Blow and Shout!

Get up! The Eternal has given you victory over the army of Midian! We strike now. ¹⁶ He divided the 300 men into three companies, and he gave them all trumpets and empty jars with torches placed inside of them.¹⁷ Watch me. Do what I do. When we come to the outskirts of their camp, do what you see me doing. ¹⁸ When I and my company blow the trumpet, I want all of you to blow the trumpets all around the camp and to shout: “For the Eternal and for Gideon!”….²² When the 300 trumpets sounded, the Eternal set the Midianites fighting against each other with their swords. Judges 7: 15b-18, 22

After God honed down Gideons army from 32,000 to 300, He proceeded to ask the impossible- blow you trumpets and break your pitchers. What??  What good will that do? But, they obeyed, because God and Gideon said so! Then God did the seemingly impossible and turned the entire Midianite army against each other. It doesn’t say a word about Gideon’s army using any swords. When Gideon obeyed against all human odds, God stepped in and began the defeat. Actually the 300 had the easiest job. It was the other tribes who pursued and fought and totally overcame the Midianites. Victory was assured from the beginning, but God used Gideon to get the ball rolling. Had Gideon not obeyed they would have been overtaken by the Midianites and changed history.

Once again, there is so much more to this chapter, so many lessons, but the theme is definitely obedience in the face of impossible odds! 32,000 Gibeonites against 135,000 Midianites! Oops! 10,000 Gibeonites against 135,000 Midianite. Uh, no, 300 Gibeonites against 135,000 Midianites!! I don’t think I have ever faced such odds, but maybe I have. Sometimes, it feels like Satan has unleashed legions of spiritual forces against me and I don’t see how I can be victorious.  

Then, I remember what God said through Isaiah. “¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with (you), be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen (you); (yes), I will help you;( yes), I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10 KJV

We often forget that when He asks the impossible of us, He just might want to do the impossible through us. Will we step forward with our trumpets and pitchers, (no sword) and shout for the Lord when our life is on the line? Much to ponder!!

Oh, Jesus, help us to have the strength to believe and obey against impossible odds. Actually, all odds are impossible without You! Sometimes it’s harder to have faith in the small things than the big ones. Speak, Jesus, and help us to listen regardless of the size of the challenge and be ready to take up our trumpets and shout against the enemy!