Joshua 24:31 – “Israel worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive.  These men had experienced firsthand everything the Lord had done for Israel.”

Judges 2:7 – “The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and as long as the elderly men who outlived him remained alive.  These men had witnessed all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.”

In Joshua, we see Joshua’s reminder of God’s incredible blessings.  Then, in Joshua 24:31 and Judges 2:7, we read that Israel served God as long as Joshua and the elders who had witnessed God’s mighty acts lived.  Then, they followed the depravity of their hearts.

Repeatedly, in their plight, they called to God, and He sent them a deliverer.  The deliverer died, and the cycle was repeated.  Tragically, we often tend to think that God will rescue us every time and become complacent in our commitment.    God’s amazing display through Gideon and the 300 has multiple revelations and inspirations for us.

In the Pentateuch, we are told that one could chase a thousand and two put ten thousand to flight.  God demonstrated that.  Gideon and his band knew that promise.  We have promises we know but have not embraced as current realities.  They are fictional theories to us, not expected realities.

In Judges 7, the story unfolds.  Midian has an army of 132,000.  Gideon has 32,000 or 4.125 to 1 odds.  God weeds out the fearful, and Gideon is left with 10,000 or 13.2 to 1.  Then, God did something that only the covenant-minded could embrace.  He left Gideon with 300 or 440 to 1 odds.

God brings us to places where only the Covenant-minded can stand.

This story showcases God’s power and faithfulness, but also reveals that it does not take a whole nation to deliver it.  It takes a group of people who trust Him completely and are willing to lay down their lives to secure freedom.  Do we trust Him, and are we willing to sacrifice ourselves for Him?

If one can chase a thousand and two defeat ten thousand, why do we fear?  Extrapolate that to whatever number we can muster today.  A million in the trenches for God?  There is hope IF we believe.

In the Book of Judges, we see the escalation of depravity.  Each time they were delivered and then turned back, they got worse.  We are those people, but we can also be Gideon’s 300.  Personally, or nationally, embrace God’s promises and expect God’s deliverance.  What do you need?  Is God capable?

May the LORD help us overcome all odds and obstacles!