Gideon, Mighty Warrior
Artwork: Harry Lisgo
At the time of Gideon, Israel was being attacked year after year by the Midianites who robbed them of their food and animals.
Gideon responded to God’s call to lead his people to victory over their enemy.
After the fleece test Gideon began to choose his soldiers.
He had brought together 32,000 men, but this number was whittled down to 10,000 men when God told him to send home the fearful ones.
But this number was still too great for God’s purposes. Gideon was told to handpick only the watchful ones and he eventually ended up with only 300 men.
No longer could Israel say that a victory was theirs; this battle would show all people that any victory belonged to God alone.
Following God’s instructions, Gideon did indeed lead his men to victory.
Read Judges Chapter 7, and find out what the battle tactics were?
Why was this method of attack so effective?
Has fear ever prevented you from doing something you feel you should have done? Discuss
Do you always act wisely?
Are you watchful and cautious like the 300?
Or do you sometimes act without thinking? Discuss
Act out this song with paper trumpets, and sounds of battle.
16 Gideon, Mighty Warrior: Judges 7
(to the tune ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’)
And God said to Gideon “You have too many men,
pick out all the fearful ones, and send them home again!
I want their spirits up, can’t use those feeling down.
I want no soldiers ‘half-way’ up,
for they’re neither up nor down!”
Then God said to Gideon, “You’ve still too many men!
Take them all to the water’s edge, have them drink and then,
watch those who are lapping up, observe who’s kneeling down,
and choose for me the watchful ones,
alert and looking round!”
The enemy camp below them, lay on the valley floor
God sent a friend with Gideon to listen at their door.
They heard some whispered fears, that death was all around,
So Gideon knew the time was right for a full and out showdown.
So in the dead of night, three hundred men he led,
in silence to the enemy camp, while they were still in bed.
He planned to wake them up; he was going to break them down.
He was going to give them such a shock,
they’d run right out of town.
The enemy camp was big and stretched as far as eye could see.
With horns and torches, Gideon’s men yelled out eerily,
“A SWORD FOR THE LORD AND GIDEON!”
The enemy they woke up, their world was upside down.
They turned and killed each other, and they fell upon the ground.
But a few fled from the town!
Gideon’s men soon tracked them down!
“A SWORD FOR THE LORD AND GIDEON!”
© words Sheila Hamil 2011