Who were the 300 Men with Gideon?

Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’” It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” Judges 7:17-19 (NLT)

• They were men who answered the higher call for service for others.
• They were men who had prepared themselves for battle.
• They were men who were undaunted and fearless.
• They were men who were disciplined in the most demanding of times.
• They were men who could fight in the darkness of the night, “no moon” warriors.
• They were men who were under authority and fiercely loyal to Gideon.
• They were men who loved their mission and calling and were willing to die for it.
• They were men who had a love for life and each other.
• They were men who shared cherished values.
• They were men who followed a man who heard from God.
• They were men whose character enabled unit cohesion to form.

Elite warriors who are they? To begin with, they are not “elitist”! Rather, they are masters of the fundamentals of their trade. They possess a maturity developed through training and operational experience; seasoned disciples relentlessly pursuing self-improvement; absolutely understand the imperative of unit cohesion; wear stress and uncertainty well; share cherished values and a love of life and love for each other; are absolutely accountable; quickly and decisively covering a team member’s mistake rather than call attention to it; and they love their mission--their calling---each other---for which they are willing to die.

Gideon was one man who was obedient to God’s voice… “32,000 are too many send all who are fearful home.” Then, “12,000 are too many”, let’s check out their SA, situational awareness. Then, “with these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites.”

I believe that these 300 men, divided into 3 groups of 100, were from all the various tribes, just as now, they come from many camp sites. However, these 300 were not identified by their tribe but rather by their character and single-minded loyalty to Gideon’s overall leadership. They believed in their leader and his cause with all their hearts. Because of this initial tactical victory, thousands of other men from all the tribes joined in the strategic victory of purging the land of Israel from the occupation of the Midianites.

Barney Barnes, 04-16-22, Promise Keepers National Ambassador for the Military and Prisons