Gideon and the 300: A Bible Story

The Battle of Thermopylae, often referred to as the Battle of the 300, has enjoyed a resurgence of interest, due in part to a popular comic book series and a 2007 movie adapted from them. The battle had already entered the realm of legend, and the movie regressed even farther in to myth. Somehow in the desire to immortalize the fierce Spartans, the fact that there were, at first, thousands of others fighting alongside them and even in the end there were at least 1,000, has been lost. Not only were there many more men fighting than is generally reported, but they, after a valiant fight, were soundly defeated and slaughtered by being outflanked. However, there is another famous story of 300 soldiers, led by Gideon, who actually defeated thousands of their enemies through the power of the Living God.

The story of Gideon is told in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, in the book of Judges, chapter 6-8. Israel was refusing to obey God and was worshipping idols, so God allowed the Midianites to oppress them. Finally they turned to Him for deliverance, and one day an angel came to a young Israeli named Gideon. Gideon was hiding from the Midianites at the time, and when the Angel of the Lord told him that he should go and defeat the Midianites, he was astonished! "Sir, how can I save Israel? My family is the poorest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least thought of in the entire family!"

God assured him that He, the Lord, would make him strong and would go with him, and after twice asking for a sign so that he could be sure he was understanding correctly, he was convinced that the Lord was actually telling him, Gideon, to defeat the Midianite hordes. After some acts of defiance and feats of bravery, Gideon made a name for himself and was able to raise an army of 32,000 men, but they were not hardened, well-trained, well-armed military men. They were nothing like the brutal soldiers of Sparta, who were only considered men once they had killed a slave. The Midianites were the fierce warriors, and far out-numbered the Israelis.

However, God was not satisfied. "No," He said, "I can't let all of you fight the Midianites, for then the people of Israel will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength!" God directed Gideon to dismiss any of the men who were timid and frightened. In direct contrast to the storied bravery of the Spartans, 22,000 of the Israelis returned to their families, leaving a force of only 10,000 men that were willing to fight against incredible odds. But still God said there were too many. "Take them down to the stream," God directed Gideon, "and I'll show you which ones shall go with you and which ones shall not." As the men drank water from the stream, Gideon divided them in to two groups, those who cupped the water in their hands to lap it up, and those who lay down to drink straight from the water. Only 300 men drank from their hands, and God said these were the men He would send with Gideon.

The 300 Spartans had been trained from early childhood in the brutal art of hand to hand fighting. They had formidable weaponry. The Midianites had vast numbers of cruel, well-armed warriors. But the 300 Israelis, led by Gideon, had neither numbers, strength, nor arms. However, Gideon, who now knew that God was firmly in charge, led them against the Midianite army, who filled the valley like locusts. In the middle of the night, God told Gideon it was time. But in an incredible act of compassion, He told Gideon that if he was still unsure, to take one man with him and go down quietly in to the Midianite camp. Gideon snuck down and, pausing outside a tent, he heard voices inside. One man was telling his tent-mate that he'd had a disturbing nightmare, wherein a giant loaf of barley bread had tumbled down into the camp and flattened the tent. The other man interpreted the dream. "Your dream can mean only one thing," he replied. "Gideon, the son of Joash, the Israeli, is going to come and massacre all the allied forces of Midian!" Gideon stood and praised God.

After returning to his men, Gideon told each of them to take an earthenware pitcher, put a torch inside it, and in their other hand hold a trumpet. After instructing the men in what they were to do at his signal, Gideon had the 300 men quietly surround the camp below. On Gideon's signal, the men blew their trumpets, broke their pitchers so that the light blazed forth, and shouted, "We fight for God and for Gideon!" Then the men just stood and watched as the whole, vast, enemy army, confused by God, ran around in a panic, fighting and killing one another and fleeing away. This army of 300 men was not aided by another few thousand men, nor were they strong and well-trained like the Spartan 300. They did not have impressive weapons and their leader was not a skilled strategist nor a feared warrior.

What these 300 Israeli men had that the Spartan warriors and the Midianite warriors did not have, was the Living God of Israel. They were successful, not because they were smart, but because they were obedient. They did not win because of their strength, but because of their faith in the strength of the Lord. Gideon's 300 trusted that we are "more than conquerors through Him Who loved us" (Romans 8:37)

"And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Corinthians 12:9). The 300 Spartans who were conquered did not believe in weakness. The Midianites, who were conquered, were contemptuous of God. But we can learn from the 300 Israeli men that Gideon led, who, because they trusted in the Living God, were more than conquerors. To read this true story of the 300 in its entirety, go to the book of Judges, chapter 6-8, in the Holy Bible.

Sources: Holy Bible

Bible Gateway

Biblos

European History, Historical Myths: The 300 Who Held Thermopylae, Robert Wilde

Wikipedia, 300 (film)