Judges 7:1-8

Judges 7:1-8

[1] Then Jerubbaal,  who is Gideon,  and all the people  that were with him, rose up early,  and pitched  beside the well of Harod:  so that the host  of the Midianites  were on the north side  of them, by the hill  of Moreh,  in the valley.  [2] And the LORD  said  unto Gideon,  The people  that are with thee are too many  for me to give  the Midianites  into their hands,  lest Israel  vaunt  themselves against me, saying,  Mine own hand  hath saved  me. [3] Now therefore go to,  proclaim  in the ears  of the people,  saying,  Whosoever is fearful  and afraid,  let him return  and depart early  from mount  Gilead.  And there returned  of the people  twenty  and two  thousand;  and there remained  ten  thousand.  [4] And the LORD  said  unto Gideon,  The people  are yet too many;  bring them down  unto the water,  and I will try  them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say  [5] So he brought down  the people  unto the water:  and the LORD  said  unto Gideon,  Every one that lappeth  of the water  with his tongue,  as a dog  lappeth,  him shalt thou set  by himself; likewise every one that boweth down  upon his knees  to drink.  [6] And the number  of them that lapped,  putting their hand  to their mouth,  were three  hundred  men:  but all the rest  of the people  bowed down  upon their knees  to drink  water.  [7] And the LORD  said  unto Gideon,  By the three  hundred  men  that lapped  will I save  you, and deliver  the Midianites  into thine hand:  and let all the other people  every man  unto his place.  [8] So the people  took  victuals  in their hand,  and their trumpets:  and he sent  all  the rest of Israel  every man  unto his tent,  and retained  those three  hundred  men:  and the host  of Midian  was beneath him in the valley. 

What does Judges 7:1-8 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Presumably, God willingly gave Gideon the signs of the fleece because He knew the command He would give him to reduce his army would stretch his faith to its limit. The Israelite soldiers numbered only32 ,000 (or32units, Judges 7:3) while the Midianites and their allies fielded about135 ,000 warriors (or135 units, Judges 8:10).
God revealed His purpose in reducing Israel"s army clearly. He wanted everyone to recognize that the victory was His work rather than Israel"s ( Judges 7:2).
" Judges 7:2 is one of the most important verses in the Bible for understanding God"s principles of spiritual warfare. God is not interested in simply giving His people victory. He is concerned with teaching us trust. In fact, if our victories make us self-reliant, they are ultimately more disastrous than defeat." [1]
In the law Moses had said that the Israelites should not force the fearful to go into battle ( Deuteronomy 20:8). God reminded Gideon to give any who were afraid the opportunity to go home, which he did ( Judges 7:3). However the large number that deserted him, more than two out of three, must have shocked Gideon. Then God said that even the remaining10 ,000 soldiers (or10 units) were too many ( Judges 7:4).
The normal way to drink from a stream was to get down on one"s hands and knees and put his mouth to the water. This is what most of the soldiers did. A smaller number simply remained standing or kneeled, reached down, dipped one hand into the water, and brought the water to their lips. God told Gideon that he should send the majority home and that He would deliver Israel with the300 men who remained. That made the ratio of Midianite to Israelite soldiers450 to one (assuming eleph means "thousand" here). It is not clear whether God"s test and choice were arbitrary, having no other significance than that most people drank in one way and fewer in the other. Possibly God designed the test to distinguish the more alert soldiers from the less alert. [2] Getting down on all fours leaves one more vulnerable than if one remains upright while drinking. Another possibility is that God intended to identify the least likely to succeed, those who had so little self-confidence that they kept an eye out for the enemy while they drank. [3]
"I suggest that the lapping by the300 like dogs symbolizes a lapping of the enemy"s blood." [4]
The text does not enable us to understand God"s motive certainly. Simple obedience is what He required. Before God told Gideon to let the larger group of soldiers go home, He gave him a promise that He would deliver Israel with the300 remaining warriors. This promise undoubtedly encouraged Gideon"s faith.