Judges 7:2, 7
Hollywood recently produced a big-budget film that told the story of the 300 Spartans that defended their homeland at the small bottleneck pass called Thermopylae in 480 B.C. History, mingled with legend, has it that these 300 warriors held off the army of Persian invaders for an entire day, eventually losing all but one man who lived to tell the tale. They supposedly killed thousands of the Persians, and though they did not defeat the entire army, they put enough fear into the invaders to reconsider the full-scale invasion.
We can’t be sure how much truth is wrapped up in the legend, but the number of Spartans and the story of their amazing bravery in the face of overwhelming odds could have come straight from the pages of the Bible. The book of Judges tells the story of Gideon, being chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel out from under the hand of the Midianites. When Gideon announces his plan, 32,000 men arrive, ready to take to the battlefield. Gideon then invokes Deuteronomy 20:8, which allows any man who is afraid, to return home, lest his fear rub off on his fellow-soldiers. Much to Gideon’s dismay, 22,000 men take him up on the offer!
God views the remaining 10,000 and still deems them too many, “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2). This prompts one of the most bizarre selection processes in military history as Gideon leads the 10,000 to the river to drink, keeping only those who lap the water from their hands. The number of those who kept their heads up, aware of their surroundings, drinking water from their cupped hands was only 300, and this constituted God’s deliverance army.
There is a lesson to be learned, not only from the number but from how God came to that number. In the battlefield of the Lord, there is no time to take our eyes off of our Savior. When we are face down at the river, we see only our own reflection. Christianity has become more about how we look and act than about seeing the priceless finished work of our Savior. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
In paring the army down to 300, God has provided himself with the choicest of warriors. These have no fear in their hearts and they keep their eyes focused on the prize. We might consider Gideon a failed leader in the church today, taking a congregation of 32,000 and shrinking it down to 300 in a matter of hours. However, God does not use the same system of accounting that we do.
There is not always success in great numbers. While there is certainly nothing wrong with drawing a crowd (Jesus drew consistently large crowds), there is also no holiness nor righteousness in a successfully large number. If the circle around you seems small, do not be dismayed. You may be in the circle of the 300.
While the church world forsakes the precious message of pure grace, keep your eyes leveled on His finished work. Know that the battle is large, but it belongs to the Lord. Perhaps the reason that 300 was better than 32,000 is that these are the only 300 who will let a miracle win the battle instead of themselves. Be the saint that lets Jesus win the battle while you get the victory.
Hollywood recently produced a big-budget film that told the story of the 300 Spartans that defended their homeland at the small bottleneck pass called Thermopylae in 480 B.C. History, mingled with legend, has it that these 300 warriors held off the army of Persian invaders for an entire day, eventually losing all but one man who lived to tell the tale. They supposedly killed thousands of the Persians, and though they did not defeat the entire army, they put enough fear into the invaders to reconsider the full-scale invasion.
We can’t be sure how much truth is wrapped up in the legend, but the number of Spartans and the story of their amazing bravery in the face of overwhelming odds could have come straight from the pages of the Bible. The book of Judges tells the story of Gideon, being chosen by God to lead the nation of Israel out from under the hand of the Midianites. When Gideon announces his plan, 32,000 men arrive, ready to take to the battlefield. Gideon then invokes Deuteronomy 20:8, which allows any man who is afraid, to return home, lest his fear rub off on his fellow-soldiers. Much to Gideon’s dismay, 22,000 men take him up on the offer!
God views the remaining 10,000 and still deems them too many, “lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me” (Judges 7:2). This prompts one of the most bizarre selection processes in military history as Gideon leads the 10,000 to the river to drink, keeping only those who lap the water from their hands. The number of those who kept their heads up, aware of their surroundings, drinking water from their cupped hands was only 300, and this constituted God’s deliverance army.
There is a lesson to be learned, not only from the number but from how God came to that number. In the battlefield of the Lord, there is no time to take our eyes off of our Savior. When we are face down at the river, we see only our own reflection. Christianity has become more about how we look and act than about seeing the priceless finished work of our Savior. “Look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).
In paring the army down to 300, God has provided himself with the choicest of warriors. These have no fear in their hearts and they keep their eyes focused on the prize. We might consider Gideon a failed leader in the church today, taking a congregation of 32,000 and shrinking it down to 300 in a matter of hours. However, God does not use the same system of accounting that we do.
There is not always success in great numbers. While there is certainly nothing wrong with drawing a crowd (Jesus drew consistently large crowds), there is also no holiness nor righteousness in a successfully large number. If the circle around you seems small, do not be dismayed. You may be in the circle of the 300.
While the church world forsakes the precious message of pure grace, keep your eyes leveled on His finished work. Know that the battle is large, but it belongs to the Lord. Perhaps the reason that 300 was better than 32,000 is that these are the only 300 who will let a miracle win the battle instead of themselves. Be the saint that lets Jesus win the battle while you get the victory.
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