The Orthodox Victory

This morning while reading a passage in Judges of Gideon's victory over the Midianites, Amalekites and people of the east, I was struck with how unorthodox (from a worldly perspective) their tactics were.  Rather than assembling a massive fighting force, Gideon dismissed fighters until only a meagre 300 men remained.  These men did not endure grueling training or drilling, and they did not don armour or helmets.  Instead of being armed with sword and shield, they carried a torch in their left hand and a trumpet in their right into the fray.  It was clearly the sword of the LORD that devastated their enemies, and it was a victory as comprehensive as the Egyptians being overthrown in the Red Sea or the walls of Jericho falling down.

A common Hollywood plot is when a ragtag team is thrown together and defies overwhelming odds by becoming champions.  This was the case individually of the "Karate Kid" and "Rocky" and many others, that by hard work and personal sacrifice the unknown underdog became the top dog.  Both of these characters employed unorthodox training habits, like painting a fence, waxing cars or punching sides of beef in a meat locker to hone their skills.  While the tactics Gideon and his men employed were likely never used before or since, their victory over the Midianites was totally orthodox for God's people who cried out to God, trusted and obeyed Him.  That is always the winning formula for the child of God--not to get what we want when we want it--but for God's will to be accomplished to save, deliver and provide.

God employed a process to lead Gideon into that marvelous moment when, after dividing his small fighting force into three companies, he and his men threw down their pitchers and shouted, "The sword of the LORD and the sword of Gideon!"  After God revealed Himself to Gideon while he threshed wheat in a winepress and called him to deliver Israel from the Midianites, Gideon was led to destroy his father's altar of Ba'al, confirmed God's guidance by laying a fleece before the LORD twice, culled a fighting force 32,300 strong to 300,  and ventured into the enemy camp to hear what they were saying with his servant.  God led Gideon step by step to victory to deliver the nation from their enemies, and we ought to be greatly encouraged that God does the same to this day for all who cry out to Him in faith.

Crying out to God in faith, waiting on the LORD and obeying Him is the common denominator of God's people who overcome regardless of the conflict we face, whether it be the lack of food or a job, dealing with a schoolyard bully or a wayward child, a physical illness, upheaval in society, government or a church, experiencing personal betrayal or the car breaking down.  Our failure to cry out to God and stubbornness to try to save ourselves are common problems we may not realise when we are busy trying to deliver ourselves the way others in the world do:  we follow the lead of others to pick up sword and shield to fight when God would have us take up a torch and trumpet in reliance upon God to deliver.  Faith in God and obedience to His guidance are keys to experiencing God's salvation, and Gideon's experience shows God is willing to wait decades to bring us to a place of surrender for His glory.