drinking from the spring

Renée Antrosio – April 28, 2026 2 Comments

The summer I was six years old, we moved to property in the Bull River country of Montana. I grew up playing by that river, was baptized in that river, crossed over it every day on the way to the bus stop, and occasionally drank from that river. The church where my dad pastored perched on the bank of Bull River, the best view from a pew I’d ever have. In that context, I remember being fascinated by the Bible story of Gideon’s army being chosen by the way they drank from the Harod spring.

The problem, from God’s perspective, was that Gideon’s army was too big. I am not sure Gideon agreed. This is not what we’d usually call a problem. Like, your church is too big or too many people want to join in the work? The more the merrier, or all hands on deck. Gideon had been nervous about leading an army, but his recruiting had gone well! 

The Lord said to Gideon: “You have too many people on your side. If I were to hand Midian over to them, the Israelites might claim credit for themselves rather than for me, thinking, We saved ourselves. So now, announce in the people’s hearing, ‘Anyone who is afraid or unsteady may return home from Gideon’s mountain.’” At this, twenty-two thousand people went home, and ten thousand were left. Judges 7:2-3 (CEB)

Over two thirds of the army went home. That is a major weeding out. If I were Gideon, I’d be taking a big gulp of air, trying to calm my nerves. “Ok, God, you really pared it down. Ten thousand seems like a good round number; let’s go with that.” But no, God wasn’t finished. 

The Lord said to Gideon, “There are still too many people. Take them down to the water, and I will weed them out for you there. Whenever I tell you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he should go with you; but whenever I tell you, ‘This one won’t go with you,’ he should not go.” So he took the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Set aside those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, from those who bend down on their knees to drink.” Judges 7:4-5 (CEB)

I tried to imagine grown men lapping water like a dog laps, which doesn’t really work the same with our tongues. Who does that?! Seems like a pretty muddy situation. In my memory, Gideon gets the guys who cup water in their hands to drink. So when Melissa reminded me of this story- that God wants the credit, not the great army getting the victory- I had to check it again. 

The number of men who lapped was three hundred, and all the rest of the people bent down on their knees to drink water, with their hands to their mouths. Then the Lord said to Gideon, “With the three hundred men who lapped I will rescue you and hand over the Midianites to you. Let everyone else go home.” Judges 7:6-7 (CEB)

Out of ten thousand men, only three hundred lapped like dogs; these were the ones God wanted. The text doesn’t say whether Gideon objected. Maybe he got all of his hesitations out of the way at the beginning when the Lord found him hiding in a winepress to thresh grain and chose him to lead the rescue mission. At that point Gideon wanted signs that the Lord was with him, which must have been sufficient.

How do we gauge our success? By the number of people we recruit? By the “victories” we accomplish? Like Gideon, I did not feel like the obvious choice to lead. I would feel better if we had a bigger contingent of people, because I am repeatedly surprised by the work God brings New Covenant to do. Provide space for emergency shelters. Host this or that community event- even during the pandemic when I was somewhat relieved not to sponsor another Good Friday streetfest, we brought in speakers for Reparations Conversations on Zoom. But the Lord’s response to concerns that we don’t have enough people to do the work is to remind us of Gideon’s army. When we have plenty of good soldiers, God doesn’t get the credit, people do. 

Left with only three hundred men, Gideon was understandably a bit afraid. Even God understood that he would be nervous, so the Lord offered to let him overhear a conversation in the enemy ranks that would give him the courage to know that God would grant him victory. I appreciate this detail that I had forgotten. The Lord knows when we are afraid and often offers encouragement. A word when we most need it, reminding us that this was God’s idea in the first place, so God is the one responsible for the success or failure of the mission. 

While I am repeatedly surprised by the opportunities God sends our way, I am less surprised that God hasn’t brought crowds of people to serve together. It is so easy to start to think that it is by our own smarts, our hard work, our God-given talents of leadership that we achieve some success. But when the Lord accomplishes the impossible through our small group of unlikely people, the credit must be God’s. 

May we trust that God is in charge. That the number of people we are left with are the ones God has chosen. May we hear the word that gives us courage in our fear. May we be willing to join in the adventure that God has put before us. 

–Pastor Renée