The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-19
TUT IMMORTAL THREE Hun
y DRIED.
(Hy William 7. Ellis. }

~reat that they have passed into the
common thought and speech of the
people. Thus Gideon and his band
have become proverbial. Fortitude, !
6delity and efficiency are their trade-
marks. Once more the countless COM
h many of Sunday school members are
called to study this immortal hero tale
! from old IsraeIs history, and to learn !
its lesson for today.
The facts of the story are simple. !
The Midianites from the East were
depressing Israel. Gideon had been
called by God to be the leader Of his
people in conflict with the foe
Thirty thousand men of Israel rallied
10 his banner, against the one hun
6red and thirty-flve thousand INDIAN
ties Lest Israel should think thaa
the inevitable victory had been won
by its might and courage and strategy,
Gideon was ordered to reduce his force
by letting all the armed men who
wanted to do SO return home. Still
there were ten thousand left. quite
too many for the divine purpose.
80 the curious yet inherently wise
test was applied, of choosing the men
who drank water by scooping it up
With their hands, rather than kneel-
ing down with their faces in the
water. The difference. as has often
teen pointed out. was the difference
between the way the dog drinks and
the way the COW drinks. The former
il alert. quick and ready for instant
action: the COW when drinking is
obvious to all else, ven to the beat
,ngs OF an attendant. One company
II men, skilled in the craft Of the
open. drank fully accounted and with
every faculty on guard. They were
ready to fight or the instant, and
could not be taken unawares. Drink
ing to them was but a part of the
nrar,a ra tinn for their rpal Unrk Tho
other and larger group laid aside
their exposing themselves
10 sudden attack. while. they kneit
and drank to repletion. needless OF
all save the I. satisfaction Of their
thirst.
This severe test provided a fit band
IL three hundred men, the whole
host winnowed down to the highest
efficiency. They were ready for any
thing. a wonderful instrument in the
hand Of the shrewd leader. Gideon
gave each of these q torch. covered
by a crockery vessel, so hat it made
primitive lark lantern. To each
he also gave a trumpet, SO that II
the hands of these few were as many
trumpets and lights as usually woule
serve a great army.
Depioying the three hundred on al
sides of the Midianite host, Gideon
strategy provided that, at a givel
signal, all the crockery should crack
the lights flare forth, the trumpet
southland the terror Of the enemy
thinking itself surrounded, would d
the rest. The scheme worked as wei
as similar strategies in battle hav
worked The rout Of the bewildere,
Mlditnites was complete-and Their
were no braZen Jewish soldiers swag
serins about, declaring that thei
prowess had won the day Every
bD1N had RI piya Cod tho nraiQp Tp
the wonderful victory.
n Magazine Story,
Nothing could be timelier than hi
ttle. Our old world, as it stands o
shahing foundations. needs most Of a
h learn the Gideon lesson of bein
willing to win in Gods way, even
our own vainglorious pride does hay
!" suffer. The Church is not to SUE
coed by using world methods MOI
ehrewdly than the world itself use
them. Peace for the world is not
come by the ancient method Of ARE
Sance overlapping arrogance, arms
heht outweighing armament.
A remarkable story is told in tt
current issue of The American Ma,
azlne by Ray Stannard Baker. WI
turns aside for the occasion fro
ms Wonted field as an interpreter
contemporary history TO a bit of fl
,loh IN the form of history as it ms
III narrative, udIeU d CeHtul
hence, recalls how one of the victor
Gus European armies determines
invade and conquer America. !
once this country is thrown into tV
sFoups, the war party and the pea
party. The latter, led by a woma
was at first small and treated wi
uiSdain. The only way to meet
invader. according to all reason Al
precedent, is by armed froce. 3
tae peace plan prevailed, the i
>dders were met and conquered
t'on-reSistance
was the Gideon idea applied
national affairs. So dramatic a
Pertinent is this article that it is &C
tuh 10 re-echo in press and pulp
Is an apt illustration of the o
90 truth that God chooses the we
ma the foolish to confound t
mighty.
Enter Rilly Sunday