Judges 8:18-35.  First, if you read the Judges 7:15-35 post you might note I made a mistake about Gideon’s original army.  He had members of three tribes to the north of his tribe in the original army.  That post has been corrected.  Today’s part of the story adds some very interesting information.  Also, we see the cycle of sin begin to move more away from God.  Yesterday we saw the end of the battle with the invading army but not the end of the larger battle.  The one for the hearts of the Israelites.  Gideon had just beaten some of his fellow countrymen and killed others.  Now he turns to the last two kings from the opposing forces.  He wants to know about some men they had killed while they were occupying the the land.  Their answer is very flattering.  But it doesn’t help, evidently the men in question were Gideon’s blood brothers.  Gideon is out for vengeance.  He orders his son to kill them and he refuses, he’s young and afraid.  The two kings then challenge Gideon to do his own dirty work and he kills them.  More taking matters into his own hands, more personal rage.  He then takes the gold ornaments from their camels.  These ornaments were symbols of their royalty.  At this point the people ask him to rule over them.  Although they do not use the Hebrew word for king (“Malak”) that certainly seems to be their idea, they are offering him a dynasty at least through his grandson.  Gideon tells them neither he nor his son shall rule them, God is their ruler.

Later in the history of Israel we meet a man named Samuel.  His story is just after the time of the Judges and some see him as the last judge.  In 1 Samuel 8:1-7 Samuel has just appointed his sons to be the next judges but the people reject them and ask for a king (malak).  Samuel doesn’t want to but God instructs him to do it.  God indicates that it is He whom they have rejected and He also instructs Samuel to warn them about how “kings like the nations” have acted.  This is actually the first time we see God actually refer to Himself as king.  Earlier though in the history of Israel we see God actually acting as king, protecting and providing for the Isrealites as they leave Egypt and eventually take the promised land (For more on this story see “The Old Testament Connection“).

So it seems that Gideon is back on track,or is he?  In Deuteronomy 17:14-20 we see that God knew before hand that the Israelites would not live with Him as their only king.  In preparation for the time when they would reject Him as king God gave these verses as the rules for a king.  God had to choose the king (v. 15).  The king could not be a foreigner (v. 15).  He is not to have an army or make alliances with Egypt (that is probably the idea behind the horses in v. 16).  He is not to have a bunch of wives (v. 17)  He is not to make himself rich (v.17).  He is supposed to make a personal copy of the Law and read it each day.  He is supposed to be careful to obey the Law.  (vv. 19-20).  He is not supposed to think that he is better than the people he is ruling over (v. 20).

Right away Gideon starts acting like a king however.  Not a Godly king like in Deuteronomy 17 but like the kings he has just killed.  First, he asks the soldiers for some of the booty they have taken.  This was a way that soldiers in that day showed that they were  subjects of their king.  By the way in “The Old Testament Connection” I mentioned that Ishmael would be trouble for Israel later in their existence.  Here we see that some of the invading armies were Ishmaelites.  Second, the amount of gold that they gave him was about 43 pounds.  Also he had the gold ornaments from the camels.  So he has placed himself above his fellow Israelites and started getting a bunch of money.  He also takes the purple robes that had belonged to Zebah and Zalmunna.  Purple robes were another symbol of royalty in those days.  Third, he violates a part of the Law by making an idol (Exodus 20:4, the second of the ten commandments).  The ephod was a garment that high priests of a religion wore.  In some ancient languages it also would refer to a piece of cloth draped over an idol.  In this case it probably is a reference to both the idol and it’s covering.  That it was an idol is seen in what Gideon does with it.  He puts it in his home town and “all Israel” came and cheated on God by worshipping it.  Fourth. he gets a lot of wives. Fifth, he had a concubine (sort of a second class wife) who was from Shechem which was a Canaanite city at that time.  So he violated Deuteronomy 7:4 which told the Israelites not to intermarry with the Canaanites.

Finally, Gideon dies and is buried in his father’s tomb.  This is the first time a judge’s death is stated this way.  This is the first person since Joshua back at the beginning of Judges that the author has included this kind of information about.  This kind of information was also included in 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles about the various kings of Israel and Judah.  So although Gideon talked the talk it doesn’t seem like he really lived it.  He seemed to have lived like a king.  As we will see tomorrow his son by the concubine even tries to start a dynasty.   It is interesting in the story that Gideon is referred to as Jerubbaal in verse 29.  That was the Canaanite name given to him by his idol worshipping father.  And that name is used when we are told that he went and lived in his own house and had many wives and children.  It looks like Gideon fell completely into the trap that God warned about in Deuteronomy 7.  He had followed the ways of the nations around him.  But the story is about Gideon the little loaf that God used.  In reality it’s about God using imperfect self-centered people to accomplish His work in the world.  It seems kind of sad that it was Jerubbaal that went and lived out his final years and not Gideon though.  Gideon may have been a man of faith (Hebrews 11) in the battle but in his personal life it looks like he was in a battle where “Baal was fighting for himself” and winning.  In the end it’s not about what we do for God but what He wants to do for us.  Yes, we need to live for God each day.  But we need to remember that we can only live for Him because He is helping us.  It’s not “the sword of God and Myron” it’s just “the sword of God”.

Lord, help me realize our relationship starts and ends with you.  You are the power in it.  I thank you for having me.  Help me give you all of the honor each day.

Judges 8:1-17.  Most of Israel is on the west of the Jordan River.  But part of the tribes had settled on the east side of the river when they came to the land; specifically Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.  Gideon was from tribe of Manasseh that lived on the west side of the Jordan.  The tribe of Ephraim also lived on the west side of the Jordan River just south of Manasseh’s territory.  The Midianites and their allies were from the desert region on the east side of the Jordan and south of Israel’s territory.  They had been camped in valley that runs east and west just north of Manasseh’s territory on the west side of the Jordan river.  When they retreated they would have gone east toward the Jordan and then south down the Jordan River valley toward the territory of Ephraim.  Eventually they would have to cross the Jordan and flee through the territory of either Gad or Reuben.

In yesterday’s reading Gideon sent messages to the Ephraimites to come block the invaders retreat.  In mean time Gideon pursued some of the invaders down the Jordan River Valley.  The Ephraimites caught two of the kings of Midian whom they killed.  They then continued on to catch up with Gideon and his troops.  The Ephraimites were pretty mad that they had not been called to the battle sooner and Gideon ‘kisses up” to them by pointing out that they were the ones that had caught the two Midianite kings.  He uses a metaphor saying that the grapes left over in  Ephraim’s field after picking are better than the best wine in Manasseh.  At this point Gideon and his 300 men are on the west side of the Jordan.  They cross over near a river that feeds into the Jordan from the east, the Jabbok River.  The valley that the Jabbok follows leads out of Israel’s territory and was the route the remaining Midianites were taking to escape.  Evidently there were two more enemy kings to capture.

Near where the two rivers meet was a town named Succoth.  It was an Israelite town.  By this time Gideon’s men are very tired and hungry.  Gideon asks the people of the town for food and is basically told, “We are not taking sides until the battle’s over.”  Interesting, the Ephraimites were mad for not being included and now these Israelites are wanting nothing to do with the fight.  Gideon continues the chase and comes to another town, Penuel.  Same request and same response.  Eventually Gideon catches up with the two kings and their troops.  At this point we are told that there are 15,000 left and that 120,000 enemy troops had already died.  The enemy troops run away afraid and Gideon captures their two kings.  He then returns to the two cities he had asked for help showing them the two captured kings.  At Penuel he destroys a tower and kills the men of the city.  At Succoth he brings out the city leaders and beats them.  Remember that these were all Israelites.

Gideon is a long way away from the “loaf of bread” God used to cause the Midianites to fight among themselves and run.  He is also a long way away from the scared farmer beating out his grain in a wine press.  No more signs from God just fits of rage.  He has openly beaten his fellow Israelites and even killed some of them.  It is clear from this part of the story that the Israelites were not a unified people.  There were tribal jealousies and disrespect all around.  They were supposed to be one family, one people for God.  An example to the world.  Now in history there is a new family for God, the church.  We are supposed to be God’s light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16).  Are we happy to do our part or are we jealous of others?  Are we becoming political like Gideon seemed to be,  “kissing up” to some and pushing our power on others?  Are we forgetting to stay in touch with our real leader?  Are we looking out for our own personal interests and not serving each other?  I hope not.

Lord help me be a good member of your family.  Help me stay in touch woth you.  Let me be happy to do the part you have for me.  Help me be spiritually productive rather than politically correct.  Thank you for making me a part of your kingdom and your family.  Let me live like it today and every day until you return.