Study Notes
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Verse 1

We see Gideon commanding an army in Israel
Jerubbaal = Baal will contend

Verse 2 – 3

This next few verses we see God come in and humble Gideon and the army. God is saying he needs to cut down the army “lest Israel boast.” God is talking about pride of man here. God will come into your life and remove resources so that we depend on HIM rather than ourselves or others. God knew in this moment, in this fight, that Gideon’s army needed to be dwindled down because it would be the only way they would fully know, with out a doubt, it was God who delivered them, and not man. With God less is always more.

We read, “whoever is fearful and trembling, let him turn back and depart,” he is saying, ”If you’re scared, Go home.” This was protocol used before. In Deuteronomy 20:8 it says, ““Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’” Fear is contagious. Fear dilutes atmospheres. Unbelief does the same, there have been times Jesus cleared the room due to unbelief. (Matthew 9:25) Fear and unbelief can not stay in the presence of God; the atmosphere needs to be His alone.

• To shortly summarize fear in two categories:
• Fear # 1 makes you flee and hide and cower in a cave = unhealthy fear.
  • Unhealthy fear: when it stops you from doing what God tells you to do.
  • Unhealthy fear: when it is mixed with unbelief and causes doubt to rise up in hearts.
  • Unhealthy fear: when it starts to contaminate the atmosphere of yourself and others.
• Fear # 2 makes you run to God to be your strong tower who helps you pioneer forward and sucker punch the enemy in the face.
  • Healthy fear of God
  • Healthy discernment and wisdom

Let us also take a moment and place ourselves in Gideon’s position. He just went from 32,000 men to 10,000. 22,000 men were fearful and were sent home. He was looking for a heart posture over a number. I am sure he was some what concerned from a military standpoint at least. They knew the Midianites army was around 135,000 men strong, and now they were only 10,000!

Verse 4 – 7

Now God is telling Gideon he still has too many men. Can you imagine this, Gideon was probably a little taken back, “more??… OK God.” God didn’t tell him the exact test just that there would be one, and Gideon did as he was told and gathered the men around the water. The men didn’t even know they were being tested. They drank because they were thirsty. To plainly put the results of the test, the men who bowed themselves down were vulnerable to an attack, the 300 who lapped water from their hands stayed alert, they didn’t let their guard down, their eyes were always up. Don’t despise the small test from God.

Side note on the water test: Water alone is not bad.  God judged them by how they partook of the water.  Not everything in life is 'bad,' but, how you engage or engulf yourself with things matters.    

The remnant of God needs to be like the 300 of Gideon’s army: fearless and eyes up in alertness.

Verse 8

The army just went from 32,000 to 300. You would think they would have extra swords or shields to pick up and use, but they took provisions (food) and trumpets.

“Midian was below him in the valley” = all this previous took place near the enemy, their camp was close.. just right down the hill.

Verse 9 – 15

Now, with only 300 men, Gideon has to either fight by faith or flee in fear. In verse 9 it reads, “that same night,” the Lord came to Gideon at night also in chapter 6. Gideon destroyed Baal “at night.” The fleece test were “at night.” Now God is saying to Gideon “at night” to Arise (command word / Deborah used this word with Barak as well). Maybe how everything played out prior at night helped Gideon be ready for this night. In verse 10 we see God once again clearing the atmosphere of unhealthy fear. He said ‘if you fear go down to the camp,” Gideon goes, so obviously he was fearful of what was about to take place. From a military standpoint he is looking at 135,000 vs 300, his palms were probably little shaky. He specifically tells him your hands shall be strengthened afterwards.

The barley mentioned in the dream represents poor family bread. Remember Israelites were hiding from and losing all their provisions to the Midianites. The representation of barley over wheat was a sign for the interpretation.

Plus, let us not forget, the Lord gave the enemy a dream and the interpretation. Dreams are huge avenues the Lord uses to speak through people. (Read: The Basics of Dreams under Language of God in Articles)

He bowed and worship because in that moment he knew the battle was already won. It was God vs the Midianites, and the fight was already won. He worshipped before because he knew the victory was the Lords. May we all worship and give praise for our victory before we even arise for battle, this is when we become fully prepared.

Verse 16 – 22

He takes the 300 men and divides them even smaller. Into a company of 100 each armored with pitchers and trumpets; hands full with no room for a weapon, but armed by God. They trusted Gideon because he trusted the Lord. (VS 16)

His command “watch me and do as I do” resembles closely to what our leader, Jesus Christ, calls for us to do. (VS 17)

In darkness, the enemy would have awoken to an explosion of noise. Chaos would erupt. (VS 20)

Gideon ordered his men to do two things: covering up a torch in an earthen pitcher, he bade them, at an appointed signal, break the pitcher and let the light shine, and then sound with the trumpet, crying, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon! the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” This is precisely what all Christians must do. First, you must shine; break the pitcher which conceals your light; throw aside the bushel which has been hiding your candle, and shine. Let your light shine before men; let your good works be such, that when men look upon you, they shall know that you have been with Jesus. Then there must be the sound, the blowing of the trumpet. There must be active exertions for the ingathering of sinners by proclaiming Christ crucified. Take the gospel to them; carry it to their door; put it in their way; do not suffer them to escape it; blow the trumpet right against their ears. Remember that the true war-cry of the Church is Gideon’s watchword, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” God must do it, it is his own work. But we are not to be idle; instrumentality is to be used—“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” If we only cry, “The sword of the Lord!” we shall be guilty of an idle presumption; and if we shout, “The sword of Gideon!” alone, we shall manifest idolatrous reliance on an arm of flesh: we must blend the two in practical harmony, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” We can do nothing of ourselves, but we can do everything by the help of our God; let us, therefore, in his name determine to go out personally and serve with our flaming torch of holy example, and with our trumpet tones of earnest declaration and testimony, and God shall be with us, and Midian shall be put to confusion, and the Lord of hosts shall reign for ever and ever.

Spurgeon, C. H.

The army of God stood firm, while the enemy ran. (VS 21)
The Lord’s plan set in motion, brothern against brothern in the Midianites camp. (VS 22)

Verse 23 -25

“If some have the courage to strike the enemy, there are others who will come out of their hiding-places to hunt the beaten foe. When you really want help, often you cannot get it; but when you can afford to do without assistance, you will sometimes be embarrassed by it.”

Spurgeon, C. H.

Gideon, who had done exactly as God intended, had victory over the 1st half of this battle. He calls Ephraim in to control any escape eastward. This was not due to unbelief or fear on Gideon’s part.

Oreb = raven
Zeeb = wolf

Gideon hid in a winepress in the beginning.
The enemy hid in a winepress in the end.