Judges 7:16-23
16 And he divided the three hundred men into three units, and he put trumpets and empty pitchers into the hands of all of them, with torches inside the pitchers.
17 Then he said to them, “Look at me and do likewise. And behold, when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do.
18 When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets around the entire camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’ ”
19 So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came to the outskirts of the camp at the beginning of the middle night watch, when they had just posted the watch; and they blew the trumpets and smashed the pitchers that were in their hands.
20 When the three units blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, they held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands for blowing, and shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
21 And each stood in his place around the camp; and all the army ran, crying out as they fled.
22 And when they blew the three hundred trumpets, the Lord set the sword of one against another even throughout the entire army; and the army fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, as far as the edge of Abel-meholah, by Tabbath.
23 And the men of Israel were summoned from Naphtali, Asher, and all Manasseh, and they pursued Midian.
Gideon’s Psychological Warfare
Wisdom from the Lord
When we put our trust in the Lord, not only do we receive the assurance of victory, but also the strategies to achieve that victory. These strategies come from the wisdom of the Lord. The strategy that Gideon adopted was as follows: he divided his 300 men into three groups, giving each of them a trumpet, an empty pitcher, and a torch. This was a strategy to deceive the enemy into thinking that they were surrounded by a large army. Gideon and his men arrived at the enemy camp in the middle of the night, precisely when the guards were changing shifts, and launched their attack. The guards’ eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness, which worked to Gideon’s advantage. His army did five things: (1) They blew the trumpets simultaneously. This must have startled the enemy greatly. (2) They smashed the empty pitchers. This created even more noise, driving the enemy further into fear. (3) They held the torches in their left hands. The Midianites must have thought that they were surrounded by a large army, as the torches that were hidden inside the pitchers suddenly began to shine. (4) They continued to blow the trumpets with their right hands. This created the illusion that a great army was advancing. (5) They raised a war cry, shouting, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” The term “sword” here is a figurative expression representing the idea of warfare. At this point, Gideon’s army did not actually possess swords. Through this war cry, it became evident that this was the Lord’s battle.
Great victory
The enemy fell into great confusion due to Gideon’s psychological warfare and eventually started fighting among themselves. In the darkness, unable to decipher who was a foe or an ally, they took up arms to defend themselves. As they began to flee, Gideon called for soldiers from the tribes of Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh. The 9,700 men who were previously sent back to their tents were probably gathered also. This great victory provides us with valuable lessons. (1) Just as Gideon’s 300 men blew their trumpets, we also need to boldly proclaim the message of the Gospel. (2) The clay pots were broken, and the torches inside began to shine. Similarly, for the treasure within us (the power of the Gospel) to shine forth, we, as the clay vessels, need to be broken (2 Cor. 4:6-7).
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, break me as the clay vessel that I am, so that the light of Christ within me may shine forth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.