"The Lord said to Gideon, 'With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands.'" – Judges 7:7
We struggle with weakness. It’s never on the list of values at any successful organization or corporation. It’s not popular to share on a social bio, doesn’t fit on a resumé, could ruin a first date, and, frankly, is no fun to talk about. Yet, it repeatedly seems to be one of the few requirements for Israelite warfare as far as God is concerned. God’s slashing of Gideon’s recruitment numbers comes in a long line of stories and laws that provide plenty of precedence–YHWH likes Israel nearly demilitarized, and even gives Gideon the reason: weakness means more dependence on Him.
It’s easy to dog on Gideon. He’s timid, can’t trust multiple supernatural encounters with God, was barely convinced by God’s patient performance of repeated miracles at his personal request, and needed a custom dream/interpretation mentioning him by name to finally move forward with what God told him to do. Not to mention, at the moment of victory, he starts taking credit for the miracle alongside YHWH. The apostle Paul also seems to have been easy to dog on. He was well-aware of it, and of Israel’s consistent pattern of rejecting weakness throughout the biblical story. Unlike Gideon, Paul refused to hide or downplay his, claiming that weakness is really strength–it’s where God’s strength is perfected and put on display. Perhaps the miracle is to embrace weakness. May we be a people strong in God, considering whatever other gains we have “to be worthless” (Philippians 3:8) so we can faithfully steward His miracle.
Reflection:
- What battles in your life feel overwhelming?
- How can you trust God to bring victory despite limited resources?
- What does Gideon’s story teach you about God’s strength in your weakness?
- Art: Gideon’s Call, 1860 woodcut by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld – Die Bibel in Bildern, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5485339
- Songs:
- “Fighting for Me” – Riley Clemmons
- “Surrounded (Fight My Battles)” – Upperroom
- “Same God” – Brandon Lake & Elevation Worship