The Bible tells us that God's ways are not our ways, and when it comes to majority rule, God plus one is a majority. In fact, God by Himself is a majority. Today, on Truth for Life weekend, Alistair Begg illustrates the truth of this formula by taking us to the story of a fearful and yet faithful Gideon. who prepared for battle with a woefully inadequate army and a bunch of bizarre weapons, were studying Judges chapter seven. In verse 2 and following, here of chapter 7, God gives to him direction.
The Lord said to Gideon, You have too many men. For me to deliver Midian into their hands. And then he explains: in order that Israel may not boast against me, become self-reliant. Boast at our own strength. has saved her.
In other words, God says, the victory that I grant is my victory. I am in no way dependent upon your numbers. If the first stage of the reduction is related to the morale of the army, which it clearly appears to be. Then what of the second stage of the reduction? What is this about?
Now it sees at this point that we get into difficulties. And it's at this point that we start to get You know. Clever with our conjecture. And we get into the lappers versus the kneelers. And we this is where we impress the people with all the thing about kneeling down and lapping and whether the guy was looking while he was lapping or kneeling while he was not looking and all this kind of stuff.
And frankly, we don't have a clue what we're talking about. We haven't got the foggiest idea in the world what we're on about because it doesn't say. You see, and most of the sermons that you hear preached on this have to do with somehow or another that this was a test, looking for only the alert. And all the dreamy and the careless were to go.
So we would just keep the alert ones. And the alert ones were not those who were kneeling down, we tell the people, because if you were kneeling down, you couldn't be looking. How we know that is because there's a number of ways you can kneel down, but usually that's it. But if you were lapping with the like this, then you could be looking, and so that's it. Whoa, come on.
One of the ways, have you ever thought about the fact that they might have been lapping? They might have been lying completely horizontal, right? With her faces hanging over the edge. Into the into the pond. They're just.
Can I Doing this with it up into their face. In other words, These guys are clueless. But the way we preach the passage, we can't have that because these have got to be the ones who are looking. Because God wouldn't want ones that aren't looking, would He? Yes, he might.
Because if he wanted to make it absolutely clear. That the reason for the victory was because of him. Then the most unlikely 300 would join with the most unlikely individual In order that God may be glorified. In order that the people around might say, How in the world could this ever take place? Three hundred jokers with a funny wee guy at the front.
And they're chasing us halfway across The universe What's going on here? It's God's.
Now, I just want to say this to you in passing. When we find ourselves asking why the lapping, why lapping was the sign of a better soldier, we're on the wrong track. I think we're missing the whole point. And since, you know. You know, Grandfather George, he always told us about the lappers.
See what I mean? We're not agnostic enough in coming to the passage. We just assume that, so we preach it.
Now, you're sensible men, and you have every right to disagree with me. But think this out. Surely the object was to reduce Gideon's A force Not of a particular kind. But a force of a particular number. The issue was not the kind of people that were left, the issue was the number of people that were left.
It wasn't that Gideon was trying to put together a small commando unit, 300 of the best and the brightest. God is not in need of 300 crack troops. You see, he's not in need of the special and the strong and the lappers rather than the kneelers and the alert rather than the unalert. Goodness gracious, just look at your congregation. Look at your choir.
If you ever doubt that God has a sense of humor, just look at the choir. Look at these people. All I'm saying is the average choir is a sort of microcosm of the congregation. You look at those people, you've got a sort of small cross-section of the bigger group, and you say, Are we really going to turn the world upside down with this? And the answer is it's highly unlikely.
And God says, I like it when it's that way. See, the problem that many of us are facing in our churches is we're trying to get it in the position where it's highly likely. And we're reading all this stuff that tells us how to do it and what you put here and how you get three of those there and five and take away the number you first thought of and multiply it by six, and before you know it, The three hundred that are left are meant to be not an elite But a group so inadequate That when the battle is won, No one Gideon The three hundred? The gang that left or the surrounding people. will be in any doubt.
God did this. And that's what incidentally worship is supposed to be about. And now that I mentioned the choir, I'll just have a little detour for a moment. What does it say in 1 Corinthians 12 or 14, whatever it is? The issue is Well, hey, I know it's in twelve or fourteen, that's a start.
You guys are tough. You know, it says. The real issue Is that man in coming into the encounter with the people of God? will be caused to fall down on their faces And say Surely God is in this place. That would be the only explanation for what's going on.
Not the slickness of the methodology, not our ability to offer it to them at the lowest common denominator, not our ability to make it acceptable and amenable to them, but the fact that here are a group of people, there are a funny-looking group of people, there are an ordinary group of people, they are apparently not particularly influential, but there is something going on there, and it is God is in this place. And that's, you see, what the issue is here in Judges 7.
Now How good of God? Having given this instruction to him, To follow it up. with a dream that he can hear. There's a direction that he gives, and then there's a dream that Gideon hears. Gideon has done what he's been told.
He takes the man down to the water and so on. He sends the rest of the Israelites to their tents. He keeps the 300, and they've got to gather up all the provisions and the trumpets and everything else. Quite a carry-on. And now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.
That's the same thing that is said in verse 1. The camp of Midian was in the valley. And it's just a little reminder, you know. The writer says now, let's not forget about the camp below in the valley. And during the night the Lord said to Gideon, Get up and go down against the camp.
Because I'm going to give it into your hands. And then listen to this. If you're afraid to attack, Oh, how gracious of God. What a wonderful shepherd. And Father, and counselor and guide.
Hey. You know, if it had been you and me, we would have said if. If you are afraid to attack, I'm scared spitless to attack God. You see, Bravery is not the absence of fear, is it? If you ask a rock climber how he is so brave to go up there without those.
Safety things, he'll say, I'm not brave, it scares me to death. I simply conquer the feelings.
So bravery is the harnessing of fear. The overcoming of fear.
So, it is not that we are strong and useful when we can say, Oh, I'm not afraid, I'll go and do that. I think the position is, yeah, I am afraid, but. And the Lord comes to me and He says, I want you to go down, and I want to acknowledge that if you're afraid, you may need a little more encouragement. And I haven't provided you recruits for your faith, but I have provided you with recruits for your faith, but I'm not providing you with recruits for your forces. What a lovely teacher he is.
Kind if you're afraid, strict. Go down. A word of promise. A word of direction. And you can take your servant Pura.
And listen to what they're saying. And afterwards, you'll be encouraged to attack the camp.
So he and Pura, his servant, went down to the outposts of the camp. Can you imagine what that journey was like? I don't want to delay on it. But he and his buddy, they go down, and it has been described for us that these folks are everywhere. It's all campfires and tents and camels making noises and Making Other things that camels do.
And it's just a huge panoply of. Daunting dimensions. And they must have gone on that journey, and as they crept into the camp, and as they observed it all, and as they found themselves on the outpost, they must have been saying, Goodness gracious, what are we going to possibly do here? The odds are overwhelmingly against us, everything is stacked against us. Goodness, when we asked the people if any were fearful, we had the whole 22,000 of them leave.
The Lord has taken us down to 300. It's you and me, Pura, and we're down here. And Pura says, Gideon, shh. Shh, listen. Listen.
And they hear talking in the tent. And they draw a wee bit closer to the tent. And they hear a guy talking to his friend. And he says to his friend, I had a dream. And a round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp.
It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed. You can imagine them just moving along. This is interesting. And then comes the interpretation. His friend responded, This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon, son of Joash.
The Israelite God has given the Midianites and the whole camp. Into His hands. You think God is in charge? Yeah, he's in charge. He's not just in charge in the camp of the Israelites.
He's in charge of the camp of the Midianites. God is in control. God is still on the throne, as the old song says. and he will remember his own. Though trials may press us and burdens distress us, He never will leave us alone.
The Lord God omnipotent reigns. It doesn't always seem so, but it is so. That's why the hymn writer says, Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take. The skies ye so much dread Are big with blessing and will break with mercy on your head.
Now, it's going to take faith to believe that, but that is exactly what it takes. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. For anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. And Gideon has heard the word of direction. He has responded in obedience.
He has now heard the word in the dream. And interestingly enough, the response is when Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he worshipped God. What a wealth is contained in that which we will allow silence to pass over. He worshiped God. What did he do?
Did he lie face down on the ground? Did he stand with his eyes towards heaven? Did he lift his hands in the air? Did he sing a little chorus that he'd known? What did he do we don't know?
But we do know this. Then in that moment, if never before. He had an almost overwhelming sense Of the fact that as his servant, as God's servant, He was to God, as the prophet Zachariah says, as the very apple of God's eye. That God's concern for him. God's interest in him.
God's provision for him, his purpose for him. Meant everything. Guys Pastoral ministry is not easy. You can move from place to place, but people reincarnate themselves. And it's never the nice ones.
And there's no ideal place to serve God except the place He sets us down. And it is a precious and a wonderful time. When God, as it were, picks us up in the warmth of His embrace. And he holds us close to his heart. And as in the words of Isaiah the prophet, he gently leads those.
who are young. And there is something of that in this Secret moment there. As Gideon does the only thing that it is right to do. to worship God. Long before the words of the shorter Scottish Catechism, he understands it that the chief end of Gideon.
It is to glorify God and to enjoy Him. Forever.
So whether he has a big group or a wee group. Whether his church is apparently influential with these vast numbers, or whether it is apparently insignificant with small numbers. He understands that one Bless God. is a majority. And so it is.
that he returns to the camp And he says to them, get up. It's directive. Leadership must be directive. He doesn't go back to the camp and say, okay, guys, anybody got any bright ideas? Anybody got anything they would like to do?
Not a good question to ask because they might say we'd like to do what the other Um Thirty-one thousand seven hundred just did.
So he says, okay, boys, let's go. Let's get up. Let me tell you how we're going to do this. I'm going to divide you. into uh three groups.
And uh uh Sam Samuel Samuel, will you distribute the trumpets, please? And Levi, can you gather up some of the stuff from over there in that pile that you made when the other chabs went home? And can you make sure that everybody has got a jar? And um Will you, Benjamin, will you take care of the torches for us?
Now here's what we're going to do. Uh we're going to uh Incidentally, verse 17, he says, Follow me, watch me, follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, I want you to do what I do. And then this is what he says.
Now I hope you can handle this, fellas. The instructions are clear, but I want you to listen. This is what is necessary for this victory to take place. You've got to be able to blow the trumpet. Break your jar.
And shine your torch. Can you imagine if you'd been one of the three hundred? Gideon? We started off with 32,000 here a couple of days ago. You got us down to 300.
How in the world are we still here? We don't know. We just had our heads in the bucket, and you said you're in.
Now Gideon, we know that God has been speaking to you. We've been hoping that because you're our leader and apparently you had a peculiar session with him last night, and Pura tells us that you were really in touch. And as a result of that, we have been waiting here with bated breath. When you came back and woke us up in the morning, and as we looked down at this vast company with all these fires and camels, humps and people, we were anticipating, Gideon, that you would have a really good strategic plan for the future of our church. We would have thought that it would have had all the acumen and wisdom that we have come to expect in the approach of contemporary evangelicalism.
And you come up and wake us up and stand us up and tell us: here's what you've got to be able to do. You've got to be able to blow your trumpet, break your jar, and shine your torch. Is that it? What military expertise is necessary for this victory? None.
The fighting Would involve others brought back in later on, but in this initial encounter, the Midianites were going to do it to themselves. He didn't need crack troops to fight. He needed faithful guys. Who would stand up? Blow the trumpet.
Smash the jar. And shine the torch. I don't want to violate my own principles now and Spiritualize the thing away at the end. But um the fact of the matter is It really comes down to that kind of dependence in our day. Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men.
Yeah. He said, You got a treasure in an old clay jar. How about smashing the jar? You got a fat head, Alistair Begg. We could smash that down a little.
That would be really important. And are you prepared to shout? And so God looks on his servant. And he says, Here's what we're going to do.
Now, you know. That the end of the story is quite remarkable. Loved ones, I need to say to you that I think the greatest danger that we face. Is the danger of self-reliance? I think that we've imbibed so much of the spirit of our generation that we have forgotten That God's plan.
is very different from ours. And with this I close. Brothers, Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise.
He chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not to nullify the things that are. Why?
So that no one may. Boast. before him. I think it is distinctly possible. That God looks down, as it were.
On the potential armies. of evangelicalism. And he says, You are too many. Because at the moment You're tempted to rely on your own abilities. And to take credit for your own successes, and I won't share my glory.
with another. May the Lord Help us to think these things out. Father, I pray. That you will save us as pastors. From imagining A standard at which we do not ourselves live.
And then calling our people to live at that standard. And by doing so, disheartening them. and deceiving ourselves. We pray that in our day and in our generation. You will teach us again what it means.
When Jesus said, Apart from me, You can do nothing. That our need of you is not partial. But total. And then, Lord, Take us. with our torches.
and arrow clay pots. And with a trumpet, as it were. of your word. And in all of our inadequacy, and in all of our fear. Users.
To your great glory we pray. For Jesus' sake. Amen. You're listening to Truth for Life Weekend with Alistair Begg. If you'd like to explore what the Bible teaches about the person and work of Jesus, be sure to take advantage of a free book offer that ends this weekend.
During the month of August, you can download the e-book Name Above All Names for free. This is a book that Alistair co-wrote with Sinclair Ferguson that helps us understand that the whole Bible is a book about Jesus, from the seed of the woman in Genesis to the conquering king in the Gospels, and finally to the Lamb on the Throne in the Book of Revelation. The name above all names e-book comes with a companion study guide with questions to help you dive deeper into each of the seven chapters and to be able to apply these lessons to your life.
So don't miss out. Download the free e-book and study guide today at truthforlife.org/slash name. This is also the last weekend we're recommending a book called Making Good Return: Biblical Wisdom on Honoring Aging Parents.
So, while you're on our website, take a minute and check out this practical biblical guide for caring for aging loved ones. This is not so much a how-to book as an encouraging book to help you deal with the challenges and blessings of caretaking. The author draws from personal experience and scriptural truth to empower you to respond with humility, respect, compassion, and and faith as you care for your aging parents. Find out more about the book Making Good Return when you visit our website at truthforlife.org. I'm Bob LePine.
We count it a great privilege to study God's Word with you. And next weekend, we'll look together at the compounding effects of trying to conceal our sin from others, and especially from God. The Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life. Where the Learning is for Living.
