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Last week, in The Time Before the Kings, Part 11, we learned from the story of Gideon that God's strength can only shine the brightest when it is paired with our own weakness!
Gideon's story from here on out is, however, far from pretty.
Yes, he and his army of 300 men were victorious that day. They set the Midianites to fighting against each other, and then with the help of "all the men of Ephraim" (Judges 7:24 NASB), they were driven to the Jordan river and two of the Midianite leaders, Oreb and Zeeb, were captured and killed, and their heads were presented to Gideon.
There was dissention in the ranks, however. The men of Ephraim were not happy that Gideon had only taken 300 men to route out the Midianites! In fact, they "quarreled with him vehemently", saying, “What is this thing that you have done to us, not calling upon us when you went to fight against Midian?” (Judges 8:1 NASB). Only quick thinking on Gideon's part stopped a civil war: "God has handed over to you the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” (Judges 8:3a NASB). Only then did, "...their anger toward him subsided when he said that." (Judges 8:3b NASB)
That should have been the end of the civil strife, right? But it wasn't. Gideon, with his 300 men, continued in pursuit of the Midianites. When they arrived at the Jordan River, they were exhausted and ... understandably ... hungry! So, Gideon said to the men of Succoth, "Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” (Judges 8:5 NASB). It seems a reasonable request, right? I mean, Gideon and these same hungry men have just routed out the Midianite threat! It seems, however, that there would be no thanks for Gideon: "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” (Judges 8:6 NASB).
Wait. What? Is that any way to treat someone who has just delivered you???
But apparently this wasn't a problem unique to Succoth! Gideon then went to Penuel with the same request, and the response was the same: "just as the men of Succoth had answered." (Judges 8:8b NASB)!
The response would have angered me, and Gideon was no different: "So he said also to the men of Penuel, 'When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.'” (Judges 8:9 NASB). And Gideon was true to his promise! "Then he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he disciplined the men of Succoth with them. And he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city." (Judges 8:16-17 NASB)!
This is what I love about the Bible. Nothing is sugar-coated. What Gideon did would have been called terrorism in our day and age. Yet the Bible just tells the story, the good and the bad. Why? Because God wants us to understand that the Biblical heroes are still human! They are no different from you and I! They aren't perfect! God's pre-requisite for service isn't perfection; rather, it is willingness!
There is some "thanks" in the story; for after all of this, the men of Israel ask Gideon to rule over them. Gideon's response teaches us one of the most valuable lessons in all of the book of Judges: "But Gideon said to them, 'I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.” (Judges 8:23 NASB).
You see, in this time before the kings, the people of Israel were really not without a King! In His master plan, God wanted to be their King! And when the people of Israel finally asked for a King during the time of Samuel, God's response was this: "...they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being King over them." (1 Samuel 8:7b NASB). Gideon understood that God was their king, and therefore, he refused to set himself up over them!
But the atrocities of the story continue. Gideon asked the people for gold that was collected as loot from the slain Midianites. He then made a golden ephod with the gold, and set it up in his city, Ophrah. The Bible doesn't tell us why Gideon did such a thing. Perhaps it was to be a reminder to the people of the deliverance of the Lord! Unfortunately it had the opposite effect: "but all Israel committed infidelity with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household." (Judges 8:27b NASB)!
And I wish the story ended here, but it doesn't. After Gideon's death, the people again returned to worshipping the Baals. Then an illegitimate son of Gideon, Abimelech by name, became jealous of his brothers. He returned to the home town of his mother, Shechem, and convinced them to set him up as their leader. Next he went out and slaughtered all of his brothers, 70 in total, and declared himself king of Israel, something that his father had already forbidden! One brother, escaped, Jotham by name, and he proclaimed a curse upon the leaders of Shechem (See Judges 9)!
In the end, there was nothing but more bloodshed until, "God also returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them." (Judges 9:57 NASB).
This is the part of Gideon's story that is a little less well-known, the part that is full of civil jealousy, civil hatred and civil bloodshed, with Israelites turning against Israelites. And all that after God has miraculously delivered Israel from the Midian threat.
This is the result of hatred and jealousy, friends! It causes brothers to turn against brothers, and perhaps even more tragic, it causes everyone to turn their focus away from God's miraculous deliverance. Let's remember that God chooses whom He chooses for a very good reason. Not everyone is a born leader, not everyone is willing to submit to God's will. He expects us to be respectful of the leaders He places over us, even when those leaders make mistakes. He expects us to work together, to support one another, for it is only in so doing that victory can happen.
Let's learn from this story to put aside our petty differences. Let's rise up and support one another and the leaders God has placed over us. Only in unity can we stand, for "A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." (Ecc. 4:12 NASB)! Isn't this the theme of Jesus' pastoral prayer? "I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one..." (John 17:20-21a NASB)
Please join us next Saturday to see what the Bible has to teach of about the next mentioned judges of Israel: Tola and Jair, in "The Time Before the Kings, Part 13"!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Author, Moderator, Acting Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
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