The Book of Fallen People - Faithful God Victory through reduction and brokenness Judges 7 1

Chapter 7 Outline Vs. 1-8 – Gideon’s army is reduced Vs – Gideon hears of the dream and worships Vs – The enemy is delivered 2

Vs. 1-8 Gideon’s army is reduced Vs. 2 The L ORD said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3

Self Sufficiency Danger Warning Watch Out Caution Evil Avoid it Beware 4

Psalm 16:2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.“ 2 Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God 5

Reduction and Loss We have to be downsized, so God can be realized. In our life of faith, our resources can become an enemy of trust. God wants us to solely depend on Him, not our strength (physical, financial or intellectual) 32,000 to 10,000 to 300 vs. 135,000 6

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2 step downsizing Vs. 3 Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home. Vs. 7 And the L ORD said to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home. 8

Vs View #1 Kneeling down = inclination to take matters with ease and a desire to satisfy their need to be full. These men were told to go home. Water to hand to mouth = Lapping it like a dog isn’t natural and these were less absorbed with satisfying their natural wants. These 300 men were selected. 9

Vs View #2 Kneeling down or water to hand to mouth = No specific reason given in the text ; simply a way to divide them up. The solders “ability” had no bearing on the victory; rather it was more about “availability”. 10

Vs – Gideon hears of the dream and worships Vs That same night the L ORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand... Vs God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp. 11

Psalm 119:105 12

Vs – The enemy is delivered v So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, when they had just set the watch. And they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. 13

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Brokenness Five broken things in the Bible and the resulting achievement: 1) Broken pitchers and the light shone out. Judges 7:

Brokenness Five broken things in the Bible and the resulting achievement: 1) Broken pitchers and the light shone out. Judges 7: ) A Broken vial and the ointment was poured out. Mark 14:3 17

Brokenness Five broken things in the Bible and the resulting achievement: 1) Broken pitchers and the light shone out. Judges 7: ) A Broken vial and the ointment was poured out. Mark 14:3 3) Broken Bread and the hungry were fed. Matthew 14:10 18

Brokenness Five broken things in the Bible and the resulting achievement: 1) Broken pitchers and the light shone out. Judges 7: ) A Broken vial and the ointment was poured out. Mark 14:3 3) Broken Bread and the hungry were fed. Matthew 14:10 4) A Broken Body and the world was saved. I Corinthians 11:24 19

Brokenness Five broken things in the Bible and the resulting achievement: 1) Broken pitchers and the light shone out. Judges 7: ) A Broken vial and the ointment was poured out. Mark 14:3 3) Broken Bread and the hungry were fed. Matthew 14:10 4) A Broken Body and the world was saved. I Corinthians 11:24 5) A Broken will and a life of fulfillment in Christ. Psalm 51:17 20

What can the Broken One do with our broken plans, projects, hearts and lives? 21

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Take this with you We need to downsized in order for God to be realized. The more we realize our weakness, the more precious God’s love and grace becomes. In God’s economy, reliance and brokenness brings the victory. 23