“And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, ‘Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.’ And his comrade answered, ‘This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.‘ ”
Judges 7:12-14
God waits until Judges 8:12 to give us some shocking information. Here we learn the full magnitude of the size of the enemy Gideon faces.
And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people
of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance,
and their camels were without number, as the sand that is
on the seashore in abundance As Gideon looks out on the enemy
the scene could be terrifying. God says the size of the enemy cannot be numbered. From a human perspective Gideon’s 3oo appear to be headed for a massacre. This, however, is exactly the type of situation where God’s might is revealed. “For with God nothing is impossible.”
When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his
comrade We have to admire the growth in Gideon’s faith. He sees the size of the enemy but he listens to God and goes close to the Midianite camp There God has arranged for him to hear a Midianite soldier telling a dream he had to a second soldier. It is something God wants Gideon to hear.
Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat. The dream appears to be a fantasy. The soldier says he saw a loaf of bread roll into the Midianite camp and knock over a tent. We wonder how a small loaf of bread could knock down a tent and turn it upside down. Then we note this is barley bread – barley is the grain used to feed animals. Only the poorest eat barley bread so whatever knocks down this tent is humble and weak in itself. Most people despise barley bread but if it were empowered by God it could knock over and destroy a tent
This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel Gideon is likely stunned to hear his name mentioned. The enemy know who he was, they even know his family. The
soldier refers to Gideon’s sword. In reality this is God’s sword. The first time the word is used in when the cherubim hold flaming swords to guard Eden after Adam and Eve are banished. The enemy thinks the sword is Gideon’s, he knows it is God’s. There is another important point. If we are to serve God we will be known by the enemy. We don’t serve God anonymously.
God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp God brought Gideon to this place to hear this sentence from the mouth of a Midianite soldier. This thought may not have been the official position of the Midianite military leadership but it was the fear that God had placed in the hearts of their soldiers. They know who God is and they know who Gideon is and they are afraid. Gideon must realize God brought him to this place to hear this message. This encourages his heart and strengthens his faith in God. Again we see how God nurtures and prepares his servant to do the tasks God assigned him.
What can we learn? As Gideon, and we, learn about our God we marvel at His greatness. The enemy may marshal great forces, but our God can touch their hearts with fear and anxiety. He can call the hornets to attack them, He can send an angel to fight them. But God does not tell us in advance how He will win the battle. He gives us time to decide – will we walk by faith or by sight? He gives us that choice for he wants us to trust in Him, not in the way He gives the victory. So before a great battle fought by an overwhelmed force to whom God alone will give the victory, God strengthens the heart of His servant. He need not fear, God is in control! Remember that!