GIDEON'S BROKEN VESSEL

September 30, 2007
MF Blume



  Scripture Text:


Judges 7:2    And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

Judges 7:16-22  And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.   (17) And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.  (18)  When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.  (19)  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.  (20)  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.  (21)  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.  (22)  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

2 Corinthians 4:6-7    For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  (7)  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.


  Message:


In the above scriptures we have taken today for our text, there is a strong parallel between Gideon's story and Paul's experiences and teachings.
  • Judges 7:2 is saying the same basic thought that 2 Cor 4:7 is saying.
Jdg 7:2    And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.

2 Cor 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

In both cases, God is indicated to be the One to whom all glory must be given.
  • God can do miracles any time He wishes, however if He is not going to get the glory, He will not perform the miracle.
  • If the miracle can be attributed to ourselves, when God uses us, and not a supernatural work of God, then God will not perform that miracle.
When God told Gideon the people were too many for Him to use them and give Israel victory, it was because Israel would vaunt themselves up and claim they won the victory for themselves.
  • Israel must never have the chance to exalt themselves and claim responsibility for a mighty victory, so God informed Gideon that He must whittle the army down to such a small number that the people themselves would know God gave the victory, due to such impossible natural odds.
Similarly, Paul said that God desires to be known as the One whose power is the excellent source of power in our lives when He uses us.
  • We can vaunt ourselves up as well and claim we are the reason for such great ministries.
  • So God committed His Spirit into our lives while we retained "earthen vessels" that will ever remind us that we are weak, and if anything glorious happens with us, we will clearly know it is God who has done it.
  • This reminds me of 2 Cor 12 where Paul prayed for the thorn in his flesh to be removed.
  • God did not respond until Paul asked the third time.
  • God informed Paul that Paul would become vaunted in himself due to all the revelations God gave to him, so God would not remove the thorn in order to maintain Paul's humility.

 Paul also referred to his flesh as an earthen vessel for the Light of knowledge in his life, in similar thought of Gideon's clay jars being vessels that held torches.

So we have two aspects of Paul's teachings compared with Gideon's story that tie the passages together.

(1) God's note that He will keep us humble through maintaining natural means that cannot be attributed with any supernatural work He does with us.
(2) We have earthen vessels through which light will shine and destroy the works of the devil..


This shows us there are two aspects of Gideon's story that teach us a lesson.

(1) What God requires before He will use us supernaturally -- that is, humility.
(2) How to destroy the power of the devil through releasing light.


The breaking of the clay jars represents the brokenness of self.

(1) In order for God to get glory through our lives, self must be broken.
(2) The enemy can only be defeated when self is denied.


Gideon represents Jesus Christ in this story.


Paul taught about the revelation God gave to him which was compared to light shining out of  darkness.

2Co 4:6    For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

It is LIGHT in the form of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

One dark night, as the Midianites were below the mountain assembled to conquer more of Israel, Gideon and 300 men had some lights that shone out of darkness!
  • This defeated the enemy.
  • It ended their destructive conquering.
"But," Paul said, "this treasure is in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."
  • This explains how the light that shines out of darkness, which Light is now in our hearts, will shine out of darkness once again since Creation!
Gen 1:2-3    And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Paul said the Light was inside darkness, in order for it to SHINE OUT OF darkness.
  • This implies it is in a place where darkness rules.
  • Evil.
  • The work of the devil.
  • It shines out because it was inside a vessel that was surrounded by darkness, and the vessel breaks.
  • This breaking allows the light to shine out.
This is exactly what Jesus Christ did.

Heb 2:14-15    Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;  (15)  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus allowed the devil to cause His death and take Him into the Headquarters of Hell -- which was DEATH.
  • Once there, Jesus Christ would burst out like a time-bomb that was set to detonate at a strategic point in time in order to cause maximum destruction to the devil's power.
  • Jesus IS THE LIGHT!
  • And He exploded in resurrection power in the bowels of DEATH.
Paul said God works like this because earthen vessels in and of themselves can do nothing supernatural and glorious.
  • This allows for all to see God's hand and glory in a thing when He moves.
  • It was naturally impossible for Jesus Christ to resurrect from the dead.
  • Only God can get the glory in such an instance.
  • Life burst forth from death.
  • Light burst out of darkness.
2Co 4:8-9    We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  (9)  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Paul listed his experiences of Trouble, Being Perplexed, Persecution and Casting down, but he said none of those things caused distress, despair, forsakenness or destruction to him.

2Co 4:10-12    Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.  (11)  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.  (12)  So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

He said these experiences were forms of the dying of Jesus Christ repeated in his life.
  • And just as Jesus died and resurrected with Life exploding forth, this breaking of the earthen vessel caused the life of Jesus in Paul to come out and destroy the works of the devil in the lives of people as he ministered to them.
2Co 4:6    For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

This LIFE or LIGHT of  knowledge is Truth!
  • Revelation from God.
  • And GLORY is LIGHT.
  • Knowledge of the GLORY (Light) of God in the face of Jesus.
The manner in which this LIGHT of truth shone forth from Paul was through his preaching of Truth and Revelation he received into His heart from God.

But Paul said it only occurred with his life for the purpose of God getting all the glory when he used Paul.
  • Just as Jesus' resurrection gave glory to God.
2Co 4:15    For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Notice the idea that all the works of God through Paul were for the Corinthians' sakes, so that that MANY people would give thanksgiving to God, causing the abundant grace in Paul's life to "redound".
  • REDOUND means to EXCEL.
  • To be abundant.
  • It would redound to the glory of God.
  • It would cause many people, not just Paul, to abundantly give glory to God.
Such powerful use of Paul would not merely be appreciated by Paul but rather everyone who heard of the awesome work of God in destroying the works of the devil in people's lives through Paul's ministry.

And God wants to work like this in all of us!

God put thisd light in earthen vessels to ensure He gets all the glory.
  • When the only way in which this Life Of God inside us can work is through breaking out of an earthen vessel, then the breaking of the vessel ensures nobody will glorify the vessel!
  • How can one glorify the vessel if the vessel had to get out of the way and break in order for the lilght to shine out of it?
  • This is how the excellency of the power is made to be of God and not ourselves -- not the clay vessel.
  • Breaking ourselves causes any inkling of something about ourselves as the cause for success to be removed.
  • Self is in the way and must break in order to see any success.
  • So it is clearly made known to all that it is not ourselves who are to receive gflory when God uses us.
  • HOW INGENIOUS OF GOD!
That is what 4:7 means:

2Co 4:7    But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

This treasure is in earthen vessels that must break in order for the Light to shien through them.

Paul actually said, "It cannot be the minister's self and natural abilities that are cause for such glorious ministry, because self must break in order to see this occur!"

If the vessel must break in order to see life work wonders, then it cannot be the vessel, but rather the LIFE inside the vessel that ius allowed to come out that deserves  glory.

God does not choose to change the vessel INTO light when He desires to use the vessel to give light to the world.
  • He could just as easily have done that.
  • But that would cause us and others to glorify us and not God.
  • But He chose to put the light in the vessel and require the vessel to break to let the light out and shine into the world.
That is what Judges 7:20 is showing us.

Jdg 7:20    And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

The combination of Gideon and the Lord is what gives the victory, but only when God gets the glory when Gideon's vessel is broken.
  • The recipe to destroying the works of the devil includes the ingredients of you and God.
  • And you must break so that God's Light might shine out of you, though.
And because this same principle occurred with Paul when he particularly ministered and PREACHED  the Word, we see a foreshadow of this in Gideon's story when the army BLEW TRUMPETS at the same time they broke their picthers!

Isa 58:1    Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Rev 4:1    After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

God's Word of truth goes forth like the sound of a TRUMPET.
  • Therefore, the blowing of trumpets represents the preaching of God's truth as the Light of revelation shines out of a broken minister of God.
The armies of Midian were defeated!
  • Paul preached to Corinthians whom he formerly noted were envious people, full of strife and divisions.
1Co 3:3    For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Paul sought to destroy these elements of the devil in their lives through ministry.
  • This anointed revelatory preaching through a borken preacher destroys the works of the devil in people's lives.
The Midianites work in darkness.
  • They see the light and get confused.
  • Devils dwell in the darkness of lies.
  • They cannot stand the truth that shines to hearers and they believe!
  • This destroys the works of the devils in the hearers.
We must BELIEVE the truth when it is preached to us.
  • It will cause the devil's destruction in your lives.
  • When self is broken the Lilght can work.
  • But before it is broken, people hear you tell them about God, but they see no light shining from you.
  • All they see is flesh.
  • Flesh glories in all it can  know of the Bible.
  • No supernatural work occurs, though.
But SACRIFICE OF SELF is what borkeness is all about.
  • God reacts only with sacrifice, and the reaction that results is the Life of Jesus coming out and ministering to people when we give them the Word of God in order to destroy the devil's works!
Light breaks the darkness where the enemy dwells.

Gal 6:12-14    As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.  (13)  For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.  (14)  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Paul commented on his personal injuries due to sacrificing himself in the form of preaching, knowing full well he woudl get persecuted for it.
  • He spoke of others who were false prophets, and are proven to be false by their lack pof sacrifice.
  • Should these false prophets suffer persecution for their "ministry", they would cease ministering.
  • Since they desire to exalt FLESH and SELF through gaining disciples from the church, there is no way they would suffer persecution for ministry.
  • Their desire to please self is contradictory to the allowance of persecution against self .
Gal 6:17    From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Paul proved he was not out to exalt self through ministry, because he physically bore the scars of whips and rods and beatings he received due to his willingness to preach despite the breaking of self that was occurring.

Paul said that Jesus' dying was repeated in his own physical body.
  • Do not water this down to non-physical scars when you read this.
Gideon told his men to watch him and repeat what he would do.
  • Gideon represents Jesus.
  • When Gideon broke the jar in his hand, the 300 broke their jars.
  • When Gideon blew the trumpet, the 300 blew their trumpets.
Jdg 7:17-18    And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.  (18)  When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

You must see what Jesus experienced and repeat it in your life.
  • His brokenness in dying is repeated in your experience of tribulation.
Act 14:22    Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.

The life of Jesus bursting in resurrection out of the tomb is repeated in your actual ministry to other people who are in darkness.

BLOW THE TRUMPET!
  • Speak truth to them!
The entire story of Gideon screams out with the message "Break self".
  • This will ensure God gets the glory, and God is able to work through you and see the enemy in people's lives destroyed.
32,000 men originally came to help Gideon fight.
  • Then 22,000 fearful men walked away.
  • The remaining 10,000 men were told to drink at a riverside.
  • 9,700 of them leaned down on their knees, lowered their faces into the water and drank.
  • They immersed themselves into the moment and pleasure of drinking water.
  • They drank in the fashion of forgetting about everything else and fully enjoying a pleasure of the flesh.
  • But 300 realized there was a bigger issue that could not allow them to fully immerse themselves into something the flesh enjoyed.
  • Yes, they could feed the flesh to a certain extent, but not fully since they were about God's work of defeating the enemy.
  • These 300 manifested a willingness to break self and only allow the flesh to have so much attention, and this is what is needed in our lives if God is able to use.
Similarly, Elijah doused his altar on Mount Carmel with 12 barrels of water in the time of no rain and lack of water.
  • This would ensure that when the fire of God came from heaven and burned the sacrifice, nobody could say it occurred through natural means.
Abraham gave the King of Sodom all the spoils the king gave to him, to ensure that the wealth God would give to Abraham could not be attributed to this human King of Sodom.

God can do it, but He refuses to allow us to be mistaken as the source of the miracle, so precautions are taken so He gets full glory when it happens.

AND THEN SATAN IS DESTROYED.