Page 24 - December 2025 - Truth & Tidings

of the destruction of the altar make it family or upbringing.
clear that Joash was more than just a man Writing to the Corinthian believers,
with an altar to Baal in his home. Rather, and broadening out the teaching that he
he would appear to have been the local has been given relating to marriage, Paul
priest of Baal, a man in the vanguard of instructed them, “But as God hath dis-
Israel’s idolatry. tributed to every man, as the Lord hath
Clearly, Gideon’s upbringing had in- called every one, so let him walk” (1Co
cluded a grounding in the story of God’s 7:17). A few verses later, he reinforces his
choice of and dealings with Israel. His point: “Brethren, let every man, wherein
opening words to the Angel of the Lord he is called, therein abide with God” (v24).
make that clear. But it is likely that, as the Paul’s teaching in the section delimited by
young Gideon learned about Jehovah, he these verses is of enormous consequence.
learned too the legend and lore of Baal, He tells the Corinthians (some of whom
and perhaps of many other false gods were slaves) that the circumstances in
besides. He was the child of Israel’s sad which they find themselves are not ran-
swerve into syncretism. dom, they are the “calling” that God has
We might not have expected the son assigned to each one, and are only to be
of a Baal priest to be a worshipper of the altered after careful consideration about
true God. And, even if we allowed for the “the keeping of the commandments of
possibility, we might assume that a man God” (v19) and the maximising of useful-
with a background like Gideon’s could ness in God’s service (v21). Grasping this
never really be a first-rate believer, never would save many of us from dissatisfac-
attain the spiritual calibre of those whose tion or frustration with our lot in life, and
parents and grandparents had remained it would strip us of our excuses for not
loyal to Jehovah. We might assume, but we being active in God’s service. He has put
would be wrong. And if we find ourselves us where we are so that we might serve
looking in condescension or, worse, dis-
paragement at first-generation believers Him there.
today, we are still wrong. Doubtless, Gideon often wished to be
This in no way diminishes the value a more prominent member of a much
and the blessing of a Christian upbring- wealthier family. As his knowledge of
ing. To have learned from a child the holy Jehovah grew, it must have galled him
Scriptures is a privilege beyond price. But sorely to see his father active in the service
one would not need to stray beyond the of Baal. He was not born in the circum-
book of Judges or even beyond the life of stances he would have chosen, nor at the
Gideon to discover that having believing time that he would have wished. But his
parents is no guarantee of either salvation willingness to obey God made all of that
or spirituality. We need to remember this. of no consequence, and in God’s hand he
There are no spiritual dynasties; every became, in truth, a mighty man of valour,
generation stands responsible to God for a noble warrior, with the likeness of the
itself; and each of us is responsible to God son of a king. The same God is calling
for ourselves. We cannot blame our lack of you, can equip you, and will enable you if,
spiritual progress, our faltering commit- like Gideon, you respond with worshipful
ment, or our flawed faithfulness on our obedience to His call.

376 TRUTH kTidings December 2025