Bible Truth #403 - Judges 7:19-22

Judges 7:19-22

19  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.
20  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
21  And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
22  And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

And the Lord caused each man in the Midianite camp to turn his sword on each other. Here is another example of the Lord working ALL things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11). God made each of the Midianites want to kill each other. He worked in their minds to make them believe it was necessary to kill their fellow Midianites, or He worked in their minds to make them think they were striking at the followers of Gideon. Either way, God was at work!

Were they acting of their free will here? I’m sure if you could have stopped the carnage and asked one of these men if it was their decision to slay each other the answer would be yes! But did they truly have free will? NO! God was working in them to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).

This is no different than the way God works in each of His Elect, those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). At a point in time God chooses in the life of one of His Elect He quickens their dead spirit through faith, the faith that God gives them (Romans 12:3; Ephesians 2:8) as a gift. God simultaneously gives them belief (John 6:29; Philippians 1:29), repentance (2 Timothy 2:25), and understanding (Luke 24:45, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 2:7).

God then draws them to Christ, and here’s the important part that is lost on most believers who think they “accepted Christ,” Jesus WILL raise them up. There is no if, there is no except, there is no maybe, there is absolutely no option for their so-called “free will.” Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) ALL those drawn, Jesus raises up.

The specific point to which I am referring that relates to this Bible Truth is when God works in a man and makes him believe (John 6:29). Just as God worked in the minds of the Midianites to make them slay each other and then flee, He works in the mind of one of His Elect and gives him belief, not the ability to believe (Philippians 1:29).