Blow Your Horn and Break That Jar!

"The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore - too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream. The man said, 'I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!'

"His companion answered, 'Your dream can mean only one thing - God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!'

"When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, 'Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!' He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram's horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.

"Then he said to them, 'Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams' horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, "For the Lord and for Gideon!"'

"It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams' horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, 'A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!'

"Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape."
(Judges 7:12-21, The New Living Translation)

"Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, 'A sword for the Lord..."

I almost jumped out of my computer chair when I saw the image God gave me for this scripture. But, first, a quick backstory.

Gideon and his army were about to be embroiled in battle with their enemies, the Midianites. Did I mention that the Midianites were as swarms of locusts and their camels like sand on the seashore?!

God, like only God could do, didn't want Gideon to fight with thousands and thousands of Israelites. "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me'" (Judges 7:2).

God wanted to show His power and to remind His people Who was God.

So the Israelite army was whittled down to 300 men against the Midianites who appeared as swarms of locusts because of their numbers. Ever felt that way? Ever felt like your back was up against a wall and there were no options? You knew you were goin' down! I knew you could relate.

Long story short, Gideon eavesdropped on the Midianite camp and heard an interpretation of a dream discussed between two Midianites that meant Israel was going to win the battle.

Gideon's reaction was to bow and worship God right then and there. (That's a lesson for another day.) Then he returned to his men and told them, "Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!"

Are you ready?

God told them to carry ram horns and jars of clay with torches in them. When the signal was given they were to sound the horns and shatter the jars to expose the light.

Did you realize that we are like jars of clay? 2 Corinthians 4:7 reads, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves."

Okay. We are like jars of clay with Light and power inside.
The Israelites carried jars of clay with torches inside to fight their battle.

The Greek word for power is dunamis - dynamite! Explosive power!

That is the image God gave me! The Israelites shattered their clay vessels exposing the torches. They blew the ram's horn - the shofar - and confused the enemy! I saw the power of the Holy Spirit exploding within our clay vessels, demonstrating His power and His light to the darkness around us. His power - dunamis - bursts out of its human vessel. He shatters the human effort that is no match for the enemy and displays His power and His glory and His brilliant Light to defeat the enemy that pursues His child.

Can you see it? Can you picture the power of the Holy Spirit coming on the scene at our time of need?

What are you facing today? Identify your enemy. Is it job loss? Depression? Illness? Is your marriage in trouble? The POWER - the dunamis - of the Holy Spirit dwells in you and will give you victory.

Worship Him today.
He will fight your battles for you.

Father, Thank You so much for this lesson! Open our eyes to know and understand the power that lies within us. It is futile for us to rely on our own strength when facing our enemies...the power of Almighty God is within us! Thank You Father. Help us walk in this knowledge. Help us walk in victory and not defeat, understanding who we are and Who You are within us. Bless You, Father!