In these passages is the account of Gideon defeating 120,000 Midianites with only 300 men. Initially Gideon had amassed a large army of about 32,000 men. The Lord told Gideon that Gideon had too many people. God was going to help Gideon defeat the Midianites, but God wanted Israel to give credit to God for the victory. With only 300 men with which to fight, victory could only be possible if God did the fighting.
God’s motivation, it seems, is to always turn Israel back to Him. Whenever He would save Israel from the enemy, Israel once again would be motivated to believe in God and to obey Him. However, Israel would again and again turn away from God and lose God’s blessings.
That seems to be the natural tendency of the human heart: To move away from God. Therefore, we need continued motivation and desire to obey God. The Word of God provides that motivation. Our responsibility is to read the Bible regularly and pray for God’s help in our lives.
