Gideon and His 300 Men

Children—Howard House
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All right, welcome children and everyone to the Sunday school this morning.
And uh, does any, do any kids have any songs for us to start?
All right, 47.
#47.
When he cometh, when he cometh to make up his jewels, all his jewels, precious jewels, his love and his own.
Life, the stars of the morning. It is bright brown on the water. King Ray, So sorry and the River University rising down the floor.
Around do you like God? That's better. If you love God, you're done and jealous of our heads and you know all the same climbing on the Friday flies here the blood and Grizzlies.
Like the Dark Lord.
Yeah, right. Right now it's going to hurt you. They don't start anything.
Good.
Right in terms of our heads and crowns.
There is no shadow on the ground, there is no shallow ground pillow falls. Blair breathing deeper are let you know righteousness.
But I can hear the thorns.
Let's start.
Right round and go on everything. Grace don't shine again.
Yeah, right. And so I'll go ahead and get rid of it. Umm.
All right, that's a good one.
Into a chance where I can see boy raised by.
Salvation with everything. Nobody ever has told it to me.
Hell and I began family. Not again.
Salvation story, repeat or endorse.
Hell, man can say of the children of men nobody ever has talking before.
And it is so lovely young for less of a boy standing to be the first time that joy.
Nine months every My hands will be all nobody ever. That story hassle.
And then again Halloween again.
Salvation story repeat or end O or till none can say of the children of men.
Nobody ever has told me before.
Ending, we caught the last word of his breath.
That's the answer, the valley of that God sent his son, whosoever says he.
That I am sure that he sent him for me.
00:05:05
Salvation story, repeat orders all.
One can say of the children of men, nobody ever has told me before.
Our children we've been talking about Tell it again, Tell it again and tell what again? What are we supposed to be telling again and again?
Yes, that's right. So, yeah, God's story about salvation and I hope each one of us here, uh, children, especially all of you who have, uh, gone to that age where you can, umm, have made sure that people haven't not heard this story before.
All right, so let's sing another song.
Uh, Shane 40, OK.
That's a good one too.
Jesus loves me that night.
So I'm still handsome.
There are me. I'm really neither strong, you know, I got it. You're not like the city, you know I don't. I don't see anything inside one thing.
No, no, no, no one. Three level of blood and plus 1000 lbs leak so.
She is logical last name. It means she's heard no light. That I'm going to do all of the pains and go out of anything. He will watch her. Obeyed my extent. Why I've done that full of children.
Yeah, that's his dream. You're not just watching things.
Yeah, big. That's not maybe anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
All right, now maybe, uh.
08/5/2000 and 18095.
31 Great Wilbur's beginning in the heart. Give me a straight round and break your heart.
Yeah.
Well, I think, yeah, I'm shaking the slice and flush anything. Yeah, it's just, that's why you're just.
I don't really know.
Hmm, blood may be in loudspeaker.
When I'm very raining, passing down for all against shining. Oh my God.
Yeah, well, I'm seeing where I can find. Yeah. I don't know. Do you mean you don't have to have anything? Yeah, you need to satisfy the drinking.
Yeah, that's good. But mostly.
No, no, no.
Search lovely New World Day 2018 Alabama on Saturday night in the eyes touched him to my eyes.
Do you need anything else? OK, you need no problem with your mind.
Yeah, I'll see you. So I've lost faith. Yeah, she's done the last meeting.
Dial 325-2166. No, I am not going to go down to the UMM.
00:10:00
All right, I had a little boy telling me yesterday that he wanted to say his verse today.
So I have some candy here, a little reward for you. Hope your parents won't mind, uh, give you some candy this early in the morning.
So uh, I hope you all would like to say a verse or have one to say. Umm who would like to start?
Do you want to start? All right, go ahead. Can you stand up, please? And we'll try to get you to speak into this man.
Ephesians 6/18.
Praying always without prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Easy and.
Ephesians 6 and 18.
All right, Yeah.
Nice and loud if you can.
Ephesians 6 and 11 put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the walls of the devil. 6 and 11 Very good. All right? Anybody else?
Whatever you want to try.
I'll help you if you need it.
John 1125. Jesus said I am in the resurrection, in life. John 1125.
Very good, very good.
Anybody else?
Alright, well, we'll reward those who have said it, and then maybe we'll have some more takers.
These are fun bugs. Hope Jonathan doesn't mind me taking them from his house this morning.
No, OK.
All right, anybody else want to try?
You want to try.
Some drivers would be anyone and then I'll give you a candy, OK?
OK. Yeah, you can come tell me afterwards too and I'll give you a chance, OK?
Alright.
Alright, so.
This morning, children, we have a story for you from the Book of Judges. Book of Judges.
And.
This is a story that I hope all of you have heard before.
And it's the 6th chapter.
And let's start reading from verse one.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian 7 years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. And because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them de dense, which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds. And it was so when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites and the children of the East.
And they came up against them. All right, let's just stop there for a minute. So the Children of Israel had three enemies, and you can tell me what they were.
Alright, who has an answer for us? Caleb, do you know?
Verizon enemy? What about Hannah?
The Midianites.
All right, 11 missing one more. Yep.
And the children of the East.
Very good, very good. All right, that was a joint effort. All right, so let's keep reading. Three enemies. Wow, that's a lot. And they camped against them and destroyed the increased earth till thou come unto Gaza. And left no sustenance for Israel either sheep nor ox nor ***. For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for mult.
00:15:03
For both they and their camels were without number, and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites. And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.
And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites.
That 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 *******. I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians.
And under the hands of all that oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the God, the Lord your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell, but ye have not obeyed my voice. So they were bad, they did evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord is not happy with that. And so he sent their enemies to.
Uh, teach them a lesson.
And children, today we have three enemies against this as well. Those of you who believe and even those who don't, umm, in the Lord Jesus. And what are the three enemies? Does anybody know? This is a really hard question. Maybe, uh, somebody older can help us out.
Let's, uh, let's pick on Jonathan.
Good, flashed the world and Satan. Thank you.
Those are our three enemies, children, and they're always against us. Now let's so then the next section talks about Gideon and let's let's read it. And there came an Angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak, which was an Orpha.
That pertained unto Joash the abyss, right? And his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee.
Almighty man of valor. And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where are all his miracles which our fathers told us of saying, Did the Lord bring us up from? Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand of the Midianites. And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand.
Of the Midianites have not I sent the And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man. And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then show me a sign that thou talkest with me.
Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry till thou come again. So what Gideon did next? He made a meal for the Angel, and he presented it to him.
And the Angel touched the what he made his meal, and it went into fi it. There is fire that came out of the rock and consumed it, consumed the meal. And then Gideon realized it was the Angel of the Lord. Umm And he was afraid, but the Lord said, Peace be unto thee. Verse 23 Fear not, thou shalt not die.
Then guilty Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah Shalom.
And to this day, it is yet an Ophira of the Abe by Ezra.
So he built an altar there, children and an ulcer is a picture of worship often in the scriptures, and it's a, it's a picture of worshipping the Lord. You children can worship the Lord for many in many different ways. Umm, you can see the beautiful creation outside and you can worship the Lord because of what he's made. You can worship the Lord because of what he's done on the cross. You can worship him because of how great he is even before the cross in the days of the cross.
All those things you can worship him in. And what is worship? It's simply thinking how great God is.
That's what worship is. And if you think of that song, many of you probably have known it. How great thou art. Oh Lord my God, when I an awesome wonder, consider all the works thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the Rolling Thunder, and then what's the chorus? How great thou art, how great thou art. That's a worship song. It's just thinking how great God is. And children, God values that when you even in your youth.
00:20:12
Just worship him and just appreciate Him for what he is.
My brother Kevin, he was a good example to me growing up and he, uh, he was 10 years old when he wanted to remember the Lord in his death when he wanted to, when he understood that the Lord Jesus said this do in remembrance of me.
And he asked to take the, the the loaf, take some of the loaf, take some of the cup. And that was a good example to me and.
It's just, it's wonderful that even at a young age you can just realize what Lord Jesus has done for you and taking away all of your sins, all those things that you've done wrong, and you can be thankful to Him for that.
So let's continue on our story, children.
And verse 25 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father's young Bullock, even the second Bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of bail that thy father hath, and cut down the growth that is by it, and built an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the raw top of this rock.
In the ordered place, and take the second Bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood.
Of the Grove which thou shalt cut down.
Well, after we worship the Lord, we and we have a sense of his greatness, then we want to get rid of the idols that we have in our lives. And this man Gideon, he was from a small family and his dad had an idol and an altar to Bail and his dad.
And the ones in the city, uh, really valued this altar, it seems.
And so the Lord said that that had to go first. Before there could be any victory for the people of God, that altar had to be cut down. And so it took a lot of energy.
He needed a book, he needed a cow, and all the strength of that animal to pull down the idol. And let's read the next verse. 27 Then Gedian took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had said unto him. And it was so because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.
So he did it by night. So he needed a couch to pull it down.
And he needed, and he took ten men as well, and.
Then the altar of the Lord was built, and let's keep reading. Verse 28. And when the men of the city rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of bail was cast down, and the Grove was cut down. That was by it. And the second Bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. And they said, one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. Then the man of the city said On Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die.
Because he has cast down the altar of bail, Because he has cut down the Grove, those by it. And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will you plead for bail? Will you save him? He that will plead for him, let him to be put to death whilst it is yet mourning. If he be a God, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. Therefore on that day he called him rubble.
Rubble saying, Let Bail plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.
Well, children, you can be a real help in your family. You can help your dad and your mom in pleasing the Lord. And that's a wonderful thing when a child can be a help to parents. And some of you children might think, oh, can I really be a help to my parents spiritually? They seem so strong. They seem to know so much about the scriptures.
Can I really be helped them? But yes, you can, children, instead of saying, oh, we have to have the reading, you can say let's have a reading tonight, dad, let's have a reading. Let's read the Scripture. Let's read the Bible.
00:25:06
Remember what you read last time? It was so good. Your children can do that. And that's a tremendous encouragement to your your family.
So Gideon Hughes an encouragement to his dad and then his dad said, hey, wait to the men of the city. Really, if they'll have any strength, then he can he can get back at, at Gideon. Let's see what's gonna happen. Let's see if let's see if Bail has any power at all.
So let's continue reading and see what happens.
And all the Midianites, and the Amalekites, and the children of the East were gathered together, and went over and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. And the spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, and a by user was gathered after him.
And he sent messengers through it all, Manasseh, who also has gathered after him. And he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali. And they came up to meet him. And Gideon said unto God, If thou save Israel by mine hand is thou hast said, Behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor. And if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then I shall know that thou shalt save Israel by mine hand.
As thou hast said.
You might say, wait, he already was told by God that he was going to save Israel. Is God really going to do this? Let's read verse 38. And it was so, for he rose up early in the mortal on the Morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and ring the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water. And Gideon, son to God, let not thine anger be hot against me, and I'll speak but this once.
Let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece. Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and let upon all and upon all the ground. Let there be due. And God did so that night, for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. God is so gracious, children, and He is so good to us even when we don't have much faith.
He still answers again, again and again. Our prayers.
So let's keep going on Zen's drubble, Who is Gideon? And all the people that were with him rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Herod, so that the host of Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Mori in the valley. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me.
To give the media nights into their hands, let Israel want themselves less. Israel want themselves against me, saying mine own hand that saved me. Now therefore go to proclaim in the years of the people saying, whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead and the return to the people 20 and 2000 and there remain 10,000.
Wow, a lot of people were scared. A lot of people were scared.
22,000 That was most of the people, and they just walked away.
Now, if you were Gideon children, wouldn't that kind of scare you? It kind of scare me.
All the people, the children of the East, the Midianites, the Amalekites, there were a lot of them. There were an awful lot of them.
But.
Gideon needed to trust the Lord. Let's read verse four. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many, bring them down onto the water.
That I may try them there for thee there. And it shall be that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I shall say unto thee, this shall not goeth thee the same shall not go. So he brought him down to the water, the people unto the water. And the Lord said unto Gideon, Everyone that laugheth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lapeth, thou shalt.
Thou him shalt thou set by thy himself.
Likewise everyone that boweth down upon his knees to drink, And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were 300 men. But all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. And the Lord found the Gideon by the 300 men that left. Will I save you, and deliver the Midianites in thine hand, and let all the other people go, every man unto his place.
00:30:03
So the people took their tug vittles in their hand and their trumpets.
And he sent all the rest of Israel, every man to unto his tent and retained those 300 men and host the Midianite of Midian was beneath them in the valley. For you children, I hope you've had a you can see a picture of what happened here in your mind. So there is some water you can picture. And some of them went down and they went down maybe on their knees, and they just put their faces right in the water and they laughed. Water like that.
OK. And they drank straight from the water. Their faces were right down in the water, and that's how they were drinking. And then some people kind of went like this where they brought their hand down, scooped some water and then brought it up to their mouth, and they drank like this and laughed. Water says like a dog.
OK, so they they last water like this. So when you're in this position.
Instead of being on your face right in the water, you're a lot more watchful, aren't you? The enemy came running over you could easily.
OK. And you know, children, when we're when we're listening to a meeting, when we're reading the Bible, that's especially when Satan wants to tempt us and wants to make us fall.
And so it's good even when we're reading the word of God, it's like the water, right? Water is like we read it. The water is the worst. So even when we're taking a spiritual drink, say, and you're in your reading or in Sunday school class and you're you're enjoying the word of God, it's good to still be watching. And if Satan says something like, oh, you should poke your brother or you should just kick him.
Or something, you know, anything that he tempts you with.
You can, uh, you can raise up the shield of faith and say no, I'm not gonna do that.
Verse nine. And 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. And if thou fear to go down, go thou with Fura thy servant, down to the host. Thou shalt bear hear what they say. And afterward thine hands, ye strength, shall thine hands be strengthened to go unto the host then when he down with Fura his servant.
To the outside of the armed men that were in the host, and 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 seaside for multitude. And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told the dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I have I dreamed a dream. And lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host Midian, and came.
Unto a tent, and it smote it, that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay alone. And 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 hosts. This is a remarkable thing.
Absolutely amazing that God would allow this man to have a dream one.
Allow it to be told.
To allow the interpretation the fellow to say this is nothing other than Gideon Three, that he even knew Gideon this fellow or heard his name ever before. It's a miracle.
4-5 That, uh, Gideon and his his friend. We're right there to hear it. This is an absolute miracle. Again, amazing.
But the Lord knew.
Knew that Gideon was weak and Gideon owned his weakness. And that's the path of blessing for us children. Let's read verse 15. And so, and it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned unto the host of Israel, and said, Arise, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. And he divided the 300 into 3 companies.
And he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pictures and lamps within the pictures.
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 bloweth the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also.
00:35:02
On every side of the camp, and say the sword of the Lord and of Gideon. So Gideon and the 100 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 break the pitchers that were in their hands. And the three companies blew the trumpets and break the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow with all.
And they cried, the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, and they stood, every man in his place roundabout the camp.
And all the hosts ran and cried and fled, and the 300 blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even through all the host. And the host fled to Beth Schitta in Zerirath, and to the border of Abel Mihola unto Tabas. And the man of Israel gathered themselves together at of Naftali and of Asher, and of all Manasseh, and pursued after.
The Midianites. So there is a great victory that day, children. And it was through the power of the Lord. It wasn't through the power of the 300 men. That's very clear. So the Lord as well can win battles in our lives. Let's just, uh, sing #15 in the children's book, uh, brave Gideon. I don't think we have it with us today, but I think most of us know it.
Brave Gideon, Hungry 100 and A Million Nights had a whole.
But Union has the lower.
Yeah, yeah, the Lord's giving. Hi, the Lord. You wanna fight with the minion? Nice Corn, Giddy and the Lord.
So if you be a soldier true and win a full reward, these brave and kind and all you do and fully trust the Lord.
Can you have the Lord? Gideon had the Lord. He won the fight with Dominion. I forgive him and the Lord.
Great, our love in God and Father.