Most people focus on Gideon’s method of victory, but the focus in Judges 6 and 7 is God’s preparation of Gideon. Victories can be won in many ways, but the character of the man who wins, as well as the man who loses, is paramount. Character counts and leaders matter.

I. Strategy (Judg 7:16). Gideon’s worship showed his awe and submission to God, and an assurance in His promise to be present with him (Judg 7:15). Genuine worship doesn’t create faith in a servant of God, worship expresses the faith God gives in obedience. Gideon was convinced God was sovereign and was alone worthy of praise.
The plan for defeating Midian was to give each of the 300 soldiers a ram’s horn trumpet, a clay water pot, and a wooden torch. Hardly a master-class military strategy! At Gideon’s signal, each man would blow his horn, break his pot and expose the lit torch, and shout For the Lord and for Gideon.
No mention is made that this was a divinely revealed plan, but it is similar to the one God gave Joshua at Jericho (Josh 6:1-5). God’s ways seldom make sense to us (Is 55:8-9; 1 Cor 1:18-2:16), but His ways always accomplish His works; God’s work done in God’s way always has God’s provision because He is the one doing that work and using you to accomplish it.
Our method of service often centers on self: self-image, self-promotion, or self-improvement, but God always works to dethrone self and crown Jesus as the Lord of all. This is why the death of Jesus on the cross is so hard for people to accept. It doesn’t make sense that God would give His own Son as a sacrifice for sin in order to reconcile creature to Creator. All that is required to be saved is to trust God did all the work. We want something more, something we can contribute. Therein we create religion.

II. Shepherd (Judg 7:17-18). Rather than detail the plan, Gideon told his troops to watch and imitate him (Judg 7:17).
In the Old Testament, leaders are described as shepherds (Jer 23:4; 25:34; Ezek 34; Zech 11:7-8; 13:7). In the New Testament, that image is applied to the pastor of a congregation (Jn 21:16; Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 9:7; 1 Pet 5:2). A shepherd leads his flock; a cowboy drives his herd.
The shepherd of a local assembly of believers must meet Biblical qualifications, and they are largely related to character (1 Tim 3:1-7; 9" class="scriptRef">Tit 1:5-9). The only spiritual gifting required is that of teaching (1 Tim 3:2 ; Tit 1:9). The church is then to imitate or mimic these character virtues (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Phil 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thess 1:6; 2:14; 2 Thess 3:7, 9; 1 Tim 4:12; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 5:2-3) as they imitate God (Mt 11:29; Jn 13:15, 24; Eph 5:1; 1 Pet 2:21; 3 Jn 1:11). Leaders matter! There’s no better sermon than to be an example of what you preach!

III. Success (Judg 7:19-25). That night Gideon’s army imitated him, sounding their trumpets, shattering their pots, showing their torches, and shouting. Ironically, Israel’s swordless army shouted about the Lord’s sword while the Midianites slew one another with their own swords.
Gideon’s deception startled the enemy, but God confused the enemy to turned on one other (Judg 7:22). It was God’s deliverance from beginning to end. He was the “author and the finisher” who used everything in between for Gideon’s good and God’s own glory (Rom 8:28; Heb 12:2). The One who raised up Midian to chastise Israel for their sins (Judg 6:1) raised up Gideon to deliver Israel and to destroy Midian. What grace!

The tribe of Ephraim was called to stop the Midianites from escaping, but this set the stage for trouble. As is often the case in Scripture, we wish Gideon’s story ended here with the fairytale words, and they all lived happily ever after. Instead, the Bible reveals man exactly as he is, and
Gideon’s great victory is about to be soured by a servant’s sin.
Gideon’s call began at a winepress and now his victory occurred near another winepress.