God's Leaders Who Forget God's Rule
We are going to see Gideon's success starts to unravel him even more as the narrative continues. His defeat of Midian presented him with a unique challenge. His status among the people has skyrocketed from hiding in a cave to being asked to rule.
Judges 8:22 (ESV) Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
Gideon does something interesting here in making an ephod with fine materials and setting it up in his home city. The true Ephod was worn by the priests and used to determine the will of God through the Urim and Thummin. All Israel saw that item as the symbol of immense importance. Gideon wants Israel to respect and revere his home and by implication - himself. Once again Gideon is acting out of past hurts. Remember when the angel found him in the cave he had a severe inferiority complex.
Judges 6:15 (ESV) And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Gideon is in full over-compensate mode. He wants to use his recently acquired notoriety to undo that which he felt before God found him and used him. There is a constant temptation in Christian leadership to use that reverence of people as a stamp of legitimacy over one’s life. If the enemy can’t get you to sin, he’ll get you to idolize importance and success in Christian ministry and influence.
Gideon sins terribly by doing this and his personal issue creates a religious idol that becomes a problem for many other people. Notice how the text describes the effect of Gideon’s decisions: "And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.” Sometimes Godly leaders can think they are leading well but they are in fact serving out of a self-oriented need to be important. While they do not come right out and subvert the Lord Jesus, they can subconsciously use reputable ministry for their own desires.
Again, we need a Savior who is not in need of the approval and affirmation of others. Who is that Leader? It is Jesus. He is the true and better Savior who comes to us full of the Father's love, approval, and affirmation. He was once surrounded by vicious enemies on every side and His words were "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Every Christian leader needs to root themselves in the love God has demonstrated toward them at the cross so they will not unintentionally use Christian ministry as a self-justifying endeavor. Lead from the love of God and you will point His people to Him alone. That is your calling, that is your mission. That is what matters.
Judges 8:22 (ESV) Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
The unintended consequence of working for the Lord in a successful manner is the challenge of staying firm in who you are and not letting it change you. Gideon is faced with an elevated status among the people and they are very willing to abandon God's kingship for a man they can see and perhaps manipulate through popular opinion.
Concerning the people, we must remember that THIS is our human condition. We don't want God in charge, we'd rather serve a created thing (see Romans 1). To Gideon's credit, he knows the Word of God enough to understand God is king:
Judges 8:23 (ESV) Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.”
Yet almost immediately, Gideon begins to act like a king in spite of his proper response here.
Judges 8:24–27 (ESV) And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.
Gideon does something interesting here in making an ephod with fine materials and setting it up in his home city. The true Ephod was worn by the priests and used to determine the will of God through the Urim and Thummin. All Israel saw that item as the symbol of immense importance. Gideon wants Israel to respect and revere his home and by implication - himself. Once again Gideon is acting out of past hurts. Remember when the angel found him in the cave he had a severe inferiority complex.
Judges 6:15 (ESV) And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”
Gideon is in full over-compensate mode. He wants to use his recently acquired notoriety to undo that which he felt before God found him and used him. There is a constant temptation in Christian leadership to use that reverence of people as a stamp of legitimacy over one’s life. If the enemy can’t get you to sin, he’ll get you to idolize importance and success in Christian ministry and influence.
Gideon sins terribly by doing this and his personal issue creates a religious idol that becomes a problem for many other people. Notice how the text describes the effect of Gideon’s decisions: "And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.” Sometimes Godly leaders can think they are leading well but they are in fact serving out of a self-oriented need to be important. While they do not come right out and subvert the Lord Jesus, they can subconsciously use reputable ministry for their own desires.
Again, we need a Savior who is not in need of the approval and affirmation of others. Who is that Leader? It is Jesus. He is the true and better Savior who comes to us full of the Father's love, approval, and affirmation. He was once surrounded by vicious enemies on every side and His words were "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Every Christian leader needs to root themselves in the love God has demonstrated toward them at the cross so they will not unintentionally use Christian ministry as a self-justifying endeavor. Lead from the love of God and you will point His people to Him alone. That is your calling, that is your mission. That is what matters.
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