GIDEON'S ARMY by Chas. T. Everson

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 4, 1901

GIDEON'S ARMY.

By Chas. T. Everson

A Type of God's People To-day.

CHAS. T. EVERSON. (Millville, Cal.)

It seems strange to us, as we read the history of the Israelites, that they should so often fall into idolatry when under a government instituted and directed by God. But this is the history of mankind from the beginning, and it will always be so; for “narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

During any period of the world's history when the Lord sifted the real Christians from among the mass of professors and non-professors of religion, we find the number of true believers exceedingly small. In the time of Noah it was only eight persons. In Sodom and Gomorrah there was really only Lot; for the rest of the family were hurried out on his account. In the time of Elijah the whole nation of Israel could produce seven thousand men; while in Christ's time the number was indeed small. At the time of the Reformation, Luther stood almost alone. Jesus, speaking of His second coming, asks the question: “When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” The Testimonies have said that “not one in twenty whose names are registered upon the church books is prepared to close his earthly history, and would be as verily without God and without hope in the world as the common sinner. They are professedly serving God, but they are more earnestly serving Mammon.” If among those who are living in the blazing light of the gospel, the vast majority are serving the gods about them,—mammon, or money,—what can we expect of the children of Israel, who had sojourned for hundreds of years in the midst of idolatry? He who departs in the least degree from God, naturally follows the customs of his surroundings.

The love and forbearance of God are exceedingly great. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” But God's forbearance and goodness are misconstrued by many as an indication that God is pleased with their present course of action. So the Jews viewed it; for instead of the goodness of God leading them to repentance, they concluded that if God was not pleased with them, He would not shower so many blessings upon them. This we are in danger of doing at the present time. Instead of thinking that we are a favored people because God has given us so many special Testimonies, we ought to conclude that we have received them because we are neglecting to study the truth for ourselves; for it is all in the Bible.

At the time when Gideon is brought to view in the Scriptures, the children of Israel were in subjection to the Midianites. God allowed them to be conquered by this people in order to show them their utter helplessness without Him, that they might see the error of their ways, and return to Him. While these trials were no doubt exceedingly sore to them, yet God mercifully allowed trials to come, as this was the only way in which He could aid His people. But immediately when they realized their helplessness and called upon God, He was ready to deliver them. God is not only always ready, but is yearning to help the sinner; for He says, “Before they call, I will answer.” When the sinner is turning his thoughts toward the Father's house, God is already answering him, for it is He who gives him a desire to return home. Before the prodigal could make his confession, the father had already answered his desire, and that more abundantly than he could have asked.

The reason for the Lord's choosing Gideon to do the work of leading His people to victory is found in Gideon's own words. When the angel came and spoke to him, he answered: “Wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.” Here was a man who realized his inability and unworthiness, and therefore God could use him. There are two reasons why God cannot use a self-confident man: if God should give him victory, he would take the glory that belongs to God to himself, and this would hinder the people from seeing the Lord's power, and being drawn to Him. It would also so exalt the man that he would be in danger of losing his own soul.

That Gideon might be sure that God had called him to lead the Israelites to victory, he asked that he might prove it by placing a fleece on the ground, and that the fleece might be wet in the morning and the ground dry, and that the next morning the conditions should be reversed. It seems that God was not at all displeased with Gideon's request, but granted it to him.

God gives to us the privilege of proving Him, and ascertaining for ourselves that He will do whatever He has said. He says, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Here God gives every one an invitation to prove Him, and see whether He will not do what He has promised. He does not ask any man to accept Him upon another's testimony, but He says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” A person might try ever so hard to explain to another how honey tastes, but he could not make the other understand it; but he who tastes for himself knows more about it than any one can tell him. So it is with salvation. One cannot appreciate its sweetness till he tastes and proves it for himself.

When Gideon made a call for volunteers to throw off the yoke of oppression, there was a good response made; for thirty-two thousand men assembled. But this was a small company compared with the vast army of the Midianites. But still God said they were too many. There were too many of the wrong kind. These were not men who were really ready for battle, but from a sense of duty they had assembled. This is evident from the fact that when those who were afraid were asked to leave the ranks, twenty-two thousand went home. Still, the Lord said, “The people are yet too many.” Many who remained were such as should have gone with the twenty-two thousand, but were ashamed to own up to being afraid. So God himself had to rid the army of these in such a manner that they could not know just what method of drinking

water God desired.

But it was not without its significance; for even in such a simple matter as the drinking of water the natural disposition asserted itself. Those who were rejected displayed what was in them by this simple act: they got down on both knees and lapped the water. Their natural disposition was to be engrossed in themselves. They took a comfortable position, and cared nothing for the enemy, only for self-gratification and comfort. On the other hand, the ones whom the Lord chose were minutemen. They drank simply to sustain life, and were ready for action at any time. They knelt on one knee and lapped, putting their hands to their mouth; they could look ahead, and be ready for battle in a moment.

God wants minutemen to-day. He could have used the thirty-two thousand to win the battle as easily as the three hundred, if they had all been like the three hundred. God desires to use every man in His army that is available. But He can do more with three hundred than with thirty-two thousand who are not trusting Him. If God had taken into battle the entire army as it was, the three hundred true followers would probably have been scattered among the others; and as soon as the fearful ones saw the enemy, they would flee, and no doubt carry the three hundred with them, and thus the battle be lost. But God wanted the true men to stand together, unencumbered by material that was worse than useless. Then they could not but win.

God has an army to-day that is fighting His battles. But they, too, are too many. Not too many numerically, for it has not reached the number to be attained,—one hundred and forty-four thousand,—but there are too many of the wrong kind. The Lord says that we are in the shaking time, when this army is being reduced. Not one in twenty are really ready for the final conflict. Some, like the men of Gideon's army of old, will withdraw themselves from the army, and are doing so. Others, God will have to shake out by a test whereby they cannot longer live under a cloak of deception. But there is no necessity for any one to leave the ranks or be shaken out, if he will become right before God. God is no respecter of persons, and He will make up the number from the ones who are now in the army if they will let Him. But He cannot allow those that are fearful, or those who must carry all the comforts of the world with them, to remain in the army.

If God should leave all in the army in the condition they are in at present, when the persecutions begin, and we are imprisoned and are compelled to flee to the mountains, and live in the caves, what would the fearful and the ease-loving among us do? They would forsake the army, and perhaps discourage the honest ones. Persecution would be waged more severely against the true followers, as the opposers would see that some relent under persecution. This would lead them to suppose that they could likewise easily conquer the rest. Those who loved ease and high living, would murmur and sow discontent when they were compelled to live in solitude and discomfort and partake of only bread and water. So God, in justice to both the true and the untrue, must shake out those that are unwilling to surrender all.

The only instruments that the three hundred used to conquer the vast host of the Midianites, were a lamp in an empty pitcher, and a trumpet. Of course it required faith to go out without a sword or armament of any kind to meet such a vast army. If a company should attempt such a thing to-day, they would be regarded as fanatics of the worst type. But all it required was the faith to go and stand where God placed them; then they did not need to fight at all: the enemy destroyed themselves. The men who will go through to victory and stand upon the sea of glass, shall be likewise equipped. Gideon's army's equipment is but a type of the real, which is brought to view in 2 Cor. 4:7: “For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” Here a person is compared to an earthen vessel that contains the power of God.

As Gideon's army of old had empty vessels which contained a lamp, or a light, so we are to be empty earthen vessels, with the light of the Holy Spirit in us. Then, however bright the light shines, we shall remember that it is the light that is shining, and not the earthen vessel. We shall always know that we are simply earthen vessels, and all the glory is due to the light—the Spirit of God—which fills them. When we learn the lesson that the excellency is all of God, and that we are nothing and never will be anything, then we are ready to battle in the final conflict, and to come out victorious. Then we shall be prepared to sing the song of victory through the power of Christ, for we shall realize that He is all and in all. When we become empty of self, and filled with the Spirit of God, then the battle will be won by standing still and seeing the glory of God. Now is the time to get ready.