Study of the Book of Judges – Jdg 7:1-25: The People are too Many for Me to Give the Midianites into Their Hands

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Jdg 7:1-25: The People are too Many for Me to Give the Midianites into Their Hands

[Study Aired April 12, 2021]

Jdg 7:1  Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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 of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 
Jdg 7:4  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet 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. 
Jdg 7:5  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:8  So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:10  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:14  And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. 
Jdg 7:21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 
Jdg 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 Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. 
Jdg 7:23  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 
Jdg 7:24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. 
Jdg 7:25  And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. 

This chapter is divided into three components: the selection of those who were going to war against the Midianites, God’s assurance of victory over the Midianites and the defeat of the Midianites. In order to understand this chapter, we need to understand what the Midianites represent.

In an earlier review, it was shown that the Midianites represent the false doctrines which make us focus on receiving our full reward while living here on earth.  Therefore, we end up fixing our attention on the cares of this life, and so when the word of God is sown in our lives, it is choked and does not bear any fruit.

Mat 13:22  He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The Selection of Those to Wage War

Jdg 7:1  Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 

It was at the well of Harod that the Israelites under Gideon gathered in preparation for the battle against the Midianites who were in a nearby valley by the hill of Moreh. ‘Harod’ means ‘fear’, and the well represents the word of God. So it is through the word of God that we learn the fear of the Lord.  The fear of the Lord makes us walk in His ways, causing us to love Him and serve Him with all our heart and soul. As a result, our Lord causes our enemies within and without to fear us, making us victorious in our walk with Him.

Deu 10:12  And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Deu 11:25  There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

It is important to note that the Midianites were gathered on the north side of the Israelites. This is to show us that the Midianites were instruments God was using to judge them as out of the north comes judgment. So the false doctrines (the Midianites) we have imbibed in our heavens serve as fuel for God’s judgment in our lives. The result of this judgment is that we learn righteousness or the fear of the Lord.

Jer 1:14  Then the LORD said unto me, out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 10:22  Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Jdg 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.

This verse is telling us that God does not want any flesh to glory in His presence. That is why God chooses the stupid things of this world to confound the wise who think that their own decisions are responsible for their current status. One of the false doctrines that makes us think our own hands have saved us is the doctrine of man’s free will. God clearly says in His word that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy. Romans 8:21 says that the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly. All these verses of scriptures make it clear that we do not have our own free will to make decisions but that everything is of the Lord.

1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.

Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

Therefore, it is God who chooses who should come to serve him and who is not blessed to serve him in this life. Those who are blessed to be chosen are those who are selected to wage war with the flesh. These are those who get caught in their sins now but those who are not part of the elect are those whose sins do not show up until later.

1Ti 5:24  Some people get caught in their sins right away, even before the time of judgment. But other people’s sins don’t show up until later. (CEV)

This is how God chooses the stupid things of this world:

Jdg 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 of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 

The total number of those who had gathered to battle the Midianites were thirty-two thousand. In the Book of Chronicles, the same number of warriors (32,000) got themselves ready to wage war. So this number symbolized those who are responding to calls to wage war against the old man or the flesh. However, it is one thing to be called to wage war against the flesh, but it is another thing to follow up this call to start engaging the enemy in battle.

1Ch 19:7  Thirty-two thousand troops, as well as the king of Maacah and his army, came and camped near Medeba. The Ammonite troops also left their towns and came to prepare for battle.

One of the ways that separate those who actually engage the enemy in battle from those who are called but never pursue the enemy is the fear factor. In verse 3, those who are fearful and afraid were allowed to return home, and as a result, twenty-two thousand people left. The question is, “what does it mean to be fearful and afraid?” To be afraid or fearful means we regard ourselves as being incapable to drive the enemies (false doctrines, fleshly desires, etc.) from our land as we cannot think of life without them. We therefore try to stone those who are urging us to let these false doctrines, desires, etc. go. That was what happened to Caleb and Joshua as the Israelites almost stoned them.

Num 14:6  And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes:
Num 14:7  And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
Num 14:8  If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
Num 14:9  Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.
Num 14:10  But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

The consequence of refusing to start this war is that we end up worshiping the beast saying, “Who is like the beast or can make war with the beast?” We are the fearful and afraid at certain periods of our walk with Christ when we are being called out of Babylon but we do not think we have what it takes to come out of the wilderness of Babylon to confront the giants (our false doctrines, desires and addictions) within us.

Rev 13:4  and they worshiped the dragon who had given its authority to the beast. They also worshiped the beast and said, “No one is like this beast! No one can fight against it.”

Jdg 7:4  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet 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. 

Verse 4 emphasizes the point once again that it is the word of God (represented by water) that separates the sheep from the goat. It also makes us aware that it is God who chooses who should wage this war in this life and who should not. This is to make us aware that our will does not play a part in God’s salvation.

Jdg 7:5  So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
Jdg 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. 

Those who scooped up water in their hands and lapped represent those who test the spirit to see if it is from God because false prophets have gone out into the world. They do this by comparing spiritual with spiritual. The number of those who were selected was three hundred. The number 300 = 3x10x10. The number three signifies the process of spiritual completion through judgment, and the number ten stands for the completion of the flesh. Thus, the number three hundred stands for those who are in the process of being judged to become spiritually complete in this life (flesh).

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Those who bow down on their knees to drink water are those who have no discernment and just take in whatever is thrown at them without testing the spirit to see if it is of God. They are the foolish Galatians who have been bewitched so they cannot obey the truth. At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, while we were in Babylon, we were those who bowed down on our knees to drink water of the great swelling words emanating from the traditions of man’s wisdom to pollute our heavens. In this way, we behaved just like the Israelites who were ready to stone those who told them that they could overcome the giants in the land.

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

Jdg 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.

As indicated, the three hundred men are those who are in the process of being judged to become spiritually complete in this fleshly life. These are the people that are able to wage war against these false doctrines in our heavens represented by the Midianites and remove them from their land.

Jdg 7:8  So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he 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.

This verse reflects the giving of food and other resources of those sent away to the three hundred men who were going to wage war with the Midianites. Spiritually, this is the same as saying that those sent away were made disobedient so the elect will be shown mercy. In other words, the food and other resources meant for those turned away were given to those going to wage the war. Later on, they will also be given the food and other resources (will be shown mercy) by the three hundred warriors who have received mercy in this life.

Rom 11:30  For as ye in time past were disobedient to God, but now have obtained mercy by their disobedience,
Rom 11:31  even so have these also now been disobedient, that by the mercy shown to you they also may now obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32  For God hath shut up all unto disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

Assurance of Victory over the Midianites

Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:10  But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 
Jdg 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.

Our Commander in Chief, our Lord Jesus Christ, knows how to motivate us to wage war against the flesh as we engage in this long drawn-out war with the old man or the flesh. Without assurance of victory, we may likely draw back and concede that there is no way we can win this war, just as the whole world think that this war cannot be won. This is because we may be discouraged at some points in our walk due to the intensity of the battle. That is why we are admonished that we should never draw back but walk in faith.

Heb 10:38  Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
Heb 10:39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Our Lord is always assuring us of this victory throughout the word of God.  For example, when Joshua and the Israelites were getting ready to fight Jericho after crossing the Jordan River, Joshua had an encounter with the Lord who assured him of victory as follows:

Jos 5:13  And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?
Jos 5:14  And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Jos 5:15  And the captain of the LORD’S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.

Of course, the captain of the Lord’s host is Jesus our Lord, and if He is for us who can be against us? All that the Lord requires from us based on this encounter with Joshua is that we should loose our shoes from off our feet as we are standing on a holy ground. That means that we should change from our old ways of walking with Him as we get to know Him. Standing on a holy ground means our eyes are seeing and our ears are hearing the word of God.

We have been assured, just like Gideon and Joshua, throughout the word of God that victory is ours. Thus, we are not to retreat or surrender but move forward always even if the situation seems like we are losing the fight!!

As long as we see the Ark of the Covenant being carried by the priests, we are to move on. This was the command Joshua, representing Christ, told the elect (the officers) to tell the Israelites. The Ark of the Covenant represents Christ who is the word of God, and the carrying of this Ark by the priests signifies the elect who speak and walk according to the word of God. So, as long as our eyes are seeing and our ears are hearing the word of God, we must move on irrespective of our failures, which includes the sins which easily beset us, our addictions, etc., and victory will definitely be ours!!

Jos 3:2  And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;
Jos 3:3  And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.
Jos 3:4  Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

As we follow the Ark, there must be a space of two thousand cubits. This means that as we are understanding the word of God, we must always be conscious of not neglecting the testing of the spirit to see if it is of the Lord by comparing spiritual with spiritual. Two thousand cubits space can be broken down as: 2000 =2x10x10x10. This means that as fleshly beings (number 10), we must always remember to have a witness (signified by number 2) concerning the word of God which is the Ark.

Jdg 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. 

The Midianites, the Amalekites and the children of the East are described here as grasshoppers for multitude because they are without number, and they enter into the land to destroy it. According to Strong, grasshoppers and locusts are the same. From Revelation 9:3, we read that these locusts come out of the smoke from the bottomless pit (our sea of flesh). The smoke that darkens the sun and the air are the false doctrines which keep us from seeing the light of Christ. The locusts therefore are the product of our darkness which further deepens our darkness as they cover the earth bringing the land in darkness. That is, this oppression of the Midianites in our lives sends us into more darkness, blocking us from seeing the light of the glorious gospel of Christ. We all, at a certain period of our lives, have encountered their effects in our lives.

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Exo 10:13  And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Exo 10:14  And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
Exo 10:15  For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Jdg 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. 
Jdg 7:14  And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.
Jdg 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. 

As indicated, our Lord allowed Gideon to hear what the enemies were discussing to assure him of victory as promised by the Lord. The cake of barley bread that tumbled into the host of the Midian and into the tent typifies the fiery word of God which destroys our false doctrines (the Midianites) from our tents which is our hearts and minds. This is confirmed in verse 14 when one of the Midianites said that the cake of barley bread is the sword of Gideon, which is the word of God.

Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The Defeat of the Midianites

Jdg 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 dividing of the three hundred men into three companies signifies that the defeat of the enemies in our lives is done little by little just as the trials we face in our lives are carried out little by little, less we faint.

Exo 23:29  I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
Exo 23:30  By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

Rev 8:10  And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

The trumpet in the hands of those selected to fight symbolizes the need for the elect to sound the alarm for us to wage this war against the old man. The empty pitchers with the lamps within the pitchers represent the treasure, which is the lamp (the word of God) in our earthen vessels (pitchers).

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Jdg 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.

In this verse, Gideon represents Christ, and as our Chief Commander, we are to look up to Him and follow Him by doing what He did while walking here on earth.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Jdg 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.

One of the things that our Lord Jesus did while walking here on earth is that He warned us of this impending war with the old man. That is what it means to blow the trumpet as we see Gideon instructing the people with him to blow the trumpet after him. In His dialogue with the disciples, Jesus was always warning them of this war as follows:

Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

To love your life means you are not ready for war.  The process of losing your life is this war we are talking about.

Joh 2:13  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;

This war is the clearing of our temple of all that offends as Jesus did.

Joh 2:18  Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Again, the destroying of our temple is what this war is about. Our old man representing this temple must be destroyed before the new man comes.

Jdg 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.
Jdg 7:20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

This call to war against the flesh (blowing of trumpets) is about the breaking of pitchers.  To break the pitchers means that the beast within is being taken and destroyed. It is only when it is destroyed that the lamp, which is the word of God or Christ concealed within us, begins to shine forth in our lives. So the breaking of the pitchers signifies the dying of the old man and the simultaneous birth of the new man after the image of Christ.

2Pe 2:12  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

The weapon we need to win this war is the sword of the Lord and of Gideon as proclaimed by the warriors. The sword is the fiery word of God which is a consuming fire and is able to burn into ashes all our false doctrines, additions, fleshly desires and our self-righteousness.

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Deu 4:24  For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Jdg 7:21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 
Jdg 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 Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.
Jdg 7:23  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 

Although we are called to wage war against the enemies within, we do not do it by our own strength.  The battle is the Lord’s!! Our God fights our battles for us. The scriptures have demonstrated in several places that it is the Lord who fights our battles for us, and all we have to do is to desire His righteousness above all else as we stand still to see the salvation of the Lord. Standing still therefore means having confidence in the Lord that what He has started in us, He is able to finish!! There is also this element of patience as we stand still to see the salvation of the Lord, for without patience we cannot inherit the promises.

Deu 20:4  For the LORD your God is he that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.

Exo 14:13  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
Exo 14:14  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

Heb 10:35  Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
Heb 10:36  For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Did the Israelites have to do anything to defeat the Egyptians? The answer is absolutely, “No!!” If victory depends on us, then who can be saved? Incidentally, this was the question that the disciples asked Jesus when He told them about the requirement for an overcomer.

Mat 19:23  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Mat 19:25  When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

The rich man here is you and me who trust in our own righteousness.  In other words, he thinks it is within our means to become righteous. This is contrary to those who are poor in spirit, that is, those who come to realize that they are the worse sinners.

Jdg 7:24  And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
Jdg 7:25  And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

Our victory inspires others to also join this fight and win this war of the flesh as demonstrated by the men of Ephraim joining the war when Gideon and his warriors started winning the war. It was through the men of Ephraim that the two princes of Oreb and Zeeb were captured and killed. In a similar vein, the victory of David over Goliath inspired the Israelites to go after the Philistines and victory became theirs.

1Sa 17:50  So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
1Sa 17:51  Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
1Sa 17:52  And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron.

May the Lord help us to win this war and so inspire others to also overcome the flesh!!

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