“The battle is not to the strong… But time and chance happen to all” (Ecc 9:11) “And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and struck it so that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay flat. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else except the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand has God delivered Midian, and all the host” (Judges 7:13 – 14)
So, you’ve heard the story by now… Gideon has an encounter with the Angel of the Lord and is instructed to take on the Midianites and deliver Israel. After testing and retesting the word of the Lord, he gets up an army of 32,000 men. Not nearly enough to defeat the Midianites it would seem, but God thought there were too many. Gideon is instructed to send all the fearful ones home. That cleared out more than two thirds leaving only 10,000. If you weren’t afraid before, you just might have been when you saw how many of your buddies packed up and headed home.
Then God has another filter process to take them through to reduce their army to 300. God is about to prove in no uncertain terms that the battle is not to the strong. Clearly Gideon’s men were outnumbered hundreds to one, maybe more. But God had an “eth” in store and when you are in God’s “eth” you don’t need numbers or strength or skill. You just need to get in on the “eth”. It’s a timing thing.
Just before battle, Gideon sneaks over to the enemy’s camp and overhears some talking in their tent about a dream one of them had about a barley loaf which represented Gideon that rolled into their camp, overturning and flattening a tent. The men knew what it meant and were very afraid. Now Gideon knew what it meant and was greatly encouraged. He knew that he knew that he knew he was in the “eth” of God and confidently put his 300 men around the camp with a trumpet in one hand and a pitcher with a lamp in it in the other hand. Not exactly battle gear. But this was the “eth” of God and Gideon was triumphant.
When you are in the “eth” of God, you have more than enough for the task at hand. It is the safest, most exciting place to be. Are you in an “eth” right now? Do you sense His leading right now into what appears to be impossible odds? If it is the “eth” of God, nothing can stop you.
“eth” it works. somewhat. My “eth” fingers are not so much these days…jazz hands though.