"He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, 'Get up! The Lord has given the Midianite camp into your hands.' Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside. 'Watch me,' he told them. 'Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, 'For the Lord and for Gideon.'" (Judges 7:15b-18) In yesterday's passage we learned that the Midianites knew Gideon's name. If they've spied out the name of Israel's army general they probably have some idea of how many soldiers Gideon originally had. But they don't know that the Lord pared down Gideon's army from 32,000 men to 300 the evening before. And they can't know whether other men may have joined the army within the last few hours. After all, you'll recall that at the end of the book of Numbers there were over 600,000 Israelite men who were eligible for army service. Gideon is going to attack the Midianite camp at night and he's going to approach the camp from three sides, with lots of noise and lots of lights, so the enemy army will believe they are surrounded by thousands of soldiers. This is intended to take them by surprise and cause panic and confusion--and it will have its intended effect.
"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." (Judges 7:19a) The middle watch is believed to have been from midnight to 4am. This is the time of night when sleep is most likely to take place, even in those who are anxious about what the next day may bring. Exhaustion tends to take over during the middle watch of the night and that's why it's the best time of night for Gideon and his men to go on the attack. His unusual battle plan will produce the optimal amount of surprise and fear during those hours.
"They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. 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!' While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. 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 from Beth Shittah toward Zererah as far as the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath." (Judges 7:19b-22) The Midianites are so panicked and confused in the dark and in the noise that those who haven't fled the camp altogether start stabbing each other with their swords, thinking their fellow soldiers are enemy soldiers. The Israelites haven't had to fight a single one of them so far; the Midianites are either fleeing or killing each other.
This is the thing about the enemies of the Lord's people: they often do themselves in. Their sins catch up with them. Their foolish mode of living takes a toll on them. A lot of times we work ourselves up into a tizzy thinking about defending ourselves against an enemy and then we don't end up having to even lift a finger.
I'll give you an example from my own life. Some years back there was a person in my community who enjoying gossiping. He didn't have a lot to do so he spent a lot of time loitering around in downtown businesses spreading tales. At this particular time my family had become the target of his gossip. I'm not really sure why we became his target but I suspect he shared the first story, which was actually true, and that he enjoyed the attention so much he started making up extra stories. The lies grew more sensational as time went on. I kept hearing about these tales because I work in that same area of downtown. It was very upsetting to me because people who didn't know me or my family very well probably believed some of his wild stories were true. I felt like I couldn't walk down the sidewalk with my head up. But before long this person who enjoyed bringing notoriety and shame upon others ended up bringing shame and notoriety on himself. A policeman pulled him over for driving erratically and it turned out he was under the influence. He got into a verbal altercation with the policeman during which he used all sorts of filthy language and refused a sobriety test and ended up being handcuffed and arrested. Within a day or so the whole encounter was in all the local papers because this man also happened to hold a small elected position in our town. If anybody had previously been thinking about the tall tales he'd made up about us, they certainly weren't thinking about them now, not with this much bigger story in the headlines. He lost re-election and pretty much faded into obscurity after that and I haven't seen or heard of him in years.
The Midianites in today's passage are their own worst enemies, just as that fellow in my town was his own worst enemy. Gideon and his troops have not so far had to lift a finger against the Midianites and their allies. These wicked people have turned on each other in panic. They were already afraid the night before; people who are against the Lord and against the Lord's people often harbor fear in their heart because deep down they know they're on the wrong side. But now they're in a blind panic. They start thinking their fellow soldiers are enemy soldiers. Those who didn't flee shamefully in the noise and confusion are thrusting each other through with swords.
Those who fled the camp aren't going to get away. Israelites dwelling in the region through which they are fleeing are going to take care of them. "Israelites from Naphtali, Asher and all Manasseh were called out, and they pursued the Midianites. 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.' So all the men of Ephraim were called out and they seized the waters of the Jordan as far as Beth Barah. They also captured two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued the Midianites and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon, who was by the Jordan." (Judges 7:23-25) I assume the rock and the winepress were named for Oreb and Zeeb after Oreb and Zeeb were executed at those locations. These two Midianite leaders, who were probably famous at one time for their military exploits, are now famous for having fled a major battle and for being caught and having their heads removed. Their names are no longer names of honor but names of shame.
The Lord never turns a blind eye when someone harms one of His children. Sooner or later, judgment falls. Sometimes the Lord simply waits for them to reap the consequences of their own actions because He knows those consequences are on the way. Other times He brings discipline by His own hand. But you and I can be absolutely certain that it never escapes the Lord's attention when we've been wronged. We can say with faith, as David did, "Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame." (Psalm 6:8-10)
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