Q3. Too Large

[mairead]

Fear often makes us wait until we can make sense out of the plan that God is planning for us. We can start to become self-sufficient and can cause us to believe that we Cn do things for ourselves and that we don

[mairead]

God felt Gideons army was too large in that if they won the fight with all these men they would take all the credit but if they won with only a handful of men they would have to give God the credit as it would not have been humanly possible. This brought their faith wholly on god and have them committed just to Him. Gideon would have been afraid and embarrassed to have to carry out this command. The men would laugh at him and maybe even leave him and treat him as a mad man. He is new to all this and has not had time to prove himself to the men. His pride in wanting to be the main man and march out with a huge army ready to serve him, what a sense of power this must create. Gideon obeyed God fully by learning the two lessons from God (1) God is directing him- the fleeces (2) Gideon obeys even when he does not understand.

[maria gonzalez]

God made it very irrational for them,300 men is quite a ludicrous idea for us to believe would destroy such a big army. When we doubt ourselves it brings us to think of something higher that will help us. 300 hundred men couldn't do it, there is doubt, God will do it, that is faith. Even if the Israelites doubted Gideon, even if part of the army had doubts, at the end it showed how God did it and not men. The purpose of such a small army and such tactics was to have faith that God does things his way, in this case a small army and tactics that for humans were not rational.

There was no reason for the Israelites or Gideon to doubt God had delivered them from the Medianites. The main purpose of the small amount of men was for the Israelites to have faith.

[randi]

God felt Gideon's army was too large because Israel would have boasted it was their strength that had won the battle, not God's strenght.

God did not want Israel to be dependant upon themselves because than they would not rely on God.

Gideon was a new leader so his men would have been watching him and by following what God wanted him to do these men would have wondered about his leadership.

God told Gideon He would give the battle into his hands and even let him see what the enemy was thinking.

[sandieh]

God wanted Gideon to have a smaller army, so that Israel, could not say that by their own might, they were victorious. The fewer men, the greater Glory for Gods delivering power. I imagin Gideon

was some what apprehensive about this, but God sent him to easedrop on the enemy camp and over hear the dream that foretold his victory, thus strenghtening his faith in Gods ability, even if it be with 300 men.

[ladyfields]

God said the army was too big because he knew if they were to fight with the current number they would later boast that they defeated them with out the direction of the Lord.

God knew that with the small number would restore their faith to HIM not in their own understanding.

He would feel the pressure of making GOD angry, the pressure of leading an army to defeat instead of victory if he were to obey GOD. And like many of us he had the pressure of his peers and what they might say or think of him.

Gideon was able to obey GOD fully with out the doubt of what was facing him was FAITH & BeING OBEDIENT eve when the odds look out of your favor. He saw no gain going opposite of GOD so all TRUST WAS IN GOD & That's The GOOD Thing!!

[SincerelyHis]

-It was too big for Him to deliver Midian into their hands for God to get the glory. Self-sufficency is an enemy when it causes us to believe we can always do what needs to be done in our own strength. To prevent this attitude God reduced the size of the army from 32,000 to 300. With an army this small there could be no doubt that the victory was from God. The men could not take the credit. Shrinking the size of the army was essential because God could not allow Israel to take credit for the victory because they would restore their disastrous pattern of depending upon themselves and fail to rely upon the true God. Gideon was facing fear among other overwhelming odds, but God understood his fear, however He didn't excuse him from the task. Gideon was able to obey God because God allowed him to slip into the enemy's camp and overhear a conversation that would give him courage. When Gideon overheard the dream and the interpretation, he worshiped God.

[Alicea]

Q3. Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling NOT to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

He felt the army was too large because when they won they could say they did it by their strength and not give God the glory for the victory. When the army was a tiny band Israel would know without a doubt that it was God who had won the victory for them. It required a leap of faith on Gideon's part to take such a small amount of men into battle, when he could have taken more. Fear of losing the battle with so few men was a real fear when appearances and common sense were brought in the picture. Gideon obeyed God fully in this by an act of will on his part to obey God and demonstration of his faith in God, that he was called to do this and God would give the victory.

[Commissioned]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large?

God felt that Gideon

[Craig]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

God felt Gideon's army was too large because He wanted all to know that it was He who defeated the Midianites and not the army of Gideon. God wanted to draw Israel to Him.

Shinking Gideon's army to a tiny band and then defeating the Midianites would be viewed as a miracle. A miracle that only Yaweh could do, thus resulting in the restoration of Israel' faith and allegiance. Again God's graciousness and love is reflected in the work He was doing through Gideon.

The pressure Gideon felt, was much like the pressure that Mary and Joseph felt in obeying God, was that nobodying else know what he was doing and why. They might think Gideon was incompenent or crazy. However, Gideon trusted God as his God and obeyed Him -- like Mary and Joseph.

[Brendamay]

God Felt that they might think that they had won the war themselves in there own strength,instead of giving the credit to God. So God told Gideon to announce to the men, that If you are afraid, then you must go home. Twenty two thousand went back, Ten Thousand stayed. and with Gods help they won the fight with the midenites.

[HPT]

Hi, I am somewhat late in joining you on the forum but have been studying along with you.

I am hosting a Bible Study Group and we are following this wonderful study. I was unaware that studies like this existed on the internet but now i am hooked. I am loving it.

Thank you to everyone for giving me confirmation in their responses and promoting deeper thought from their questions.

The study of Gideon is extremely relevant to our Benefice of 7 rural churches. At present we are struggling with small numbers in our congregations. We are trying to encourage people to move around the Benefice to worship God together as we don't have a service in every church every week.

I feel that God is talking to us and asking us to work together in our small number, though we feel a little powerless and weak, to bring God to the community so we can follow Him.

All the questions posed have given our group food for thought and hopefully we will be successful with God's help. We have recognised that we need to trust God and that he will do what is best for us.

We need to accept that God is sending us in a direction, that perhaps we don't like, because he has a reason. In our Meeting this week we identified that although we are doing everything physically possible, short of dragging people to God, perhaps we ought to be asking His will through more prayer?

[Nina]

I believe God wanted to increase the faith of the Israelites and Gideon by proving what he could do. A large army could very easily conquor enemies. Reducing the army to the small size of 300 would definitely be God's victory, not the army's.

Gideon was really tested by the request to shrink the army. He may have thought or even reasoned that there is no way a small army of 300 could get the job done. His human rationalizing would pressure him to keep the larger army. His trust in God overcame that rationalization and he obeyed.

[JustJeff]

God felt that had Gideon's large army been victorious they would get His glory. By shrinking the army to a mere 300 it became clear that it had to be the hand of God to miraculously overcome such overwhelming odds. In this manner Israel would acknowledge the might of and need for Yahweh to be restored to His rightful preeminence in their lives.

There is intense spitual pressure when we do not pay heed to the Lord's order, followed by heavy guilt. By faith Gideon was obedient and victorious.

[masika]

Q3. Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling NOT to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

From 32,000 to 300, Gideon's army became only a fraction of what it had been. Surely God knew what He was doing, didn't He? Gideon might have wondered whether they all might be better off going home. Had God forgotten that Gideon's little band of soldiers would face an experienced army outnumbering them 450 to one? From all appearances, this situation made no sense.

God explained to Gideon His purpose for allowing him such a small army to battle the physically and numerically superior Midianites. He was not about to allow Israel to be able to boast that her own strength had saved her (Judges 7:2; 1 Corinthians 1:27-29). That honor would go to God alone. But God would work through Gideon.

[Jezemeg]

God is fully aware of the human tendency to claim that it was their skill rather than God's providence that resulted in success. That is why He instructed Gideon to reduce the numbers of men who'd amassed to do battle with the Midianites. To have an army that large, even though it was still much smaller than the enemy's meant that the Israelites could and most likely would claim in their folklore that it was the superior skills of their soldiers that defeated the Midianites...dismissing God's enabling altogether.

Ten thousand men was still too great a number as far as God was concerned, because it was conceivable, God fully knew, for the Israelites to still claim it was their fighting skill and courage that gave the victory, again dismissing God altogether. Israel would continue to worship themselves and other gods rather than the one true God, as their forefathers learnt to do during their desert experience.

The army had to be such a small number of men for God to ensure that the Israelites would truly recognise that it was only because God stood with them that they defeated the Midianites. God showed His omnipresence time and time again during the forty years wandering in the desert, but now that the Israelites had lost their nomadic life and become farmers, they began to distance themselves from the tradition that had been passed down, and God needed them to realise that He alone was worthy of their worship, the gods of the surrounding nations were nothing.

Gideon would have naturally been reticent to reduce his army, but at the same time God's providence had already been proven to him...I think he may have experienced a moment of unease, but then decided to lean on God, instead of expecting an explanation from Him. God had proven His ability to do what Gideon asked of him, and so Gideon saw no good reason why he should doubt God now, even though shrinking the army to a mere 300 or so men did seem to be impossible odds against an enemy army that was so large.

[Don W]

God wanted all the honor and glory for defeating the Midianites, and not to give any of it to the few Israelites who would be chosen to fight in the war against them; and this shrinking of the army

[sahala p.s.]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

God felt Gideon's army was too large because in that number Israel might boast against him that their own strength had saved them.

Shrinking the army's size to a tiny band was essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance because in a tiny band, which it seemed to be impossible to defeat his enemy, Israel would rely on God to get help and they would see and have by themselves how God helped them

The pressures Gideon would be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army are ones of being tempted to boast themselves, to depend on themselves, not to rely on God

Gideon was able to obey God fully in this by reducing the number of his army in the ways that God said

[brotherbill]

God who moistens the fleece and the earth alike wants Israel and all the world to know that the battle is the Lord's and He will give the victory ...not numbers. This is still important for us to remember, that no matter the weight of opinion and popularity against God's people He has not and will not ever lose a battle. Our numbers/talents/abilities may be small but when God is on our side and is our strength we are on the winning side.

When we look at the numbers of the enemy described in the scripture they were like "a swarm of locusts" we feel we need to put our power against their's and the victory will come when our power is greater/bigger or more impressive than theirs. In the world this may make sense, but with God faith and obedience swings the battle for the side of his people.

He obeyed God! To The letter. Obedience builds faith like when we love those who are unlovable just because Jesus told us too.

God builds up the faithful as they obey his Word enabling them to go in faith the next mile how ever it may go against the common wisdom of the day.

God Bless!

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

[Robin D]

God was worried Israel would brag and believe they had saved themselves. Shrinking the army would solidify the army and cause them to trust in God. Gideon might be pressured by the others saying they need a lot of men in their army to fight. Gideon trusted in what God had to say. I think his "fleece sign" helped fortify his faith in God.

[Barbara1]

1. The army was to large for God to deliver the enemy into their hands.

2. By shrinking the army to a small band the Israelites couldn't boast about their strengh.

3. He feared they all would die and that everyone would see him as foolish.

4. He was able to obey fully because he knew God, believed and trusted Him completely.

[Taruu]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

God did not need that many army for the war. He wanted the whole nation of Israel including Gideon to know that God alone can do a mighty work, He doesn't need human army to protect His people, also God wanted them to know that it is not their own strength that defeated their enemies but God's power so they don't boast on it. I think this is the whole idea behind this shrinking of the army.

For Gideon, I think he was trembling when he saw the big army and God told him to make his army small, I think he was under a lot of pressure he maybe thinking that with these 300 men going out to fight several thousands of men is ridiculous, I know he was scared to death, but he obedient to God and did what God told him to do.

He obeyed God after he tested God several times, he asked God to give him a sign that He is really sending him to the war and that He is really going to give them victory over their enemies.

[paulcrf]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

God feel that the army of Gideon was too large because His presence will not be recognized in victory but rather their strength and number. God does not want Israel to take credit for their victory. God want that Israel will restore their their trust in Him through the impossible task to be accomplished by the small band of soldiers.

Gideon's pressure would come from his faith and from the other soldiers which he ordered not to join in the battle. His faith was without question after the confirmation from God but the demand from the rejected soldiers to win the battle with few soldiers would proved tremendous. But Gideon's faith in God was unwavering which God acknowledge.

[josephh]

God felt that Gideon's army was too big because He knew Israel would think they won the battle on their strength not God's.

Israel needed to be shown once more that God was their source of strength and power. They needed to restore their faith in God and only God not in a false god. Gideon would feel that he disobeyed God especially after testing God with the fleece. He was able to fully obey God after it was explained the reason for sending men home.

[Jen]

Q3. (Judges 7:1-3) Why did God feel Gideon's army was too large? Why was shrinking the army's size to a tiny band essential in restoring Israel's faith and allegiance? What kinds of pressures would Gideon be feeling not to obey God in shrinking his army? How was Gideon able to obey God fully in this?

If the army was large the people would boast in their own strength and not in the Lord God. The sheer numbers of the Midianites must have seemed overwhelming to the Israelites making the number they had seem small. So shrinking the army was an unusual thing to do in warfare of that type but it would give the glory to God and turn people's hearts back to Him in whom they could exalt. As a leader of the people given the size of the opposing army the pressure from the people would be extremely strong in questioning Gideon's judgement and even maybe his sanity.

God gave Gideon a way to narrow down the people by letting the fearful go home. I imagine right about now Gideon had times where he felt like leading the pack. This was in Deuteronomy in the Mosaic system that the fearful could go home.

God Bless!

Jen

Numbers 6:24-26