What is the meaning of Judges 7:20? The three companies blew their horns and shattered their jars - Gideon had just 300 men, yet he divided them into three companies (Judges 7:16), a reminder that the LORD delights in using what looks small so that He alone receives glory (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27). - Trumpets in Scripture announce God’s intervention: think of Jericho—“When the trumpet sounded… the wall fell down flat” (Joshua 6:20). The same God who toppled Jericho now confronts Midian. - The clay jars hid the torches until the crucial moment; once smashed, sudden light filled the camp. It’s an acted-out sermon: the weakness of clay yields to the brilliance of God’s deliverance (compare 2 Corinthians 4:7—“We have this treasure in jars of clay”). - By faith they obeyed the exact plan the LORD had given (Judges 7:9-18). Obedience, not numbers, is what wins God’s battles. Holding the torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands - Both hands are occupied; there is no room for swords. Their posture declares dependence on God alone, echoing 2 Chronicles 20:17: “You need not fight this battle; take your positions, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD.” - Torches blaze in the night, a vivid picture of the LORD as light: “The LORD is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). Jesus later tells His followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). When God delivers, His people shine. - A single torch and trumpet would normally represent a whole unit of soldiers. Three hundred torches and trumpets therefore make the Midianites assume a vast army surrounds them—God turns weakness into strategic advantage. - The scene invites personal application: keep both hands full with God-given responsibilities—proclaim (trumpet) and shine (torch)—and trust Him to handle the battle’s outcome. they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” - The cry puts the LORD first. Gideon is named second, underscoring that any human leader is merely God’s instrument (cf. 1 Samuel 17:47: “the battle is the LORD’s”). - Irony: the men hold no swords, yet they proclaim one. The real “sword” is God’s decisive power, later pictured as “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). - Their unified shout causes panic among the Midianites, who “turned their swords against one another” (Judges 7:22). When God fights, the enemy self-destructs—see also Isaiah 31:8. - By linking Gideon’s name with the LORD’s, the cry also signals loyalty. God often pairs His work with willing servants (Philippians 2:13), showing that divine sovereignty and human responsibility coexist. summary Judges 7:20 portrays an unlikely army obeying precise, God-given instructions. Trumpets blast, jars break, torches flare, and a faith-filled shout rises: every detail proclaims that victory belongs to the LORD, not to human strength. As modern followers of Christ, we are called to the same pattern—proclaim boldly, shine brightly, trust completely—and watch God turn apparent weakness into triumphant deliverance. |
    |