“Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.’” (Judges 8:23)
What wonderful words from Gideon’s mouth! When the people want to crown him king, he refuses. The Lord must remain in control.
Yet Gideon’s actions reveal something quite different. He asks the people to hand over gold from the spoils of war – thus actually recognizing Gideon as their leader. He lays claim to victory. From the gold, he makes an ephod. The original ephod was used by the high priest to consult God’s will. Now Gideon makes his own. He comes up with a customized way to serve the Lord on his own terms. The sad consequence is described in verse 27 (NIV): “All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it [the ephod] there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. ”
Gideon started out so well in destroying the idols of his clan. Now he himself goes wrong. He no longer serves the Lord sincerely, but creates his own kind of religion. Moreover, he behaves like a pagan king by taking many wives. So although he declares that the Lord should rule over the people, his life is not in line with that confession.
Do you recognize something of Gideon in the lives of (spiritual) leaders today? In which respects?
Are you putting the Lord in charge of your life? How does that show?