Judges:7

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mhcc @Judges:7:1-8 . @ Verse 1-8 . - God provides that the praise of victory may be wholly to himself , by appointing only three hundred men to be employed . Activity and prudence go with dependence upon God for help in our lawful undertakings . When the Lord sees that men would overlook him , and through unbelief , would shrink from perilous services , or that through pride they would vaunt themselves against him , he will set them aside , and do his work by other instruments . Pretences will be found by many , for deserting the cause and escaping the cross . But though a religious society may thus be made fewer in numbers , yet it will gain as to purity , and may expect an increased blessing from the Lord . God chooses to employ such as are not only well affected , but zealously affected in a good thing . They grudged not at the liberty of the others who were dismissed . In doing the duties required by God , we must not regard the forwardness or backwardness of others , nor what they do , but what God looks for at our hands . He is a rare person who can endure that others should excel him in gifts or blessings , or in liberty ; so that we may say , it is by the special grace of God that we regard what God says to us , and not look to men what they do . * Verse 9-15 - The dream seemed to have little meaning in it ; but the interpretation evidently proved the whole to be from the Lord , and discovered that the name of Gideon had filled the Midianites with terror . Gideon took this as a sure pledge of success ; without delay he worshipped and praised God , and returned with confidence to his three hundred men . Wherever we are , we may speak to God , and worship him . God must have the praise of that which encourages our faith . And his providence must be acknowledged in events , though small and seemingly accidental . * Verse 16-22 - This method of defeating the Midianites may be alluded to , as exemplifying the destruction of the devil 's kingdom in the world , by the preaching of the everlasting gospel , the sounding that trumpet , and the holding forth that light out of earthen vessels , for such are the ministers of the gospel , 2Corinthians strkjv @4:6 ,7 . God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise , a barley-cake to overthrow the tents of Midian , that the excellency of the power might be of God only . The gospel is a sword , not in the hand , but in the mouth : the sword of the Lord and of Gideon ; of God and Jesus Christ , of Him that sits on the throne and the Lamb . The wicked are often led to avenge the cause of God upon each other , under the power of their delusions , and the fury of their passions . See also how God often makes the enemies of the church instruments to destroy one another ; it is a pity that the church 's friends should ever act like them . * Verse 23-25 - Two chief commanders of the host of Midian were taken and slain by the men of Ephraim . It were to be wished that we all did as these did , and that where help is needed , that it were willingly and readily performed by another . And that if there were any excellent and profitable matter begun , we were willing to have fellow-labourers to the finishing and perfecting the same , and not , as often , hinder one another . **** Matthew Henry 's Commentary ****

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