In the Old Testament Book of Judges, we learn the story of a poor farmer named Gideon.
One day, Gideon was threshing wheat, while trying to hide it from the thieving Midianites. He knew that whatever they saw, they would steal. They had enemies all around them, ones that weren't afraid to attack them whenever they saw something they wanted.
Then suddenly, Gideon saw the Angel of the Lord standing under an oak tree. The angel said, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour."
Gideon replied, "Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of..."
The Angel told Gideon that God had chosen him to smite the Midianites! Gideon couldn't believe it, he was a nobody; he came from a poor family, and he was the least of all of them. Gideon needed a sign from God, so the Angel told him what to do to receive his sign. Gideon soon returned with exactly what the Angel said. He was to bring back a meal of young goat and unleavened cakes. He laid it upon a rock just as the Angel instructed. Then Gideon got his sign. The Angel touched the offering with the end of his staff and fire rose up out of the rock and consumed the meat and bread! Suddenly the Angel was gone.
Time went on, and Gideon realized that God truly had chosen him to fight the Midianites. He continued to do exactly as God told him, and God continued to show Gideon signs that He was with him.
Soon, Gideon had a huge army with him. Surely God had blessed him and prepared him for a great battle and victory, but things weren't going to happen exactly like Gideon thought they would.
You see, God wants people to understand just how powerful He really is. If Gideon's army was too big, the people would’ve thought they won the battle on their own, without God's help. So God decided to take the huge army and make it small. He knew that He could trust Gideon to do exactly what He said, so He told him to ask every soldier if he was scared. Those who said yes got to return home. Those who weren't scared, stayed. Gideon's army quickly shrank from 32,000 soldiers to only 10,000. But God wasn't done yet.
Next, God told Gideon to bring his whole army down to the water for a drink. Gideon watched as each one quenched his thirst. Almost all of them got down on their knees and drank directly from the water, while just a few cupped the water into their hands to drink. Gideon separated the two groups. Those who got on their knees would go back to the camp, while those who cupped the water would stay and fight. Only 300 men of Gideon's army remained! God had taken Gideon's army down from 32,000 soldiers to only 300! But God had a plan.
Gideon divided his 300 remaining men into three groups of 100. Instead of some new, super weapon, Gideon gave each man a trumpet and a pitcher with a torch in it. How would they fight thousands of Midianites with trumpets, pitchers, and torches?
Finally, Gideon gave everyone their orders. They were to surround the enemy's camp in the middle of the night and all at one time blow on their trumpets as loud as they could. At the same time, they would break their pitchers and reveal the torch that was inside.
When the Midianites heard the trumpets and saw the torches, they were terrified. Thousands and thousands of frightened Midianites fled as fast as they could. They were certain that they were defeated.
Israel rallied around Gideon and defeated the fleeing Midianites. God had once again showed how powerful He was, and He did it with only 300 soldiers and one faithful leader.