David House Fellowship - The Vineyard - Glimpses

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Glimpses - Harod Springs

At the base of Mt Gilboa, in the Jezreel Valley is Harod Springs (Ma'ayan Harod). This is where Gideon, a Judge and Leader of Israel, chose an army of three hundred men.

Israel had been invaded. The Lord raised up Gideon to marshal an army together to defend Israel. At first, there were too many. Even when Gideon sent 22,000 men home, " . . . ten thousand remained." (Judges 7:3), there were still too many. And so, God commanded Gideon to bring them down to the springs, where Gideon was to observe how they drank. "Then the LORD said to Gideon, 'By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand.'" (Judge 7:7) "Now the Midianities and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude." (Judges 7:12)The Lord fought with Gideon and his three hundred men, and so, the Midianites fled with Gideon and his army in hot pursuit. At this stage of the battle Gideon called on more men, from the surrounding region, to join the chase and to subdue Israel's enemy completely. "Then Gideon sent messengers throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, 'Come down against the Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.' Then all the men of Ephraim gathered together and seized the watering places . . . " (Judges 7:24)At the conclusion of the battle, a total of 135,000 Midianite soldiers, 2 princes and 2 kings lay dead -- the entire Midianite army had been routed -- a great victory for Israel.Glory to the Lord God of Israel who raised up Gideon to save Israel from their enemies.Today, the springs where Gideon chose his three hundred men is surrounded by a beautiful park with spacious green-lawns, shade and blossom trees, picnic areas and playground. Mark Warren