Half a right answer is still a wrong answer.
Israel so wanted a great warrior for a king. They would turn from the Lord and then follow a military leader who would lead them to victory. While this leader was alive they would keep up appearances. And then as soon as the leader dies they would turn to some other ‘strong’ leader and foreigner and the cycle of sin, oppression and rescue, would begin again.
It was a pretty sad existence for the people of God.
Gideon was one of the ‘saviors’. And after saving Israel he wisely said ‘no’ to kingship. The people wanted him to rule over them (23). He deferred to the Lord’s rule over the people. BUT here is the problem, he accepted tribute, lots of tribute, and the gold became a snare. 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 (27).
We all have a weakness, I thought, a chink in our human makeup that is an easy entrance for sin and selfishness.
Gideon’s weakness was money and wealth. What is mine? What is yours?
Think about it.
Lord, allow me a glimpse of my true self and my personal weaknesses. Allow this, Lord, not so I can gloat in my strengths but so I can be on guard with my weaknesses. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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