Gideon

Gideon (Hebrew: גִּדְעוֹן) was one of the most famous judges of the ancient Israelites. He was from the clan of Abiezer in the tribe of Manasseh, and his name means “hewer” or “cutter.”

At that time, the Israelites were doing what was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord handed them over to the Midianites. The Midianites’ violence, plunder, and destruction of crops left the Israelites in extreme poverty, and they cried out to God for help. The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, and God sent him to save Israel, promising to be with him. Gideon asked God for a sign to confirm that it was indeed the Lord speaking to him, to remove any possible doubt from his heart. God agreed and gave Gideon the clear confirmation he desired.

That night, God commanded Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole beside it, build an altar to the Lord, and offer a burnt sacrifice to God using the wood from the Asherah pole. In a region where the worship of Baal was rampant, this act was tantamount to making an enemy of the entire city and would provoke public outrage. But Gideon responded to God. Though still afraid, he did what he was told under the cover of night, not daring to do it by day. When we bravely take the first step in obedience to God, He gives us more courage and prepares the path ahead for us.

Following God’s instructions, Gideon sent messengers to muster an army from the tribes of Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali to confront the Midianites and Amalekites who had crossed the Jordan River and were preparing to attack Israel. To show Gideon that God was helping them, God whittled down the army from 32,000 men to just 300, so that the people would not boast, “My own hand has saved me.” In the end, Gideon, with his small army, defeated the Midianite coalition. The Israelites wanted to make Gideon their king, but he refused.

However, Gideon had many wives and concubines and fathered 71 children. In his old age, he used the gold from his plunder to make an ephod, and the Israelites worshiped this ephod as an idol. This ultimately stained his legacy and became a snare for him and his family.

Though Gideon started his journey from a place of lowliness and moved forward step by step by trusting in the Lord, it is regrettable that he was unable to have a good end that was approved by God!