Meaning of ‘The 300’
The English phrase “Three Hundred” is found the most in Nehemiah (9 times), followed by Judges, 2 Chronicles and Ezra (8 each)
The number 300 in the Hebrew alphabet is represented by its 21st letter called shin/sheen – meaning ‘Appointed Time’ or ‘God Appears’. Christians picture ‘sheen’ as “Light of God”
The number 300 is referenced in a few significant stories in scripture…
In this article we’ll focus on The 300 as it relates to Gideon, Samson and the Woman with the Alabaster Jar…
Gideon’s 300 Warriors
The LORD led Gideon to whittle down his army to 300 warriors that went up against a 135,000 strong Midian led army – and they still won! (Judges 8:10, 28)
Gideon did this by dividing the 300 men into three groups and gave each a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
‘As soon as I and those with me blow the ram’s horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, “For the LORD and for Gideon!”‘ (Judges 7:17)
‘It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the ram’s horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!”‘ (Judges 7:19-20)
‘Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their ram’s horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the board of Abel-meholah near Tabbath’ (Judges 7:21-22)
Samson’s 300 Foxes
Samson, angry that the father of a Philistine woman he married gave her to someone else, decided to get revenge (Judges 15:1-2).
‘So he went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied their tails together in pairs, and fastened a torch to each pair of tails. Then he lit the torches and let the foxes run through the grain fields of the Philistines. He burned all their grain to the ground, including the sheaves and the uncut grain. He also destroyed their vineyards and olive groves’ (Judges 15:3-5)
So in a similar way that Gideon defeated the Midianites with 300 men with torches, Samson defeated the Philistines with 300 foxes with torches…
When Jesus sent his men out in pairs to defeat the enemy [just as Samson sending out the foxes in pairs], He saw ‘Satan fall like lightning’ as a result (see Luke 10)
Jar of Perfume worth 300
‘Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured perfume over his head. Some of those at the table were indignant, “Why waste such expensive perfume?” they asked. “It could have been sold for a year’s wages [300 denarii] and the money given to the poor!” So they scolded her harshly.
But Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed.”‘ (Mark 14:3-9)
Notice the connections between the woman breaking the jar worth 300 to release the expensive perfume, and the 300 breaking the jars to reveal the light!
Treasure in Jars of Clay
‘For God who said, “Let there be light in the darkness” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves’ (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)
Notice the connection between this passage of scripture and the story of Gideon’s 300 men…
It’s as the jars are broken that the light is revealed
And that light is so glorious it throws the enemy into a panic causing them to flee and fight against each other (Judges 7:21-22)
The 300 Ram’s Horns
‘Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon”‘ (Judges 7:20)
1 Corinthians 14:8 says this;
‘And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle?’
The sounding of the horns is a call to battle. The apostle Paul here uses the analogy of the ‘clear call’ referring to the prophecy
The apostle Paul also says; ‘Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles’ (1 Timothy 1:18)
The clear trumpet sound of direct prophetic words helps us fight well in the Lord’s battles
‘Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all’ (1 Timothy 4:14-15)
And here we see the connection between the clay jars containing hidden treasure (do not neglect the gift that is in you), that is called out by the trumpet horn of clear prophecy (which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of hands)
Calling out and releasing the hidden gifts through prophecy is akin to the 300 men sounding their horns and smashing their clay jars to reveal the lit torches within…
May this help you to fight the Lord’s battles as Samson and Gideon did and release the aroma of Christ as the woman with the alabaster jar did. And may the appointed time when God appears occur as you shine your light in spite of your brokenness…
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