Judges 7:2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. (If the people were too many they would tend to steal the glory and think they had accomplished the work.)
Judges 7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead. And there returned on the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. (If you are fearful and afraid you cannot battle effectively. {Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Eph.6: 10} Fear is the opposite of faith. It is very important to have our confidence in God and his ability to cause us to succeed). {As a man thinks in his heart so is he. Prov.23:7} They way you see your self is the way other people see you as well.
Judges 7:4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, "The people are too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there. And it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, this shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I say unto thee, this shall not go with thee, the same shall not go". (We need to obey. {To obey is better than sacrifice. 1Sam.15: 22} It is God that tries the people. {:for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reigns. Ps.7: 9} It is God that chooses the army. {He chose us before the foundation of the world. Eph.1: 4} {His ways are higher than ours. Is.55: 9}
Judges 7:5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, everyone that lapeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lapeth, him shalt thou set by himself. Likewise everyone, that boweth down upon his knees to drink. (They were led to the water. {Living water, John 4: 10}You must be thirsty to drink. What you do with Jesus determines where you go with God.)
Judges 7:6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men. But all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. (They used their hand to drink water. Hands are symbolic of work. {Faith without works is dead. James 2:20} It is important to be able to hold water, to carry it to others. {Freely ye have received, freely give. Mat.10: 8}You are more watchful if you do not bow.
Judges 7:7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, "By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand. And let all the other people go every man unto his place. ( God has a place for everyone, a purpose for them to fulfill. {God knows the thoughts and plans he has for us. Jer.29: 11} {In whom also we have obtained and inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Eph.1: 11} Who knows whether you are come into the kingdom for such a time as this. If chosen stand and fight, the victory is already promised. If not chosen for this particular battle then go to your own place. We all do have a place to be, according to our callings, gifts and talents.)
Judges 7:8 So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets, and sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men. And the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. (According to Vine's Expository dictionary, victuals are provisions i.e. food.) Trumpets are symbolic of their voice. {lift up your voice like a trumpet, Is.58: 1} Midian being below him was symbolic also, our enemy is to be under our feet.)
Judges 7:9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, "Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. (According to Vine's expository dictionary, host is an army. God told him the end result. I have delivered it into your hand. Not I will, I have. God speaks the end from the beginning, in a sense prophesying or speaking his will into the situation. God said let there be…and there was. He told them the outcome before the battle.)
Judges 7: 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: {Where no counsel is the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Prov.11:14}{In the mouth of two or three witness every word may be established. Mat.18: 16b}{He sent them two by two before his face into every city and place he himself would come. Luke 10: 1b}
Judges 7:11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. {Be not ignorant of Satan's devices. 2 Cor.2: 11}(When we put our confidence in God, he let's us know what the devil's plan is. Then we are better equipped to overcome and fear is diminished.)
Judges 7:12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. {Lord how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. But thou O Lord art a shield for me my glory and the lifter of my head. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Ps. 3:1,3&6}
Judges 7: 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream, and Lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. (It is interesting that the dream was of bread coming unto the army to their tent (covering) and smote it and it fell. {Jesus is the bread of life. John 6:35} The bread that came down from heaven)
Judges 7:14 And his fellow answered and said, "This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Jaosh, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
(This is confirmation of the dream and it's interpretation. Confirmation that the victory is promised.)
Judges 7:15 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, "Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. {God inhabits the praises of his people. Ps.22:3}{And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushments: 2 Chron.20: 22a} (Gideon waited until he had confirmation in the mouth of two or three witness, and he worshipped God for the victory and shared the "vision", information with the others.)
Judges 7:16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. (The trumpet is symbolic of the voice, the empty pitcher is symbolic of our earthen vessel, and the lamp (light) is symbolic of the Lord.) {The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts. Prov.20: 27}
Judges 7:17 And he said unto them, "Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. (Gideon accepted his responsibility of a leader. And expressed the plan of God for the others to follow. He also led by example.) {Faith without works is dead. James 2:17}
Judges 7:18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon". (Gideon encouraged them to follow the orders. {Be doers of the word, not hearers only deceiving their own selves. James 1:22}
Judges 7:19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. (Timing is everything, here the change of the watch is important because twice as many were tired. The one's ready to go to sleep as well as the ones that were just waking up to replace them.)
Judges 7:20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, "The sword of the Lord and Gideon". (The companies were obedient. I find it interesting that the trumpet is in the right hand. The right hand is symbolic of strength. When we lift our voice to God we are strengthened. {Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Prov.18: 21} {The word of God does not return void. Is.55: 11} We return God's word to him when we speak it.)
Judges 7:21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. {Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Ex.14: 13}
Judges 7:22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. {The battle is not yours but God's. 2 Chron.20:15} {Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you: 2 Chron.20: 17} {No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Is.54:17}{What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Rom.8:31}
 
|
