Judges 7:1-8
The little army of 32,000 Israelites seemed very inadequate beside the hordes of Midian, Amalek and "the children of the east". One can imagine Gideon’s perplexity when the LORD said to him twice, "The people . . . are too many" (vv. 2, 4). But it must not be that afterwards Gideon will be able to attribute to himself the honour of the victory. The first sorting out takes place: those who lack courage go home according to Deuteronomy 20:8. 10,000 remain for whom the drinking test will decide between them. Some take their ease while drinking whilst the others, in haste, lap the water with their hands. These men, only 300 in all, are fit for the fight. They know how to put the satisfaction of their own needs in second place to the goal they are pursuing. This is a lesson for us whose goal is heavenly: "If any man will come after me," warns the Lord Jesus, "let him deny himself" (Luke 9:23). Isn’t He worthy of our denying ourselves? He also drank "of the brook in the way" (Psalms 110:7), finding here and there some refreshment for His heart but never losing sight for a moment of the goal which He was pursuing – the triumph of the cross and the glory of God His Father (Luke 9:51; Luke 12:50).