Three Companies - Judges 7:16

In the book of Judges we learned how Jehovah God told Gideon, “Arise, get you down unto the host; for I have delivered it into your hand. … , And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand has God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD has delivered into your hand the host of Midian", and in chapter seven and verse sixteen of Judges, we learn how Gideon, “divided the three hundred men into three companies” where we read,

And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, 

and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.

The verse reads, “And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, …” The writer began with the words, “and he divided” which means “and he, Gideon, separated” “the three hundred men” or “the three hundred men who were chosen to be with Gideon because they licked water like a dog” “into three companies” which means “into three bands or divisions”. The writer shared how “Gideon” separated the “three hundred” men with him into three separate groups. 

The verse continues, “and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.” The writer added the words, “and put a trumpet” which means “and he, Gideon, placed and set a curved horn or cornet” “in every man’s hand” or “into each and all of the three hundred male warriors’ physical hands”, “with empty pitchers” which means “alongside worthless and vain large portable jars”, “and lamps within the pitchers” or “and flaming torches inside of the large portable jars”. The writer shared how “Gideon” placed a curved horn, worthless portable jars and flaming torches inside each of the jars to the three hundred men who accompanied him. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover how “Gideon” had a strategy for the attack upon the “Midianites”. He separated the “three hundred” men who accompanied him into three groups and gave each of them curved horns and worthless jars with flaming lamps inside. This is an unconventional way to prepare for battle, however, let us keep in mind that Jehovah God was involved. God loves the people of Israel, and He defends them with normal and unconventional means. God loves everybody, and He proved His love when He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead after three days. When we surrender to Him as our “Savior and Lord”, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us His direction so we may be “more than conquerers” in this world. (See John 3:16; Romans 8:37)

Next time we learn how Gideon, “said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".