God Chose 300

God Chose 300

Judges 7:2 – The LORD told Gideon, “You have too many soldiers with you for me to drop Midian into their hands, because Israel would become arrogant and say, ‘It was my own abilities that delivered me.’ 3 – That’s why you’re to ask in full view of the soldiers, “Whoever is afraid or is trembling may go back from Mount Gilead and return home.” So 22,000 soldiers left and 10,000 remained.

Verse 4 – There are still too many soldiers,” the LORD told Gideon. “Bring them down to the water and I’ll refine them for you there. Therefore when I say to you, ‘This one will be going with you,’ he’ll go with you, but no one may go about whom I tell you, ‘This one won’t be going with you.’” 5 – So he brought his soldiers down to the water, and the LORD told Gideon, “You are to cull out everyone who laps up water with his tongue like a dog from everyone who kneels to drink.”

verse 6 – The contingent of soldiers who lapped water with their hands to their mouths numbered 300 men, but everyone else kneeled to drink water. 7 – Then the LORD told Gideon, “I’m going to deliver you with the 300 soldiers who lapped by giving the Midianites into your control. Send everyone else back to their own homes.”

God was going to deliver Israel with 300 so that everyone would see beyond all doubt that deliverance was from God and not from their own abilities.

What is it that usually freezes us up and makes us unwilling to do what God asks? We claim we have no means, no talent, no status, along with a host of many other reasons. Let us not be afraid to do what God asks because of what we don’t have. Let us lay out the fleece like Gideon and allow God to assure us that He has called us because of what He can do, not because of any ability we may possess.

Looking closely at Gideon’s story we find he was chosen precisely for what he didn’t have. Gideon was the youngest son in the weakest family in the half-tribe of Manasseh. When the Spirit took control of Gideon and he sent the word out to the other tribes, 32000 responded to the call but only 300 were chosen so that everyone would see that deliverance didn’t come from their abilities but from God alone.

We may be small of stature and status, but when God calls its because He wants to do something incredible; He wants to be glorified; He wants the credit. Gideon was chosen not because he was the strongest, but because he was the weakest. Sometimes we are the ones left out while others are chosen to lead because we have too many abilities and God knows we would take all the credit and claim God’s success for ourselves.

Let us not criticize the fleece of weak men like Gideon who end up relying completely on God’s strength. May our eyes be opened to see how weak we really are and how strong God really is. Praise the Lord that in our weakness, He reveals His strength!