Then the Lord said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place.” v.7
Read chapter 7
From 22,000 men to 300 men! Quite a difference! Gideon is about to lead Israel in battle against the Midianites and the Lord says he has to many men. God tells Gideon that He will set apart the ones that Gideon is to take to battle and to send the rest home. It's an interesting way the Lord chooses to show Gideon which men to take: when they go to drink water he is to separate those that lap the water like a dog verses those that kneel to drink. Some commentators suggest that idolaters were accustomed to kneel and therefore showed who really worshiped God alone if they didn't kneel. Other commentators say that the water was so fierce that only the weak ones lapped the water in their hands and therefore God chose the weakest ones to go to battle. Yet no matter the reason for how the number was cut down to only 300, God was showing it's not in man's strength that they'd win but to really see God as their strength to win any battle and for their enemies to not be able to overlook how great is the God of Israel. When have you looked at the outward things of impossibilities to succeed? Did you rely on the Lord to help you or did you not even enter the battle being defeated in your mind before it even begun?
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