During a fierce Civil War battle, a young soldier’s platoon was overrun. While making a hasty retreat, he became separated from his fellow-soldiers.
Desperately seeking a hiding place, he happened on a rocky ledge which contained a small entrance to a cave. Knowing the enemy was near and exhausted from his flight, he decided to hide there. With some difficulty he crawled into the dark shelter. There, lying on his face, he silently cried out to God to protect him from his enemies.
After a time of deep, earnest pleading with God, he looked up at the sunlit entrance through which he had entered. But all he saw was a spider beginning to weave its web across the opening. Watching the delicate threads being woven at the mouth of the cave, the young man was filled with anguish.
“I asked God for protection and deliverance,” he thought bitterly, “and He answers by sending me a spider! How is a spider going to save me?”
Soon he heard the enemy approaching. Listening as their voices drew nearer, the soldier realized he was about to be discovered, and his faltering faith could not keep his heart from sinking in despair.
One of them, his rifle at ready, cautiously approached the cave, crouching at its entrance. Just inside, the frightened young soldier lay, preparing for his last battle.
As the enemy warily began to enter the cave, he noticed the spider’s web, which by now was completely strung across the opening. Backing away from the entrance, he called to a comrade, “There’s no one in here. A person would have had to break this spider’s web to enter the cave. Let’s move on.”
Many are familiar with that lovely hymn in the Little Flock Hymnbook (#44, Appendix) that says, in part, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.... Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace.” Yet, how often, when confronted with deep trials of sorrow, sickness or conflict, we so easily forget the divine love, grace and wisdom of our God which works all things for our ultimate blessing.
In Judges 6:1-101And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds. 3And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. 6And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. 7And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, 8That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. (Judges 6:1‑10), the Israelites, impoverished and miserable under enemy domination, cry to the Lord and are rebuked for their disobedience. But Jehovah graciously encourages one young deliverer, Gideon, promising that His presence will be with him (vs. 16).
Immediately dear Gideon’s faith wavered and he began to question and reason: “If the Lord be with us, why” (vs. 13). “Wherewith shall I save Israel” (vs. 15). “If now I have found grace... show me a sign” (vs. 17). “He feared his father’s household” (vs. 27). “If Thou wilt save Israel... as Thou hast said... I will put a fleece.... Let me prove” (vss. 36-40). Still, the Lord used that tiny band to natural reasoning appearing little better than a feeble spiderweb-to defeat a strong and fierce foe (ch. 7:7). What a mighty victory was wrought by Gideon and those three hundred men! “Little children... greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:44Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)).
Ed.