JDG 7:4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there. If I say, `This one shall go with you,’ he shall go; but if I say,`This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.”
Gideon lived in a time of deep national turmoil. For one, his nation had been suffering greatly under the oppressive rule of the Midianites. Second, his nation was going through a period of spiritual hardening. Many Israelites had turned away from the One True God and worshipped the gods of other nations.
It was in the time of desperation and deep confusion that Gideon heard the most unexpected call from the Lord: he was going to be save his people from the hands of their enemies. Gideon was visited by an angel of the Lord and by God himself, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior. Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand.”
Overwhelmed and confused, the timid Gideon could only say, “…the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Clearly, Gideon’s reaction to the Lord’s plan was full of doubt and skepticism.
If you read, however, Judges 6 and 7, you will see that God orchestrated events in the life of Gideon that changed his outlook about himself and about the Lord. After a series of encounters with the Lord, he found himself in the center of a full scale war against the Midianites and all their allies. And guess who was leading the entire war? Gideon himself.
Now rising to fame, Gideon became a symbol of hope for the people. In Judges 7:3, we read that about 32,000 men were ready to give their lives for the sake of Israel and for the sake of Gideon. Just when Gideon thought he was ready to attack the Midianites, he received a strange command from the Lord: he needed to “reduce” the number of his army. Gideon said to the men, “Those of you whose hearts are faithful may turn back home.” About 22,000 men left, leaving him only with 10,000. Now that his army had been reduced, Gideon continued to show faith. But lo and behold, a second reduction of warriors was called by the Lord. If the first one was voluntary, the second one was by God’s choice.
God commanded Gideon to take the 10,000 men to the river to take a drink. Most of the men knelt down and drank directly from the river with their mouths touching the waters. A few remained standing up, took water on their hands and lapped from their hands. Then God declared his verdict: those who drank like dogs will be sent home. Those who remained standing and took water on their hands to drink were asked to stay.
Most Bible commentaries would say that those men who remained on their feet showed preparedness. They were men who refused to let their guards down. They were watchful, careful, and not given to the pleasures of their bodies. They numbered 300. The Lord declared, “With 300 men, I will hand over the Midianites to you.”
Gideon must have felt devastated. How can a large scale war be won with only 300 fighting troops?
Judges 7 reveals that God intervened supernaturally on behalf of Gideon and his army. The enemies of Gideon were overtaken by a spirit of confusion, and they started to fight and destroy one another. And so it happened that Gideon and his 300 won one of the most lopsided battles ever recorded in the history of Israel.
JDG 7:4 But the LORD said to Gideon, “There are still too many men. Take them down to the water, and I will sift them for you there.
Sifting is the process of refinement. It is the process where lines are drawn between what we truly need, and what we must let go.
When God sifted the army of Gideon, the Lord removed from Gideon any possible source of boastfulness and false contentment. The Lord wanted to prove to Gideon that his victory did not depend on the number of his men. By sifting his men, God brought Gideon to a position of true confidence — not in himself or his army, but in the sovereignty and sufficiency of God.
It is not easy to welcome the season of sifting in our lives. Humanly speaking, the very thought of being sifted by the Lord is intimidating and overwhelming. But then we must realize that spiritual sifting is the only way God can prepare us to real victory.
Are you in a season of sifting? Is God removing you from your comfort zone? Welcome it. You are on your way to victory.
8So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites to their tents but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Simply put, a shift is a significant movement. It is our willingness to be “interrupted” by God as he wills and pleases.
Gideon’s character in the beginning of his life showed fearfulness and deep issues of insecurity. As a growing boy, his mind was shaped by the thought that his nation and his people were weak and powerless. Like most of his ancestors, Gideon must have thought that weakness was his ultimate destiny.
But you see, in God’s anointed time, the Lord visited Gideon and ushered him to a powerful and significant shift in his life. This shift did not only change his own destiny but the destiny of his entire nation.
Every significant shift in our lives cannot happen without faith. Absolute trust in the Lord is the key. Like Gideon, we must learn to welcome God’s wisdom and plans, believing that when we make way for God, we make way for victory.
Like Gideon, we, too, are living in a time of unrest and uncertainty. The world is more unstable than it has ever been. Many have lost faith in the Lord. It is time. It is time to sift. It is time to shift. Are we ready?
