Gideon: A Journey from Heroic Faith to Tragic Compromise

 

Gideon: A Journey from Heroic Faith to Tragic Compromise

The story of Gideon in the book of Judges is a profound narrative, rich with lessons on God's calling, humble leadership, spiritual triumph, and the perilous path of compromise. It serves as a powerful reminder that our ending is often more important than our beginning, for even a divinely chosen leader can falter and lead others astray.

Let's explore Gideon's compelling, yet ultimately cautionary, tale.

A Godly Refusal: "The Lord Will Rule Over You"

After Israel's miraculous victory over the Midianites under Gideon's leadership, the grateful people made an extraordinary offer, seeking to establish a hereditary monarchy.

Judges 8:22-23 (ESV): Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”

This was not just an offer for Gideon, but for three generations, to make him and his descendants their permanent rulers. Yet, Gideon's response was a clear and powerful declaration of God's sovereignty. In a time when Israel faced many problems because there was "no king," Gideon reminded them of their true ruler: The Lord is the king, and He desires to rule over His people. Gideon demonstrated a good understanding of God's heart, comprehending His desire to be preeminent in the lives of His people. God has been looking for such a man who understood His heart, right from the life of Joshua till David, and even today, God is looking for such people who know His heart, can remind others about it, spend time with God's word to understand His desires, and know what He likes and dislikes.

The Power of Humble Words: A Contrast with Ephraim's Pride

Early in his leadership, Gideon faced a significant challenge from the powerful tribe of Ephraim. They fiercely accused him, saying, "What is this that you have done to us? You did not call us when you went to fight against Midianites". This accusation was despite the fact that the decision of who should go to war was God's, not Gideon's, and Gideon did not go on his own.

Gideon's response, however, was a masterclass in diplomacy and humility:

Judges 8:2 (ESV): And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the grape harvest of Abiezer?”

He essentially said, "When compared to your tribe killing the Midianite princes, what did I do?". Gideon downplayed his own achievements, acknowledging Ephraim's crucial role by stating that even the gleaning of grapes from Ephraim was better than the whole harvest of Abiezer, his hometown. Using very humble words, he could completely cool them down, resulting in "Their anger against him subsided when he said this". This moment powerfully illustrates the truth found in:

Proverbs 15:1 (ESV): A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

This type of conflict is common among the people of God, often stemming from genuine reasons or misunderstandings, as seen with the widows of Greek converts in Acts chapter 6. But soft and humble words can avert great discord and bring peace.

It's crucial to note that this was not an isolated incident for the tribe of Ephraim. The sources reveal that their "bad nature," possibly rooted in pride and a desire to "be in front in everything," caused similar issues with another judge, Jephtha. With Jephtha, their accusations escalated, as "they did not even just accuse Jephtha. They personally abused Jephtha". This abuse led to open warfare, where "Jephtha and his people went and fought with Ephraimites". Tragically, the Ephraimites "lost 42,000 fighters just because of this bad nature of their tribe". This stark contrast highlights Gideon's exceptional wisdom in handling a volatile situation through humility, where others, like Jephtha, which resulted in dire consequences.

Participating in Christ's Victory Over Evil

Another significant moment occurs when Gideon captures the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, and asks his firstborn son to kill them. The young boy, who was small and afraid, could not draw his sword.(Judges 8:20)

This incident offers a powerful spiritual parallel to Christ's victory over Satan. Lord Jesus Christ has already triumphed over our enemy:

Colossians 2:15 (ESV): He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Christ has disarmed Satan and all his powers, putting them to open shame. Yet, Christ desires for us to participate in this victory, as promised in:

Romans 16:20 (ESV): The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

This echoes God's promise in Genesis 3 that the seed of woman would crush Satan's head, a promise fulfilled on the cross. But, Satan constantly seeks to disturb peace in our personal lives, families, and churches. According to Rom 16:20, God wants to crush Satan under our feet when we fight for peace. This peace does not mean compromise; rather, it means standing firm for God. Even where Gideon's son failed due to fear, with the help of the God of peace, we can achieve this victory in our days.

The Tragic Turn: Gideon's Compromise and Fall

Despite these promising beginnings and demonstrations of faith, Gideon's story takes a somber and unfortunate turn. He started very well, but his end was not so good; in fact, he fell very quickly.

• The Golden Ephod: Gideon made a request for a share of the spoils from the war—specifically, the gold earrings collected from the Midianites. The people willingly brought an astonishing 1,700 shekels of gold, which amounts to nearly 20 kilograms of gold. From this vast amount of gold, Gideon made an ephod, a garment typically worn by high priests serving in the temple. However, this ephod of gold was not for legitimate service to the Lord; it was kept in his own city, not in the temple or the designated place of worship. This clearly indicated that "the purpose is not good".
• Whoring After Idolatry: The consequences were devastating: "all Israel whored after it there. Not only that, it became a snare to Gideon and his family also". The sources explain that God compares idolatry to adultery. When anything or anyone takes the place of God, gaining preeminence and priority in our lives—be it a person or even a material thing—it becomes an idol. This causes God the deep pain of a husband whose wife has committed adultery, a pain vividly illustrated by the prophet Hosea's own experience. God told Hosea to marry a woman who commits adultery, to love her and have children with her, and then, after she again goes back to adultery, to go and bring her back and love her again. God then explained to Hosea how painful this experience was for Him, as He experienced the same pain when His people worshipped idols.
• A Stark Contradiction: This fall is particularly tragic because Gideon himself had previously been the one to tear down his father's altar of Baal. Now, he not only fell into idolatry but led his entire house and all Israel into it. Furthermore, Gideon, who had declared "The Lord will rule over you," ironically named a son born from a concubine Abimelech, meaning "my father is king". This name, coupled with his many wives and 70 sons, showed a life where he had "lost the vision, he lost the fear of God".

Gideon's words proclaimed God's kingship, but his actions and lifestyle proclaimed his own. This serves as a potent warning: "If we are not careful our situation also can become like this. We may be speaking very good words... but our lives may be speaking totally different thing.". Our words may look good on the outside, but our lives and actions might be leading others into wrong things.

The Importance of the Ending

Gideon's life teaches us that "our ending is more important than our beginning". As the wise King Solomon noted in Ecclesiastes 7:8, the end of a matter is better than its beginning. What we are now is more important than what we were before. We are called to keep growing and moving forward, not backward.

God's Enduring Search for a Godly Heart

The sources emphasize that God had seen the "call of Moses" in Gideon and had hoped for a man who could lead His people in a godly way. Even today, God is actively looking for such individuals:

• Those who understand His heart.
• Those who spend time with God's word and in prayer to comprehend His desires.
• Those who know what He likes and dislikes, and can remind others about His heart.
• Those who can lead His people in a godly way.

Just as in the days of Judges, when people were looking for a godly king (and names like Elimelech, meaning "God is my king," highlight this longing, though the man bearing this name in Ruth 1:1-2 did not follow God), God is still seeking faithful hearts.

A Call to Examine and Rededicate

Gideon's life, with its triumphs and tragic fall, serves as a powerful example for us all. 

God is calling each one of us to be a leader in His eyes, whether physically leading or not. We must be careful with our own lives and prepare ourselves so that God can use us when He desires.

Let us examine our lives, rededicate ourselves, and commit to spending time with God's word and in prayer. May we strive to be people whose words and lives consistently declare, "The Lord will rule!" and who remain faithful to the end.