You gotta suffer me talking at you

Hi, y'all.

Gideon's over (cries of joy!), and now I'm thinking of what to do next as my study!
What's up with me at the moment?...

Matt has suggested that I even record myself reading my study of Jonah or turn it into a mini book (what do you reckon?)

I'm speaking on the morning service of Sun 28th October. My message is entitled 'God loves losers'.

I'm also speaking at the worship confrence on Sat 3rd November. That message is entitled 'Why we worship'.

Here is my plea (to both of you that still read this blog!), please come to these meetings and point and laugh at me, or support me.

Love you X

The end

Gideon has kinda let me down, he once had fire in his belly, he once tore down the baal alters, he once was known as 'baal fighter'.

This man has now turned Isreal's eyes away from the LORD and onto a vest!

This 'turn of attention' is what starts the hebrews back on that slippery down-hill slope to idol worship.

How soon they forget.

After Gideon's death, the story continues, his son Abimelech massacres 69 of his brothers (in one day!) and only leaves Jotham alive. He burnt 1000 men and women to death in a tower at Schechem [Judges. 9:49] and was finally killed himself, whilst attempting to burn another tower. A woman inside the tower dropped a millstone on his head and crushed his skull.

Gideon's story teaches us one main truth (I think);

When we stay close to God - we bear fruit, when we drift away from God - that's when the nettles and weeds come to choke us.

Gideon's life was known as 'mostly good'.

I don't want to have a 'mostly good' life.

I want more.

You don't have to stay hidden in the winepress.

"The LORD is with YOU, mighty warrior"

Love you X

Ephod

An ephod was either an image of God or an idol, as some have argued. An ephod is the vest worn by a hebrew priest. There would be urim and thummim (ask Andy) set into it. These stones were used by the preist to discover the will of God. When both sides revealed the urim (to curse) the answer was 'no', when both sides revealed thummim (to be perfect) it meant 'yes'. If one of each was showing it meant 'no reply'. Kinda like an ancienst magic 8 ball!

This seems like a rediculous construction for Gideon, as he seems to have no need for a vest to communicate with God. 3 problems present themselves when viewing Gideon's obsession with priestly vests . . .

1] Making this ephod (aswell as taking a collection of Midianite nose rings) was Gideon doing something that God hadn't asked him to do. God called Gideon to be a judge, NOT a priest.

2] Maybe Gideon was attempting to make his situation (his fame, success, power) a permanent status, when God only held Gideon in this position on a temporary basis. Gideon had been called to build alters and communicate with Yahweh and save Isreal during the period of his mission, but now the mission was over. Even if things are started by God and are a success, people have a tendancy to 'take it too far' or 'exhaust the possibilities' or 'flog a dead horse' and before we know it, what was once from God, about God and for God, we find ourselves worshipping a vest!

3] Maybe Gideon purposefully diverted the focus of worship away from the main sancturary at Shiloh, because that site was found inside Ephraim territory. This could have been a political move, like Sweden always giving Finland 12 points in the eurovision song contest! Whatever the reasons for this ephod, it is obviously disasterous to the Isrealites. The description of the consequences of this event is the strongest in the book of Judges...

"... Isreal prostituted themselves by worshipping it there ..."

Love you X

The king has left the building

The Isrealites no longer wish for Gideon to be their judge. They want him as their ruler and king. Gideon's reply redeems himself in vs 23 . . .

"I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."

Gideon viewed his monarchy as a replacement to the LORDs reign and rejected it.

God has rule over Isreal (Theocracy)

After making such an amazing statement, he then goes and makes a ridiculously stupid one!

Gideon asks for an offering . . . to himself! He asks for a portion of each man's plunder. The amount came to 700 shekels (50 pounds) of gold, around 5000 gold rings. He also accepted half-moon and teardrop pendants AND fine purple robes (from Midianite royalty).

Gideon refused the offer of kingship, but accepted the king's treasury and wardrobe. He continues his 'royal' lifestyle by having a vast number of wives and a hareem of concubines. He also made the mistake of having a son by one of these concubines and naming him ABIMELECH (means 'my father is the king').

His final downfall came with his bright idea to make an EPHOD (a preistly vest).

Love you X

Thou shalt not covet

Now came the 'ticker tape parade', the welcome party they'd been expecting.

As they entered Ophrah, the very same voices that had been shouting for Gideons death were now exalting him. (hmmm... sounds like the opposite version of another biblical story!)

But what would become of the princes of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna were personally responsible for the death of 2 of Gideons brothers at mount Tabor.

For Gideon, the answer was simple, they must suffer the most humiliating form of execution . . .

No, not death by girls allowed!

Death at the hands of a boy.

This task was probably given to Jether (Gideon's eledest son) who took the sword in trembling hands and faced these two infamous enemies. Whether through fear or weakness, Jether couldn't carry out his task. So it was left to Gideon to serve the death blow, which he did without hesitation.

Then something glistening caught his eye. The camels were wearing Saharonim (a kind of garment made of gold and silver ornaments and emblems), idols and images of pagan gods.

Gideon took these 'trinkets' for himself ("he covets the precious things" to quote Tubbs from the league of gentlemen). Maybe it was the fact that he was born into a wealthy family made him crave for more? or he had watched these Midianite prisoners with their fancy clothes and jewellery whilst he took the long trek back to Ophrah. Either way, we catch a glimpse of the old 'baal/assherah worshipping' Gideon.

Love you X