The seventh chapter of the Book of Judges contains a detailed report of
the strangest battle ever fought.
God had told Gideon to go down and thrash the Midianites, but his army
is too large; for the glory must be given to God, and not to man. And so
proclamation is made that all those of the troops who are cowardly, and
want to go home, may go; and twenty-two thousand of them scampered away,
leaving only ten thousand men.
But God says the army is too large yet; and so He orders these ten
thousand remaining to march down through a stream, and commands Gideon
to notice in what manner these men drink of the water as they pass
through it. If they get down on all-fours and drink, then they are to
be pronounced lazy and incompetent for the campaign; but if, in passing
through the stream, they scoop up the water in the palm of the hand and
drink, and pass on, they are to be the men selected for the battle.
Well, the ten thousand men march down into the stream, and the most of
them come down on all-fours, and plunge their mouths, like a horse or
an ox, into the water and drink; but there are three hundred men who,
instead of stooping, just dip the palm of their hands in the water and
bring it to their lips--“lapping as the dog lappeth.”
Those three hundred brisk, rapid and enthusiastic men are chosen for the
campaign. They are each to take a trumpet in the right hand and a pitcher
in the left hand, and a lamp inside the pitcher; and then at a given
signal they are to blow the trumpets, throw down the pitchers and hold up
the lamps. So it was done.
It is night. I see a great host of Midianites, sound asleep in the valley
of Jezreel.
Gideon comes up with his three hundred picked men, and when every thing
is ready the signal is given, and they blow the trumpets, throw down the
pitchers and hold up the lamps.
The great host of Midianites, waking out of a sound sleep, take the
crash of the crockery and the glare of the lamps for the coming on of an
overwhelming foe; and they run, and cut themselves to pieces, and most
horribly perish.
The lessons of this subject are very spirited and impressive. This
seemingly valueless lump of quartz has the pure gold in it. The smallest
dewdrop on the meadow at night has a star sleeping in its bosom, and the
most insignificant passage of Scripture has in it a shining truth. God’s
mint coins no small change.