No miracles needed

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as I attempt to read the Bible with fresh eyes, as if I don't know anything about it, and without consulting experts on what it "really" means. Let's see where this takes us! 

Attention: Your help is needed for The Daily Bible Chapter to continue regularly. Please read this message and send your support right now. Thanks!

Judges 7

I'm reading Young's Literal Translation (YLT) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

The book of Judges has some crazy adventures!

In the last chapter, Gideon had an encounter with the LORD similar to the one Moses had at the burning bush. In Judges 7, his story has a more direct parallel to Joshua at Jericho with the use of trumpets to defeat the enemy. 

The LORD had Gideon narrow the army from 32,000 to 300, less than 1%, to demonstrate that it is the LORD who wins battles, not ourselves. And Gideon did not question the orders.

I get the impression that the pitchers, lamps, and trumpets in the darkness were to fool the Midianites into thinking they were witnessing a fiery, deafening "supernatural event" to induce panic. Gideon put the "fear of God" into them but no actual miracles were performed.

The message I get from Judges 7 is that you actually need very little in order to accomplish big things. What Gideon had was faith in what the LORD - his higher self - was telling him.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles (subscribe), The Daily Bible Chapter (subscribe), JL Cells (subscribe), and The MVP Chase (subscribe). Thanks for your subscriptions and support! You may contact James for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)