Judges 7:3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
In the experience of Gideon, we read of a promised blessing that God made to him of deliverance from the Midianites. With the promise in hand, Gideon’s expectation grows but the way in which the blessing will become reality does not conform to logic. Gideon blows the trumpet to call for volunteers and 32,000 soldiers respond, but there were mixed up moods and attitudes to be found in most of them.
Some of them responded, just because they saw others responding and, others stepped up to the plate, simply because it was the “Right” thing to do. Again, others were motivated by the impulse of the moment, yet they were not prepared to exercise an intelligent faith in times of a real emergency. Thus, when The Lord gave them the golden opportunity to turn back, if they chose to do so, 22,000 returned to their tents.
Gideon’s heart sinks, as he watches the majority of his already small army, dwindling to almost nothing when compared with possibly over a million men of war on the enemy’s side. And yet, the 10,000 who remain were still not ready to exercise an intelligent faith because they had other priorities preoccupying their minds.
Judges 7:4 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!