God Selects Gideon’s Army

The Lord told Gideon the test that would further reduce his forces. Gideon told his captains what to watch for. The men had been training in the hot sun for hours and they were thirsty. Gideon gave the order and they were marched by hundreds down to a nearby brook of cool water to drink. Their method of drinking was to be a test. At the brook most of the men knelt down and threw themselves flat upon their stomachs, immersed their faces up to their eyes in the cool water, and drank deeply. But a soldier could not assume this position without first loosening his armor and removing his helmet and breastplate. He must also unbuckle and lay aside his sword.

Otherwise it might slip from its scabbard into the water when he bent forward. But a few of the men did not drink this way. Instead they squatted at the water’s edge with their bodies erect and eyes alert.

With their armor and swords intact, they cupped their hands and brought the water up to their lips and lapped it. These were the men the captains had been instructed to choose from all the rest. When the test was finished, there were only 300 of them.

“And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand. And let all the other people go, every man unto his place [or tent].” Judges 7:7

Gideon must have been shocked. How could he with only 300 men possibly defeat the vast host of Midian? The ratio was 450 to one! These were impossible odds even if his men were equipped with machine guns! He must have retired that night with uneasy thoughts. Then we read in verse 9: “And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, rise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand.” Gideon must have expressed his concern because the Lord reassured him yet once again. He told Gideon to get right up while it was still night, take a servant with him, and under cover of darkness, go down to the camp of Midian and listen to what they were saying. Gideon obeyed immediately.

The enemy camp was of tremendous size.

“The Midianites, and the Amalekites, and all the children of the east, lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude. And their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.” Judges 7:12