San Diego Conference: 1964
Table of Contents
Gideon
Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Judges Chapter 7 so that the host of the Midianites.
Were on the north side of them by the hill of Mora in the valley.
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Thine own hand hath 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 they returned of the people 20 and 2000, and there remained 10,000.
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many, bring them down unto the water, and I will try them 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 say unto thee, this shall not go, with thee the same shall not go. So He brought down the people unto the water.
And the Lord sent them to Gideon, everyone.
Lapis of the water with his tongue as a dog. Lapis him shalt thou set by himself.
Likewise everyone that bows down upon his knees to drink water.
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 said unto Gideon, by the 300 men that laughed, Will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand. Let all the other people go, every man unto his place. So the people took victuals in their hand and their trumpets, and he sent all the rest of Israel, every man.
Unto his tent, and retain those 300 men. And the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.
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. But if thou fear to go down, go down with four of thy servants down to the host. Thou shalt hear what they say. And afterwards shall thine hand be strengthened to go down unto the host.
Then when he down with four of his servant and the outside of the armed men that were in the host, 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 numbers, the sand by the seashore from all the seaside for multitude.
And 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.
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 host.
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
And he divided the 300 men into three companies, and he put a picture of trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me and do likewise. Behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow the trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp.
The the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon.
So Gideon and the 300 men that were with him came unto the outside of the camp and the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly slept the watch. They blew the trumpets and brake 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 it all. And they cried the sword of the Lord and of Gideon, and they stood every man in his place round about the camp. And all the hosts ran and cried and fled.
The 300 blew of the trumpets. The Lord said every man's sword against his fellow, and threw out all the hosts, and the host fled to Beth Shitta unto the earth, and to the border of Abel Mahola unto Taba. The men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.
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And Gideon sent a messenger throughout all Mount Ephraim, messenger throughout all Mount Ephraim sang, Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbara and Jordan. And all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and took the waters unto Bethbara in Jordan. And they took 2 Princess of the Midianites, Orb and Zeb, And they slew Orb upon the rock. Orb and Zeb they slew at the winepress of Zeb.
And pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oram and Zeb to Gideon on the other side. Jordan.
Just three verses of the next chapter. And the man of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served as thus that thou callest us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?
Native chide with him sharply. And 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 Abiaser? Thou hath delivered into your hands the Princess of Midian, Orab and Zeb. What was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.
Could we turn also to 2nd Corinthians?
Chapter 4.
We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus sake.
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God.
And not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.
We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. Just read this passage in 2nd Corinthians 4 because I believe we have the Apostle Paul taking up the story of Gideon and bringing out some precious truth to us from it, which one will speak of later.
Well, I believe it's helpful for us to see the character of things during the time of the judges.
Tells us in the beginning of the book that every man was doing what was right in his own eyes. That was the character of things in Israel. And I believe that we can say that it's a similar state of things in Christendom today, people doing what is right in their own eyes without any reference to the mind of God or to His Word.
But those who would be used of God in such a day must be those who have an ear that is opened.
To hear the voice of God.
For God not only has a way of salvation, but He also has a way that he would have his work to be done.
He has a state of soul in which he can use us.
And so just as the way of salvation has been made blessedly simple for us in the Scripture, so we know that if God is going to use us in any way in a day of evil, there must be a walking in communion with him, a looking to Him, accounting upon him. And so we see that beautifully brought out in the case of Gideon.
I didn't take time to read the long chapter that is before, but it tells us that Israel had been under the hands of Midian for seven years before they cried unto the Lord.
They tried their own way of helping themselves out in a difficult situation. Some of them fell over to the Philistines, some of them. Some of them made strongholds in the earth. They did all kinds of things to try and escape from the trouble that they were in.
But at last they cried unto the Lord, they turned to him. How in difficulties and problems arise in your life and mine. When they arise, perhaps in our own life or in the assembly, do we just try and find Ways and Means of getting out of the difficulties? Or instead do we rather cry unto the Lord? While when Israel cried unto the Lord, he heard their cry, and he raised up a deliverer for them.
Not the kind of a deliverer that they could look to as a great.
You know the world, you know delights to look to a man whom they kind of consider a hero. No one likes hero worship. But the one whom God appointed was a man whom you would say was a very unexpected instrument in the hand of God. He was threshing wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. It seemed cowardly, didn't it? He wasn't going out to fight against them, He was just enjoying his own portion.
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From the hand of God.
He wasn't going down and hiding in the strongholds, but in his own simple way he was feeding upon that which he had received from the land that God had given to his people. Or are we feeding upon Christ?
Early enjoying him and our souls.
Perhaps we say, oh, I'd like to be greatly used of God.
First thing is to be near the Lord ourselves.
To be finding our joy and our happiness in communion with Him. This threshing of the wheat by the wine press, I believe brings before US1 Who is finding His joy in the things of God. And perhaps the winepress would speak to us of how the Lord Jesus went to that cross of Calvary. For it was the crushing of the grapes that would bring forth the wine.
And so the Lord Jesus, he bore the wrath and judgment of God in order that blessing might come to you. And I know this man Gideon was threshing wheat by the winepress.
And the Angel came and said to him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.
Oh, he said. I'm the least of my father's house.
Here he said, my family is poor in Manasseh. How could he be the instrument whom God was going to use? Oh, he was one who acknowledged his own nothingness.
And more than that, he had a hard interest in the people of God.
He said if the if the Lord be with us, why have these things happened to us?
He took he took the situation in which God's people were found as from the Lord when he was concerned about it.
Or you and I concerned about why things are allowed to take place, our concern about the condition of things among the people of God.
Well, that was so with Gideon. He was concerned, He was exercised, he loved the people of God, he longed for their deliverance, yet felt entirely insufficient in himself. And so he was.
And if you and I are to be used of God at all, we need to have our sense of the fact that we are nothing. But then the Lord could say, certainly I will be with thee, Certainly I will be with thee. Oh, what a lovely thing to have a sense in your soul that the Lord is with you. Or if we don't have that.
We have nothing.
Really, for our Christian life, we need first of all to know Him as our Savior. And if there should be anyone who's coming to this room tonight who doesn't yet know Him, a Savior, May God grant that you will be brought as a Sinner to the feet of the Savior to receive Him. He's looking upon you in love. His blood cleanses from all sin. He can save you. People talk about improving conditions all the first thing is that one must be saved himself.
Must first know the Lord and then.
And that state of soul that we see manifested in Gideon, so beautiful the Lord could use him. A humble, an empty vessel.
Then we find too that he he brought his sacrifice, He brought his offerings, He became a worshiper.
It's such a There's such a thing as putting service before worship. There's such a thing as wanting to be doing all the time and not giving the Lord Jesus his rightful place. But before Gideon was used at all, he came and brought his offerings. He recognized the fact that worship must come first. And so it is in the things of God. The Lord must have his portion first. He can do without any of us.
He may use us in His grace.
And He would have us to come before Him. Thankfulness. Thankfulness for what He has done. Just like the leper who was cleansed, He came back and with a loud voice glorified God. Yes, there was one who appreciated what the Lord had done for him. And God delights to have the worship and Thanksgiving of our heart.
Martha thought, and the Lord should stop Mary from sitting at his feet and tell her that you should be serving. And the Lord Jesus said, Mary hath chosen that good part, but shall not be taken away from her. Oh, let us learn to sit at Jesus feet, let us learn to be in his presence as worshippers, if we would be used of Him in any little way.
Then too, later on in this 6th chapter, we find Gideon throwing down the altar of Baal that his father had.
And how often hindrance in our lives is some altered to Baal that we have erected? Is there any of us that has an altar to Baal, some idol that has been set up in our hearts? Or you say, I can't help it. Gideon could have reasoned the same way because it was his father's idol. It was his father's house. Sometimes we blame other people and we say, well, I just can't help it because.
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You know, I'm with people and I can't help it, and you've got to go along with other.
People when you're with them.
But Gideon rose up the same night and threw down the altar that his father had.
And he set up an altar to the Lord.
He gave the Lord his rightful place, and you and I can't give the Lord his rightful place until we have first of all thrown down the altars that we have to bail.
Now in the end of Joshua, Joshua said, choose whom you would serve, and the people all said we'll serve the Lord.
Did you ever notice Joshua said you can't serve the Lord? Why did you say that? Because they still had altars to their false gods.
And we can't give the Lord his rightful place. How often we sit in a meeting and perhaps we say, oh, I'd like to give the Lord his rightful place.
Perhaps the reason that we just seen that we can't do it, there's something that's allowed in our lives.
There's some order to bail. There's something that's coming between our souls and the Lord, and we'd like to give him his rightful place. It seems we can't and we cannot, brethren, until we've thrown down that altar, until we have, as it were, thrown it wipe down.
And you know, dear Gideon, he was afraid to do this because he feared his father's household. He feared the men of the city. He said, oh, my father will be against me. My household will be against me. The men of the city will be against me.
You know, in the morning his father stood up for him. His father stood up for him. Wasn't that lovely?
It shows that when we act in faith, God is the one who disposes people's hearts. The scripture says the King's heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever he will. Oh, don't be afraid to act in obedience to the Lord. Don't be afraid to give him the rightful place in your life, because when you do, the Lord can make even the people that you're afraid of change their attitude entirely.
All what a gracious God we have.
Well, Gideon was still afraid. He still asked the Lord for signs, the signs of the police. He wanted to be sure. Now, I wouldn't say that it's the mind of God that we should ask for signs.
Tells us in Psalm 32, I will guide thee with mine eye.
Be out as the horse of the mule would have no understanding whose mouth must be kept in with bit and bridle. God doesn't want to guide us with a bitten bridle of circumstances, He wants us to be close enough to be guided by His eye.
You have to know a person pretty well to watch their eye and just tell about their eye what their mind is. Well, if you and I are close enough to the Lord, he'll guide us with his eyes.
He'll guide us with His eye instead of circumstances. Let's just say, why did the Lord give this sign to Gideon then? Well, this is very beautiful too. You know what the Lord sees 1 little bit of desire in your heart and mind to please him.
And even if we ask him for guidance, perhaps in the wrong way, if our hearts are sincere, if we really want to please him, how good he is, how gracious he is.
And just like those two disciples we were Speaking of on Lord's Day.
Following. The Lord says Jesus turned and saw them following. To me that's full of deepest meaning. Touches my heart when I think of it. The whole disciples probably thought they were quite unnoticed, but Jesus turned and saw them following.
And if there's one little bit of desire in your heart or mind to please the Lord, Jesus turns to see it. And so with Gideon, although he asked for a sign. And this is an important thought too, I believe.
It's far better to acknowledge our weak faith than to presume to do things in self-confidence.
Imprison them after do, presuming to do things in self-confidence of being so sure you have the mind of the Lord in some matter that you don't wait, that you might be close enough to Him to be guided by Him. Dear Mr. Darby said, great pretensions to spiritual guidance are never humble, and one has often seen it that those who are very sure of being guided by the Lord.
Are often full of self, full of their own importance.
All we can be sure if we have the word of God for it. I'm absolutely sure of my salvation. I have the word of God for it. I'm sure that the Lord Jesus wants me to remember Him. I have His word for Him.
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There are things in life we have a definite scripture for, and in such cases we can be absolutely sure.
But there are some things that are a question of nearness to the Lord. In such cases we have to be humble. We need to be near the Lord and look up and say, Lord, teach me to do thy will. Oh, let us guard against the spirit of self-confidence. God delights in reality. When our faith is weak, let's own it and not pretend to go forth.
And the self-confidence of nature, as Peter did. Peter went forward in the self-confidence of nature and he fell.
But here we find Gideon feeling his weakness by their dependence upon the Lord. And lo, he asked for a sign. There was reality in his heart which God could see, and God delights in reality.
But again, I say that in any matter where we have the word of God for our pathway, by then we can act in the confidence of faith. I can remember as a boy walking home with my father from the meeting on Lord's Day morning. I remember him saying, Sonny said. This is one time when I'm absolutely sure that I have the mind of God.
He said if I was going to some place to preach, I might make a mistake.
He said maybe the Lord wanted me to be in one place and I might go to the wrong place, but he said when I go to remember the Lord, I'm absolutely sure that I have His mind because He says this do in remembrance of me. Oh how sweet it is. We can have confidence when we have His word.
And for the other matters of life, let us keep humble before Him the Spirit that was displayed in Gideon. For there is a state of soul that's necessary so that the Lord can guide us. The reason we don't discern the mind of God often in our pathway is either because we're too self confident or because we want to have our own way. May God give us that humility of mind that walks humbly before Him.
And seeks to be led by him.
On that chapter where we began, we see Gideon.
He's gathered quite a host together.
He looks down upon the Midianites.
And he has called together a host and he has 32,000 men.
And I suppose as he looked down upon the host of the Midianites down there in the in the valley.
He felt quite hopeful. 32,000 men. Perhaps if he had as many as that he would have a certain amount of confidence.
That he had a good army 32,000.
But notice what the Lord says in the second verse. And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel want themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Oh yes, they might have boasted, they might have come home, said, wasn't that wonderful?
32,000 of us voted the army.
Yes, they might have done boasting just like our hearts, isn't it? We like to boast our natural hearts like the glory, and even lowly recognize the Lord helped us. Still, there's an amazing amount of self-confidence with us and an amazing amount of boasting that gives a certain place to self. The Lord saw this and if Gideon was going to be used, it was necessary.
That he should be entirely emptied of self. That he should realize.
That this victory was not by the strength of his army.
Or anything of himself at all. But it was a victory that was of the Lord of the Lord.
So the Lord said.
Well, any ones that are fearful and faint hearted, let them return. And poor Gideon watched them so I'm sure with dismay as he saw 22,000 of them go back.
22,000 You know, there's a tendency for us to like to have large numbers.
But a few who have their eye upon the Lord and are seeking to please Him are better than vast numbers or only half hearted. Only half hearted. Very often a large number where there are few half hearted ones among them have disheartened many others besides, He said, Let the fearful, let the faint hearted ones go back.
Saw these people, returned 22,000 of them.
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Well, perhaps. Gideon looked hopefully on the rest 10,000.
Well, at least it was better than only a few 10,000 of them.
And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many. Bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there.
And it shall be that of whom I send to thee, this shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I say unto thee, this shall not go. With thee the same shall not go.
Gideon had no choice in this matter at all.
The Lord was going to do the deciding in this matter. It was going to be decided at the water. The water is a well known figure in scripture of the Word of God.
Says Ephesians 5, that he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word.
That he might purify.
That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing, or water by the Word.
And so the water is given to us, and that passage is a figure to us of the word of God. And so the Lord says to Gideon, bring him down to the water, and I'll prove them.
Yes, the Word of God was to be made the test of who should go with Gideon. I'd like to apply this in a practical way.
Knows that we're living in days when people associate together in order to gain as they think, common Christian 'cause they say we should all be together. But the Lord sent 22,000 back.
And here he said, they must be proved at the water. They must be proved at the water. And it's most important that we should test everything by the word of God.
Gideon had no choice in this matter. The Lord said to him, Whomsoever I say.
This shall go with thee. The same shall go with thee. And of whomsoever I say unto thee, this shall not go. With thee the same shall not go. Gideon had no choice, did he?
When the disciples were sent to prepare the Passover, they didn't have any choice about where that room was to be. The Lord gave them full directions as to where that place should be.
When Israel entered the land, they had no choice about where the center was to be. The Lord said there would be a place that He would choose out of all their tribes to place His name there. They had no choice in that matter.
When the Lord said that He would meet with His disciples after His resurrection, it was a place that Jesus appointed. They didn't have a choice in it, and we didn't have any choice about the way of salvation. Did you, any of us here design the way of salvation?
No, it was designed by God himself. He chose the way it was His planning from start to finish. And we accepted God's plan and those of us who were saved here tonight is because because we took God at His word.
Man, so will I thank this. I think that we say no. The Bible says neither is there salvation in any other.
Where there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
So did Gideon have a choice about the ones who were going to go with him in fellowship in this battle against the Midianites? No, he had no choice, the Lord said. If I say they're not to go with you, Gideon, they're not to go.
And the ones I say are to go with you are to go. Are you in the place where you are Christian Fellowship because you like the people, because of the company that you've chosen?
Or have you been? Have you allowed your pathway to be tested by the Word? And are you with the people because the Word of God has brought you there?
Because you have been guarded by his word. That's the only way to be guided. I say again, Gideon had no choice. Sometimes you ask people, well, why do you go there? Oh, nice crowd of people go there. I like the preacher. They do a wonderful work.
Gideon had no such choice in this matter. He didn't pick out 300 men out of the company, the Lord said. I'll tell you, Gideon, who's to go with you?
And the Lord chooses our friends for us.
If we're submissive to His word, He chooses our friends for us. They're not one of us in this company tonight, who by grace are gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus, who are here because we chose the people that we'd be with. No, the Lord did the choosing. He gathers 1. He gathers another.
And what brings us to be gathered to his precious name is because the Word of God directs us, and he directs others too, and we are brought together in the path of obedience. And these 300 men were brought together entirely by the testing that took place down at the water. That's what brought them together, says in Psalm 119 and 63.
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I am a companion of all them that.
Hear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. I'm not saying what I say to say one word against other Christians. I'm just saying that if you want to be in the path of obedience, and if you want to be well, the Lord would have you. You'll have to let the Lord do the choosing.
Just as He chose the way of salvation for you.
So you'll choose the path in which he should have you walk. He'll choose the fellowship that he wants you to be in.
And so here they came down to the water.
And Gideon was told that everyone that put down his hand brought it up and laughed. The water was to be set in one place, and the ones who got down on their knees to drink water to be were to be put in another place.
And Gideon watched, and 9700 of them got down on their knees to drink water.
300 of them only put down their hand and brought it up and drank it from their hands.
Well, perhaps Gideon hoped that it was going to be the 9700 that he'd have with him.
But the Lord said that the ones who had lapped by their hands, they were the ones by whom He would deliver. Israel only 300. Or is there any hope against such a vast company with only 300?
God says I will deliver, I will deliver. It was going to be his work.
And just a little word about those that got down on their knees and those that took it in their hands. No, I wouldn't want to drink out of my hand if my hand wasn't clean.
My hand wasn't clean, I wouldn't want to drink it.
From my hand. If I my hand was dirty, I'll get down on my knees and drink.
Because then I wouldn't have to put it in my hand. You know, there are many people, they enjoy the word of God, but they don't apply it to their ways.
They don't apply it to their ways. It's amazing how people can read the Bible and say it's wonderful and enjoy it. And you say, well, what about this scripture? Do you act on that scripture? Well, they just hadn't thought of applying that scripture to their walking ways. There was no application of it.
What will make your hand clean and mine? Why it's when we are walking in communion with the Lord, we allow the Word of God to cleanse our ways well at all shall a young man cleanse his way? Said the psalmist.
By taking heed thereto, according to thy worth.
And so are these ones, these 300. There's a little company for ones who allowed the water to be picked up in their hands. And May God grant that each one of us who would seek to please the Lord and not only read the Word, but may allow it to have its cleansing practical effect, so that that which we enjoy has its practical effect in our lives.
Well, sad to say.
For Gideon, there were just 300, but as we had yesterday in the meeting.
It said in Philadelphia, thou hast a little strength.
He said I'll make you a pillar in the temple of my God. Could God use 300 men to deliver the host of Israel? Yes.
And God delights in obedience. The Scripture says, Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.
And to hearken in the fat of Rams.
People will often say, well, we read the word, we study the word, we preach the word.
But do we allow the Word of God to be that which guides us in our pathway?
Are we allowing that precious word to direct us in all things? That's the important question. We're only 300.
And so they were set by themselves.
And the Lord said in a silent force. And the Lord said unto Gideon, by the 300 men that laughed, Will I save you, and deliver the Midianites in design hand, and that all the other people go, every man unto his place.
That's what Christendom is like. They're all going under their place.
Because it all applied the Word of God to their walking ways. And brethren, if we don't let the Word of God guide us.
While we certainly will just find that we're scattered, hit her and yon.
Carried about with every wind of doctrine.
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And so it is with many dear Christians. They hardly know where they stand.
Because they haven't allowed the Word of God to be that which guides them in their life.
The 300 were set by themselves. Here we learn the truth of separation. They were set by themselves. Not one condemning word to Gideon, say to the 9700. From then on, his whole conversation was with the 300. And I'm not here to say one word of condemnation. We have to leave others with the Lord. But if you want to please the Lord.
Remember, He values obedience.
He says if he loved me, keep my commandments.
Oh, May God grant that each of us may look up in the spirit of the psalmist of old, and say, Teach me thy way, O Lord, He'll teach us, because his Word promises that it says, If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.
If you really wish to do.
God will show you.
But remember, you must be willing to do it. It doesn't say if any man will know my will. People have said to me, well, I'd like to know. The Bible says if any man will do his will.
The point is, do we wish to do it? Do we wish to walk in obedience, cost what it may?
Oh, this cost these people a great deal. It costs them separation from 32,000 down to 300. It costs them separation always. So they had no heart for the rest.
Yes, they had a heart for all the rest. The whole battle was for the good of the whole of Israel, for the deliverance of Israel out of the hand of the of the Midianites and the Amalekites. And why are we to cling to the truth?
For God's glory and for the blessing of His people, thank God for those who have been willing to stand for the truth. Down through the Christian era. They were always popular that they stood for the truth, and you and I can thank God for it.
And if you and I are going to walk in the steps of those men of faith.
Where to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the Saints?
Well, there were only 300 and the host of Midian lay beneath them, him in the valley For Gideon, can't you just picture him? Started off with 32,000 and now 300 men by him. He looks strong and he sees the Americoats and the Midianites and all these people like grasshoppers from altitude.
Oh, it seems like a losing battle, doesn't it?
And you know when you try to walk in the path of obedience, the devil always whispers in your ear, you can't do anything if you walk in the path of obedience. You've got to have a crowd. But not so here. These 300 are the ones whom God was pleased to use. Whether the Midianites were like grasshoppers for multitude or whether they were few didn't matter.
Victory was to be of the Lord.
Noted not to him whether there were a large number of few.
The ninth version that came to pass the same night that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down into the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand. But if thou fear to go down all, I think that is so touching.
Poor Gideon. You know before.
He had asked the Lord for signs. His heart had been fearful.
And now the Lord anticipated him.
The Lord didn't wait for him to ask for a sign, he said. Gideon, I know your heart's trembling.
I know you feel that you're not going to be able to accomplish anything with only 300. So he said, I'll give you a little word of encouragement. Oh, isn't the Lord gracious? And he sees when our poor hearts are trembling. He sees when we need that little word of encouragement. There was Paul, he'd gone up to Jerusalem to preach and they'd throw him in the prison.
Can't you imagine how he felt throwing the prison, rejected by the people whom he loved, Israel, and there in the prison, all kinds of thoughts flowing through his mind that night?
It says the same night the Lord stood by him, said, Be of good cheer, Paul, as the house born. Testimony for me at Jerusalem, Thou shalt also bear testimony at Rome.
The Lord gracious, and he delights to encourage us. And if there's anyone here whose heart is faltering, remember the Lord is standing by to give a little word of encouragement in the path of obedience.
He knows what it costs. The Lord Jesus is trodden the path. And so the little hymn says in season the sustaining word, Thou gest our hearts enough.
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So Gideon took his servant.
And they walked down to the.
And when they got near the host, they heard a man telling a dream.
And he was telling a dream to his fellow, and he said what it was, a cake of barley bread that fell in a tent and turned it over.
This fellow said, oh, that's that's Gideon.
And in his hand the Lord has delivered the host of Midian.
Isn't it lovely the kind of encouragement God gives to?
I think this is so beautiful. The Lord didn't allow this. He didn't allow Gideon to hear about a mighty champion, a great hero, coming in and defeating them. No, a cake of barley bread.
You know, when God gives encouragement, He also gives at the same time things that keep us humble.
Flattery pucks you up, makes you think you're somebody.
There's a difference between encouragement and flattery.
Always makes you think you're somebody important.
But encouragement keeps you down, but keeps you realizing that the Lord is faithful, that he's gracious, and that he can use you even though you and I are nothing. So Gideon couldn't go up and say, well, I'm a great hero. He'd have to go back up and say to his man, Well, the Lord compared me to a cake of barley bread. Not very much.
But he said cake of barley bread could turn over a tent.
And so that's the way God does. He lets us realize that we're nothing.
My grace is sufficient for thee.
So Gideon came back.
Strengthened by this.
And in the 15th verse.
And it was so when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof that he worshiped.
And return listen to this to the host of Israel. Oh, I love that word.
It doesn't doesn't say return to the 300 he returned to the host of Israel. And who were the hosts of Israel 300?
It was a little company like that and you called a host.
That's what it was to face.
For is God before us? Who can be against us? Faith doesn't look at numbers, Faith looks at the one who is in the midst.
Faith looks at the one who is able.
Saul said to David. He said, why, that man's a man of war and you're just a stripling. You can't do anything against him.
All he told of how the Lord had delivered him out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, and he said that man has defied the armies of the living God.
Oh, it's a blessed thing to have the sense in your soul, brethren, and I need it too, the sense in my soul that the Lord is with us, the Lord is with us. It keeps us going on, keeps us going on in the path of testimony, in the path of service.
Well, Gideon didn't forget to take time to worship here either.
It says he worshipped. Oh, he just said all. Isn't this grand?
Saw the Lord.
And he said to the others, take courage. Arise.
For the Lord hath delivered into your hand.
The host of Miriam. This is something else that is nice too.
He didn't even say the Lord has delivered into our hand, but he says to his fellow companions, the Lord has delivered into your hands.
The flesh likes to get credit for doing something, doesn't like to give credit to other people. But here isn't this beautiful to say that Gideon when he returns?
He seemed perhaps a little rebuked at his own faint heartedness.
And so he turns to the others, and he said, the Lord delivered them into your hands.
Oh, I think it's so beautiful to see this process of the Lord emptying Gideon of himself and fitting him so that he could be used of the Lord. Let us cultivate the habit of giving others credit that the Lord can use them too.
Says in Philippians 2IN lawliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.
Better than themselves, not just as good as yourself, better. I remember hearing a story.
But a dear St. of God.
Someone pointed out a brother in the assembly.
Who had caused much sorrow in this gathering of Saints?
And said to this brother, how can you esteem that brother better than yourself?
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This brother who's caused this trouble?
And you've gone faithfully. How can you esteem him better than yourself? All he said. I know far more thoughts about self than I do about that.
Brethren, if you and I are in the presence of God, we've seen an awful lot of wretchedness Himself.
Far more than we ever saw any of our brethren.
We can't be in the presence of God without seeing I nothing AM.
Get all possessed all. May God grant that there will be something of that spirit in US, and I'm sure if it saw, the Lord would be pleased to use us in some feeble way for blessing to His own.
They divided the men to three companies, and now he gave them two things. Their hands were full. You know, consecration means both hands full.
Both hands full now. These people were a consecrated company.
It tells us that in the.
In the last time they held the empty pitcher with a lamp in it.
And on the right hand they held a trumpet.
They have both hands formed. That's what consecration is. And what is this consecration? Well, that's why I read in 2nd Corinthians 4.
He said we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. There's one handful.
Testimony not of self, but of Christ.
Exalting him that build one hand the trumpet that blew, and said, the sword of the Lord. Gideon, that trumpet that blew. So again I quote that verse in 2nd Corinthians 4. We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord.
And ourselves your servants, for Jesus sake.
And on the other hand, there was the empty pitcher with a lamp within the pitcher. So you'll notice in 2nd Corinthians 4 that it's sad that God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts.
There's a light.
And it says that we have this treasure in earthen vessels. That's the picture.
So we know that this other hand, it had an empty picture in it with a lamp in it. Well, that's what consecration is.
A testimony, A spoken testimony for Christ and a live testimony for Christ. The light didn't make any noise. The light shone the trumpet. The trumpet was a testimony to the fact that Christ was all.
And that's beautiful. That's what consecration is, brethren. And so we can see this in this company.
And so he said in the 17th verse, Look on me and do likewise. They looked on their captain. While our captain is the Lord Jesus, He's the captain of our salvation. Are we looking at him, looking unto Jesus?
The author and finisher of faith.
And.
It says, And behold, when I come to the outside of the camp. It's an interesting expression, isn't it? Let us go forth unto him without the camp. So here they were on the outside of the camp.
HRB that as I do, so shall he do.
And I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me. Then blow ye the trumpets on every side of the camp, and say the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.
So it tells us.
In the 21St verse. And they stood, every man in his place round about the camp.
They stood, every man in his place. Each one had a place.
And all brethren, we each have a place.
Sometimes we want to fill the place that somebody else is filling.
Sometimes we think another person has a more important place than we do, but they stood every man in his place.
Oh, what did God that each one of us would just look up and say, Lord, where's the place that I should stand?
And if I'm misunderstood, and if I am criticized, Lord, help me to stand for thee. Help me to be a testimony for thee. Help me to let my light shine. And that's what they were to do. They were to stand every man in his place.
And here we see this beautiful example of victory over all the hosts of the Midianites.
And not because they had large numbers. Not because Gideon was occupied with himself for his own ability.
Not because it was a self chosen group, but because the Lord had chosen the captain, the Lord had chosen the people. The Lord had filled their hands and given them the courage to do this.
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But the appointed when they first stood there, you know they had the trumpet.
And they had the picture unbroken. Now you notice it sat there. And perhaps you could just turn over to that in 2nd Corinthians 4, because I just like to call attention. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 7.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
Well, this vessel that held the lap was just simply to contain the lamp.
God didn't intend that the eyes of the Midianites, or even of the other men in the company, should be looking at the vessel.
What he wanted to shine was the lamp.
And before the lamp could shine, the vessel had to be broken.
Well, brethren, this teaches us the lesson, and This is why Paul speaks of it in this way. The troubles, the persecutions, the perplexities, the trials that come in our life are the means that God is using to break down the vessel. What for?
God doesn't want to attract attention to self to me, He wants to attract attention to the light that he has put in the vessel.
You know, our feelings are often hurt because someone has insulted self.
Or, Gideon said doesn't, as long as the vessel is empty, That's the important thing. Perhaps one of the men might say, oh, but Gideon, I chose such a nice vessel. It's a beautiful vessel. I hate to have it broken.
As all Gideon should say, but the light can't shine unless it's broken.
Broken earthenware God has to break us down and in one way or other he brings things into our lives so that.
Self should be broken down and so that Christ would be seen.
And there are many things that God allows in our lives in order that self should be hidden because He wants the life of Jesus to be seen. All brethren, is this our desire? Do we take the perplexities, the trials?
The times that were cast down, all these circumstances.
As being the means that God is using to breakdown the vessel. Oh Gideon, her mother, Paul said. Here we're troubled, but we're not distressed.
Or persecuted, but were not forsaken? Were perplexed, but were not in despair? And why was it?
Well.
You know.
The Corinthian Saints had said of Paul, His bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible.
How would I feel if somebody said, oh, he doesn't look like anything and he can't even talk. I don't like to listen to him. You know, natural self would get insulted, wouldn't it?
Our poor hearts and say, well, that's really an insult, isn't it? How do you like that? Oh, Paul says that's all right. He said, I didn't want you to look at me. I wanted you to see the life of Jesus. Until he says, you say my bodily presence is weak. Then he says, you won't look at me, but if you'll only look at Christ, I'll be satisfied. I'll be satisfied. He says, I didn't want you to think about me. And he says, if you say my speech is contemptible, that's all right, as long as you see the light shining.
That's all, that's all that matters. We which deliver all we delivered unto death for Jesus sake. Oh brethren, what a different attitude we'd have about things if we would only see this.
God is using these things in our lives. He's using the circumstances. And sometimes if we don't take the humble place ourselves, he has his own way of breaking the vessel. You know, poor Jacob, he didn't like to take the low place. He said I can plan my own life.
How to use a modern expression, he said. I could paddle my own canoe. I can get along myself.
And so the Lord had to break poor Gideon, poor Jacob down. And we don't read about faith in the life of Jacob until he was a lame man.
And when he was laying hobbling along, poor old Jacob.
God says he worshipped leaning on the top of his staff.
Jacob learned his lesson after the vessel had been broken down. Our brethren, God is using these things in our lives.
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Oh would to him that we would take the trials of the way as his, as his purpose in our lives. God would have us in this world to be a testimony for Christ.
Speaking of him, living for him.
And so when all vessels were broken.
And the 300 stood in their place.
Why? The Midianites looked out. They heard a great blast, 300. They saw 300 shining beacons, each standing in their place.
And they ran and cried and fled. And the world, the world may appear very bold, but they can't stand a bright testimony for Christ.
That's what gives victory. Brethren, in our lives we often have to acknowledge that it isn't so, that the trouble is, and we don't like the vessel to be broken down. We don't blow the trumpet too loud because we don't like to be ill thought of. We like people to think well of us.
And so we know that if we speak too much about the Lord Jesus.
We lose some friends.
We know that if we.
That if we let the light shine too brightly, perhaps they'll turn away.
They all ran and cried and flashed. Oh, what a great victory God granted. And so it will be. There'll be blessing in this assembly. There'll be blessing our personal lives. Everything will be different if we only would give the Lord Jesus His rightful place.
Well, I just read these couple of verses in the first part of the next chapter because we see.
Just one little thing I'd like to mention. The men of Ephraim came out, and they said, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou callest us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?
Indicted. Chide with him sharply. What was this jealousy? Jealousy.
And how often jealousy comes in and spoils things among the people of God.
All When jealousy arises, we do need great wisdom from the Lord to meet these things in a wise way, so that things are not spoiled through jealousy.
What did Gideon say?
He said in the second verse, What have I done now in comparison of you?
Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? These were Ephraimites, and he lived in Abiezer.
God hath delivered into your hands the Princess of Midian organs. Even what was I able to do in comparison of you?
Isn't that beautiful?
They come and say, oh, Gideon, you wanted to get all the credits for the victory and you didn't call us until after you voted the host, and now you call us in at the very end.
Why didn't you give us a chance? We would have helped you, and we would have got some of the glory too.
What did he say?
Oh, he said. I wasn't able to do anything in comparison with what you've done, he said. You got the 2 captains, Albin, Zeb.
And saw their anger was abated.
And if somebody is jealous about something you've done?
Don't go on. Don't say oh, you're jealous.
Give them credit for anything of Christ you can possibly see in them.
Seek to give credit to one another. This is an example, surely, of esteeming others better than ourselves. And so Gideon's wise answer.
'Cause their anger to be abated, and instead of there being a division among the people of God that would have spoiled it all, why we find that Gideon and his men go onward to a further victory.
Philemon
The Rest of Our Time