Judges 7:4-7 And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; take them down to the water and I will test them for you there; and he of whom I say to you, ‘This man shall go with you,’ shall go with you; and any of whom I say to you, ‘This man shall not go with you,’ shall not go.” So he brought the people down to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, “Every one that laps the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set by himself; likewise every one that kneels down to drink.” And the number of those that lapped, putting their hands to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people knelt down to drink water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men that lapped I will deliver you…and let all the others go every man to his home.” [Revised Standard translation]
SUMMARY:
Judges 7 is about GOD selecting 300 men who could withstand the heat to fight and defeat the Midianites. Gideon was one of GOD’s judges. After Joshua defeated the Canaanites and prior to the development of a central government when the people were ruled by Kings, the Israelite tribes were led by a group of “Shoftim” (i.e., the Hebrew word for judges). These chieftains or judges were military and judicial leaders. Gideon was such a leader.
In Judges 7 GOD prepared Gideon for the heat of battle against the great army of the Midianites. Gideon starts off with about 22,000 men. GOD makes it clear to Gideon, in the beginning of Judges 7, that it will be HE, GOD, who will deliver them. And, knowing human nature, GOD tells Gideon, in essence, that if Gideon takes his army of 22,000 men into battle, there will be some people who will brag that “they” defeated the Midianites. They will say “Look what I did.” So, GOD tells Gideon to winnow down the army. Gideon first gets rid of those “who are fearful and trembling.”(Verse 3)---and 12,000 go home. When Gideon shows his 10,000-men army to GOD, GOD says still too many. GOD then tells Gideon that HE will test them for Gideon. GOD tells Gideon to take the men to the water. Those that lap like dogs, putting their hand to their mouth were to go into one group. Those that bowed down to drink water went into the other. At the end of the test, the lappers numbered 300. GOD sent the rest home.
There is a lot of speculation why the 300 passed the test and the others did not. There are lots of theories. Some speculate that those who lapped with one hand cupped to their mouth had their other hand on their sword, proving how vigilant they would be in battle. Some speculate that those who stood lapping would have been scanning the area with their eyes as they drank; proving that they were more watchful and more ready than those who bent down on their knees and drank looking down in the water. Some speculated that those who looked in the water, were probably enjoying their reflection in the water or that perhaps they were used to falling on their knees, like those who worshipped the idol, Baal. Some speculate that those who lapped like dogs were more out-doors type or were likely to be more energetic than the kneelers. What we do know is that it was GOD’s test. GOD’s thoughts are not our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8.) Each was tested. Only some were selected for battle. Only some withstood the heat. In the end, the victory belonged to GOD.
Foods To Withstand The Heat
According to Annie Hauser in “23 Super-Hydrating Foods to Beat Summer Heat,” as the weather gets warmer, drinking water becomes more important. The failure to properly hydrate can lead to fatigue or mood changes. Athletes (whether professional or students practicing during the summer with the hopes of making their school’s sport’s teams the next school year), children, and even those performing sedentary work, like sitting at a computer all day, need to make sure they drink enough water.
Eating hydrating foods can also be beneficial. Some of the hydrating powerhouse foods that Hauser mentions include:
Cantaloupe (which contains about 90% water)
Watermelon (which contains about 92% water)
Berries (Blueberries/Blackberries are about 85% water; Strawberries about 90%)
Tomatoes (Red tomatoes contain about 94% water; green tomatoes about 93%)
Leafy Greens (e.g. a cup of Arugula contains about 91 grams of water)
Broccoli (which although it appears dense contains about 91% water by weight)
Carrots (which contains about 87% water)
Apples (which contain about 84% water)
Pears (which contain about 84% water)
Cherries (which contain about 80% water)
Grapefruit (which contain about 91% water)
Grapes (which contain about 81% water)
Cucumbers (contain about 96% water)
See, “23 Super-Hydrating Foods to Beat Summer Heat,” by Annie Hauser, August 6, 2014, www.weather.com/health/news/super-hydrating-foods-beat-summer-heat-20140609.
Withstanding the Heat/Passing the Test
Each man in Gideon’s army was tested. Some were tested more than once. Everyone in GOD’s “army” is tested too. Sometimes the tests “make sense” to us. Sometimes they don’t. In the end, we have to remember what we learned in the beginning. We have to remember is to HAVE FAITH. And, remind ourselves: “YES, JESUS loves me!” As in the beginning of Judges 7, we have to remember that we belong to GOD and HE will be victorious in the end. We are HIS soldiers.
No matter what test you are enduring or encounter, remember, the victory is GOD’s!
So today, drink---drink of HIS GOODNESS, stay super hydrated and BE BLESSED!
