Too many soldiers

And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, My own hand has saved me. – Judges 7v2

Gideon had quite a job ahead of him. Though greatly outnumbered God called him to go out to battle and defeat the Midianites. He already felt insufficient for the task, but he was ready top go.

The God says something that must have shocked him. ‘You have too many men Gideon. If you win now you might claim that you did it. Let anyone who wants to go home leave.’ And they did twenty two thousand of the thirty thousand soldiers left.

Poor Gideon. Two-thirds of his army gone before they even started. But God said his army was still too big. God tested the army by having them drink water. All those who would drink carelessly were to be sent home. I can’t even imagine how Gideon felt when all but 300 men failed the test!

Now they were ready. Three hundred men against a massive Midianite army. If the victory were to be won now it would indeed be by the hand of God.

God did just that. He provided a total victory by three hundred men over many thousand Midianites. There could be no doubt that the victory was His and His alone.

God knows our human nature. He knows that if left to our own devices we would take whatever credit He could. We will not win but might or strength, but only in Him. It is up to Him to save by many or by few. He uses the weak, base, and foolish of the world to accomplish His work so that no man can take any of the glory.

So when it seems that all the props and supports are being knocked out we should take courage in the fact that He may be getting us ready for His victory!