Judges 7:5
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
At the water the Lord divided those who hastily scooped a little water with the hand to the mouth and kept moving toward battle from those who stopped to kneel and drink leisurely. Only three hundred men out of ten thousand drank in the hasty lapping way, and these were chosen for battle while all the rest were sent home. God deliberately chose so few so that Israel could not claim its own strength, numbers, wisdom, or pride had saved it, for the power and glory of the deliverance belonged to Him. The manner of drinking revealed character, showing who stayed alert on duty and unwilling to let personal wants interrupt duty, with courage, self-control, faith, and freedom from idolatry. Success does not depend on having many or especially talented workers, for God can deliver by few as well as by many through weak, humble workers who rely wholly on Him, follow His special directions in living faith, and grasp His work with all their might with the burden of souls on their hearts.
Setting and Water Test
Israel had done evil in the sight of the Lord, and He delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years. With His protecting hand withdrawn, the Midianites with the Amalekites, though nearly destroyed in the days of Moses, had become numerous and powerful and sought revenge. They came as locusts for multitude with flocks and herds, spreading from the Jordan to the Philistine plain at harvest time until the last fruits were gathered, stripping the fields and robbing and abusing the inhabitants. Those in the open country were forced into walled towns, fortresses, caves and mountain fastnesses, until after seven years of oppression the people heeded the Lord's reproof and confessed their sins, and God raised up a helper for them. This was the repeated cycle in which from time to time God raised up a faithful and valiant deliverer to put down idolatry and rescue Israel after backsliding and chastisement followed by confession.
At the water the Lord set apart those who lapped with the tongue as a dog laps from those who bowed down upon their knees to drink. The people were brought down expecting an immediate advance toward battle, and the manner of drinking was the test. Those set apart hastily scooped a little water with the hand to the mouth and sucked it up as they kept moving, unwilling to stop. Those rejected stopped to make deliberate preparations and drank leisurely from the stream, bowing upon their knees.
Only three hundred men out of ten thousand drank in the hasty lapping way. These three hundred were chosen for battle, while all the rest were sent home.
God's Choice and Application
God kept the army deliberately small so that Israel could take no credit to itself, that no one could say its own strength, wisdom, skill, numbers, or pride had saved it. All ground for human boasting was removed, for the power and glory of the deliverance from Midian belonged to God as Israel's divine King. The means by which the victory was won were such that even the surrounding nations recognized it as God's doing.
Success does not depend on having many workers or especially talented workers, for God can deliver by few as well as by many. He can accomplish great things through weak workers who rely wholly upon Him and labor humbly without self-importance, using humble people and simple means so as to exalt Himself rather than the human instrument. The decisive condition is entire surrender to Jesus, and He is honored not by great numbers but by the character of those who serve Him.
The manner of drinking at the water revealed character and showed whom God could direct to work deliverance. Those chosen stayed alert on duty and would not let immediate personal needs interrupt or delay duty. They were men of courage and self-control and faith who had not defiled themselves with idolatry.
Those intent on supplying their own wants in time of peril cannot be trusted in an emergency. God has no place in His work for the indolent and self-indulgent.
Gideon's army prevailed not because of numbers but because in living faith they followed God's special directions in choosing the army and in battle. Success rests on God's help working with human effort, not on human wisdom or skill. Humble trust and faithful obedience to God are as essential in spiritual struggle as they were in Gideon's battle.
The test measures earnestness and whole-heartedness in God's workers. Those who lapped with the hand as they hurried on, unwilling to stop and kneel to drink, grasp the work with all their might with their hearts in it and the burden of souls upon their hearts. Those who bowed down on their knees made deliberate preparations and took their time, touching His living interests only with the ends of their fingers, and were sent back to their homes. The Lord still watches every worker in the same way, works with the efforts of earnest, whole-hearted laborers, gives them souls for their hire, and makes them mighty in His cause.
Only those focused on the one great objective were fit to go into battle and triumph with Gideon, so testing reveals who is worthy. Workers who lack that commitment should not be kept in responsible positions. The choosing rebukes faithlessness and narrowness of view, for narrow plans accomplish very little.