Weakness and God's Power

Gideon's army camped by the spring of Harod with thirty-two thousand men. God said the number was too large: Israel would brag that their own hand had saved them. Gideon let the fearful go home, and twenty-two thousand left. At the water, God separated out three hundred who lapped with their hands. Against an army as many as locusts, God would save by those few.

God also cared for Gideon's fear. He invited Gideon to go down to the camp with Purah, and there Gideon overheard a dream: a cake of barley bread tumbled into Midian's camp and turned a tent upside down. The listener explained that God had delivered Midian into Gideon's hand. Gideon worshiped and returned with confidence.

The plan used no ordinary weapons. Three companies carried trumpets and pitchers with torches inside. At the beginning of the middle watch, they blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers, and cried, The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon! Each man stood in his place while the enemy ran. Yahweh set every man's sword against his fellow, and Ephraim captured the Midianite princes Oreb and Zeeb. In the New Testament, Hebrews names Gideon among people of faith who from weakness were made strong (Hebrews 11:32-34).