The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-24
TODAY'S BIBLE TALK

for resistance.
 Along with his commission. Gideon, was directed to first free his people from idol worship. That same night he went out with ten men and tore down the nearest altar. which had long been a regular mecca for the idol wor- shippers among his own people.
 his own tribe to call his people to mobilize for a campaign against the maranding Arabs. He established headquarters at Gilboa.
 Now to reassure himself that there was no mistake about his commission he asked Jehovah for sign: Here is fleece of wool; if tomorrow morn- ing this fleece is covered with dew. while the grass around it is dry, then shall know" Next morning he found the fleece wringing wet there in the midst of dry grass. Then he prayed {: Tomorrow morning jet the fleece be dry and let the dew fall on the grass and the straw of the thrashing floor. ;" Next morning he found it so.
 Thirty-two thousand men had an swered the call to arms. Wonderful army! Twenty-two thousand towards. and about ten thousand only, fit to wear the uniform.
 Slackers, Rockies, And Regulars
 The same messenger who had brought the commission now came again to say, your army is too large" Here was perhaps the first selective. draft The new general published an order, whoever is afraid of the enemy may go home" and twenty-two thousand left camp without waiting for an hon. orable discharge. There were ten thousand who were filling to fight. But being willing was not enough, they were unprepared.
 Now the messenger came again to say that still the army was too large bring the men down to the brook and l will show you those to keep and those to send away" The manner of their drinking water was the test.
 When the men on the football field, between quarters run to the water bucket pick up the sponge, place it to their mouths. and throw it back in the bucket for the next man up. They are not much concerned about germ theories and laws of hygiene i; but they are vastly concerned about keeping ready and fit for battle
 The majority of the ten thousand, N leisurely put their shields and spear aside and sprawled on their knees or lay down upon their stomachs to drink water. There were three hundred though who held their shield and spear in one hand and scooped up a handful of water as they crossed the little stream
 It was now that the messenger said, ''set these men who have Tapped up each a handful of water, to themselves. These are the men whom I have chosen to set Israel free''
 Like Leonidas At Thermopylae
 Gideon's plan did not need a large army; but it did need few brave, bold men who respected authority and knew how to execute an order He gave to each man a lamp, a pitcher and bugle, and told the men just what was to be done. The lamp was to be lighted, but concealed inside the pitcher. He then commanded them to count off; he divided them into three companies. His next order was forward" The three hundred were stationed as sentinels in a circle around the entire camp of the enemy. At zero hour,' and upon signal each man was to sound his br gle, break his pitcher. flash his light and shout 'the sword of the Lord and of Gideon" The sleeping camp reused only to be struck with terror, and the one thought of escape. They literally slew them selves by trampling each other to death in an effort to reach the ford over the Jordan.
 Only remnant of the Arabian army was able to make the crossing in their flight toward the desert. The inn mortal three hundred closely pursued them. Oyertaking them, they first made captives and later slew them to the last man, along with their two kings. The farmer general had per- formed his mission and freed Israel from the Midianites for all time,
 Unlike Julius Caesar
 They brought crown and begged Gideon to allow the priests to anoint him and make him king of Israel. Julius Caesar put aside the crown that his Roman followers thrust upon him. His hands declined 1t, but his am bltuous heart was set upon 1t. Gid con had no thought of presuming to rule as king over a people who had been so often reminded that the Lord God was their king.
 But after this, as long as he lived he ruled as judge in Israel. If there had been more men like him m his own tribe, and in the other eleven, there would have been less going off after strange gods, and less of the miseries of punishment inflicted as penalty for disobedience and faith lessness.
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