A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon
May 28, 2025
“A Sword for the Lord and for Gideon”
Blessings folk!
The Lord had told Gideon to arise and go against the enemy camp.
It was the same night as the 300 were chosen!
The Lord then told Gideon that if he was afraid, then sneak to the enemy camp and listen to what they were saying.
Gideon did.
He overheard a man recount a dream.
He overheard another man interpret the dream.
Gideon was to be victorious over them.
Gideon was strengthened in this knowledge.
We continue…
Judges 7:15-25
As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped.
And he returned to the camp of Israel and said,
“Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”
And he divided the 300 men into three companies and put trumpets into the hands of all of them and empty jars, with torches inside the jars.
And he said to them,
“Look at me, and do likewise. When I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.
When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then blow the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”
So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch.
And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands.
Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars.
They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow.
And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”
Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled.
When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah,
as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
And the men of Israel were called out from Naphtali and from Asher and from all Manasseh,
and they pursued after Midian.
Gideon sent messengers throughout all the hill country of Ephraim, saying,
“Come down against the Midianites and capture the waters against them, as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.” So all the men of Ephraim were called out,
and they captured the waters as far as Beth-barah, and also the Jordan.
And they captured the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb.
They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb.
Then they pursued Midian,
and they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon across the Jordan.
ESV
When Gideon heard the dream and interpretation he immediately worshiped.
He gave thanks.
Then Gideon immediately rousted his men from their sleep (we will see it was the middle of the night) to go forth.
They took shophars (ram horns, trumpets).
They took torches hidden in jars.
Gideon told them to do what he did.
They divided into three groups of one hundred.
They blew the horns.
They broke the jars.
They brought forth the torches.
They shout “a sword for the Lord and for Gideon”.
And they…
What?
They stood.
They did not press forward.
They stood.
They stood in the Word of the Lord.
The enemy army panicked.
They cried out.
They fled.
They feared the Lord.
They feared Gideon…thus the cry of their name.
Had the Lord released dreams about Gideon throughout the enemy camp?
We are not told.
Perhaps.
The enemy was sent fleeing.
Gideon sent messengers to other tribes telling them to join the battle.
They did.
This took a period of time.
Gideon and the 300 initiated the victory.
Will we be obedient to do likewise?
The way of the Lord may look strange, but it is always correct and good.