#166: Purah's Diary (The chronicles of Gideon's Army)

 

I was 12 years old when I joined the royal army. Israel was going to war against Canaan and needed all the men they could get. While some who had passed the training marched on to the battlefield with Deborah to face Jabin and Sisera after being oppressed for 20 years, I, together with the other new recruits remained in the camp to complete our military training. It was at the camp that news reached us that God had given us the victory through a certain Jael. After this, Israel enjoyed peace for 40 years. The elders thought it cruel to continue with the military training amidst the rest God gave us from our enemies. It had been a long time coming. So we left the camp and went each man to his home. Things continued this way till we sinned against God; we broke the LORD's altar, we ceased the evening and morning sacrifices and the LORD's hand was heavy upon us. We had a new oppressor - the Midianites. Things grew from bad to worse. It became more difficult to remember the years when all was peaceful and each man could sit under his olive tree. 

It was 7 years into our oppression by the Midianites when my friend, Gideon came to meet me. He said that an angel of the LORD appeared to him and commissioned him to lead Israel to battle against the Midianites. Even though this was an answer to prayer for a deliverer, I least expected Gideon to be the one. Back at the training camp, Gideon was the timidest; our commander sent him home after a week with a note to his parents that their son was not capable of serving Israel and God at war. However, I was ready to accept God's salvation if it would come through Gideon. We prepared and went to the elders of Israel and they enlisted us with 32,000 men able to lift the sword. Gideon was our leader and I was his commander.

While we marched to the battlefield, Gideon and I talked about several battle strategies and arrays that we could use to be assured of victory; we had quite a number of options. But the next morning, Gideon told me that God told him to send home those who were afraid and our number was dropped to 10,000. Gideon and I quickly revisited our military strategies. this time our options of victory became slimmer. Any error from any of the footmen would render us at the mercy of the Midianites. We settled for the night after agreeing on the plan.

The next morning, Gideon took us to the brook and gave me the assignment to count the number of people lapping to drink and those who bent down to drink while he would go to a nearby hill to be alone. When I found him, his face was swollen. I could sense that he was deeply troubled. I gave him the report and asked why he needed me to count the men. He said God was going to yet reduce our number. I told Gideon to cheer up because the difference was not much and our strategy could still work. So, with glee, I told him, "those who lapped to drink were 300 and those who knelt were 9,700. Surely we can make it with 9,700 men, we only have to be more meticulous in our execution". Then Gideon told me God was in need of only those who lapped to drink and I should send those who knelt to drink home.

As I sent them home, I really wanted to join them because it became clear to me that this was a suicide mission because there was no strategy imaginable that could win the battle with our number. I could not sleep that night. As I laid, gazing at the stars Gideon came to me and told me to follow him to the camp of the Midianites. When we got there, we overheard a man narrating a dream to his friend and lamenting over the interpretation of the dream - that God had delivered them into Gideon's hand. I looked at Gideon and for the first time in as many days, our face was delighted. There, we knew that God had gone ahead to fight the battle.

The next day, Gideon gave orders for the strategy as God had commanded him. It was the most bizarre military strategy I had heard of since the fall of the walls of Jericho. It required no lifting of the sword - we were to carry a horn and a torch and shout "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon". And that was it; right before my very eyes I saw a whole army fall, fighting each other to the death and we never had to lift a sword and we were only 300 men.

As I stood there in shock, it became clear to me that God saves not with sword nor spear (for the battle is the LORD's) I Sam 17:47. Most importantly, I learned that: frustrating human efficiencies is one of God's primary means of sanctifying grace.

(excerpts from Judges 4-7)