Gideon - Judges 8

In this episode we conclude the story of Gideon, and it is a complicated ending. After a great victory in chapter 7, Gideon seems to struggle with how and where to go to next. We talk about all the ups and downs of the chapter in this episode. 

Transcript

 Thank you once again for listening to Cultivating Growth. We are coming down to it, at least in the story of Gideon that we've been talking about over the last couple of weeks. His story is found in the book of Judges, actually three chapters, six, seven, and eight, and we've already spent some time.

Talking about judges chapter six and judges chapter seven, and today we'll talk about judges. Chapter eight really puts an end to the Gideon story, and so there are some really interesting things that take place here at the end of the story. I'm looking forward to the conversation. Let's get to it.

Jeremy, you and I were talking just before we came on and started recording that chapter Eight's a little bit of an unusual chapter, and I think you made mention of this last week people who have a little bit of knowledge about Gideon, mostly that knowledge centers around chapter six and seven.

Chapter eight isn't necessarily as well known, and I think there's obvious reason for that. It's a little bit more difficult to read and follow those story in some instances. And also Gideon's story ends in a somewhat complicated fashion. We've talked a lot about how God has worked through some of Gideon's fears and wi with him, and we, we have seen faith displayed by Gideon and, and there are some redeeming qualities throughout Gideon's story and even in chapter eight to an extent.

But there's also some challenging aspects of Gideon that we have to deal with in chapter eight as well. Which in reality that, that kind of sums up the judges in a lot of ways. There, there's a lot of complicated things to work through as we see some less than admirable qualities in many of the judges that God used to lead his people at different times.

And that's the reality of dealing with humans. And working with their imperfections and, and we see that throughout biblical characters, and Gideon is one of those, and I think chapter eight probably is the place that really highlights that. Yeah, it's a really interesting point. E, especially for the judges that we have.

Some length to their story. Yeah. Samson certainly comes to mind. JTA is another one that comes to mind where they have really redeeming things at times, but yet at the same time you're like, wow, that was that was an interesting kind of decision. And chapter eight is different. From some of those thoughts that we talked about in chapter six.

Like in chapter six, he had had an interesting start where he was, struggling about, the call itself. But here in chapter eight, after we're on the other side of the battle and he begins to exhibit some really interesting. Yeah, complicated is a great word for it.

A very complicated, thoughts and, and it really turns into a really interesting chapter and really ends, I, I know we're gonna, just talking about Gideon and it's not a study on the book of judges, but really ends with the introduction to one of his many, many, many, many sons that the very next chapter is just a devastating story.

Yeah. And, and so it's almost like Gideon's story rolls into Yep. The next because a, a Bialek, his son really takes center stage for a second and, and it just. Yeah. Complicated is the right word to try to figure out really the story of Gideon, how Yeah, how I even feel about it. I read, yeah.

This chapter again, a couple of times today, and, and at the same time I'm like, I don't. I don't know where I land. Clearly he made a great statement in chapter eight, which we'll talk about, but man, he had some other very compromising decisions in chapter eight as well, and it just leaves you.

Complicated. Yeah. We go back to the beginning of chapter eight. He's in the process still of chasing down the Midianites and their leaders that we kinda left him doing in chapter seven, and he has some interactions with his own countrymen as he's in the process of doing that. He's chasing these kings and his men.

And Gideon, I'm sure. Are tired and hungry and weary as they go through the process of chasing these kings down and, and they're passing through areas of their own countrymen and they're asking for some food. Can you, can you help us out here? We're doing something that benefits our country.

Here are my group of men that are with me. Can you, can you feed us? Can you help us? And he gets a no hard pass. Not gonna do it. Yeah. And it's a. It's an interesting kind of dynamic that's taking place here. They're like where, where are they? Where, where are these kings you're chasing down?

Have you caught 'em yet? Are almost questioning, are you even gonna be able to do this? And really, Gideon responds quite harshly as. You might expect from a guy in his situation right now, but, but the dynamic between him and his own countrymen is really what's being brought to the center of this story at the beginning of chapter eight.

And again, that's different. Obviously, Midian an enemy of the people of Israel. We understand the conflict that exists between Israel and Midian, but now we're seeing conflict that exists between Gideon and his own people and, and that's a different aspect of the story than what we have previously seen in the two chapters we talked about.

Even at the very outset, you have the people of Efram. That kind of confront giddy, and they're like, what? You didn't even ask us. You, you didn't even, come to us, ask, for our help. And, and then he has this interactions he's chasing on the people. There, there is something before we get into that a little bit, I think there is, there, there is a number that's given to us in chapter eight that we don't get in chapter seven that I think.

Kind of, maybe this will close the book a little bit on last week, chapter seven. And, and which talks certainly about God and his power. In chapter seven, you remember the 32,000 to 22,000 to 300 kind of whittled down all the way, and then they, they go into battle. And in chapter seven we're told the army is just innumerable.

But yet in chapter eight, we learn over a hundred. Thousand people, have been killed. And so we've gotta put in perspective Gideon's operating with an army of 300. Yeah. And, and now over a hundred thousand Midianites have been killed. And, and you're right. He's, they're tired, they're hungry, they're looking for some food.

They're looking for some rest. His own people are like, I'm not interested in that. And he doesn't take well to that. No. And, and he ba he, he basically, I was about to say he threatens them, but it, it's a promise. It's a promise that he makes. And he says, because you, this city isn't going to help. I'm gonna come back and do this, and because you, this other city isn't gonna help.

I'm gonna come back and do this. And when he finally catches up to those other kings and, and, and they kill all those people, he comes back and delivers. Yeah. All those promises. And now you're right. You have this. Odd division even in amongst the people. When the, the enemy is Midian. Yeah. And, and that gets very cloudy here in chapter eight, and you're starting to see one of these character traits of Gideon that make us uncomfortable.

You, you're seeing a vengeful man here. Someone who he, in his mind, he's being wronged by his own countrymen. So once all of this is done, I'm gonna come back and get my revenge. Yep. And he does. Oh yeah, he does. And, and that, God warns us throughout the Bible about having a mindset that seeks vengeance and reminding us of the fact that.

Vengeance belongs to God. He is the one that handles that. And Gideon here takes it into his own hands to take revenge out on his own people. People who just refuse to help him. And so this is even that being a wrong choice on their Exactly right. They should have helped him. That's right. Yeah, that's exactly right.

They should have helped him. And yet Gideon is, is now taking the, taking his feelings of vengeance out on his countrymen. And it's a sad story when you think about where this could have been. Yeah, this story could have gone so differently. Here's Gideon with just 300 men being led by God. Running out and chasing down the kings that have been oppressing his people, the people celebrating the great victory and all turning to the Lord.

That's how this story could have played out. But instead, what we see is a division between countrymen leading to revenge being taken by Gideon upon these men, and it is really as. Sad and, and disturbing aspect to the story of Gideon and how this battle with the Midianites plays out. It could have been Gideon tearing down more idols and high places and the as he already has done. Yep. But it just doesn't turn into that. And, and, it, it, Gideon and his. Really interesting transformation from where he was in chapter six with I'm so weak. My, my fam my tribe is weak. My family is weak. I'm the weakest. I just can't do anything to where he ends up at the end of chapter eight.

Yeah. Even though when they are apt to make him a king and he refuses and he makes. Phrased statement that is right on the money and, and the right kind of thinking. But really in the very next verses, even though he passes, and I'm sure we'll talk about that here in just a second, he lives like a king.

Yeah. He really does. And, and so he has elevated himself and his mindset and, and all of those things in a very dangerous way. And so I think that's why when we get to the end of this chapter. Listen we'll go back to your complicated word or confused word. It just, the ending of his story is I don't know. Unexpected and odd. Yeah. And, and that's why I said, when you get into chapter nine it, it almost is a rollover of what the end of Gideon's story actually is. Yeah. When he, when he has completed his mission of chasing down these kings of the Midianites and has taken out his revenge on his own countrymen, he, he comes back and the people, as you mentioned in verse 22, are like, Hey.

Rule over us, both you and your son, they, they wanna make him a king and a dynasty and a exactly a dynasty, your son could carry on your lineage after you're gone. And it's understandable when you think about, here's a guy with 300 men who just chased down this innumerable army and was victorious.

We can easily see how the people would look to him as a leader. And want to put him in a position of authority over them. And as you mentioned, verse 23, Gideon does the right thing. He says the right thing. I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you. Amen. I'll amen.

That couldn't have said it better, couldn't have said it any better. And and so again, now we're, we see a glimpse of that humility in Gideon that we saw in chapter six. We're seeing a glimpse of it again here in chapter eight, but it's surrounded on both sides by acts of pride and acts of self-sufficiency in a lot of ways because, as you mentioned, while Gideon refuses the the invitation to be King, Gideon enriches himself.

From this battle in a way that does not end up serving him well. Instead of being made king over the people, he says, Hey, bring me the earrings from this plunder. And he collects all of this gold, a massive amount of gold. And no doubt with that continues to live on the prestige of the power that he has gained being a leader that has led the people out of this median night oppression.

And so while he is not serving as king and says the right thing about why he's not going to do that, his actions show us he's not the humble man that we met in chapter six. Yeah. He takes on many, many wives, concubines, we're told he is got 70 sons, in the midst of this. And yeah, you're right.

His actions is saying, listen here, here's what we'll do. Bring all this gold, we'll fashion, this eod, and whether his. Intention was, we'll worship it as Yeah, Jehovah, or it, it, it, whether it, his intention was to, to act as a, a priest or even the high priest, which certainly wouldn't have, been into play from, where he was, the tribe that he was from, whatever the case may be, it, it turns into an idol.

That's exactly what it does. He fastens an idol. And he's the one that puts it together. And you're right, he enriches himself and he brings glory to himself and he's got women around him and he's got many, many children. And, and it's just. First 23 is so good. Yeah. And it is yep. It's hard to read the rest of chapter eight and to come away with Did he actually believe that when he said it?

I guess we could give him the benefit of the doubt and he just succumbed to his weaknesses, but it, it just takes a turn so quickly. From what at the end of chapter seven to what he says here in, in chapter. Eight verse 23 to where ultimately his death comes at the end of chapter eight.

Yeah. And at the end of the day, it's between him and God as to how all this plays out ultimately for Gideon. But you're right, the, the part of the story that we're privy to anyway. Is one that doesn't end well for Gideon and doesn't place him in the greatest of lights as his story comes to a close.

The, the story about this EO is an interesting one, and I know there's a lot of different thoughts about this. An EO as, as you mentioned, was something that the priests would wear. It was part of the priestly garment, and he has. Fashioned one out of gold. And we're not told explicitly why he did that, right?

He, he, we're not given his reasoning behind it, but what we see is the people end up turning it into an idol. And so to your point, whether that was his intention from the outset or not, we don't know. But that is the outcome of what has happened. And he is the one responsible for making it. And so we kinda have to leave that somewhat ambiguous in terms of his mindset towards that.

But again, he has just played a role at God's behest to lead the people out of the oppression of the Midianites because of their sinfulness. And now something that he fashioned is going to lead the people back into idolatry. At the very least, it's a bad look for Gideon. Even if his intentions were not to necessarily fashion an idol, that is what happened, that it's sad that this man who could have been the leader that turned the people back to God, his legacy leaves them with something that they then turn into an idol.

What we don't have to question because we're told directly from scripture in chapter eight, verse 34, is that the children of Israel didn't remember the Lord their God. Yep. Who had delivered them from the hands of their, so we don't have to question that. We're told directly that this is a story that could have ended in a, a, a very glorious way.

It ends in this incredible victory that Jehovah gives to the people, and that if they, after all that's done, they, they didn't remember God for it. And Gideon is at the center ultimately of all that. Yeah. And I, as, as we bring this conversation to a close. We, we are leaving Gideon on, on a little bit of a sour note because that's how his story ultimately unfolds in chapter eight.

But I thought as we finished, we could go back to chapter six and remind us. Of what God saw in Gideon at the very beginning of their relationship as he called him into service. And what God saw in Gideon was the potential to be not just a valiant warrior, but someone who could serve his purposes among the people of Israel.

And that really takes place in chapter six, verses 11 and 12. And so I'll read those and we'll conclude the conversation there. Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the Tarin tree, which was in Ora, which belonged to Joe Ash, the Aite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the wine press in order to hide it from the Midianites.

And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, the Lord is with you. You mighty man of valor. Thank you for listening this week. If you haven't already done so, we'd appreciate it if you would take just a second to subscribe to the podcast, whatever platform you're listening, rate and review the show so we can continue to spread the good news of Jesus widely and effectively as possible.

Thanks again for joining us this week, and we'll talk again next week.