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The Lord had called the young man Gideon to undertake a huge task. To save his people from the suffering and shame which had been inflicted on them by the Midianites.

Gideon responded. At first, reluctantly, as he struggled to deal with his own unbelief and fear. But then, in humility and sincerity.

He brought his sacrifice to the Lord to confirm his commitment. Then, when the Lord challenged him, he willingly brought the sacrifice the Lord required. In doing so, he openly took the uncompromising stand which he knew was now needed.

In his willing open demonstration of true and total consecration to the will of the Lord, he had placed himself exactly where the Lord wanted him to be.

The enemy reacted, confronting Gideon with a most ominous threat. The Lord responded by anointing His servant with His Spirit!

Inspired by the leadership of the Spirit, Gideon turned to the Lord in believing prayer. Seeking the confirmation of the will of the Lord. The Lord responded to his prayer granting the assurance which His servant sought.

Gideon then discovered that God saw another problem which Gideon himself had not discerned.

Gideon responded to the command of the Lord. His next action involved:

"Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley."

"The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered together after him."

"And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali, and they came up to meet them." (Judges 6: 34, 35).

From all of the surrounding areas in Israel these men had come. Combining in their response to Gideon's call to action.

At this point Gideon moved these men to the well of Harod. To the north of them the combined forces of the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the children of the east were encamped.

It was obvious for all to see that Gideon's men were greatly out-numbered. He had a total of about thirty two thousand men in his army. But the army which was opposed to them numbered in excess of one hundred twenty thousand!

The enemy forces appeared to stretch out in several directions as far as the eye could see.

As the result of this fact, many would suggest that his situation was completely hopeless. Surely he would not consider taking such a great risk. He could not face such superior numbers with his inadequate group.

Gideon had met with the Lord. He had been commissioned by the Lord to accomplish this task. He had been anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to enable him to carry out this responsibility.

Inspired and encouraged by the Word of the Lord, Gideon was determined to obey.

It is true, there would be a lot of people who would not understand Gideon. Who would question his judgement. But that did not matter to him. He was fully committed to obey the Lord.

He remembered the Word of assurance: "Surely I will be with thee!"(Judges 6: 16).

The Lord still seeks such people today. People who are not moved by the superficial circumstances of their situation. People who refuse to be diverted by things which all too easily discourage others.

The Lord seeks people who are committed to believe His promise. Who are determined to act on the Word of the Lord, knowing that He will not fail!

Gideon had his thirty two thousand men in place. He was ready and willing to obey the Lord.

The Response of the Lord: delayed his obedience! The Lord was not satisfied with the situation!

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me!"

This Word from the Lord must have greatly surprised Gideon. "Gideon, you have too many men!"

To all human understanding and estimates, there was obviously a mistake being made here. Surely the Lord could not mean that Gideon had too many men! Too few would have sounded far more appropriate to us!

Gideon was listening to the Lord. Not to that unbelieving response of those people who evaluate the Word of the Lord by human standards.

The person who has been, who is, filled with the Spirit of the Lord humbly listens to the Lord. Such is the only genuinely spiritual attitude.

Surely, as we seek to honor the Lord, we will want to hear all that He is saying to us. Hear, so that we will clearly understand. So that we will respond in the way that glorifies Him.

"Too many!" The Lord had a vital reason for stating that fact. They "are too many for ME to gives the Midianites into their hands!"

It was not that the Lord could not deliver Midian into the hands of that number of men. He could have. The reason was: He would not!

This response by the Lord was an integral aspect of His commitment to teach Gideon. To enable Gideon to grasp the vital principles which are involved if he would faithfully serve the Lord.

This was the Lord's work to which Gideon was called. Therefore, it had to be done in the Lord's chosen way. According to the Lord's Word. So that the result would be that everyone would see and know:

Gideon needed to be reminded of these spiritual principles. So do we. To effectively do God's work requires that we give humble conformity to all that He decides.

Otherwise, it will not be His work. It will be man's work pretending to be God's work. God does not tolerate such pretense.

The Lord clearly saw the insidious danger. The problem of man's foolish pride.

That arrogant pride of man! Always far too ready to claim the glory. Justifying doing so by the fatuous claim, "Mine own hand hath saved me!"

How very blind! How utterly foolish. To dare to imagine: "I did it! I did not need the help of anyone. I did it myself."

Sadly the problem is still with us! Which means that there are still far too many whom the Lord cannot use. Those who are so full of their own importance that the Lord has no place for them. Consequently they are passed over. Excluded by the Lord!

The Reality concerning so many of these people who made up Gideon's thirty two thousand.

"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."

The Lord knew the hearts and minds of each and everyone of these people. He knew that there were those who were being consumed by fear and anxiety.

"All those of you who are afraid to go into the fight, you go home!"

People, afraid that the cost may prove to be too high! The sacrifice too great! People whose hearts and souls were not in this venture because they were holding back from the price which would be demanded.

That was a strong indictment of those people. It was a sad commentary on the level of their commitment. Yes they were a part of the camp of Israel. But they were not a part of God's true fighting force. Would not, could not share in the salvation of the nation.

That problem was not unique to Gideon's day. It is still with us today!

There are so many who want to be identified as being a part of the Christian camp. But they want no part of the real battles to which God has called His people. They avoid participation in the spiritual conflicts. The cost is too high for them. The sacrifices involved are far too great.

When the Lord Jesus talks to them about taking up the cross, they put on a little ornament and are smugly self-satisfied. They have no idea of the cross involving suffering and sacrifice for them. They are so adept at evading such an emphasis.

God says today exactly what He said in Gideon's day. "I cannot use these people. I will not use these people! Send them home! If they stay they will be a hindrance to the battle."

"Send them home!" More than two thirds of Gideon's men went home! What went through his mind as he watched twenty two thousand quit the field in fear?

He looked at the men who remained. His army had been reduced to a mere ten thousand.

Ten thousand! To face an army of over one hundred and twenty thousand! That prospect would cause most people great concern. Arousing deep anxiety!

But - why be anxious? The Lord did this! Remember that fact. He knows what He is doing!

Two thirds of those originally involved went home. Would it be the same percentage today? Are there that many who do not want to be involved in the real battle? Who hold back from paying the price of sacrifice? Spurning the cross?

Professing Christians, who, when called to respond to the challenge, scurry for what they see as safety and security. They would so much rather enjoy their ease and comfort. The heat and suffering of the battle are not for then. Even if it is the Lord's battle to bring salvation to the lost world!

Thank the Lord that all do not quit the field. All do not think of their own safety and comfort. There are those who keep their eyes on their Lord. Who hold true to His call to serve.

They are the people from whom the Lord will chose His true servants.

Gideon obeyed the Word of the Lord. He did exactly as the Lord commanded him. He may have believed that all that he had done would prove to be enough to meet the Lord's requirements.

It is not too difficult to imagine Gideon looking at the ten thousand who remained. In his mind he would be comparing them with the vast numbers of the enemy forces. From the human point of view the contrast would have an awesome effect.

"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."

Was Gideon surprised to hear those words? The ten thousand who remained were: too many!

The implication of the Lord's statement is unmistakably clear. Among those ten thousand people who remained, there were those whom the Lord could not use. Would not use! People He did not want to be participating in His mighty work!

That was the Lord's evaluation. His verdict. No one could argue with Him about any part of it. That was true in Gideon's day. It is equally true today.

Think of the implications of this fact. God made this statement, even after those who were afraid to take part in the battle had gone home. Along with those who did not want to pay the price of such service. Those who refused to take up the cross.

According to the direction of the Lord they had already been sent home. The Lord dismissed them as being unusable! Therefore: You do not need them!

Now Gideon is told, You have other people here whom you do not need! Among these who claim that they are ready for the battle. Willing to pay the price of sacrificial service. Yet God said, I do not want them! You do not need them!

Again, notice the emphasis of this principle. There are people the Lord cannot use. Therefore, He will not use them. It is so vital that we understand that principle today!

Such people may put on a bold front. They may make strong claims about their loyalty and faithfulness. But, if God states that He cannot, will not, use them, it would prove to be a definite hindrance to His work if we disregard His Word!

God knows! He knows the hearts and the minds of every person. He knows so perfectly their motives and their attitudes. He is fully aware of the reality, or otherwise, of their loyalty. He knows. That must settle the issue.

The problem He sees could be any one of many. Sin - unconfessed sin - in the life. Disobedience. Pride. The desire for self-glorification. Or something else.

The Lord knows. He makes His decision accordingly. We would be well advised to faithfully follow His Word. "Too many!" This inevitably leads to:

"The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there!"

Of those remaining ten thousand men, the Lord said, "I will try them!" "I will evaluate their suitability for the challenging task which confronts you. "I WILL DO IT!"

The Lord did not put that responsibility on Gideon. He accepted that responsibility Himself! He did then, and He does so today!

Why should so many Christians today be surprised at that fact. The Lord does test and evaluate everyone who professes to serve Him! He does try all who would claim to be ready to share in the conflict.

There are those who confidently state that they are ready to pay the price, make the sacrifice. They are willing to deny themselves, take up the cross, and follow Him.

The Lord tests all such claims. He evaluates the hearts of such people. Their motives. Their loyalty. Their faithfulness.

Remember, Peter claimed, "I am ready to die with Thee!" The Lord knew better! (See Mark 14: 27 - 31).

The Lord evaluates. He decides who are the ones whose bold claims He must disregard. To discard them.

The Lord reveals to Gideon a most important principle. Once the Lord had made His decision according to His evaluation, Gideon must obey His direction. When the Lord said, Discard! Gideon must discard. When the Lord said, Include! Gideon must include. It was always the Lord's decision. Always!

The Lord had, has, every right to take that position. He has every right to insist on having His way in these matters today.

The Lord chooses His own team! How we ought to be so deeply thankful for that truth. He does know every one so perfectly. He never makes any mistakes.

We have neither the right nor the reason to question this reality. When we live by these eternal principles He will protect us from making many foolish and hurtful errors of judgement.

We must be honest. Our own ability to evaluate other people leaves so much to be desired. Most often we can only guess at motives. Or loyalty. Or so much else which is so crucial to such decisions.

We create so many problems for ourselves. We do so by disregarding the clear Word of God. We decide that we are mature enough to act on our own judgement. Very often we act on whims. Or give in to the pressure which others put on us.

Whatever our reasoning, we have made the decision ourselves. To pay a high price for such foolishness.

Whenever we do think and act in that way, the Lord leaves us to the consequences of our foolishness! He leaves us to the shame of the failure which we have willfully attracted. He leaves us to the guilt of our own defeat.

Is that taking it too far? Ask Peter as he runs out into the darkness, weeping bitterly! (Matthew 26: 69 - 75).

Gideon took the Word of the Lord seriously. He obeyed God in each detail. That led to:

The Dramatic Effect of God's intervention in applying His test of the people.

Gideon proceeded to divide his men according to the direction the Lord had given to him. The result of that action was startling, to say the least.

On the one hand, a mere three hundred men stood together. On the other there was a much larger group, nine thousand seven hundred.

Following human logic, there was only one thing to do. Choose the much larger group, and send the three hundred home.

Gideon did not have the luxury of applying human logic. In fact, he could not give any consideration to it whatsoever.

He knew that there was one thing which it was absolutely vital for him to do. He had to discover and follow the leading of the will of the Lord. It required a very real spiritual maturity and discipline for him to follow that path. He did so!

Gideon's response confronts us with a most critical challenge. Far too often, when we are faced with a very demanding issue, we resort to human logic. That appears to be the most rational response to follow. So we hastily grasp at it.

Yet, that is being: "Conformed to this world!" When, in fact, what we need most to is "be transformed by the renewing of our minds, (so) that ye (we) may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12: 2).

To be guided by the human point of view is to reveal spiritual immaturity. It is the response which lacks spiritual discipline. It so foolishly leaves the Lord out of our consideration. Therefore, it is always inevitably doomed to fail.

The response which guarantees finding the correct answer is always the response which we see Gideon making. He deliberately chose to stand on the solid foundation of genuine loyalty to the Lord and His Word. He was determined to listen carefully to all that the Lord was saying. To honor His Word with complete and unquestioning obedience.

He exercised the spiritual discipline which is so essential. The discipline which holds faithfully to the course of believing that God's way is always the best way.

"I (have) come to do Thy will, O God!" (Hebrews 10: 9). The Lord Jesus always disciplined His life according to that commitment. He faithfully lived by that principle, even though He knew that it would inevitably take Him to the cross.

We need that same deep, personal, and unswerving determination to be true to Him. To say, with Him, "I (have) come to do Thy will!" To say it and to mean it! To mean it, no matter what the cost or the sacrifice!

Those who do genuinely take this stand with the Lord are the small minority of Christians. Very much like the three hundred who were given to Gideon by the Lord. Such a very small minority compared to the nine thousand seven hundred he sent to their homes.

Such a very small group. To human estimates: they were utterly insignificant. Foolish! Fanatics! Even: laughable! To man!

But, not to God! He knew that these were the ones who were fully given up to Him! He knew that He could count on them. He knew their hearts. He knew their inmost thoughts and feelings. He knew that He could depend on their loyalty!

The Commitment of the greatness of His love and His grace to His servant: Gideon.

Gideon believed the Word of the Lord. He demonstrated the fact that his faith was authentic by his willing obedience to the Word of the Lord.

He had fully complied with every requirement of the Lord's command. It was his sincere desire to humbly walk with the Lord.

But, not only three hundred men. Those men, plus the thrilling wonder of the promise of the Lord.

"And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand!"

That was the glorious assurance which the Lord gave to Gideon! Victory was absolutely guaranteed!

The key to the guarantee is twofold. First, the unfailing promise of the Lord! Second, He had found a man to whom He could express that promise. A man whose heart and life were utterly surrendered to Him for His glory!

Thus the Lord affirms: "On that basis I can and I will work in power! Gloriously! Victoriously!"

How we so desperately need to see more of that spiritual reality today.

Yet we see so little of it. Our problem is very much like a similar situation which the Lord Jesus faced.

He had gone to Nazareth. He found His effectiveness seriously limited. "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief!" (Matthew 13: 58).

Gideon believed! The Lord could work in mighty power. But, in Nazareth, the Lord Jesus could not work in power as He desired, being severely limited by their unbelief!

Too often today we constantly limit Him by our unbelief. So much of what He is seeking to do is so greatly restricted because of our doubts and fears.

The result: instead of Salvation there is loss. Instead of victory there is defeat. Instead of His great and mighty works, nothing!

Are we really listening to the Lord? He is still attempting to get our attention. Pleading with us, "Do it My way!" When we do His work His way, He can work in power. He will work in victory.

Gideon was inspired by His promise: "I will!" He heard it! He knew that God said it! He thankfully believed God!

There was nothing else that made any sense to him. God's Word of promise gave him real hope. God said it. God would be faithful to His Word.

This is still the only thing which really matters today. God saying to us, "I will!" He is saying that to us today! Are we listening to Him?

We can hear and know without any doubt that it is God. We can be certain that He means exactly what He is saying to us. We can risk everything on His faithfulness.

God said it. There is only one thing left to do. As we claim His commitment to our assurance, act on His Word. Even as we are so greatly thrilled and inspired by the wonder of such a gracious assurance.

The Lord was referring to those nine thousand seven hundred men whom He had excluded. "Let them go!" God said it. He meant exactly what He said: "Let them go!"

There may have been those who had alternative suggestions to make to Gideon. Such as: "Why not keep those men in reserve? Surely it would not hurt to let them wait around on the side lines. At least until we see how things actually work out."

All such reasoning is false to spiritual reality. It is so obviously disloyal to the Lord and His Word. It implies that something may happen which could catch everyone unprepared. Even: the Lord!

Are we suggesting that the Lord may let His people down? That we need "insurance - just in case"? Surely we can see how that dishonors the Lord!

Having receive the absolute promise of the Lord, the last thing anyone needed was some other so-called "insurance".

Yet so often Christians do fall into this same foolish reasoning. There are those only too quick to suggest: "Don't burn your bridges! You never know when you may need them!" You do not need them. You will never need them. Not if you go all the way with Him.

God's way is always the best way. It is not only the best way, it is the only way to go.

Every other alternative inevitably means futility, failure, and defeat.

That fact explains the reason so much of that which passes for Christian life today is so empty and so unsatisfying. Even as it reveals why so much of what is called Christian service is marked by failure and humiliating defeat.

Too many are set on doing everything their own way. It has never worked. It will never work.

Without hesitation, Gideon obeyed the Word of the Lord. He sent back to their homes the nine thousand seven hundred men whom the Lord had excluded.

If God did not want these men in His army, Gideon did not want them either.

Of these men the Lord said, With these "will I save Israel!" Obviously, these were the men to keep!

Gideon honored the Lord by his humble and faithful obedience to the Word of the Lord. He began to experience more of the truth of the principle, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."(Galatians 6: 7).

The Lord says, "Them that honor Me I will honor!" (1 Samuel 2: 30).

Those words were spoken to a man who pretended to honor the Lord, Eli. He only brought to the Lord partial obedience. He was rejected by the Lord.

There have been far too many just like Eli. People who ignore the fact that partial obedience not only fails to honor the Lord. It demonstrates that the ones concerned actually despise the Lord.

When he was challenged by Samuel, King Saul protested, "I have obeyed the voice of the LORD" (1 Samuel 15: 20). Yet he had decided that he would only obey the Lord as far as it suited his personal plans.

The evidence of his self-justifying disobedience brought the stinging condemnation: "Thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord, He hath also rejected thee!" (verse 23).

Gideon obeyed completely. In faith. One of a small minority of those who wholly follow the Lord. Numbered among that group who give devoted obedience to the will of the Lord.

Gideon was confident. He had the strong assurance, received from the Lord, That the Lord was about to use him in His service. Victoriously! Gloriously!

Today the Lord is still looking for people whom He can use in His service. He is seeking people of genuine commitment. Those who will listen attentively to His Word. Who will humbly yet gladly obey Him in every detail of His will.

He is seeking people who will choose to humbly walk with Him. Being faithfully available to Him. Who delight to embrace His will no matter what the cost or the sacrifice.