Judges 7: Gideon scares away the Midianites

Synopsis: 

Gideon, also known as Jerubbaal, calls an army of Israelites to him. God tells him he has too many people and that this victory won’t be attributed to him. They have to go in with only a few people. So Gideon sends home everyone who is afraid (22,000 people go home). 10,000 remain, and God says, that’s still too many. So Gideon has them go to the river and drink. 300 drink like dogs, by lapping up the water. The rest drink by kneeling and bowing down.  Gideon sends those that kneel home and give the 300 trumpets, empty pitchers and lamps.  The Midianite army along with the Amalekites and the children of the east were like grasshoppers in their multitude and their camels were without number. Gideon divided his men into 3 groups of 100 each. They went out early morning and surrounded the Midianite army. They all blew trumpets and broke their pitchers and made a lot of noise. The Midianites were so scared they fled. At this point, the order was given to pursue the Midianites and they managed to capture the princes Oreb and Zeeb, and cut off their heads.

In other words:

With only 300 men, Gideon is able to scare the crap out of a massive Midianite army – causing them to flee.

Favorite bit:

Judges 7:20 – 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.

2nd favorite bit:

Judges 7:12 – the description of the Midianite army.

Weirdest bit:

Judges 7:7 – And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you.

Moral lesson learned:

Cunning is more important than strength (Judges 7)