Scripture:
Judges
7:1-24
Quick
Summary:
Gideon calls out an
army to fight the Midianites, but God says it is too big. He doesn’t want the
army to think they can win on their own. Gideon sends home 22,000 men with only 10,000 remaining.
God says that is still too many, so he sends home all but 300 men. The 300 men
attack at night. God confuses the Midianites and they start attacking each
other. God uses a measly 300 men to take down an army of 120,000.
The Point:
God can use us when we are few.
Questions
for Family Time:
1. Who was the
judge? What made him special?
a.
Gideon was the smallest son in the smallest tribe.
2. What job did
God give him?
a. To take out the Midian army
3. What was strange about how God
wanted him to take them out?
a. God wanted
Gideon to do it with a tiny army. Each man would have to defeat 400 soldiers!
3. Did it work?
a.
Yes, God turned the Midianites against each other so the
Israelites won.
Deeper:
Gideon started building an army for this job God gave him. He started
small with just about 1 man to every 3 or 4 men in Midian’s army. Then God told
him it wasn’t small enough. God didn’t want to win a war Israel could win
without him. So Gideon had to decrease his army. He sent home those who were
scared. Now each man would have to defeat 12 men. That is a tall order even for
the bravest Israel had to offer. But God still thought bragging rights would go
to the men. God wanted it to be clear. So one more time, he asked Gideon to
thin out the ranks. Now Gideon’s army was a measly 300 men against 120,000.
Each man would have to defeat 400 men. That was impossible. 400 trained
soldiers to each man!
Gideon
was scared. How could his army possibly win? God knew his courage was faltering.
God needed him to trust and hope in this wild plan. So God sent him into the
edge of the enemy’s camp where he heard a dream. A Midian shared that a loaf of
bread…Gideon…would roll into camp and knock down every tent. Gideon knew God
was with his tiny army, and would help them against their enemy. That night, Gideon
took his tiny army and encircled the enemies camp. They crashed pots and blew
trumpets. The enemies woke up, and in the dark of night could not recognized
friend from foe. God used the Midian army to take out the Midian army. God used
the few to take down the many.
That’s the God we follow. And just as he took
that little group of men and conquered a massive army, he likes to take our
little groups and conquer big problems. He takes little groups like Junior
Group and uses us to make a big difference in our world. Will he use us to
invite new people into discipleship? Will he use us to ignite the faith of the
adults around us? Will he use us to stand up to injustice or help those in
need? I don’t know what he might do with us, but this I do know: we are not too
few for God to use in a big way.
Just
as God spoke and led Gideon and his army, God speaks to us today. What is he
calling us to do? What is too big for us to do? Sometimes the answers to those
two questions are the same. That is the sweet spot of faith.
Personal
Reflection:
What is God calling us to do? What is too big for us to
do?
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