Judges 8:22-24, 27 “The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us —you, your son and your grandson — because you have saved us from the hand of Midian’’ But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.’ And he said, ‘I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.’ (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) … Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.”
An ephod was a sacred garment of bold, blue, purple scarlet and fine twined linen worn by the Jewish high priest. Gideon was not a priest. He would not accept the position of judge (ruler) but he was willing to set up a reminder about his successful leadership and campaign against the Midianites. A snare is a net or a trap capturing, causing injury or destruction of a person. The Lord was the true deliverer, not Gideon. He was a conduit, an instrument, and not a very good one however he made it into the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11).
Principle: It is dangerous and foolish to take credit away from God and bring attention to yourself. It will hurt you, your loved ones, and other people.
Here is another hero of faith who did not finish well. He obeyed God’s specific commands despite fear and doubt and permanently rid the nation of Midian from history (they merged with the Arabian people, Gideon and his family).
The Israelites and Gideon’s family worshipped his accomplishment instead of worshipping God. He facilitated that behavior by setting up this monument to himself. It was sin to build the ephod. It was sin to allow the Israelites to worship the ephod. It was (and is) sin to allow a family member to immortalize your accomplishments.
Gideon had it right at his commissioning when he said, “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” God had it right when He said, “l will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
Discussion:
1. What tends to be an “ephod” in your life – family, car, work, trophies, a prized possession?
2. How easily do you credit God for what He accomplished in and through you?
3. What are some subtle ways people take credit for things for which they should not receive the credit? Why does this matter?
