Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-21
Gideon and the Three Hundred
Sermon by
ytEN FLOYD ". TOMkINS.
Text. ,Judrcs vii


| Text; Judges, vii.
We have seen how God called this
great Judge TO deliver His people from
the Midianites. And now to-day we
nave the stirring story of how he did
It, L love to read the seventh chapter
OF the Book of Judges: IL is SO inspir-
Ing and so fun OF suggestion. Gideon
placed himself under Gods direction.
yet he was always himself and never
lost his own Individuality. SO many
people have an idea that when God
rules them their personality is lost.
IL Is just the reverse: we only find our
real personality when we place our
selves in Gods hand and ask Him TO
control our thoughts and words ana
actions
The first thing for Gideon TO do was
10 Lather an army. And so he brought
them together. great body OF $1,000
men. But the Lord said: There ar.
tco many Of you. Let those who are
afraid go back" And 1000 OF them
went away. Courage iS not IL very
marked characteristic of humanity. Yet
we must not be too severe In our judg-
ment of these people who had passed
through so many struggles that they
were almost towards. imagine "A
good many Of us In the struggle OF life.
III we were given the opportunity TO
avoid the struggle. would certainly
turn and avail ourselves of the privi-
Iegc. How many are there OF us who
would not like to be rid o. the trials
and fluctuations of life? Are not tn.
poor always wishing that they might
be free from poverty? Are not the sick
always crying for health? Are not the
lonely always pleading for friendship
And when the sorrow Is especially
heavy do we not. like Paul, ask God to
deliver us, and only ind comfort when
lie gives us more grace to endure
Courage in this life is not the phySi-
cal daring which leads Il man to face
f on
long suffering continuance, with hope
and cheer. Knowing that all OF the
trials OF life are meant to strengthen
and bless rather than TO destroy.
GOD DOES NOT FIGHT
BY MERE NUMBERS
With his 10000 men Gideon was
about TO start. But again the Lord
brought a message: There are too
many of you" Now notice the test
that was given. They were TO cross IL
river. ana every man who stopped to
drink was to he rejected while the
men who kept on their way. eager to
destroy the enemy, and simply caught
the water up in their hands AS they
went to assauge their thirst. were TO be
chostn. And so the army OF 10000 was
reduced TO 800. Gideon might well
have been astounded that his huge
army of $1,000 men was thus reduced
TO - handful. But Gods methods are
not ours. not by might. nor by power,
s.
II IL common idea with us TO think
that In numbers there is strength
There may be and there may not. But
the strength in numbers. If IL is there
at all, is not the human massing of
people. but IL is the using of the multi
,udc By God 10 accomplish His pur-
pose. The Master says that when two
or three are gathered together in His
name He VIII grant their requests. and
that He is IN the midst OF them. 1t is
$DipnIlI - I inst -
or three praying and worshiping, but
the Splcndor consists not in their in
d!vidual might. but in the presence OF
Him who sees and loves every one OF
them. Gideon, with his 800. has al
ways been Il type OF the noble few who
have gone out, sometimes in what
seemed TO be !orlorn cause, with the
blessing Of God resting upon them. So
have the missionaries gone out TO con-
Vert the heather. 50 have noble reform
crS continued the battle for righteous
ness; so have a few devoted Chris
'ians sometimes built up Il whole
church ana made II power in the
community. But there was something
more that Gideon had to do. First hs.
was to hear the dream of the enemy,
going down secretly and listening in
the darkness OF the night. Then he
was TO divide his little army into three
companies, and with a trumpet and an
empty pitcher and torch in every
mans hand. he was to prepare for the
victory. Men who think themselves
wise laugh At such n preparation, but
God works In ways quite beyond human
wisdom. He uses little things TO ac-
compiish Ills purposes, like the sling
and pebbles OF David. and like the
leaves and fishes of the little lad. which
were used to feed thousands.
SIGNIFICANCE: Of OLD
TESTAMENT SYMBOLS
I confess that the sight of these 2no
"a ,.-,tl
rams horn trumpctS and with their
torches covered by the pitchers. going
out TO attack the wild fo. seems to me
typical OF the way in which we have
10 hsht. Does not the trumpet stand
Tor an assurance OF victory? We can
not do much for God If we think we
are going TO be defeated before we
enter the conflict. DO not the torches
signify the grace OF God hidden in
our lives. but ready to burst ont with
might when II is needed? And do not
the pitchers signify that humanity of
ours which can do great things only
as II shields within itself the glorious
light of Gods love? We need not be
afraid OF fanciful interpretation
believe that all Of these things in the
Old Testament have "a Significance and
1t Is the man OF courage who knows
and trusts that the Spirit OF God and
consecrated life can overcome every
enemy. These 800 men must have been
very loyal TO their leader. AS we 20
on with the story and sec how Mt his
word they broke the pitchers and lei
the light of the torches flash out, and
blow nightly with their trumpets and
shouted: THE sword of the Lord and
"f Gideon!' we know they must have
felt, every one OF them. that the victory
depended upon himself and that IN,
hand of God was upon him. 1t was q
wonderful victory, indeed! There were
80 many such victories i'm olden times.
the fall of Jericho. the defeat Of the
furnishings by David. those and 1nnnr