Summary
300 Spartans withstood approximately 135,000 Persians at Thermopylae, and lost, but have received great glory due to their great skill (and well-defined abdominal muscles). 300 Israelites withstood 135,000 Midianites and won… but got no Hollywood movie. Gideon is sent by God to save Israel—the Church—from Midianites, divine wrath, Hades, fear, demonic gods, themselves, and sin.
The Church trusts “me”-sus, rather than Jesus—that’s sin and the thing that gives false gods all their power. Gideon is sent to save the Church, who is sent to save the world. Gideon is sent to save; yet, “beside the Lord, there is no savior.”
The God-man says, “Go in this might of yours.”
Gideon can’t acquire “the might,” for he already has the Might.
The God-man is the Might of God, and His Spirit is Holy Fire.
And yet, Gideon has too many troops to conquer the real enemy.
Lest Israel boast in themselves, the Lord shrinks the Israelite army to 300 weak earthen vessels with “flabby abs”. The 300 surround the Midianite camp, blow trumpets, and break earthen vessels containing fire.
As God sent Gideon to save Israel, He sends believers to save the Church from “me”-sus by proclaiming Jesus—”God is Salvation.” Preach: God is Love and so desires to save; God is Almighty and so can save; God is Jesus and so does save. Preach. And when people retaliate, surrender your earthen vessel and bleed Holy Fire.
The trumpet proclaims the Gospel—”GOD is salvation”
And the Fire is “the Might,” already flowing in a believer’s veins.