Battle with 300 Soldiers

You would have heard of the book and movie "300" where King Leonidas King of Sparta in the Battle at Thermopylae, faced the vast persian army of Xerxes. They were prepared to die and fought till their death, which weakened the Persian army to lose further battles. In the Bible there is a similar battle with 300 soldiers of Gideon against the Midianites.
However, the difference is that the Spartans fought with trust in their skill, valour and strength, willing to die, against an army more than 100 times their size. But the 300 soldiers of Gideon having a choice to fight with 100 times more soldiers (32000), yet with their trust in the Lord, obeyed God who fought for them and won the battle without loosing life.

Jud 6:36 Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand— 37 I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand” 38 When he rose early the next morning and squeezed the fleece together, he wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowlful of water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night. It was dry on the fleece only, but there was dew on all the ground.
7:2 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained. 4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there... 7 Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand.” 22 When the three hundred blew the trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp; and the army fled 25 And they captured two princes of the Midianites.


There are 4 things we can learn from this battle:-
1 - Do not Test the Lord
Gideon tested the lord 2 times. He first requested the fleece go wet and later requested it be dry. Similarly God first tested him by reducing his military by 30% and secondly by 100%. The same way the more we test God, the more we get tested.
2 - Trust in the Lord
There are many instances in the old testament where attributes to the trust in the Lord. The British won many wars with what they learnt from these battles.
Psa 118:8 It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
Zach 4:6 Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.
2 Chro 14:8 Asa had an army of 300 thousand....9 Then Zerah the Ethiopian came out against them with an army of a million...11 Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” 12 So the LORD struck the Ethiopians before Asa and Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.
Exo 14:14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. 25 and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” 27 the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 30 So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the Egyptians.
3 - Give Glory to God
Great achievements come with a lot of praise and Glory. We have to forward all that Glory to God. Sometimes we keep the glory and this displeases God.
1 Cor 1:31 He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.
3:21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours
10:31 whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God
Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 23 do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men
1 Pet 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever

Herod failed and died because of this and lets see how the apostles never kept the Glory:-
Act 12:22 The people shouted, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God. And he died.
Act 10:25 As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man.
Act 14:11 When the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God

So, Let us be good examples to reflect all Glory to God:-
Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Gal 1:24 And they glorified God in me.
4 - Our God is a Jealous God
There are about 10 verses referencing Gods jealousy. If you note that God initially is hard and clear with an order about his expectations. However in the next few verses are not orders but statements. He next becomes protective for his people and finally in the new testament verses mostly ask us about Gods Jealousy rather than stating them. Another interesting fact is in the old testament, God is displeased against Idols, however in the new testament, the verses are followed by verses against Fellowship and Worldliness.
Orders
Exo 20:5/Deut 5:9 You shall not bow down to others. For I, your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Exo 34:14 You shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God
Deut 6:14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 15 Your God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.
Statements
Deut 4:24 Your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
Josh 24:19 Joshua: You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
Protective
Ezek 39:25 GOD: Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on Israel; and will be jealous for My holy name
Nahum 1:2 God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies;
2 Cor 11:2 I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Against Worldliness
James 4:4 Adulterers friendship with the world is enmity with God. friend of the world are enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”?
1 Cor 10:20 I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 22 do we provoke the Lord to jealousy?

Conclusion:- Let us give all Praise, Honor & Glory to God for he is a Jealous God and He is trustworthy.