Judges 7:2
And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
The time was one when God had not utterly forsaken His people but raised up a faithful and valiant man to put down idolatry and deliver Israel from its enemies, proving that a remnant stayed true to Jehovah amid repeated backsliding, chastisement, confession and deliverance. God told Gideon that his 32,000 men facing the vast host of Midian in the valley of Jezreel were too many for Him to give Midian into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Him saying their own hand had saved them. Gideon himself thought his numbers too few and had held back the usual proclamation, while Israel felt outnumbered with many lacking faith, but God saw pride and unbelief in the hearts of the people. He knew the fearful multitude would take the glory to themselves instead of ascribing victory to God.
God reduced the army so Israel could not claim that its own strength, power, skill, valor, or wisdom had saved it or achieved the victory over Midian, leaving it no ground for boasting, pride, and self-exaltation. The victory and deliverance were to be credited to God alone and to reveal Him as Israel's source of deliverance, mercy, power, and strength. The manner of the deliverance made clear that the power, wisdom, and glory belonged to Him and not to visible human agencies. God therefore commanded those fearful and afraid to return from Mount Gilead, and 22,000 departed. Those unwilling to face danger and hardship or drawn away by worldly interests add no strength and prove only weakness, for God can deliver by few as well as by many and is honored not by great numbers but by the character of those who serve Him.
Gideon's army prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed God's special directions, showing that human numbers and narrow plans accomplish very little. Success comes through God's help working with human effort rather than reliance on human wisdom or skill, and requires humble trust in God, faithful obedience to His commands, and broader views with living faith. The dividing of the army so that only those intent on the one great object could go into battle and triumph teaches that God does not give victory through numbers lest people credit themselves. He can accomplish great things through weak or less-talented workers when they rely wholly on Him, work humbly, surrender themselves to Jesus, and do not trust in their own ability or become the object of praise. Self-importance undermines the work, those who cannot give themselves to the work's central purpose should not be kept in positions of responsibility, and God is to be exalted.