Are the odds stacked against you?

Today I'd like to look at an important in event the life of Gideon.

 

Gideon was a military and spiritual leader who through his faith in God and by his courageous action delivered Israel from 7 years oppression form the Midianites.

 

The Midianites were descended from Midian, one of several children born to Abraham and Keturah (Abraham's second wife after the death of Sarah) who had been sent away to the east so that Isaac might be Abraham's uncontested heir.

 

The Midianites, usually found in league with the Moabites and Amorites, kind of merged into the group known as the Ishmaelites who gave Israel real grief.

 

So, during a time of intense opposition and oppression from these Midianites God approached an Israelite who He knew had the potential to restore peace, prosperity and freedom for His chosen people - the nation of Israel.

 

On this occasion, the person God approached was Gideon to see if he was up for the challenge:

 

Judges 6: 6, 11, 12 & 16; "And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.  And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained to Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.  And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man."

 

God had confidence in Gideon; but the odds were not good.  The Midianites numbered 135,000 against Gideon's army of 32,000; in other words outnumbered 4 to 1.

 

With these odds Gideon felt a bit queasy and sought God for a little reassurance;

 

Judges 6: 36, 37 & 38; "And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou had said.  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed out dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water."

 

... and just a bit more assurance from a patient and gracious God;

 

Judges 6: 39 & 40; "And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.  And God did so that night for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground."

 

For the fleece would more naturally retain a heavy dew.

 

But the odds were about to get worse;

 

Judges 7: 1, 2 & 3; "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.  And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into thy hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 

 

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return to Gilead.  And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand."

 

32,000 minus 22,000 = 10,000 troops left; odds now 14 to 1!

 

... and worse;

 

Judges 7: 4, 5, 6 & 7; "And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down to 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; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 

 

So he brought down the people to 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. 

 

And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites unto thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place [home]."

 

Now the odds looked truly dreadful, 135,000 to 300; or 450 to 1!

 

God was setting a spiritual precedent and a practical example.  Spiritual - fear can infect the rest; and practical - being alert to surprise attack and at all times being 'battle ready' must take precedence over the gratification of personal need.

 

{Note: Grasshoppers (locusts) and armies often compared in ancient near east literature.}

 

So, what actually happened - remember this next part of the adventure takes place at the beginning of the "middle watch"  - in other words in complete darkness in the middle of the night:

 

Judges 7:16 - 23; "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.  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.  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 LORD, and of Gideon. 

 

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.  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. 

 

And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host [army] ran, and cried, and fled.  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow [companion], even throughout all the host [the whole camp]: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath.  And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites."

 

And the outcome for Israel because of Gideon's faith in God:

 

Judges 8: 28; "Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more.  And the country was in quietness for forty years in the days of Gideon."

 

... Israel blessed with 40 years of peace.

 

Because of his faith and total reliance on God's promises Gideon paid no attention to the dreadful odds; odds, which through normal reasoning, pointed to a quick and crushing defeat for the Israelites.

 

But because of his obedience to God, and trust in Him rather than a large army, Gideon was able to make it very clear that this victory, with only a handful of men, was wholly due to God.

 

So, are the odds stacked against you?  No, not with God.