October 24
Judges 7: 4: And the LORD said unto Gideon,
The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try
them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall
go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee,
This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5: So he brought down the
people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of
the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself;
likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6: And the number
of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men:
but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7: And
the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save
you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people
go every man unto his place.
Those who served with Gideon in his army are a type of
believers united together to publish the gospel under the immediate direction
of Christ Jesus, our Head. God will see to it that no flesh shall glory in his
presence. All the servants of God shall know that it is by Christ alone that
God conquers and saves his own (Ju 7: 2; Is 45: 25; Jer 4: 2.) Therefore, the
LORD whittled the army down.
Notice, the Lord said, “I will try them.” (Judges 7: 4-5.) We cannot discern what is good or bad in these men by
the way they drank. That is the point. The LORD did not tell Gideon which of
these two styles of drinkers he was choosing.
The Lord simply told Gideon that he would do the choosing. It is the
Lord who puts a difference between his people. You and I cannot tell who the
Lord has chosen by looking at him. God chooses whom he will and passes by whom
he will. (Ex 11:7; 1 Co 4: 7.)