An encouraging word from Judges 7
Biblical Israel Ministries & Tours (BIMT) is all about teaching the Bible in the context of the land of Israel and other biblical countries (Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy). We teach the historical geography of the Bible as well as archaeology, customs and culture of the land. We aim to make connections between the Bible and the land in all that we do.
This is another session in the new series of teaching videos called “Devotions from Israel.” This brief five-minute devotional comes from Judges 7. The setting for this story is the Jezreel Valley, the Spring of Harod, and the Hill of Moreh.
About the Devotional
During the time of the Judges, a cycle of disobedience, repentance, and a return to God occurred over and over again. Israel was stuck in this spiritual rut for hundreds of years!
Israel’s leadership was dependent upon judges. Some judges were better than others. A few were strong, others were weak. Let’s enter a man named Gideon.
For seven years the Midianites plundered the harvest in the Jezreel Valley. The Israelites cried unto God for a deliverer. God provided a man named Gideon. He was from Ophrah located in the Jezreel Valley. Initially, Gideon doubted his ability to lead his people against such a formidable foe. In fact, he was sure that God had chosen the wrong leader! Yet God would teach Gideon an important lesson: It was not in his own strength that Israel would be delivered. Rather, it was God and His ways who would bring the victory.
At the Spring of Harod (located at the base of Mt. Gilboa), a drinking test was given to Gideon’s troops. As Judges 7 offers the details, the fighting army was reduced to just 300 men. Most commenters believe that these 300 mens were the ones who drank alertly from the stream, keeping their eye on the enemy at all times. To the contrary, the text allows for just the opposite interpretation – it was the 300 flunkies (as I like to call them), namely, those who drank carelessness without a level of alertness, that were chosen for the task of going up against the Midianites.
“God can use all of us to accomplish His purposes. We don’t need to be extra talented. He can use who we are in miraculous ways!”
Somewhere near the slopes of the Hill of Moreh the battle was won with God’s strategy in place! Gideon trusted in God’s way to ensure victory for the Israelites.
Isn’t this just like God, who often times chooses not the best but the inexperienced and the least likely to succeed to allow His power to be displayed? God received the glory that day when Gideon entrusted the outcome to God. God can use all of us to accomplish His purposes. We don’t need to be extra talented. He can use who we are in miraculous ways!
I hope you enjoy this video below. These five minute devotionals will be produced on a regular basis. We will try to share two devotionals per week this summer. As you are encouraged by the video, please consider sharing this post with others for their encouragement as well.