In every victory there will be those who are jealous and will put a damper on what has been achieved. It was no different here as the Ephraimites were jealous of this amazing victory. They had been called to come against the fleeing Midianites in 7:24 and they responded but in this chapter they complained that Gideon hadn’t called them earlier and they could have been part of the battle. Gideon had done them a favour, but they were jealous of his success and criticised him sharply (v1)
There will always be critics and those who want to put a damper on things. Gideon was not however, going to let their jealousy spoil what God had achieved through him. He answered wisely and in humility, “What have I done in comparison with you…. what was I able to do in comparison with you?” (v2,3) Every job was important, not only those on the front line. Then their anger was abated.
“A soft answer turns away wrath “(Proverbs 15:1).
Gideon was still in a battle with his 300 men. (v4) Notice he hadn’t lost any! They were exhausted but still in pursuit. He hadn’t time to be side-tracked by petty arguments caused by jealousy. He needed food for his men not criticism. They needed building up not dragging down. They were still pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian. (v5)
Gideon asked the men of Succoth for bread. Succoth was east of the Jordan and having crossed from the west side now occupied by the Ephraimites, Gideon and his 300 men were still chasing the Midianite kings and their armies what was left of them, around 15,000. It is thought that the princes of Succoth did not believe that his small army were equal to the huge number of Midianites and what’s more, they lived close to them, suggesting that after Gideon’s failure, they would be exposed to the Midianites wrath and revenge.
In an act of treason against their own countrymen they gave bitter taunts – “We, give you bread, you haven’t caught them yet?” In other words, why should we give you our bread when you haven’t or even won’t catch them.
Gideon, who had been so gentle and tactful with the Ephraimites, now shows that sometimes straight talking is required and even condemnation. God had promised victory, so this was ‘treason’ against God and as such it deserved exemplary punishment and verse 16 shows it was carried out.
Similarly, Peniel refused (v8,9) and referred to a tower which was thought to indicate that the men of Peniel would watch Gideon’s defeat from a vantage point. Gideon promised that upon his return he would pull down the tower – which he did (v17).
Gideon captured Zebah and Zalmunna and routed their armies (v12) and brought the two kings as captives as evidence to the elders of Succoth and then carried out their punishment, likewise with Peniel.
Throughout all this we see Gideon’s loyalty to God. He could quite easily have let the Midianites go, once across the River Jordan, but God had said that He had deliver the enemy into his hands (ch.7:9) and Gideon pursued them until that was so.
How we need to go all the way with God. Don’t slacken off after partial victory, or even a battle. The war continues – “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) God has given it into our hands and He will be vindicated; He is the victor.
The Israelites ask Gideon (v22) to become their king. You will remember that Israel did not have a king until Saul. Gideon refused saying “I will not, neither shall my son.” (v23) He knew that this was not God’s plan. Faithful to the last, or was he? No, I’m afraid not! I love the Bible because it paints pictures of people, ‘warts and all’. God hides nothing from us. I’m so glad because if all those characters were perfect and never made a mistake, what good would it be to us who fall?
Gideon rightly refused their offer of kingship, but he made a golden ephod or apron from the spoil. Perhaps worn on ceremonial occasions, like the mayor’s chain, or freemasonry etc. Perhaps like the ephod worn by the High Priest – a shoulder garment covering his shoulders and back, ornamental with gold and gems, containing the Urim and Thummim used to discover God’s will.
But v27 tells us, “Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.” His intentions were probably innocent, but it opened the way to superstition and idolatry. It is incredible that Gideon refused kingship because he wanted The LORD to have all the glory, but the ephod became a snare (a trap) because the people began to worship it, thus taking the glory from The LORD.
Despite all this, Midian was subdued before Israel, and they didn’t surface again, and the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
It is interesting that in verse 29 The Bible refers to Gideon by his nickname, Jerubbaal which was given to him in 6:30-32. Is this God’s sense of humour? If you earn a nickname from the people with whom you mix, make sure it is because you are committed to The LORD, serving Him faithfully and not because you are a compromiser.
Gideon had 70 sons, many wives and a concubine. This was another of Gideon’s weaknesses – whenever there is more than one wife or an adulterous relationship, it spells trouble. David, Solomon, Abraham, Jacob to mention few who had the same trouble? Gideon also had a concubine in Shechem who bore him a son named Abimelech (we’ll read more of him in chapter 9) who through treachery became king of Shechem, killing all his half-brothers with the exception of one, Jotham (9:5). So far as I know we are not told the names of any of the other of Gideon’s sons. Gideon sinned by having a concubine and whenever we read of God’s men having such, their children caused trouble, usually jealousy and covetousness reared their heads as they wanted to be equal to or better than the sons of the person’s wife, or sometimes the wives became jealous which, in itself caused lots of trouble. God’s will is, ONE man united to ONE woman.
Gideon died in a good old age (v32) and was buried. The term ‘good old age’ was also used in reference to Abraham (Genesis 15:15, 25:8) and David (1 Chronicles 29:28) and probably indicated fulfilment and completed task.
Chapter 8 is quite sad compared to chapters 6,7. Earlier in his life there are many references to God’s guidance, but such appears to be absent in his later years in chapter 8. Perhaps he became confident in his own ability and wisdom. However, despite his faults, and all of us have them, Gideon was a great leader and judge and God remembers him by including his name in the ‘hall of faith’ in Hebrews 11. A God who recognizes our feeble frame, that we are prone to mistakes, but forgives the penitent and is always ready to show what we are capable of by the power of God. Everyone has great potential because we have a great God.
Unlike God, Gideon’s contemporaries sadly soon forgot him for no sooner had he died the Israelites turned back to their idols, to Baal-Berith. How could they? After all The LORD had done for them! God had kept and always will keep His covenant with His people, but now they worship a so-called ‘LORD of Covenant’ for that’s what Baal-Berith means, but one which couldn’t hear or speak, never mind make a covenant. Baal-Berith was a false god worshiped by the Shechemites. Remember one of the basic spiritual lessons stated at the beginning was that if we mix with them, we will serve their gods.
When one turns to the world and any other god than the true God, one always forgets what God has done. The Bible is clear when it says that you cannot serve two masters, you will hate one and love the other. They soon forgot – do we? In the Communion service we ‘Remember The LORD Jesus’ We are commanded to remember Him and all that He has done for us, how could they forget so soon? How can we, indeed? Is this why we are so commanded to remember Him because we are prone to forget so soon?
They even forgot and dealt unkindly with the family of Gideon(v35). How fickle we human beings can be? I’m sure you’ve known it happen, however much good a person does, fault can be found by those who are critical in a negative way. People, when they are dead, are often soon forgotten.
When we remember The LORD Jesus, we do not worship a dead hero but a living, victorious Saviour, conqueror of sin and death and hell; your Saviour and mine. Is He yours, do you know Him? People may forget about our God, but may we be faithful to our LORD Jesus Christ.
Take heart, not all forgot, Asaph, a contemporary of David, the composer of Psalm 83:9-12, said, “Deal with them as with Midian, As with Sisera, As with Jabin at the Brook Kishon, Who perished at En Dor,Who became as refuse on the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let us take for ourselves the pastures of God for a possession.”
He recites the marvellous acts of God The Most High and refers to the deliverance under Gideon. We who are God’s people must remember Him and show to the world around us what God has done for us in and through His Son Jesus Christ. Our lives must mirror Him and shine as lights in this dark world and be as salt in this evil, fast-decaying world. Otherwise we are in danger of bringing up a generation which does not know The LORD or what He has done just as it was stated in Judges 2:10. Asaph concludes the Psalm – That they may seek Your name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and dismayed forever; Yes, let them be put to shame and perish, That they may know that You, whose name alone is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.
