And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many.
Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” Judges 7:4-7
22,000 volunteers have been sent home, 10,000 remain. Gideon’s army is now out-numbered 13:1. Yet God has even more information for the deliverer.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many God is still not satisfied. The army has not been reduced in numbers so that they and others will not claim they secured the victory
instead of God. More must be sent home.
Take them down to the water, and I will test them
for you there God takes charge of the reduction in force.
This is probably beyond what Gideon’s faith can handle. God tells Gideon to take his army to the stream created by the spring of Harod. Here the next reduction will occur.
Anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go. God tells Gideon His decisions are final. He will choose who he wants to go to battle and He will choose those who will stay behind. God is sovereign and He knows what He is doing.
So he brought the people down to the water Do we see growth in Gideon’s faith? There is no doubt or anxiety noted – he just obeys.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” God gives Gideon the criterion on which the choice will be made. Gideon is to
watch how the men drink from the stream and he is to sort them into two groups – those who kneel (bow or stoop) to drink and those who lap (lick) straight from the stream.
The number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water Gideon does as God says. One group, those who kneel had 9,700 men in it. The other group, the lappers, were
300 in number.
And the Lord said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand” God shocks Gideon one again. He gives Gideon His decision. He will use the smaller group of 300 to defeat the Midianites. This number will not
take glory for God’s victory. They are outnumbered 450:1. This army knows that unless God does the work, they are doomed. They have no ability to win, their only hope is God.
Let all the others go every man to his home Gideon is to dismiss the 9,700 other volunteers. They are willing, they are not fearful, they will stand up to the Midianites but it is not God’s will that they serve Him here. They are not to be kept in reserve in case extra troops are needed. God knows the outcome and He will give the victory through those He chose. Thus He tells Gideon to send the 9,700 home. Now Gideon faces reality. He and 300 volunteers and
God will fight 132,ooo Midianites. It will be no contest. Do you believe that? Gideon did!