I was recently reading the story of Gideon in Judges 6-8. Gideon was chosen by God to lead an army of God’s people to defeat the Mideonites who had been oppressing them. If you haven’t had a chance to read the story, I would highly suggest that you do. Its an amazing example of how God chooses what is foolish to shame the wise. He ends up defeating the entire Mideonite army with only 300 Israel men.
But thats not the most miraculous part of the story.
God used these 300 men led by Gideon to defeat the Mideonite army, but Gideon and his men didn’t even use swords or shields to win the battle. God used 3 peculiar tools with specific instructions to accomplish his purpose: empty jars, trumpets, and torches.
The first thing I find interesting about this miracle is that God defeats the Mideonites in battle, but does not use weapons we would typically associate with war. He doesn’t uses swords and shields to fight the battle- he uses unlikely tools. However, we shouldn’t be surprised by this, because the bible tells us
“The weapons that we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV
God doesn’t fight the same way that the world fights.
A mature Christian will recognize that winning the spiritual battle requires spiritual weapons. And that is exactly what we see here. God did not choose the weapons of this world to fight, he chose to fight differently.
I want to focus on the first tool that God decided to use.
Empty Jars.
When I read this, it struck me that this is not the first time we see “jars” in the Bible.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV
Paul actually uses this analogy in the new testament to describe us- as carriers of the good news of Jesus. It’s ironic that this is a tool that God chose to use to defeat the enemy in Judges 7. He uses a jar as a tool to defeat an enemy army, and then later in the Bible calls his people “jars of clay”.
But the jars in Judges 7 were not jars full of stuff.
They were empty jars.
Empty.
I believe this is a beautiful picture of how God wishes to see us. He is calling us to be empty jars. Not empty to stay empty, but empty so we can be filled “this treasure” — or more of Him. Vessels to be used to further his kingdom agenda here on earth. Vessels to fight and defeat spiritual battles and further gain ground for the kingdom.
Here’s the point: We have to start as empty jars, because we can’t be filled with God if we are already full of other things.
Self-sufficiency. Bitterness. Unforgiveness. Doubt. Worry. Fear. Hatred. Lust. Idolatry.
The list could go on.
All things that take residence within us- but that God is calling us to rid ourselves of. Not so that we can stay empty, but so that we can replace it with something better- more of Him!
And when we do, when we empty ourselves more and more of the things of this world and fill ourselves with more and more of Him- we are the perfect position to be used by God to do His work here on earth. Because God chooses unlikely, imperfect vessels to do his work. He doesn’t ask us to be perfect, he asks us to be available. Emptiness = availability.
Reflection: What has taken residence within you that you need to empty yourself?
Application: How can you fill yourself with more of God as you empty yourself of things of this world?
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