“Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto the tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along.” Judges 7:13
It was a day of great apprehension, and yet, great encouragement, when Gideon with his servant, Phurah slipped down near the enemy camp of the Midianites and heard a man speaking of a dream that he had. The Lord had instructed Gideon to do this, as the situation before Gideon, was, from a human standpoint, dire. Gideon, with only three hundred men, had been called to confront, and fight this multitude, in order to deliver Israel from their oppression. It was in this moment of hesitancy, perhaps staggering before such an impossible situation, that the Lord encourages Gideon by revealing His sovereignty over a single Midianite man, who recounted his dream to a companion, even mentioning the name of Gideon, to whom God would give the Midianites into his hand. In his dream he mentioned that a “cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of the Midianites.” Why this picture? Barley was a major part of the staple food of Gideon’s day, particularly of the poorer classes. Gideon had already told the Lord, when he was called of God, that his family was poor in Manasseh, and he was the least in his father’s house. (Judg.6:15) So, here is a cake of barley bread, a very common thing, very lowly and seemingly insignificant, tumbling into the camp of the Midianites, striking a tent, causing it to fall, being overturned, and then flattened. The words of the Midianite man who had the dream are remarkable, as we have no evidence that he knew much about Gideon. And yet, he would say, ‘This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.” (6:14) The encouragement that Gideon would receive from this declaration moved him to shake off all fear, and apprehension of failure, to rise up and declare to his men: “Arise, for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.” (Judg. 7:15) The cake of barley bread, that most lowly and common food in his day, was Gideon. God would take such an ordinary man, but one who would trust Him, and perform with him a miracle that is almost without parallel in Scripture. That day, the Midianite hoard was routed, disbursed and destroyed. Israel would be free from the yoke of that enemy because an ordinary man, who had a lowly opinion of himself, but who would trust implicitly the God who had called him.
In the New Testament, we find mentioned another loaf of barley. In fact, there are five small loaves. They were, in all probability, the expression of a mother’s care for her young son, who carried his meal with him, so that he could go, see, and hear Jesus speak. Again, they are barley loaves, the basic food of the poorer class at that time. Jesus would receive from the lad his five barley loaves because, as in the case of Gideon, God desired to encourage the people in their faith, as there were many, and they did not have sufficient food in that deserted place. Jesus took these simple barley loaves, along with two small fish, gave thanks for them, then distributed the morsels and pieces to the disciples, who then gave them to the people. Jesus, that day, would take something so small, ordinary, common even, thank the Father for it, and then, use it to feed thousands. The point of this story is that God is only limited in what He desires to do by those who are too big in their own eyes and will not believe Him to do the wonderful thing. This young lad, like Gideon, the least in his house, was humble. They both offered to God that which they had. God took it, blessed it, saved a nation, and fed thousands.
Dear Father, Take our lives as You took the barley loaves, and use them to abundantly bless multitudes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.