“Each One in His Place”
“All the while they kept standing each one in his place all around the camp.”—Judges 7:21.
1, 2. Contrast God’s works with man’s works.
WHAT comes to your mind when you contrast the harmony of God’s handiwork with the disorder in human society? Do you not agree with the inspired Bible writer who said: “For God is a God, not of disorder, but of peace”? (1 Corinthians 14:33) Those words of the apostle Paul show that God could not be responsible for the world’s confused state of affairs. Jehovah knows how to arrange matters so that everything governed by his laws has its place. His creations around us testify to this fact. Man’s expanding knowledge of the universe bears witness over and over again to the prevailing order and control exhibited there. Wherever he points his telescopes, man notes that every star and planet is in its place, moving orderly in its orbit.
2 What a different scene it is when we turn our attention to the affairs of wayward men on earth! There is so much confusion, disorder and murderous rivalry! Humankind is politically, religiously, socially and racially divided, and overwhelmed by unsolvable problems. Crime has become so rampant that it is impossible to discover and bring to justice every lawbreaker. Even soldiers in national armies who are supposed to serve under strict discipline frequently break the rules.
3. What are Christians likened to, but what is their fight?
3 It is little wonder then that, just as Jehovah concerns himself with the physical universe, he is concerned also with peace and order among his representatives on earth. As his servants, individual Christians are likened to disciplined soldiers in an army. The apostle Paul wrote that each should be like “a loyal soldier of Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 2:3, Today’s English Version) Each one of us should want to “go on waging the fine warfare.” (1 Timothy 1:18) But our fight, it must always be remembered, is not a physical one. It is spiritual. It is against the invisible “world rulers of this darkness, against the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.”—Ephesians 6:12.
4. Why will Satan’s assaults against God’s servants not be successful?
4 However, the forces under “the god of this system of things” want to intimidate God’s servants so that they will lose courage and flee before the enemy. (2 Corinthians 4:4) But this strategy of opposers will fail miserably because it is Jehovah who is directing matters and it is he who is ‘teaching our hands for warfare.’ (Psalm 18:34) We are encouraged by the assurance that “the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15) Through his mighty Field Marshal, Christ Jesus, Jehovah will direct the fight to its victorious finish. Hence, he assures his loyal ones that they will never be put to shame. Never will they need to retreat before the onslaughts of opposers.—Psalm 18:25.
5. Why did Jehovah instruct Gideon contrary to human ideas on war strategy?
5 By means of the thrilling, inspired account of a battle fought in the days of the judges in Israel, centuries before our Common Era, Jehovah calls our attention to some principles of warfare that the ‘soldiers of Christ’ do well to heed. It was in Judge Gideon’s time, when a host of demon worshipers “as numerous as the locusts” invaded the land of Israel. (Judges 6:5) Jehovah instructed Gideon as to how the army of Israel should meet this seemingly overwhelming threat. Contrary to all human ideas on war strategy, Gideon was directed to reduce his army from 32,000 to 10,000, and then from 10,000 to only 300. By these few, Jehovah promised, “I shall save you people.”—Judges 7:2-7.
6. Describe the attack of Gideon and the 300 on the Midianite camp.
6 The 300 were equipped with horns and large empty jars, with torches inside the jars. In the dead of night Gideon deployed them around the camp of Midian and their allies. They were instructed to listen for the signal to be given by Gideon, and then to go into action. Loyal obedience and strict compliance with the battle orders of Gideon were vital. When all were in place, Gideon gave the signal. At that, the 300 “blew the horns and shattered the large jars [covering their torches] and took fresh hold on the torches with their left hand and with their right hand on the horns to blow them, and they began calling out: ‘Jehovah’s sword and Gideon’s!’ All the while they kept standing each one in his place all around the camp, and the whole camp got on the run and broke out into shouting and went fleeing.” The enemy was crushed.—Judges 7:19-22.
7. What questions arise regarding this Bible event?
7 Some pertinent questions arise here. For example, would Jehovah have granted such a tremendous triumph if the 300 had treated lightly his battle orders? What if they had failed to wait for Gideon’s signal? Had they neglected any of the battle equipment with which Gideon had provided them, what then? Would they have been successful if each one had decided for himself that there were other vantage points at the edge of the enemy camp that were preferable to those assigned? In all of this, there are vital principles by which we should be guided today, since ‘these things were befalling them for us to note the example and benefit ourselves.’—1 Corinthians 10:11.
8. To whom must we look for victory in our warfare?
8 In our Christian warfare we must acknowledge Jehovah in all our ways. We must look to and trust in him as the Giver of victory. On the other hand, clever human strategy, the deepest thinking of mere men, cannot guarantee success. “Not by a military force, nor by power, but by my spirit,” Jehovah says. (Zechariah 4:6) So in conducting our day-to-day fight in support of truth and righteousness, we Christians will avoid worldly ideas and methods that are in opposition to the principles God provides to guide his people. A leaning toward the counsel of worldlings bespeaks a weakening of faith in our God’s ability to come to our aid in times of need. Our conviction should be as strong as that of Bible writer James (1:5): “So, if any one of you is lacking in wisdom, let him keep on asking God, for he gives generously to all and without reproaching; and it will be given him.”
“Learn from Watching Me”
9, 10. (a) Who is our Commander and Leader today? (b) How can we ‘watch’ him, since he is invisible?
9 Christ Jesus, the Greater Gideon, now is in full command of his visible and invisible forces. Through him Jehovah progressively reveals his purposes and his timing of events for his people. How thrilling it is to realize that Christ Jesus is actively engaged in directing his “soldiers” on earth, thus ensuring them a share in ultimate victory! True to his promise, he is with them “all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.”—Matthew 28:20.
10 Since Christ Jesus is now the enthroned Leader and Commander of all fighters for truth and righteousness, we can unitedly ‘learn from watching him’ as the 300 learned from watching Gideon. (Judges 7:17) But how can we today ‘watch’ Christ, since he is invisible? We ‘watch’ him in the sense that we discern his signals as given through his visible “slave” appointee over all the earthly interests of his kingdom. (Matthew 24:45-47) Through this spirit-appointed channel his direction and strategy are communicated to all who are his “soldiers.” These latter cannot afford to move ahead on their own or become impatient because their view of things is not coming to pass. The timing of matters is provided by our invisible Commander. His view is the important consideration, not our own personal views.
Divinely Provided Equipment
11. What type of equipment do God’s servants use today?
11 The Greater Gideon knows what equipment his soldiers on earth require. It is not literal arms and armor that we need, for we are not fighting against fellow humans. Ours is a spiritual warfare. So our weapons are “powerful by God for overturning strongly entrenched things . . . overturning reasonings and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God . . . bringing every thought into captivity to make it obedient to the Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5) Regardless of the opposition that may come upon them, faithful Christian warriors must become skilled at using the divinely provided equipment so as to be able to do as the apostle Paul did, namely, ‘be telling people all the counsel of God.’—Acts 20:27.
12. (a) Why was Gideon’s small band so effective? (b) Why are Jehovah’s servants so effective today?
12 Gideon’s soldiers had to act as one man and use their equipment in order to achieve the desired result. The crashing of 300 earthenware jars, the holding aloft of 300 torches, the alarm sounded by 300 horn blasts, and the shouts from 300 voices borne in upon them from all sides on the still night air surely had a devastating effect on the Midianites! Similarly, is it not true that even now the united proclamation of God’s kingdom and his vengeance causes the enemy to exaggerate the scope and danger of the proclaimed message to them? Why is this so? Because the entire organization of Jehovah’s people gladly conform to the timing of their specific messages to the world as directed by the Greater Gideon through his appointed “slave.” On the other hand, if each one of Jehovah’s Witnesses did as he pleased about when and how to declare God’s message, how could the worldwide witness ever be given? Surely it is clear that Jehovah’s will is that we “have among [ourselves] the same mental attitude that Christ Jesus [the Greater Gideon] had, that with one accord [we] may with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Romans 15:5, 6.
13, 14. What is it that gives force to the message of Jehovah’s servants today?
13 The unifying force is Jehovah’s spirit and his Word, the Bible. Happily, we are not going out each one teaching his own impression of the Bible’s message. Jehovah has provided a goodly quantity of aids to Bible understanding in the form of publications, so that our thinking and our teaching may be harmonious. We thus avoid the deadly lack of unity and the multitudinous conflicting doctrines of Christendom and heathendom. Nor do we pussyfoot and tone down the message of God to the nations, a message of great hope, true, but also one of vengeance and retribution. We are well aware that the trumpet sound must be loud and clear.—1 Corinthians 14:8.
14 How appropriate, then, for all of us to appreciate the value of the equipment Jehovah provides for our Christian warfare! Also, he instructs us well in its use, so that a most effective witness may be given to individuals and to nations. It is not the voice of a lone person crying out in the wilderness, but is the loud, penetrating warning that is sounded throughout the world. Thus, ‘Jehovah is certainly giving forth his mighty voice before his military force.’—Joel 2:9, 11.
“Each One in His Place”
15. What actions would have been unthinkable for one of Gideon’s men?
15 With Gideon’s three hundred, it was unthinkable for one of them, after he had been assigned his post, to balk and wish to change his post with someone else, or even to choose his own vantage point. That would be putting his own judgment ahead of the one Jehovah was using to direct the attack, Gideon. It would display a lack of humility and a lack of waiting upon Jehovah’s time and determination to make a change. How could such an attitude harmonize with a sincere participation in the shout: “Jehovah’s sword and Gideon’s!”?
16. How will humility help us in discharging our obligations?
16 In Jehovah’s arrangement of things today each one of us must have foremost in mind Jehovah’s purpose and the overall interests of his kingdom. We must discharge our assigned duty faithfully, whatever place in the organization is involved. (1 Corinthians 4:2) Also, we must display humility, which does not countenance self-promotion. The principle taught by Christ Jesus applies in all situations: “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12) And James urges: “Humble yourselves [not merely in the eyes of men but] in the eyes of Jehovah, and he will exalt you.”—James 4:10.
17. Does Jehovah take a personal interest in each one of us?
17 Hence, we can see the full significance of the words at Judges 7:21, “each one in his place.” As we serve in Jehovah’s organization let us be content to serve wherever he assigns us, and do the job as faithfully as we can. Let us be convinced that the One who takes note of the fall of a small sparrow has much more interest in us as we loyally work at whatever we are assigned to do. (Matthew 10:29-31) He knows what training we need, and what job we are fitted for, and so he deals with us accordingly. We may be sure that we are not being overlooked.—1 Peter 5:10.
18. Why do we have such great confidence in Jehovah today?
18 Today, all of God’s servants are under the command of the Greater Gideon, Christ Jesus. Unitedly we want to serve for the vindication of Jehovah’s name, humbly remaining subject to his battle rules, “each one in his place.” We are confident that the overall strategy of Jehovah will ensure ultimate victory. And we are confident also that Jehovah sees our loyal obedience and will reward us with the “real life” in his new order, for his Word states: “Become steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in connection with the Lord.”—1 Timothy 6:19; 1 Corinthians 15:58.
Do You Remember These Points?
□ Why was Gideon’s strategy so different from worldly ideas on warfare?
□ What enabled Gideon to win such a complete victory?
□ How does Jehovah communicate with his servants today?
□ What is the right attitude of ‘soldiers of Christ’ today regarding their assignments?
[Blurb on page 23]
Loyal obedience and strict compliance with Jehovah’s orders gave Gideon and his men a tremendous victory
[Picture on page 25]
Jehovah has provided us with the vital equipment we need in our warfare today