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Judges 7:9-25Town North Presbyterian Church – Rev. David J. RogersNovember 29, 2020In the early evening of June 5, 1944 General Dwight Eisenhower entered the airfield in Newbury, England. Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.The scene was tense as soldiers of the 101st Airborne waited to board planes for their Drop Zones as part of the D-Day invasion.One biographer writes that when Eisenhower arrived, he began walking among the men. When the men realized who it was the word went from group to group – and in a few moments everyone went crazy. One eyewitness said the roar from the soldiers was unbelievable.Their Supreme Commander gave paid them a visit on the night before the invasion – and they were STRENGTHENED them to press on in the battle ahead.We see a similar thing in today’s verses as the LORD STRENGTHENS Gideon for the battle ahead.Gideon was obviously getting MORE and MORE terrified by the moment – as the battle drew near.You know how this can be. I’m sure all of you have felt it before.When something you FEAR is coming – and it is far off – you can have less anxiety.But as it DRAWS NEAR you become more and more ANXIOUS.Illus: You may have an important TEST or EXAM that is a few weeks away.Maybe your grade for the whole semester relies on this TEST.Or maybe you have a SURGERY – or a MEDICAL test.Or maybe you have to go into a PAINFUL meeting – where you know people will be ANGRY. Or you have to GIVE some BAD NEWS.When that TEST – or the MEETING – is a few weeks away you can control the anxiety.But the night before the TEST – the ANXIETY increases. You feel the PAIN in your stomach. You may have an ANXIETY attack.Gideon was AFRAID! He had ANXIETY.The LORD had just whittled Gideon’s army down to near NOTHING.And now the LORD was telling him to GO INTO BATTLE.Gideon must have been TERRIFIED.He was going into battle against a VAST army with only a handful of men.He needed COURAGE to press into this battle.The LORD knew Gideon was AFRAID.So what did the LORD do? What did the LORD tell Gideon to do?We are told in verse 10:“But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.”Notice the LORD KNEW Gideon was AFRAID.The LORD knew Gideon was having a PANIC attack.So the LORD STRENGTHENED Gideon to go into this terrifying battle.And to do it the LORD told Gideon to go down into the Midianite camp with his servant.WHY did the LORD want Gideon to go down to the Midianite camp with Purah?The LORD tells us in verse 11:“And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp.”Notice the LORD said Gideon’s “hands would be STRENGTHENED” when he did this.This is a very interesting IMAGE that is used several times in the Bible.Nehemiah used the image to describe workers who were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Enemies threatened to harm the workers rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah said this (Nehemiah 6:9):“For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.”To have “weak hands” means to STOP the work out of FEAR.“Weak hands” DROP. “Weak hands” sweat and start shaking and fidgeting.A person with “weak hands” STOPS doing WORK with his hands – and instead “WRINGS” his hands.That was precisely what was happening to Gideon.So the LORD told Gideon to take his servant Purah – and go down to the Midianite camp and hear what they say in the camp. After doing this – the LORD said – Gideon’s “…hands would be STRENGTHENED.”In other words, his FEAR would be REMOVED.And Gideon would be EMBOLDENED to START the WORK the LORD told him to do.But we can also have “weak hands” because of DISCOURAGEMENT.The word is used this way when the writer of Hebrews quotes Isaiah 35.The writer of Hebrews is speaking to Christians who are completely DISCOURAGED by their situation and the discipline they are under. He says to them:“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees…”Their hands were “DROOPING” – they were WEAK.They had no strength to DO what God was calling them to do.They had no strength to PRESS ON.The LORD was calling Gideon to lead an army of 300 against an army of 135,000. I’m sure Gideon was not only FEARFUL – but also had NO HOPE.Maybe some of you have had “weak hands” in this way.You see NO HOPE. You are DISCOURAGED. You are DEPRESSED.You become paralyzed.You simply CAN’T press on – or do what the LORD calls you to do.If you are a Christian – and you do battle with the sin in your own heart – it is easy to become completely DISCOURAGED like this. We know – as a Christians – that Jesus Christ has gained the victory and sent His Spirit to live in us. But that creates a continual “battle” inside us every day.Our “sinful nature” still lives – and fights.ANGER and RESENTMENT and GREED and LUST and ARROGANCE and SELF-CENTEREDNESS – are ALWAYS rising up. And we cannot simply “stop” these selfish and wicked thoughts and motives. It’s not that simple. Instead, it is a DAILY BATTLE.At times when you are LOCKED in this battle – it appears IMPOSSIBLE! You become DISCOURAGED. You become DEPRESSED.You develop “WEAK HANDS” – and easily LOSE the WILL to fight.So HOW can your “weak hands” be STRENGTHENED when we feel like this?That is where this text is extremely HELPFUL for us.Here we see the LORD’S remedy for “weak hands.”We are told HOW the LORD STRENGTHENED Gideon’s “weak hands.”Look again at verses 10-11:“But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.”The LORD’s plan was to STRENGTHEN Gideon’s “weak hands.”Remember, this war was to be carried out BY FAITH. So the LORD’s plan was to STRENGTHEN Gideon’s FAITH.As the Bible commentator Matthew Henry said:“Gideon's army being diminished as we have found it was, he must either fight by faith or not at all; God therefore here provides recruits for his faith, instead of recruits for his forces.”HOW did the LORD STRENGTHEN Gideon’s “weak hands”?The LORD STRENGTHENED Gideon’s “weak hands” by turning his eyes to the OBJECT of his FAITH. In other words, Gideon had to look at the LORD again.The same is true for us as God’s people today.Our “weak hands” will be STRENGTHENED when we look at the LORD.We see TWO WAYS the LORD STRENGTHENS Gideon’s “weak hands” here.FIRST, Gideon’s weak hands are STRENGTHENED by seeing God’s POWERSECOND, Gideon’s weak hands are STRENGTHENED by God’s PROMISEMP1: Gideon’s weak hands are STRENGTHENED by seeing God’s POWER. (10-15)FIRST, Gideon’s “weak hands” are STRENGTHENED by seeing God’s POWER.We see this by what the LORD showed Gideon in verses 10-15.Notice again the AMAZING THINGS that the LORD DID in these verses:“But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant. 11 And you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outposts of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley like locusts in abundance, and their camels were without number, as the sand that is on the seashore in abundance. 13 When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade. And he said, “Behold, I dreamed a dream, and behold, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and came to the tent and struck it so that it fell and turned it upside down, so that the tent lay flat.” 14 And his comrade answered, “This is no other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given into his hand Midian and all the camp.”As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”Notice that Gideon went down the camp – just as the LORD said.The LORD did NOT tell Gideon exactly WHICH tent to go to. I’m sure that Gideon and Purah simply snuck up to the closest tent they could find on the outskirts of the camp. They quietly crept up to the tent.There just HAPPENED to be two men in the tent talking about a dream.Gideon put his ear up to the tent and listened into the conversation.We are told what they said in verse 13.The one soldier told his comrade about a strange dream he had. A “cake of barley bread” tumbled into the camp of Midian – and this small loaf of barley bread STRUCK the tents of Midian so that they were turned UPSIDE DOWN and FLATTENED.When the other soldier heard about the dream he said – (in verse 14):“SURELY this is the sword of Gideon, the son of Joash, a man of Israel! God has given Midian and all the camp into his hands!”Gideon’s eyes must have popped out of his head!Put yourself in Gideon’s shoes for a moment…In this massive “SEA” of tents – Gideon just “HAPPENED” pick this tent.And one of the men in this tent just “HAPPENED” to have this strange DREAM.And the other man just “HAPPENED” to interpret this dream as referring to GIDEON the Son of Joash!And this interpretation just “HAPPENED” to show the Midianite army was AFRAID!It just “HAPPENED” to show him that EVEN the Midianites believed GOD had given them into Gideon’s hands!Now…I know many of you have had experiences like this.They are experiences when you see that this HAS TO BE GOD!SURELY GOD is behind all of this!Have you had experiences like that?You receive a CHECK in the mail at EXACTLY the time that you need it – for EXACTLY the amount you need.You receive a PHONE CALL at EXACTLY the time when you need it – and NO ONE knew about your need except GOD.You FALL on your KNEES and say: “Oh God! YOU have done this!”And that’s precisely what Gideon did here.Look again at the beginning of verse 15:“As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped.”That word “worship” literally means that Gideon “bowed down!”He fell on his knees before God. He WORSHIPED!At that moment Gideon’s “weak hands” were STRENGTHENED!HOW were they STRENGTHENED?At that moment Gideon saw the POWER of God!He saw that the LORD can do ANYTHING!If the LORD has POWER to control every movement of Gideon and Purah – taking them to the EXACT tent where they needed to go among THOUSANDS of others – then SURELY the LORD has POWER to defeat the Midianites!If the LORD has POWER to control the DREAM of this Midianite soldier – giving him that SPECIFIC dream on that SPECIFIC night – then SURELY the LORD has POWER to defeat the Midianites!If the LORD has POWER to control the INTERPRETATION of the dream – causing this soldier to understand and interpret the dream the way he did – then SURELY the LORD has POWER to defeat the Midianites!Nothing STRENGTHENS the “weak hands” of God’s people like seeing His POWER!And we read that is SURELY what it did for Gideon!Look again at what Gideon did after falling on his knees in WORSHIP.(END of verse 15):“And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”Gideon’s “weak hands” were STRENGTHENED by seeing the POWER of God! Seeing the POWER of God is SUPPOSED to STRENGTHEN the “weak hands” of God’s people. It EXILERATES them! It MOVES them!It is when we look at OUR OWN power – or the power of the ENEMY we face – that we get “weak hands.” Nothing will cause “weak hands” more quickly than looking at OURSELVES – or the ENEMIES or TRIALS we face.Illus: This is exactly what happened to the Lord’s disciple Peter (Matthew 14).You may remember the night when the disciples were in a boat out at sea.Jesus stayed behind on shore to pray.In the middle of the night Jesus came out to them WALKING on the water.The disciples thought it was a ghost, but Jesus said: “Take heart; it is I. Don’t be afraid.”Peter said:“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”Jesus said: “Come.”So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.But WHEN HE SAW THE WIND, he was AFRAID, and began to SINK!That is a good example of developing “weak hands” by looking at your OWN POWER!Peter BELIEVED Jesus – and had courage to step out of the boat onto the water.But as soon as Peter SAW the WIND – and his OWN power – he thought:“I CAN’T DO THIS!!!”His hands became WEAK – and he began to SINK!App: That is the way it works.NOTHING will create “weak hands” faster than FAILING to see the POWER of God.NOTHING will STRENGTHEN “weak hands” faster than SEEING the POWER of God!You have probably seen it in your own life. I have seen it in mine – and in many others.Our hands grow “weak” – as Christians – when we only look at human beings. Our hands grow “weak” at human POWER in this world.I have noticed that when I get the most DOWN and DISCOURAGED in ministry – it is NOT because I have too much work. It is because I have lost sight of the POWER of God!I have lost sight of how GREAT God truly is – and His great POWER!I find myself turning to Puritans and Preachers who preach the GREATNESS of GOD!This is something to consider when you are DOWN and DISCOURAGED as a Christian.Maybe you have LOST SIGHT of the GREAT POWER of God! Maybe you need to get a TASTE again of how AMAZING God really is!There is NOTHING that will STRENGTHEN the “weak hands” of God’s soldier like seeing the POWER of God.That may mean taking some time to ponder the AMAZING WORKS God has done that are recorded for us in the BIBLE – like this account with Gideon.Other times it may mean taking some time to ponder the AMAZING WORKS God has done in HISTORY.Illus: One well-known preacher of the last century (Martyn Lloyd-Jones) once said:“When I get discouraged and over-tired and weary I invariably go to the 18th century. In other words, read the stories of the great tides and movements of the Spirit experienced in that century. It is the most exhilarating experience, the finest tonic you will ever know!”Other times it may mean taking some time to consider the AMAZING WORKS God has done in YOUR OWN LIFE.SURELY the LORD has done an AMAZING WORK to SAVE YOU!It takes a MIRACLE of GOD to SAVE anyone!The main point is this: One way your “weak hands” can be STRENGTHENED is to encounter the AMAZING POWER of God again!The LORD’s POWER truly IS AMAZING –and He NEVER CEASES to be AMAZING.But there are times when we can LOSE SIGHT of it.MP2: Gideon’s weak hands are STRENGTHENED by God’s PROMISE(9, 15, 16-25)SECOND, Gideon’s weak hands are STRENGTHENED by God’s PROMISENotice the LORD gave Gideon a PROMISE – BEFORE He showed Gideon His POWER. Look again at verse 9:“That same night the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.”And notice again what Gideon said in verse 15:“As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD has given the host of Midian into your hand.”Notice Gideon REPEATED that PROMISE he received from the LORD.Gideon REPEATED the LORD’s PROMISE to the people with CONFIDENCE!In other words, seeing the LORD’s POWER – as he had just done – was attached to the PROMISE he had received from the LORD.The POWERFUL LORD who can do ALL THINGS – is the one who has GIVEN the Midianites into their hands. The POWERFUL LORD who can do ALL THINGS – was WITH THEM!That made ALL the difference for going into this battle!The LORD’s POWER would have meant nothing – if the POWERFUL LORD had not PROMISED to be WITH Gideon! It makes no difference that the LORD is “all-powerful” if He is NOT WITH YOU in battle.Illus: There may soon be a POWERFUL vaccine that can destroy COVID-19 in your body.But if that vaccine is not IN YOU – it does you NO GOOD.You may have purchased POWERFUL anti-virus protection software for your computer.But if you haven’t DOWNLOADED it yet – and it is not IN YOUR COMPUTER – it does you NO GOOD.So in the same way, just because the LORD is ALL-POWERFUL – and able to control ALL of these events and DESTROY any army – means NOTHING if He has not PROMISED to be WITH you to do it!The PROMISE is what allows that POWER to STRENGTHEN our “weak hands.”App: The same is true when it comes to our battle – as Christians.There are many difficult battles we are called to fight as followers of Christ.We are called daily to DENY ourselves – and follow Christ.That means Jesus calls us to DAILY fight the old nature. We DAILY fight against SIN and the DEVIL.Jesus calls us follow HIM daily – rather than OURSELVES.It is the PROMISES God gives us in Jesus that STRENGTHEN our hands for this work.God PROMISES that Jesus HAS WON the VICTORY over your SIN as a believer.That means ALL YOUR SIN has been PUNISHED and KILLED by Jesus on the cross.It means YOUR SIN (like the army of Midian) WILL be defeated!And we read in verses 19-25 this is SURELY what happened!The LORD DID give the VICTORY! The LORD gave the Midianites into the hands of Gideon and the 300 men. Look again at what we read in verses 19-22.“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. 20 Then the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held in their left hands the torches, and in their right hands the trumpets to blow. And they cried out, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” 21 Every man stood in his place around the camp, and all the army ran. They cried out and fled. 22 When they blew the 300 trumpets, the LORD set every man’s sword against his comrade and against all the army. And the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the border of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.”The LORD gained the VICTORY that was IMPOSSIBLE for the people of Israel! The LORD has PROMISED to do a similar thing for His people in the GOSPEL!The PROMISE is that Jesus Christ HAS OBTAINED an inheritance for you.That INHERITANCE is now SECURE in a place where NO RUST can corrode it – and NO THIEF (or HACKER or IDENTITY THIEF) can break in and STEAL IT.It is KEPT for you now with the Father – in Heaven.God PROMISES us this through the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 1):“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”Notice God’s PROMISE.As His child – you are now being GUARDED by HIS power.HOW does He guard you?He does it through this gift of FAITH He has given you – as you believe His PROMISES.You are being GUARDED by God’s POWER – “…for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”In other words, it’s ALL THERE – just waiting to be REVEALED!The PROMISE is that Jesus Christ has GIVEN your SIN and the DEVIL into your hands.Just as the LORD PROMISED Gideon: “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand.”SO ALSO the LORD has PROMISED you (as a Christian): “Go fight against sin and the Devil…for I have GIVEN them into your hand!”Have you ever thought of your FIGHT against SIN and the DEVIL in that way?Have you ever considered that Jesus Christ has PROMISED to give your SIN and the DEVIL into your hand – so that one day you will have the VICTORY?That is what is true in God’s PROMISE in Jesus Christ.God’s PROMISE in Jesus Christ is this:“My Son – Jesus – has obtained the VICTORY over SIN and DEATH by His POWER at the CROSS and RESURRECTION. I have GIVEN SIN and the DEVIL into your hand! Go and FIGHT against them. They WILL NOT WIN. YOU will get the VICTORY – because HIS POWER has OBTAINED it for you!”Here is another PROMISE God gives in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15):“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”God has GIVEN us the VICTORY through Jesus Christ!God truly DOES give us AMAZING PROMISES in Jesus Christ!And these PROMISES from God are intended to STRENGTHEN our “weak hands!”Here is the point: LET THESE PROMISES FROM GOD STRENGTHEN YOUR WEAK HANDS.Do you have “weak hands” right now?Maybe there are days when you DON’T WANT to go into the battle.Maybe there are days when you are AFRAID to go into the battle.It may FEEL like you are fighting a LOSING battle – but that is not true.Because of Jesus Christ you are fighting a WINNING BATTLE!If so, then LET GOD’s PROMISES STRENGTHEN your “weak hands.”That is WHY God gave us His GREAT and PRECIOUS PROMISES.The LORD gave Gideon GREAT PROMISES – to STRENGTHEN his “weak hands.”The LORD has done the SAME for us today in Jesus Christ!This is precisely WHY God sent His SON Jesus into the world.God sent His Son – so that WE could be RESCUED from SIN and DEATH.If you TRULY WANT to be RESCUED – God has given the RESCUE. It is Jesus. HE is the ONLY one who can OBTAIN the VICTORY over SIN and DEATH.YOU could have never obtained this VICTORY over SIN and DEATH.I could have never obtained this VICTORY.NO human being in the history could have ever obtained this VICTORY.And NO human being in the future will ever be obtained this VICTORY.But JESUS HAS obtained it for His people!It is YOURS because of HIM!NOW all that is left is for us to DAILY go INTO the BATTLE!Conclusion: Do you have “WEAK HANDS” today?If not today, you may tomorrow…or the next day.But remember the LORD is teaching us to FIGHT in this WAR by FAITH!The LORD has given us HIS POWER and HIS PROMISES for this WAR.And that is how we FIGHT this WAR.We FIGHT by FAITH – trusting HIS POWER and HIS PROMISES.The LORD has POWER to do ANYTHING.And He has PROMISED that He has obtained the VICTORY for us in His Son.So we are to go into the BATTLE each day – FIGHTING against SIN – and FIGHTING to GLORIFY Him in all our decisions and actions.Let’s pray… ................
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