New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-04-16
IMPROVED UNnFoRA INTERNATIONAL
NNDMSQlO0L
LESSON
(By REV.. r. b. FITZWATER, u. D..
Teacher of English Bible In the Eoody
Bible Institute Of Chicago.J
Copyright. 1920. Western Newspa per Union,
LESSON FOR APRIL IS
THE VICTORY OF cIDEoN's BAND.

LESSON ~TEXT-Judges I.
GOLDEN TE~XT-There Is no restraint
to the Lord to save by many or by few
] SAM. lag.
ADDITIONAL MATErtAL Judges
s:1-+0: S:l-35.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Gideon and His
Three Hundred.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How Gideon Won a
Victory.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
Victory by Gods Help.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-one With God a Majority.
SO grievous was I~srael's affection
mat they hid In dens, caves and
s~trongholds Judges 6: p. In their
distress they cried unto the Lori. and
again he heard them and sent deliver
ance. The angel of the Lord appeared
to Gideon while at the post of duty.
o always calls men who are doing
something. Gideon's hesitancy when
called was not due to unbelief, but to
modesty and cautiousness. He came
from an obscure and uninfluential fam
lily Judges 6:15). Before going for
ward he wished to be doubly sure
Judges 6:36-40). WHEEL once he was
convinced of duty he was courageous
q enthusiastic. This is Characters
tic OF all truly great men. outstanding
examples of which are Luther, Knox
and Calvin.
.. The Opposing Army ". ~.
Gideon and his army arose early on
that eventful day and encampei by
the spring Of Harod. Over against
them was the host of the Midianites In
battle array. His army vas Insignia
cant In comparison with the Micinn-
ties.
u. The Sitting Of oideon's Army
wv. 2-8).
At Gideon's call $1,000 men respond.
ed, ready for the struggle. This
seemed a small army to 60 agains! the
Midianite army. $4,000 strong, but
God said this was too many les. they
he led to Boosting and self-cOnfdence.
Their real danger was not In their
small army. but In their pride. All
that were fa~int-hearted were allowed
to 60 back, leaving only 10000. There
were 1900 towards in that group OF
men, and, worst of oil. they were not
ashamed to confess 1t. Still this was
too many. When God was through with
his sitting process only 800 remained.
The 10000 were brave men, but not OF
proper quality and fitness. Those who
Tapped the water showed aler+ress
and watchfulness. This test revealed
the quality and fitness of the men
whom God would use TO win victory.
This sitting process. no doubt, was
trying to Gideon's faith, but H. need
ed to be taught that success In the
Lords work does not depend so much
upon numbers as upon quality.
~. God Gives encouragement to
Gideon wv. 9-15.)
God babe Gideon go down to the
Midianite camp. where he would hear
something which would cheer his
heart and strengthen his hands. When
he came neal he heard a man tell a
dream, which was that Of q barley cake
tumbling into the camp and shifting II.
He also heard the Interpretation given
to that dream, which made Gideon to
be that cake. This greatly cheered
his heart and strengthened him fo- his
work, and caused his heart to burst
forth In praise to God. A barley cake
Is a very Insignificant thing. a very
cheap affair In itself. but with the
hand Of God upon IT., 1t would be suffi.
Client to spread CONSERVATION upon the
Midianites and bring destruction upon
their armies.
~. God Gives Victory to Gideon
wv. 1929.
His army wns very Insignificant and
his weapons most worthless. H:s at
tack was unique. The whole matter
was of faith Heb. II 1927. The ground
of his faith was Gods word and the
token which he had given him. God
does not ask us to 60 forward without
good ground upon which to rest our
faith. Gideon with his 300 men formed
into three companies. each man being
provided with q trumpet and with a
lamp concealed within n pitcher. Thus
armed, they surrounded the camps of
the Midianites- They were oil instruct
ed to keep their eyes upon their leader
and initiate lin. We. too, are to keep
our eyes on our leader. Christ. and to
ever do as he does. At the proper mo
ment they blew their trumpets and
broke their pitchers. giving opportun-
ity for their lights to shine out. This
awful crash of breaking pitchers. fol-
lowing the sound Of trumpets. accom-
panied by the shout, The sword of
the Lord and Of Gideon" threw the
Midianites into a panic, causing them
to fght among themselves. One hun
dred and twenty thousand were thus
slain, leaving but 1900 Of that mighty
army Judges s:1O).
In making the application to our
selves in this age. we a think Of the
sounding Of the trumpets as represent.
ing prayer. or calling to God; the
torches, rs the light of the gospe'; the
pitchers. our human nature; and the
whole, as this treasure in earthen YES
sells. Only as the pitchers were broken
TO allow the light TO shine forth, aid az
we sound loud and long the trumpet of
prayer ian we expect victory.
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