What Army?

If you need to defend yourself there are some specific tools that will help you. But what if there’s an army waiting out there?  That’s the choice that faced Gideon. So, he gathered an army of his own. That’s not what God had in mind:

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. (Judges 7:2 KJV)

We do that, don’t we? “I had such a good lesson prepared for Sunday School.”  “Didn’t he select such beautiful music for this morning’s service?”  “Boy, the preacher was right on target with that sermon!”

Those are all affirmative, positive statements and they were right – but in each case the glory, the praise, should all go to God.  Don’t stop thinking and praising the workers, though.  Just include the fact that they were working within God’s will and He deserves praise and thanks.

We don’t all pay attention, either. Think about how the selection was made for Gideon’s army:

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. 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. (Judges 7:5-6 KJV)

Sometimes people just aren’t aware of what’s happening around them. Kneeling down to drink leaves them vulnerable. They see only the water before them. Bringing the water to their mouths leaves their eyes able to look around, their focus is on their surroundings, not the water.  They were not vulnerable, but prepared.

Later in chapter 7, Gideon takes the 300 men and with them routed the Midianites.  Their goal was reached with a much smaller army.

Let’s look at verse three, though, before leaving this lesson:

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. (Judges 7:3 KJV)

Those are the fearful and afraid that departed early from mount Gilead. Two-thirds of the army turned around and went home. Would you say two-thirds of your congregation sit in pews in churches on Sunday morning, then never pass through the doors during the week?

Where are we? Kneeling to drink or bringing the water with our hands?