Rebellion: A Study in Judgesনমুনা
What does it say?
God instructed Gideon to select an army of only 300 Israelites to fight against the Midianites. Gideon and his army ambushed the Midianites in a nighttime battle.
What does it mean?
When Gideon’s troops were first gathered together, there were about 32,000 men. However, God whittled down the number to 300 because He did not want Israel to brag that they won this battle by their sheer size. God could have simply spoken a word, and the Midianites would have been defeated on the spot. But God chose to accomplish His plan through a small group of soldiers and sent over 99% of the army home before the battle began. It took tremendous faith to go into battle with only trumpets and pitchers. The result was one of the most amazing victories in all military history.
How should I respond?
How have you prepared yourself to do the work God has currently put in front of you? Our idea of preparation and God’s can be drastically different. At times it seems God has allowed the very things we need to accomplish the task to be dismantled. But God’s plans are accomplished in God’s way. What is your level of faith in God right now? Are you willing to trust Him with your current situation? Take a few minutes to talk to God about how He wants you to proceed. If your faith needs strengthening, ask Him to help you believe as the 300 did.
Scripture
About this Plan
For all the victory and triumph in the book of Joshua, Judges paints a far more somber picture. The repetition, "Everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 17:6, 21:25) describes this dark period of Israel's history succinctly. Yet even in the midst of their rebellion, God was faithful to fulfill his covenantal promises to his people.
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