Judges 7:9-169And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host. 12And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. 15And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. 16And 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. (Judges 7:9‑16)
A great number of strong, rough men, many thousands, were camped along a valley in Israel’s land. They were called the host of Midian, and were the enemies who had been stealing the food of Israel. They had ever so many camels, which probably had carried them to that land with their tents and burdens.
Gideon and the three hundred men of Israel were on the hills above them, perhaps hidden by trees or the darkness of the night. They were ready to go against the enemy although it would seem useless for so few to try to fight so many, only that God had told Gideon they should go.
But first, the Lord told Gideon if he would go down into the valley he would hear what would give him new courage.
So Gideon, with a servant, went quietly down the hill, and came near the edge of the camp. It was night and no one saw or heard them, for no doubt most of the men were asleep. But Gideon overheard two men talking. These probably were guards.
One man said he had dreamed that a cake of barley bread tumbled into their camp and overturned a tent.
Such people as these used to cook their bread as we do what We call pancakes. Of course one of such cakes could not turn over a tent. But there was something to happen to this big camp as quickly as what the man had dreamed about the cake and the tent.
And the other man seemed to know what would happen. He said the dream meant that the sword of Gideon would come; that God was to deliver the host of Midian to him.
When Gideon heard what the two men said, he knew God had sent fear to the enemy, and he thanked God and hurried back to his men on the hill, and told them how they should do. And we shall find the battle was not won by the strong enemy, but by the men of Israel who believed in God.
ML 07/17/1938