Judges 7:13
And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
The dream stands within Israel's repeated cycle of forsaking the Lord for idols, being separated from God and His strength and brought into subjection to nations it should have subdued, then after chastisement confessing sin and being delivered by faithful and valiant men raised up by God, while a remnant stayed true and God never utterly forsook His people, though after each deliverer's death the people returned to their idols. The deliverance here followed seven years of Midianite oppression joined by Amalekites from the south and others from the eastern deserts, unrelenting enemies who had nearly been destroyed in the days of Moses but had grown numerous, powerful, and vengeful for revenge. Once God's protecting hand was withdrawn they first struck the tribes east of the Jordan and then ravaged the whole land like locusts with flocks, herds, and countless camels, spreading from the Jordan to the Philistine plain, arriving when harvests ripened and staying until the last fruits were gathered, stripping fields, robbing and abusing the people, then returning to the deserts and forcing those in open country into walled towns, fortresses, caves, and rocky strongholds, until in distress the people heeded reproof, confessed sin, and God raised up a helper.
On the night before battle God strengthened fearful Gideon by sending him with his attendant Phurah down to the enemy camp to hear encouragement, while Israel waited on a hill above the valley where Midianites, Amalekites, and eastern peoples lay thick as locusts. Gideon listened in darkness and silence as one soldier told his dream to his companion of a cake of barley bread tumbling into the host of Midian and coming to a tent and striking it so that it fell and overturned it. That tumbling barley cake foretold Midian's defeat, and its companion's answer that this was the sword of Gideon and that God had delivered Midian and all its army into his hand explained it as a sign of divinely given victory spoken to Gideon through Midianite strangers.
Gideon recognized the interpretation as the voice of God, was strengthened and assured that the Lord had delivered the host into his hand, worshiped, and returned to his few men confident of victory. He commanded them to arise for battle, leading to the divided companies with trumpets and torches hidden in pitchers, the war cry, panic and self-destruction among the enemy, pursuit joined by previously dismissed Israelites and by Ephraim at the fords, and the complete breaking of Midianite power so that they never again made war on Israel. His army prevailed not because of numbers, human wisdom, power, strength, distinction, or visible means, but because in living faith it followed God's special directions, with power and wisdom from heaven working through humble instruments and simple means to leave no room for any human to claim the glory and to make clear that God alone brought success.
The account rebukes faithlessness and narrowness of view and teaches that narrow plans accomplish very little. It teaches that people must not seek glory for themselves but exalt the Lord God of Israel. God's work in this victory brings Him glory while strengthening Israel's faith and shaming its enemies.