I came across this in my Bible reading today:
The Lord said to Gideon, “The people with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand, lest Israel boast over me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ 3 Now therefore proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, ‘Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home and hurry away from Mount Gilead.’” Then 22,000 of the people returned, and 10,000 remained.
4 And the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many. Take them down to the water, and I will test them for you there, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ shall go with you, and anyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” 5 So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Every one who laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself. Likewise, every one who kneels down to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hands to their mouths, was 300 men, but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. 7 And the Lordsaid to Gideon, “With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.” 8 So the people took provisions in their hands, and their trumpets. And he sent all the rest of Israel every man to his tent, but retained the 300 men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley. – Judges 7:2-8
What is going on here? You have the Israelite army prepared to go to war and the Lord says, there are too many of you, and so I will not give the Midianites into your hand. And the worry is that they will boast in themselves. It’s a clear declaration that the one who gains victory is the Lord himself, that’s the first thing we see here – but also, God cares deeply about the heart of his people and will not allow them to give glory to themselves for winning the battle. And he will go a very unconventional route here and ask them to go from 32,000 soldiers to 300. And God can win in just that way. It’s a strong metaphor for our salvation – and it’s not just that, of course. This is a real event in real history and God had his own purposes for conquering the Midianites. But it does serve as a type for us, a type of salvation. It’s not of our doing – ever. But instead our salvation is a great gift from God himself. And to him belongs all the glory.
The Lord is never showing might the way the world shows might, but instead he shows his dedicated, humble control over all the world and its events. He then shows too, his deep compassion for those who love him.