And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.
Maybe some us can really relate with Gideon. He was a man of many doubts.
The angel said to him, “The Lord is with thee.” But Gideon said, “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 Lord looked upon Gideon and said, “Go. Thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” But Gideon said, “Wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
The Lord said unto Gideon, “Surely I will be with thee.” But Gideon said, “If I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign.”
And the Lord showed him a sign when he made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes, and layed them upon a rock and the angel of the Lord put forth the end of his staff and touched the offering and there rose up fire out of the rock and consumed Gideon’s offering before his eyes.
But that wasn’t enough for Gideon. So to make sure he put out a fleece outside and asked God to make the dew of the night to fall only on the fleece and leave the ground dry. The next morning, sure enough God had fulfilled his request and he rang out a bowl full of water out of fleece.
But even that wasn’t enough for Gideon. He put the fleece out again and this time asked God to make the dew fall upon the ground and leave the fleece dry. Sure enough, the next morning the ground was wet with dew, but the fleece was dry.
You know the next part of the story; how that God tried the people down by the water and out of thousands he chose the 300 men that lapped up the water like a dog to go on to battle. But even after that, Gideon’s heart was still not settled. And the Lord knew it so he gave something to Gideon that Gideon could trust.
Gideon understood barley. The Midianites had come into the land and destroyed everthing that they had sown. The destroyed the sheep, the oxen, and the asses. They had left no sustenance for the children of Israel. That means they were starving. They had no crops, no food, no nothing. They were oppressed by the Midianites. The bible says,
Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (Judges 6:11)
Two points. The Midianites did not destroy the fruit of the vine or the winepresses. I guess they liked their liquor, aye?. And Gideon knew this so he cleverly hid his wheat in a place they wouldn’t be looking for it. Now that is where he threshed it, but where did he grow it? Well, Gideon said himself, “Behold, my family is poor.” Barley bread was the bread of the poor. Barley is what they fed animals. But also it was a very hardy plant. It grew with little assistance and thrived under difficult circumstances. It’s possible that barley was the only wheat that could remain hid from the Midianites because it was so hardy and able to be planted in obscure places. So Gideon knew barley.
After the thinning out of Gideon’s army, the 300 armed men camped out near the valley where the Midianites were encamped. The Lord knew that Gideon, despite all the evidence, was still fearful to believe and follow Him. So God told Gideon, “If thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host.” (Judges 7:10)
Gideon went down into the host of 300 armed men, and this is where our text takes place. We don’t know who it was, but someone had a dream and and told it to his friend. In his dream, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and destroyed a tent. The friend heard this dream, knew the interpretation thereof, and exclaimed it.
This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. (Judges 7:14)
Gideon overheard this exchange between these two fellows and it made all the difference in the world to Gideon. God spoke to Gideon’s heart through these two men. The bible says that after Gideon heard it, he worshipped! Doesn’t it get a whole lot easier to worship God after you got a word from Him? Isn’t it alot easier to drop down to your knees and praise and thank God after He’s truly spoken to your heart. It’s not everyday you get the can’t-help-its. Sometimes, you just get a word from God and the hands go up! The tears come down! And the praises comes forth! He worshipped after he heard about the barley bread.
Then the Bible says that after that, he went into the host of Israel and said, “Arise, for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.” (Judges 7:15) He said, “Get up! Let’s go claim the victory!” He didn’t say, “Lord I need another sign!” He didn’t say, “Lord I need another dream!” No, he knew what that barley bread meant.
Barley bread – A weak and contemptible thing, and in itself as unable to overthrow a tent as to remove a mountain; but, being thrown by a divine hand, it bore down all before it. ~ Benson
That barley bread, the bread of the poor, the least of all breads, was Gideon. He said, “My family is poor in Mannasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” How wonderful and encouraging that God would choose to use someone of such low estate. Little is much when God is in it. Truly God will exalt the humble. God hasn’t changed.
For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (1 Corinthians 1:26-28)