Editorial: Ephod-Making, Ephod-Wearing

It didn’t take long before his actions contradicted his words. After the Lord used Gideon to defeat the Midianites, the men of Israel came to him with their tempting offer: “Rule over us” (Jdg 8:22). His reply sounded honorable: “I will not rule over you … the LORD will rule over you” (v23).1 But Gideon started acting like a king.

The Judges narrator goes on to tell us that Gideon had what could only be considered a royal harem: “Gideon … had many wives” (v30). He even had at least one concubine (v31). He received royal treasure, for 1700 shekels of gold were brought to him as spoil from the Midianites (v26). He must have been wealthy, for only kings could afford to support so many sons (70) and wives. Gideon accepted royal symbols, “the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian” (v26). He even had a royal title, although given to his son Abimelech, which means, “My father is king.” The man who rejected kingship certainly didn’t behave accordingly.

But there is a more memorable incident in the closing Gideon narrative. He used some of that Midianite gold to make an ephod “and put it in his city, in Ophrah” (v27). The ephod was worn by the high priest in the tabernacle, which at this point was in Shiloh (18:31). It was used to discern God’s will, especially in times of crisis. Israel already had an ephod, but Gideon provided another. He (and the people) wanted more than what God had already given to determine His will. Disaster followed: “All the Israelites prostituted themselves to it by worshiping it there. It became a snare to Gideon and his family” (v27 NET).

We, too, can be guilty of modern ephod-making, yielding to the temptation of “you need more.” We become discontented with what God has provided to know His will. We feel we must have more than the Scriptures and the Spirit and godly shepherds. We pick up the latest “Christian” bestseller that claims to provide special divine insight. We might crave direct messages from God or guidance in other ways. These also will end in confusion and disaster.

There is also the danger of modern ephod-wearing – not the message of “you need more,” but “you need me.” Although there’s no evidence that Gideon wore that ephod, he did place it in his hometown. It seems he was setting himself up as an alternative channel of “divine guidance.” Many people did come to him. This can easily become a temptation for us also. We want others to come to us for direction, for answers. It’s not enough to make the ephod; we wear it ourselves. And if people don’t come to us, we’ll go to them and give them “God’s will” for their lives, as if the Urim and Thummin were operating close to our hearts alone. This is not to say that God doesn’t use the wisdom of His people to guide His flock; that’s part of the shepherd’s work. But if we’re looking for guidance outside of those channels God has already given, we’re not only suggesting God hasn’t furnished us sufficiently, but repeating the error that was a hallmark of the judges’ period – doing that which is right in our own eyes. And we might receive direction, but it won’t be from the God who saved us.


1 Bible quotations in this article are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.