Page 3 - February 2025 - Truth & Tidings
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t didn’t take long before his actions   themselves to it by worshiping it there. It
            contradicted his words. After the Lord   became a snare to Gideon and his family”
        Iused Gideon to defeat the Midianites,   (v27 NET).
        the men of Israel came to him with their   We, too, can be guilty of modern ephod-
        tempting offer: “Rule over us” (Jdg 8:22).   making, yielding to the temptation of “you
        His reply sounded honorable: “I will not   need more.” We become discontented with
        rule over you … the LORD will rule over   what God has provided to know His will.
        you” (v23).  But Gideon started acting like   We feel we must have more than the Scrip-
                 1
        a king.                              tures and the Spirit and godly shepherds.
          The Judges narrator goes on to tell us that   We pick up the latest “Christian” bestseller
        Gideon had what could only be considered   that claims to provide special divine in-
        a royal harem: “Gideon … had many wives”   sight. We might crave direct messages from
        (v30). He even had at least one concubine   God or guidance in other ways. These also
        (v31). He received royal treasure, for 1700   will end in confusion and disaster.
        shekels of gold were brought to him as   There is also the danger of modern
        spoil from the Midianites (v26). He must   ephod-wearing – not the message of “you
        have been wealthy, for only kings could   need more,” but “you need me.” Although
        afford to support so many sons (70) and   there’s no evidence that Gideon wore that
        wives. Gideon accepted royal symbols, “the   ephod, he did place it in his hometown.
        crescent ornaments and the pendants and   It seems he was setting himself up as an
        the purple garments worn by the kings of   alternative channel of “divine guidance.”
        Midian” (v26). He even had a royal title, al-  Many people did come to him. This can
        though given to his son Abimelech, which   easily become a temptation for us also. We
        means, “My father is king.” The man who   want others to come to us for direction,
        rejected kingship certainly didn’t behave   for answers. It’s not enough to make the
        accordingly.                         ephod; we wear it ourselves. And if people
          But there is a more memorable incident   don’t come to us, we’ll go to them and
        in the closing Gideon narrative. He used   give them “God’s will” for their lives, as
        some of that Midianite gold to make an   if the Urim and Thummin were operating
        ephod “and put it in his city, in Ophrah”   close to our hearts alone. This is not to say
        (v27). The ephod was worn by the high   that God doesn’t use the wisdom of His
        priest in the tabernacle, which at this   people to guide His flock; that’s part of the
        point was in Shiloh (18:31). It was used   shepherd’s work. But if we’re looking for
        to discern God’s will, especially in times   guidance outside of those channels God
        of crisis. Israel already had an ephod, but   has already given, we’re not only suggest-
        Gideon provided another. He (and the   ing God hasn’t furnished us sufficiently,
        people) wanted more than what God had   but repeating the error that was a hallmark
        already given to determine His will. Disas-  of the judges’ period – doing that which
        ter followed: “All the Israelites prostituted
                                             is right in our own eyes. And we might
        1  Bible quotations in this article are from the ESV   receive direction, but it won’t be from the
        unless otherwise noted.              God who saved us.

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