LISTEN
This sermon was preached by Andy Brownlee at the CCM Kingsway site of Christ Church Manchester on Sunday 27th June 2021.
SERIES
This message was part of the ‘SERIES NAME’ series, preached at Christ Church Manchester’s church in Burnage in EARLY/MID/LATE YEAR. The full series included the following sermons:
BIBLE VERSES
This sermon was based on Judges 7:1-25.
Gideon defeats the Midianites
1Early in the morning, Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. 2The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, “My own strength has saved me.” 3Now announce to the army, “Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.” ’ So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.
4But the Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will thin them out for you there. If I say, “This one shall go with you,” he shall go; but if I say, “This one shall not go with you,” he shall not go.’
5So Gideon took the men down to the water. There the Lord told him, ‘Separate those who lap the water with their tongues as a dog laps from those who kneel down to drink.’ 6Three hundred of them drank from cupped hands, lapping like dogs. All the rest got down on their knees to drink.
7The Lord said to Gideon, ‘With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the others go home.’ 8So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others.
Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley. 9During that night the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. 10If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11and listen to what they are saying. Afterwards, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.’ So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. 12The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
13Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. ‘I had a dream,’ he was saying. ‘A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.’
14His friend responded, ‘This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.’
15When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshipped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, ‘Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.’ 16Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
17‘Watch me,’ he told them. ‘Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. 18When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all round the camp blow yours and shout, “For the Lord and for Gideon.” ’
19Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’ 21While each man held his position round the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah towards Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, ‘Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.’
So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. 25They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan.
KEY POINTS
Trusting God Begins in Weakness
- Even though Gideons troops are outnumbered it’s still possible, with some military skill and good tactical decisions, that they could win. If they did win outnumbered 4-1 everyone would praise Gideon as a great general. So God reduced the 32,000 down to 300. 32,000 soldiers defeating 135,000 is unlikely but possible. 300 soldiers defeating 135,000 that’s impossible. Only God could do that. Which is precisely why God reduced the army down to just 300 soldiers so that when they won they’d give him the glory rather than take it for themselves, so that rather than trusting in themselves they’d trust in him.
- We can often be trusting in things other than God – career, family, our own ability, financial security. Everything seems Hunky Dory until something hits us that threatens the thing we are trusting in. When you realise, you’ve been trusting in something other than God and put your trust back in him that changes you! It really does, it brings a peace, a relaxation and restfulness like no other.
- I think what I’d love us all to take away from this is to Trust him – jump into his arms more rather than trying to always figure out how to get down yourself. That’s what Gideon did – what does it practically look like for you to get rid of some soldiers and trust God in your weakness?
Trusting God Ends in Victory
- Gideon and his 300 men surround the Midianite camp, he and his men sound their trumpets, smash their jars and shout! The Midianites are confused, its dark, there’s shouting, no-one knows what’s going on, so they panic and start killing each other before fleeing. God had miraculously brought about a great victory and had done so with an army so small that there was no doubt he was the one who had done it.
- Throughout the Old Testament God’s people would disobey him and get themselves into a bad way, then cry out to God – he’d send someone to rescue them, achieve a great victory which would bring peace for a while. Then the same thing would happen again, and they’d need another rescuer to bring victory and another and another, the cycle kept repeating again and again and again….until God sent a rescuer that would bring about Ultimate Victory, once and for all…
- ….until God sent a rescuer that would bring about Ultimate Victory, once and for all! This wasn’t just a victory over an oppressive nation but was victory over sin and death itself. God sent his own son Jesus into this world, he died a cruel death, it looked like defeat, it looked like Jesus had failed and the devil had won, but three days later he rose victorious from the grave. He basically picked a fight with Sin and Death and Won! And the great thing is that when we trust in him we get to share in the spoils of that victory, we get what he won at the cross, forgiveness from our sins and life, eternal life in all its fullness!
- God wants to say to us today: Trust in me, I’ve got you, no matter what it is you’re going through, trust me with it, give it to me.
MORE SERMONS
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