From a Zero to a Hero | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: From a Zero to a Hero | Previous Challenge Entry
By Noel Mitaxa
02/03/22
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Life was not too bright
For the average Israelite.
In fact, it was quite grim
For his family and him.

Because they had worshipped false gods,
For seven years they were against the odds
As the Midianites kept invading,
Constantly raiding
Their own Promised Land.
It was more than they could stand

Throughout those long years
Every Israelite’s ears
Were alert to the dangers,
With those menacing strangers,
Riding camels beyond number
Wreaking such havoc and plunder
That led the whole nation
Towards hunger and annihilation
By ruining each year’s crop.
When would it stop?

How could it stop?
Only by going to the top!

Finally aware that they had strayed,
The Israelites prayed;
Feeling so rotten
That their true God they had forgotten.

They cried out for help
With such a pitiful yelp
That the Lord heard
And gave them his word

He sent a prophet who came
(With no recorded name)
To restore Israel’s hope -
For they were at the end of their rope.

Then an angel paid a visit
To a reluctant hero – who is it?
Though he called him a “mighty warrior,”
The guy was more of a worrier.
Said he,
“Who, me?
Gideon,
To defeat the countless hordes of Midian?”

Credentials? My family hasn’t got ’em
And I’m way down at the bottom!”

Gideon thought it might be a joke
Until the angel turned his bread, broth, and meat into smoke!
Then he was filled with such fear,
Expecting to disappear,

Because he’d seen the Lord!

But one night,
Staying well out of sight,
With his courage on the grow,
He and ten friends managed to throw
Down an altar to Baal,
Whose worshippers began to snarl:
“Whoever did this will have to die!”
“Why?”
Asked Gideon’s dad.
“If my son is so bad,
Then surely your god Baal had
Power of self-protection.
Your faith needs serious, honest inspection!”

Gideon began to grow bolder
So many a soldier
Came and enlisted
But Gideon still resisted
The urge to fight
Until he knew he was right.

So he asked God for proof
“Please don’t hit the roof,
But here’s how I’ll know to follow.
Tomorrow,
If dew starts to flow
From this fleece,
Please?”

Next morning everything was dry,
But that fleece - oh my,
It was as wet
As it could get!

Yet after that rinsing,
He still needed convincing,
“Lord God, please think me no worse
But could you do it in reverse?”

Next day all else was wet,
And yet
The fleece stayed dry
And Gideon’s confidence went sky-high.

His recruiting drive
Saw many thousands arrive
All eager to fight
The Midianite!

But God said, “That’s too many!
Tell them, ‘If you’re filled with fear
You have my permission to disappear!’”

Twenty-two thousand men thought they must,
And raised a huge cloud of dust
As they left the scene,
Never having been
Willing to leave home.

Which left Gideon alone
With a mere ten thousand
Who had made their vows and
Were still willing to fight.

But then God came to light
With a way to confirm
The right number to rattle
The Midianites in the battle.

He led them to a brook,
Where they all took
A drink.
And what do you think?

Most lay down and guzzled,
And though they were puzzled,
They were all dismissed and bereft.
With only three hundred left.

These few had knelt, not stooped,
And scooped
The water up with one hand,
Poised to repel any enemy’s command.

To cut a long story short,
I can happily report
That a mere three hundred heroes
Reduced countless Midianites to zeroes.

Attacking the camp at night,
They created such a fright
With their lanterns and trumpets,
And their shouts triumphants;
That the Midianites all took flight,
Stayed out of sight,
And they came back never,
Forever.

From chapters six and seven of Judges,
This story will always nudge us
With the reminder that if God is our priority,
With him we are an invincible minority!

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