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. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
This passage of scripture demonstrates vividly that there exists a type of believer that suffers from fear, and who backs down in the face of imminent danger or stiff opposition. In this instance, Gideon had given a rallying cry for those soldiers who were motivated to fight off the enemy, to muster their energies in defense of the territory God had given them. And in direct response, thirty two thousand of them came and volunteered to go to battle. But when they saw the size of the invading army, which some estimates put at close to one million, their faith melted, and instead of trusting in God who would grant them the victory, their hearts sank with despair, and thus when the opportunity was granted them to return home, twenty two thousand of them eagerly took up the offer.
The fearful attitude manifested here is indicative of a much deeper problem, that of a lack of faith in God, because faith does not look on the things that are seen, but is rather motivated by the knowledge of an omnipotent, invisible God, and therefore is not intimidated by forces of evil that might be arrayed against the followers of Christ. In the parable of the sower, in which Christ described the various types of hearers and believers, He states that there is a type of believer that only does well in sunny days, or in other words, appears to be fully rooted and grounded in God when things are going smoothly. But when the going gets rough, and real danger arises on account of the word, by and by they are offended. Let's read:
Matthew 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4 And when he sowed"... 5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
The disciples of Christ were very curious to know the meaning of the parable, and so they asked Him for the explanation, hoping for clearer insights into what was obviously a situation that would be recurring as the gospel was being preached. Christ responded by explaining that the stony ground hearers are those Christian believers who are overjoyed when they hear the good news of the kingdom, and are emotionally charged in the heat of the moment, in so much that they readily accept the word, without carefully counting the cost. Then when any tribulation or persecution arises because of the gospel, some are offended and relinquish their faith in God, very much the same as the twenty two thousand Hebrews who turned their backs on Gideon. Let's read:
Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
The same situation is also scheduled to be repeated in our day, when the symbolic 22,000 will desert the cause of Christ when imminent danger arises because of the word, while the 300 faithful soldiers will stand shoulder to shoulder, in taking the triumphs of the cross to the very gates of hell, and the promise is given by Christ Himself, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against us.
In our day we are seeing this parable being literally fulfilled, as many prominent Christians and religious leaders are jumping ship, because of the intense public pressure to deviate from the plain teachings of scripture. The maxim of government by the people and for the people, tells us that whatsoever the popular majority clamor for, in a democratic society, that's what will become the law of the land, even if it goes directly against the God in whom we claim to trust. Now, it's important for us to remember that God gives to every person the choice to do good or evil, albeit with just recompenses. However, if we claim to be Christians in sincerity and truth, then we cannot, and should not be motivated by what the majority of people think is right, if it goes contrary to the word of God.
The fiercest opposition or economic persecution should not sway the true Christian to the right or to the left, for God has not called us to popularity, as if the religion of Christ were a fad, but rather to holiness and righteousness, even if it be at great cost. We note sadly, that in the experience of Gideon, the twenty two thousand people who returned home, when faced with serious danger, represented the majority of his army, thus teaching us that we are never to expect that most Christian believers will be faithful in all circumstances. However, it is also worthy of note that there were three hundred faithful believers, who stood shoulder to shoulder with Gideon, believing that the omnipotent God would defend them from their enemies.
The question to be answered by us individually is, which category do we currently fall into, the 300, or the 22,000? When in defense of marriage, or any other sacred truth, we are faced with ridicule, scorn or financial or social persecution, will we return home with the 22,000, or will we remain with Gideon, to vanquish the enemies of righteousness through a living faith in God? The choice is ours, but if for any reason we find ourselves being fearful, doubting, or even wavering because of the turmoil that will come our way in defense of the truth, let us remember that The same God who delivered the enemies of righteousness into the hands of Gideon and his men, will again be victorious in our day over the forces of evil which seek to establish iniquity in high and low places.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which assures us of the presence and power of God with us, during sunny days or rainy days, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but instead makes all sincere Christians as bold as a lion, through the power of The Holy Spirit who dwells within our hearts. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord".... "but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!