09/05/2008
Judges 7:1 - 2 (HCSB) 1Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and everyone who was with him, got up early and camped beside the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might brag: ‘I did it myself.’
Judges 7:7 (HCSB) 7The LORD said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and hand the Midianites over to you. But everyone else is to go home.”
Judges 7:12 (HCSB) 12Now the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the Qedemites had settled down in the valley like a swarm of locusts, and their camels were as innumerable as the sand on the seashore.
Judges 7:16 (HCSB) 16Then he divided the 300 men into three companies and gave each of the men a trumpet in one hand and an empty pitcher with a torch inside it [in the other].
Judges 7:22 (HCSB) 22When Gideon’s men blew their 300 trumpets, the LORD set the swords of each man in the [Midianite] army against each other. They fled to Beth-shittah in the direction of Zererah as far as the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.
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As late as the American Civil War and the Spanish-American war, bugle calls were used to signal troop movements. Today, we hear “Taps” played at funerals, but it was originally used to signal the lowering of the flag. Today, military will stop all activity when “Taps” is sounded and salute the flag. Another bugle call, “Revile” is used to waken troops, and “To The Colors” is played to signal the raising of the flag. And most of us have heard the “Charge” bugle call in old western movies when the Cavalry comes over the hilltop.
There were many more bugle calls that were used to signal troop movements and a bugler always traveled with a company of soldiers and would announce the commanders’ orders across the battlefield. Today, radios have replaced the bugle. But the bugle (trumpet) was used, even in biblical times to tell troops what to do.
Gideon began with more than 30,000 men to attack the Midian army. Even at this size, they were outnumbered by the Midianites (whose camels were too numerous to count). But God knew that the Israelites would brag about the victory rather than give Him the glory, so He trimmed the troop size to 300. Moreover, each man was given a trumpet and a torch – no swords. Attacks or battles, in general, rarely occurred at night because you could not identify who was friend or foe.
At the signal, each man broke the earthen pot, suddenly shining the torch and blowing the trumpets. Now, keep in mind that each military company would have its own bugler, so if the enemy heard 1 or 2 bugles, they would know that there was 1 or 2 companies attacking. But the Midianites heard 300 bugles all at once. They must have awoken in the middle of the night thinking that literally hoards of soldiers were descending on them. Since it was dark, they began to attack whoever was near them because they could not tell who was who. To make matters worse, the Midianites had already had dreams that Gideon’s God was going to slaughter them.
The Israelites did not even have to lift a single sword. Although some Midianites survived and retreated, the course of the battle was set in that one event. Gideon and his army had the ultimate victory.
So often, when God gives us a victory, we too are quick to think that it was our cunning and skill that won the battle. For these reasons, God will sometimes let us run to the brink of desperation so that He can demonstrate His power. We must remember to give God the Glory for His hand in our lives. Whenever you find yourself in a desperate situation, do not think that God has abandoned you, but give Him glory for what He is about to do.
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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