Judges 7:18-8:318When 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 the Lord, and of Gideon. 19So 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. 20And 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. 21And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. 23And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 24And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Beth-barah and Jordan. 25And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan. 1And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that. (Judges 7:18‑8:3)
Gideon’s men were not to run ahead of him, nor to lag behind. We are in danger of extremes in either one way or another, and extremes are always dangerous. There is no substitute for divine guidance, and we can only have this guidance as we walk in communion with the Lord.
When the appointed moment came, Gideon told his men they were to stand in their places around the camp of the Midianites, and when he blew his trumpet they were all to blow too. They were then to break their pitchers so that the lights in them would shine out, while they cried, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.” The blowing of the trumpets would, I believe, figure to us a clear and definite confession of Christ, and this is most important. Dear young reader, if you are starting a new school, or a new place of employment, be sure to start by “blowing your trumpet” and letting it be known that you belong to the Lord. There will never be any clear testimony for Christ, or effectual shining for Him in our lives, unless we confess His precious Name before men.
After this came the breaking of the pitchers, as we have noticed. This shows the necessity of self being kept in the place of death. “Our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:66Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (Romans 6:6). It is most needful that the old nature, with its old sinful desires, be kept in the place where God has put it, crucified—dead with Christ. It is this “breaking of the pitchers” that is referred to in 2 Corinthians 4:9, 109Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:9‑10). If we do not do it ourselves, then the Lord must do it for us in His goverent, for “the life of Jesus” will not be manifested in our lives, unless self is kept in the place of death. The “pitcher” must be broken.
Then the cry “the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon,” acknowledged that victory was of the Lord. He alone can grant it, and yet He uses us in our weakness, if our eyes are upon Him and we give the glory to Him.
And so here the victory was complete. The whole host ran, and cried, and fled, even before Gideon’s sword was lifted. The Lord caused every man’s sword to be against his fellow, and the Midianites were put to utter confusion. The men of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh pursued after the Midianites also, and the men of mount Ephraim came out and took the waters to Bethbarah and Jordan, cutting off their retreat. There they killed Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of the Midianites.
But, alas, jealousy came in, as it so often does! There is nothing that causes such weakness among the people of God as jealousy, and what “roots of bitterness” can spring up from these things. May the Lord help us to judge these feelings in their very beginnings, for they are straight from the enemy to hinder the work of God. Gideon realized this at once, and with what wisdom and grace he handled the situation. When the men of Ephraim chided sharply with Gideon for not having called them to fight at the first, he spoke of how God had delivered Oreb and Zeeb into their hands, adding so graciously, “What was I able to do in comparison of you?” This caused their anger to be abated. They had not been concerned at all about fighting with the Midianites until Gideon started, but now they sought that which they could do to be recognized.
ML 10/11/1953