The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-01-20

SOulu p2SNSuL tAo OaCAh5 49,
ing to their homes in the desert conn-
try. outwardly the great discrepancy
Of numbers made the. situation look
dubious for Israel, but In reality the
danger was that the army was too.
large, since when the victory was
gained they might "yaunt themselves.
individuals and churches usually
count theirlstrength according to NUM-
bers. (SeeiH Cor. 12:s.) five desire
Gods strength It must be as we our,
selves ara weak elsa: 40 :29l. God iis;
sometimes limited by having too many
and not enough of the right sort.
When God. delivers he leaves no room
for boasting / lEph. a: 8, O.; Rom. 3 :i27). !.
God can save as we'll BY the few as
| BY the many: q Samuel 1855, and IRE.
iquentlyl uses the weak and despised
things to- confound the mfshty q Cor.
l1:2T, 2S) that mo flesh s!-ould glory
in his presence" Il Cor. 1 :29) These
were two tests whereby Gideon was
TO select his warriors: q $50 to-,
proclaim Swhosoever is fearful.
/. 5let him return ". 53). II isi
not we'll toScrfticize too severely the
$4,000 who returned; even Ia the Gar
den not only Peter. but all the disci-
pies .forsook the Master and fled. ! God
does not choose men because they are
heroes, but ! to make heroes of them
by the power OF his might. CD There
Els yet another sitting, God gives Gid
con the clue (v. Al viz, to. decide by
their method Of drinking Those who
drank @as dog lappeth. :. were those
not TO be taken soff guard even while
drinking. An OK Clues his eyes upon
|theiwater and ia obliyious ito all else
not SO q dog. God cares more for
quality than TOR quantity and there
were too many towards, too many
who thought. most OF self-comfort, to
allow them to- enter this battle. It
was also d strange equipment God
I gave this army; All they took was
food and trumpets " 81 e The all
essential things for the followers of
Christ are the word OF God for food
l.G Pet. s2:2) and the voice Of prayer
for a trumpet (Narn. 1913, 10; !; II
Ghron. 1914 Rev. a2:i q ,iBs q
Z il. Gideon's Second Assurance, w.
s.15. 1T was absurd, humanity speak
ing, for 300 men to expect to defeat
Las 900. God .'streng gthened" Gideon
|f(Y: ~. Gideon, and Phurah, at Gods
fcommand, entered the Yalleyand drew
near the Midianite host Avoiding the
guard, II any, they drew near enough,
To hear q man; telling his dream to
Ss1ris fellow. The latter tnterpretsi
this as nothing else, than the Sword
tof Gideon ". IA Gideon worshiped
God and at once returned to arouse
the camp Of Israel. /.
ssIlI. The Sword of the Lords and OF
Gideon, yv. .23. 4 IN ,kll probability
|these men wore their usual weapons
as soldiers and carried food sfor their
use I'M nSpursuing the enemy. However,
fors this midnight attack they needed
only three weapons, lamps, pitchers
and trumpets, Each Of these have a
spiritual suggestion for: the Christian.
IISee Matt. 25:4y Ps. 119:1 :105; also II
Cor. a 6, y, and Ezek 1913; 6; I. Cor.
f14;S.) Gideon's stratagem OF dividing
his men, into three companies and
then as the pitchers are broken to
blow the trumpet caused q lively panic
among the Midianites. That Gideon
had faith and courage In himself. and
III: the word OF Jehovah Is suggested
In his words, Look on me and do,
likewise" We are to- look to the cap
tain Of our; salvation (Heb: 1922 and
by our lives Of obedience prove the.
devotion of our life tJohn 1914,
|14:21). AS already. suggested, there
were probably no defenses surround;
ing the enemy and In the darkness
Gideon and his men easily approached
the camp. It is easy to imagine the
scene-the midnight hour, the army,
suddenly awakened by s deafening
shout, the blasts of trumpets, the 300
torches flashing forth amid the crash
of earthenware, and all Of this In
dense darkness. The Midianites In
the confusion, turned their weapons
against each. other and fed toward
the Jordan and into the regions be-
yond toward the desert. Others fol-
lowed by the ten thousand, fleeing to.
ward. Succoth and Penuel. We Of
this day have our wars and battles
against the wrongs, the principalities
and powers Of evil, which are around
us and within US. Such battles re-
quire the same courage, and skill, aDd
conservation of ourselves, as did the
wars of those ancients against the
enemies that threatened the very ex.
istence of the people Of God. (Sae
Eph. 6:10.1S;, I Tim. 6:12.) The
trumpets were a call to God and
type of prayer; the pitchers (earthen
vessels) type Of our frail bodies IN
wh'ch we have the treasure OF tao
gospel truth e Cor. 4:6. Z, Matt,
5:16). Our business is to blow lons
and loud the trumpet and hold :orth
the light, which is, the Word (Phil.
2:l6), and being broken ourselves
John 1924, Gal. 1870 R. W.. expect
to see the enemies Of God overthrown.
As every man stood In his appointed
! place ". 21). God did the fighting and
brought confusion to the enemy ",
e2).