every man had a sheep’s horn and a clay jar with a torch inside it.
At midnight the Midianite guard changed. Simultaneously Gideon with one group reached the edge of the enemy camp. Suddenly the night was charged with cracking jars, blazing torches, and blaring horns. Quickly the same indescribable sounds came from other sides of the Midianite camp. Gideon’s 300 men shouted, “For the Lord and for Gideon!”
The Midianite forces panicked. They could not identify where their attackers were or what was happening. Fighting began between their forces. Many fled. Gideon sent for reinforcements to follow the runaway army. Days of fighting followed until fifteen thousand of the Midian army remained.
Three thousand years later boys are named after Gideon, the soldier who questioned God and followed His plan to victory.
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We invite your comments! [click here to comment]
It was brilliant!!!!!!!!! bravo!!!!!!!!!! and awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Question: how does it feel to inspire people by letting them know about God. :-) happy. from Sarah
Its amazing how God used everything to his advantage. They used logic and surprise against the Midianites because they could't use force. from Jenny
The way that Gideon tested the soldiers' alertness by seeing how they drank water was very creative and logical. from Sunny
It amazes me how God used the 300 Israelites to defeat the 135,000 Midianites. from Liz
Now days we go by the numbers. However, numbers to do not matter to God. from Caleb
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