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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Midian was really shrewdly devised, but it took no little faith and courage to carry it out. The trumpets were a call to God and a type of prayer; the torches symbolized the light of the Gospel, and the “pitchers” or “earthen vessels” are symbolical and typical of our frail bodies in which we have this treasure of the Gospel (2 Cor. 4 :6, 7,' Matt. 5:16). Our business, if we wish to put God’s enemies to flight, is simply to blow long and hard and loud the trumpet of prayer, to hold forth the Word of life in our hands (Phil. 2:16), and, like the pitch ers, we must be broken if the light is to shine through us (cf. John 12:24; Gal. 2:20 R. V.). The whole account is manifestly- accurate (v. 19) and clearly no legend, but the careful report of an eye-witness. v. 17. "And he said unto them, Look on mel and do likewise.” All each one of the three hundred had to do was simply to look at Gideon and do as he did, and all we have to do in our battle for God is to look at our Gideon, the Captain of our sal vation, and do as He does (Heb. 13:2; 1 John 2 :6). v. 20. " And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers,” etc. Each man of each company did exactly what he had been told to do. They obeyed to the very letter (cf. v. 18). When every man in the army of our Lord Jesus listens to the voice of our Commander, gets thoroughly by heart His instructions, and does exactly what He bids, then our victory will be sure and overwhelming. v. 21. "And they Mood every man in his place." That is exactly what each of us (1) Finding the Fittest for the Fight .— Chap. 7:1-8. The armies in battle array, v. 1, The Lord announces that the army is too large, v. 2. The Lord fears that Israel will attribute the success to their own ability, v. 2. God is jealous of the glory, v. 2; Isaiah 10:13; Daniel 4:30.
should do. God has a place for each one of us. We should find out where it is and stand right there. The trouble is, most of us wish to stand in the place of some one else, and the result is we don’t stand at all, but run. In this case the enemy did the running. v. 22. “ And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man’s sword against Ms fellow, even throughout all the host.” It was Jehovah who really did the fighting. It is always He who does the fighting, if we do just what He bids us. It did not matter that there were so many opposed to them because instead of fighting against the LORD’S army they fought one against the other, and the enemies of the LORD will always, sooner or later, get to fighting among themselves, and all we have to do is to stand and look on and see them destroy one another. New errors are aris ing every day on every hand, but like the witnesses against Christ before Caiaphas, they do not agree with one another, and if we will give them time, they will destroy one another. v. 23. "And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pur sued after the Midianites.” There are al ways plenty to join in the pursuit after the faithful few have won the victory, but it is true that the faithful few with God win the fl**y> though He may let the loiterers share in a measure in the spoils. But after all, it was the three hundred who got the honor of the victory. God cannot trust the flesh, v. 3; Deu teronomy 8:17. God weeds out the fearful, v. 3; Deu teronomy 20:8. Men who follow Christ must forsake all v. 3; Luke 14:25. The Lord makes a second test, v. 4. •He tries the heart of man, Psalms 7 :9. He purifies with fire, Malachi 3:2-3.
THE LESSON OUTLINE
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