What is the lesson with Gideon and his Jars of Clay?
Judges
-21 Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, 'A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!' While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.
Finally, Midian starts to receive their just deserts. As the jars are smashed exposing the light of the torches, and the trumpets are frantically blown on every side of the camp, confusion reigns amongst the Midian forces! God is bringing victory over Midian! From all angles a cry goes out saying 'a sword for the Lord and for Gideon.' [6] Now, that's all very well and lovely I'm sure you will agree, but what does it have to do with us right here and right now? You may remember from the first study that Midian means 'strife'. They stand as a picture of the trouble, trials and well, strife that occurs while living on this planet. Does God still use Midian today?
And if so, what clay jars, torches and trumpets do we use to gain victory today? Good questions and I'm glad you asked them. This passage in Judges has its New Testament fulfilment in 2 Corinthians chapter 4. You are the fragile clay jar; Jesus is the light within that jar; and your testimony to His greatness is the trumpet call you are asked to sound! Please read the following passage and think about it...
2 Cor 4:5-10 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us . We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
God has made His light shine in our hearts. It is the light of the presence of the Lord Jesus within our lives [8] . But this 'all-surpassing power' God has placed within jars of clay... us! Fragile human beings - an earthenware vessel which contains the life of God! But how does this light shine forth? God's light and power is seen in us as cracks appear in the outer jar. Just as Gideon and his army broke their jars to expose the light, so there must be times of weakness which cause a 'cracking' of our normal strength. Paul says it was times when he was...'hard pressed', 'perplexed', and 'persecuted'. These times when through the power of weakness, 'the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body'. So Gideon, with his limited followers, armed simply with a jar, a torch, and a trumpet, stormed the Midian camp from every side. 300 Israelites versus 135,000 Midianites! Would the light of God and the trumpet call bring victory? (Yep, the questions just keep getting tougher don't they?)