When Victory Leads to Failure

And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, "What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?" So they answered, "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king." Then he said, "They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you." And he said to Jether his firstborn, "Rise, kill them!" But the youth would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a youth... So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels' necks. (Judges 8:18–21)

Gideon began well but did not end well—a warning that the Christian life is measured by how you finish, not how you start.

People Are Watching

Always remember that people are watching and assessing your life. It is relatively easy to be Christian-like and do Christian-like things when you're gathered in a church on Sunday. You might even stand and raise your hands during the song. But there are people in your neighborhood, in your home, and in your workplace who are watching how you respond and react to the things that go on around you—especially those of your own family, and especially your own children.

Vengeance and Wickedness on His Behalf

When Gideon questioned Zebah and Zalmunna about the men they killed at Tabor, they tried to flatter him: "As you are, so were they; each one resembled the son of a king." They knew their lives were short. Gideon then revealed that those men were his brothers, his mother's sons, and declared that if they had been spared, he would have spared them.

Then he turned to Jether, his firstborn—still just a youth, maybe a teenager—and commanded him, "Rise, kill them!" But the boy would not draw his sword, for he was afraid. Be careful when you're pushing in a direction that God is not leading. Be careful when your heart is set on vengeance and retribution. And be careful when you're tempted to ask other people to engage in wickedness for you on your behalf. That is exactly what Gideon does—he wants his own son to carry out the wickedness of retribution for him.

Asked to Be King

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian." After the victory against the Midianites and the killing of Zebah and Zalmunna, the people came and essentially asked Gideon to be their king. They were asking for the first monarchy and the first dynasty of Israel. This would not be the last time this happened.

With his words, Gideon answered the right way: "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you." At that point you think, "Good—Gideon's doing the right thing." But as the story unfolds, his actions do not follow his words. He did not really want the responsibility of being king, but he definitely wanted the reward of being king.

The Earrings and the Golden Ephod

Then Gideon said to them, "I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder." For they had gold earrings, because they were Ishmaelites. (Judges 8:24)

His approval rating was high—he was polling very well in Israel. He said, "I'm not your king, God is your king—but maybe just one small request." The Midianites came from the region given to Ishmael and wore gold jewelry, including earrings, and the people had taken great plunder from the 150,000 they had defeated.

They gladly agreed, spread out a garment, and threw in the earrings. The weight of the gold was 1,700 shekels—about 42 pounds of gold, worth over $1.6 million in today's gold prices—besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, purple robes, and chains from the camels' necks.

Then Gideon made it into an ephod—an outer garment that a priest would wear—and set it up in his own city of Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

From Tearing Down Idols to Building One

At the beginning of his story in Judges 6, when Gideon first began to follow God, God's first task for him was to do some cleanup in his own father's house. His father had set up an altar to the false god Baal in the main part of Ophrah and an Asherah pole, and God told Gideon to tear those things down.

Now, when he is victorious, he sets up a place of worship—not to Baal, not to Asherah, but really to himself. When he had great strength, he failed to remember that all his strength came out of his weakness and his trust in Almighty God. Though he said with his words, "I don't want to be your king," he was acting like royalty—taking the glory, taking the credit, and setting himself up as an idol to be worshiped. The people came and played the harlot with it, bowing down and worshiping it as Israel's idol.

This brings us to point number four: God's true Victors know that the glory belongs entirely to God. And I missed point number three—true victory never follows unrighteous actions. Gideon was certainly walking in unrighteousness when he did these things.

A King's Wives and a Wicked Son

Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house. Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. (Judges 8:29–31)

Remember that name, Abimelech, for next week. When the children of Israel were preparing to enter the promised land, Moses cautioned them in Deuteronomy not to take for themselves a king like the other nations. God was to be their king. But he warned that a king would multiply wives to himself. Gideon said he did not want to be king—yet he took gold from the people to be glorified and honored, and he took many wives like a king. He wanted all the reward of being king but none of the responsibility of leading the people as unto the Lord.

He used his victory as an opportunity for immorality, and in the end he left things for his wicked, bloodthirsty son to take over—after he had been an abysmal example to him.

How You Finish, Not How You Begin

In the end, it's all about how you finish, not how you begin. The story of Gideon is a sad story of someone who started well but did not end well. This begs the question: how does his name appear in the Hall of Faith?

That's a good question, and there are a number of people in Hebrews 11 who make you scratch your head. How is Abraham in the Hall of Faith? How is David? How are people with such great failures included? They are there because God is gracious, and because they were noteworthy for the times when they trusted in God and relied on Him. Gideon certainly trusted in God and relied on Him, but at certain times he let that slide.

That is why, immediately following the Hall of Faith, Hebrews 12 says:

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith... laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us. (Hebrews 12:1–2)

A Bible teacher I've listened to for years put it strongly and well: "The best of men are men at best." We will always be in this life still sinners, and we can always still be tempted and ensnared by sins that so easily trip us up. Therefore we must circumspectly lay aside every weight and sin, run with endurance, and keep looking to Christ.

At some point in his life, Gideon stopped looking to God and started trusting in himself. Take heed when you think you stand, lest you fall.