Gideon learned to trust the Lord.
He was the guy who did the fleece.
Have you ever done a fleece?
Gideon asked that the sheepskin be wet with dew one night and that all the ground be dry and it was so.
Then, the next night, just to be sure, Gideon asked that the sheepskin be dry and all the land be wet and it was so.
That way, Gideon knew the Lord was confirming His word.
God was even so patient with Gideon when he was going to battle.
He told Gideon to relieve all those who were afraid and 22,000 left, then he was left with 10,000 men.
The Lord said, that is still too many.
If we send that many, they will not be able to give Me glory for the win.
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. Judges 7:2
God wanted Gideon to pare them down further.
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.
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.
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 go every man unto his place. Judges 7:5-7
It came down to those who drank like dogs were the ones the Lord chose for the battle.
That left only 300 men.
Then, there was a man who had a dream that encouraged Gideon when he heard the dream
and the interpretation of the dream. God gave Gideon more faith.
And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof,
that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said,
Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.
And he divided the three hundred men into three companies,
and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.
And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold,
when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.
When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me,
then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say,
The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. Judges 7:15-18
God had His methods. He made it impossible for anyone to receive any notoriety for winning this battle.
The battle belonged to the Lord and He showed Himself strong on behalf of those who worshiped Him.
He doesn’t change and though we don’t have battles exactly the same,
He causes things to happen against our enemies.
That is one reason it is so important to pray for our enemies and to love our enemies
because some of them may end up on God’s side and we don’t know which ones they may be.
God has His ways and He will intervene how He sees fit.
And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers,
and held the lamps in their left hands,
and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried,
The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow,
even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath,
and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath. Judges 7:20-22
So, the Lord had the Midianites kill each other and die by what we call friendly fire.
The Lord fought their battle for the Israelites and they had to blow their trumpets and shout,
“The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.”
God was glorified then and He is now when we read about it.
Almost like the battle of Jericho when the walls came tumbling down.
The Lord then allowed the Israelites to take the Midianites and their land.
Miracles then and miracles now. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8