What a contrast between these two passages. Many of us know the story of Gideon and his 300 men. These guys routed thousands and thousands of enemy soldiers. When you read the passage it seems they pursued them half way round the world. But it really wasn’t the 300 was it? It was the Lord of Hosts — the God of Angel Armies — that routed these enemy compatants. And what unconventional warfare! Trumpets and torches and smashing pitchers start the rout!
19 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 20 The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” 21 While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
22 When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords. The army fled to Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. 23 Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 24 Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the Midianites and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of them as far as Beth Barah.” (Judges 7:19-24)
This was a mighty impressive display of power on the part of God. And yet in Luke 22 we see Jesus stay His hand and not call on the power of God to extricate Him from the situation in the garden. I can’t imagine what the full fury of God would have been if Jesus would have given in to that course of action. Instead He let impotent men of this world lead Him to the cross.
That’s how much He loves us. He could have done to those in the garden and to us what He did to those Midianites years before. What a privilege and how humbling it is to think the God of the universe loves and cares about our eternal destinies. Ponder His love for you today. Thank Him for your deliverence.
Sixty-six books in a year 