THE SWORD OF THE LORD
Gideon stood on the outskirts of the Midianite army’s camp with his 100 men waiting for the right moment to utter the words that would change the course of history for his oppressed people. His enemies numbered 135,000 warriors; his own army was but 300, divided into three companies that were scattered around the camp waiting for their captain’s signal. All of a sudden, Gideon lifted his trumpet to his lips and gave a shrill blast that split the silence of the night air. He then broke open the clay pitcher that was in his other hand and the flame that was inside illuminated the darkness. Last of all, Gideon raised his voice, and with all his strength shouted, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” (Judges 7:20). Three hundred brave Israelites followed their leaders example and did as he had done. The Midianites, awaking out of their sleep and hearing the commotion and seeing the lights, were filled with fright and confusion, and turned their swords on their own men. Believing that they were overcome, they fled away from Gideon and his small band. That day, Israel overthrew the cruel bondage that Midian had placed on them, and they knew victory and freedom once again. It was God and God alone that had secured it for them.
Earlier in the story, God had made it quite clear that
He would be the One glorified in this fight, and not Gideon nor the men of
Israel. Before the battle even began,
when 32,000 men had assembled to fight, God had said to 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,” (Judges 7:2). So, under God’s direction, Gideon told the
army that if any were fearful or afraid, they were free to leave and go back to
their homes. 22,000 men took the
offer! This still left Gideon with
10,000 men, and these were evidently the most courageous of the original host. This was still too many for God,
however. He had Gideon test them by the
river’s edge. Out of this test, God
chose 300 men; and the rest were sent home.
Scripture tells us that it is not by might, nor by
power, but by God’s Spirit that mountains are moved. His grace is always sufficient for whatever
need we face in our lives. When our
enemies rise up against us to oppress and destroy us, the Lord will stand up to
defend us. When the enemy comes in like
a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. The Lord wants us to understand above all
things, however, that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It is often when we feel the most helpless
that God is ready to move on our behalf.
Three keys to victory are revealed in this story. All three are governed by one underlying
principle, though, and that is faith. Gideon was willing to do all that God
instructed him to do. Even when it did
not make sense to his natural way of thinking, he still trusted his God. God encouraged him with signs along the way;
but in the end, Gideon still had to act on what he was shown to do. Faith truly was the victory that overcame his
foes.
The three keys to victory are shown in Gideon’s actions
at the camp of the Midianites. First, he
blew a trumpet. Second, he broke the
clay pitcher. Lastly, he shouted, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!”
Blow the
Trumpet
In Bible times, the trumpet was blown to call the
people to battle. It was used as a
signal that the enemy was come, and Israel was to rally to the sound of the
trumpet. It was also used by the priests
to usher in special feast days and holy days.
It is impossible to remain inconspicuous while blowing a trumpet. It is definitely going to get people’s
attention. Likewise, we should be bold
in our declaration of faith, and in our stand against the enemy of our
souls. Satan loves nothing better than
for God’s people to suffer in silence when they are attacked. He can then pick us off one by one. When we are vocal, though, about his tactics,
then God’s people are forewarned and can rally to one another’s aid. As we sound our trumpets to announce to the
world, not with mere words, but with our actions and example, that we are
standing against our enemy, then others will be emboldened to stand with us in
the fight.
Break the
Pitchers
The clay pitchers represent our lives. God places the fire of His Holy Spirit inside
these earthen vessels. “For God, Who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of
the power may be of God, and not of us,” (2 Corinthians 4:6,
7). It is not until we are broken of
self that the fire is released and can be seen.
As long as we are ruled by our pride, and by the thought that we can
accomplish God’s will in our own strength or wisdom, we are useless to
Him. His Light cannot shine out to the
world through us until we are broken. As
John the Baptist said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease,” (John 3:30). We, too, must decrease so that Jesus may
increase in our lives. Only then is
there no doubt that the excellence is of God, and not of us.
The Sword
of the Lord, and of Gideon!
The sword of the Lord in this case was a spiritual
weapon. It represents the Word of God to
Gideon through which he overcame the enemies of Israel. “And
take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God,” (Ephesians 6:17). “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12). It was not
in Gideon’s strength that he prevailed, but in his weakness. It was truly the Lord’s sword; but through his
obedience and faith, Gideon was allowed to wield this sword in the name of the
Lord. It was then, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” The sword of the Lord is the word that God
speaks to us daily. Through our
obedience, it becomes a spiritual weapon in our hands that puts to flight the
enemy of our soul. All those things that
oppress us, and seek to defeat us, we can overcome through God's Word.
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