Gideon's three hundred warriors

Gideon gathered an army of thirty-two thousand men, but God said there were too many—so that Israel would not boast that their own strength brought them victory. God told Gideon to announce that anyone who was afraid could leave. Twenty-two thousand people left, leaving only ten thousand. God said there were still too many, so He had Gideon take them to the water to drink. Those who scooped water in their hands and lapped it were kept; those who knelt down to drink were sent away. In the end, only three hundred men remained. God promised Gideon that these three hundred would defeat the enemy army. That night, God had Gideon go first to the Midianite camp to spy. Gideon overheard a Midianite telling a dream: a round barley cake rolled into the camp and knocked down a tent, and his friend explained it meant Gideon's sword. This encouraged Gideon greatly. He divided the three hundred men into three companies. Each man carried a torch, an empty jar, and a trumpet. At midnight, they blew their trumpets, broke their jars, held up their torches, and shouted: 'For the LORD and for Gideon!' The Midianite army was thrown into confusion in the darkness, turned on each other, and fled in all directions.