Trumpets and Broken Jars: God’s Instruments of Salvation

19th in a series on how men and women in the Bible

deal with waiting, disappointment and unemployment

Trumpets and Broken Jars: God’s Instruments of Salvation

Reflections on Judges 6 and 7

Fifty-five times we read in the Old Testament that the Israelites or their king did “evil in the eyes of the Lord”.  And the story following this statement is never good.  Kings were deposed or murdered.  The people were overrun by their enemies.  And the people of Israel often lost their land and their place as God’s favored kingdom.  

By the standards of our present day some may suggest that this condemnation was a bit harsh.  “Who’s to say what is evil or what isn’t?”  The idea of having a general standard of behavior or a baseline for morality and ethics is offensive to those of a more progressive mindset.  And yet, a look at the history of our civilization will reveal that a set of laws or rules that looks a lot like the Ten Commandments have always been around and generally agreed upon.  I support this thesis by the cries of my friends who have lost their jobs due to the evil and corruption of unjust employers.  I hear the laments of those who have suffered under the selfishness of those who do not operate by those generally agreed upon standards.  

In our story, Gideon is born into a time following 40 years of peace under Deborah.  Israel’s enemy, the Amalekites, were not so much an invading army as pestering bullies who in no organized fashion would sweep down upon the people and steal their crops and herds and cause confusion and irritation.  God hears the cry of the people as he said he would in the book of Deuteronomy and appears to Gideon.  Was God waiting for this cry?  According to our sense of timing, it often seems that God waits too long.   

“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior,” the angel says to Gideon.  Huh? Who?  I doubt Gideon had ever exhibited warrior-like characteristics.  Could it be that the angel saw who Gideon would become rather than who he thought he was?  What does God see in us?

Through a series of miracles God convinces Gideon that He has a plan.  From a flaming rock to a wet fleece and then a dry fleece.  This story is more familiar than most realize as we often hear the colloquialism, “he put out a fleece”.  Through it all God shows his patience as He develops Gideon’s faith and strengthens him as Israel’s future leader.  

Could Gideon have become a great leader during a time of peace?  One commentator states, “It’s true that the great stories come from conflict and deliverance not from peace and tranquility.” But the difficulty increases with Gideon’s obedience.  He is threatened by his own people when he burns the town’s idols.  And the ultimate test comes when he is faced with the hordes of Amalekites and his measly army of 32,000.  What character traits have I developed in adversity that could not have blossomed in times of ease?

“You have too many men,” God says to Gideon.  i.e. If you attack with all these warriors, you may take the credit.  God eventually gets the army down to 300.  Now we’re in miracle territory.  But why should we be surprised?  “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”  Can we look at our experiences of adversity as opportunities for God to show up rather than times of defeat?  Could it be that my experience with unemployment will make me a better husband and father?  Will this time of waiting produce in me an ability to be patient?  Is it really possible that the Amalekites in my life are there for my benefit rather than my destruction?

God doesn’t leave us in the midst of turmoil and impossibility.  He does what will bring glory to Him and of the most benefit to us.  Gideon’s warriors are told to pick up trumpets, jars and torches rather than swords, shields and helmets.  Doesn’t this sound a lot like the Israelites marching around the walls of Jericho?  What may seem like nonsense and a total waste of time to us are in actuality God’s instruments for our salvation and His honor.  The Apostle Paul reminds us that, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

To further prove His point, God gives an Amalekite soldier a dream of a huge barley cake rolling into the encampment and wiping out a bunch of soldiers.  Certainly not a dream I would have paid attention to but another soldier panics and offers a crazy interpretation: “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”  Okay…and Gideon got to hear this.  It must have caused him to laugh.  

A year earlier if you had told Gideon that he would be God’s instrument for the deliverance of Israel, he would have been incredulous.  What has God done in our lives in the last year that seemed impossible?  What events and circumstances feel insurmountable?  We may not be able to control the things that come our way, but we can control our reaction to them.  

May we today blow our trumpets, smash our jars and hold up our torches and put away our swords and shields.  Let us practice the faith of Gideon and of David who when he was facing Goliath said, “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”