We have been discussing Gideon in the previous two posts. We talked about the period of time in Israel when the people worshiped Canaanite gods alongside of Yahweh. This was the time of the book of Judges. Gideon was called by God to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. At first, Gideon couldn’t understand why God would want to use him, the youngest member of his family of the small tribe of Manasseh. But God reassures him that He will be with him.
Now the same night it came about that the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it; and build and altar to the Lord your God on top of this stronghold in an orderly manner, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” –Judges 6:25-26.
This verse is telling. We know from verse 13 that Gideon’s father had, at some point, told Gideon about all that God had done for the people of Israel. But here we see that even Gideon’s family wasn’t free from the Canaanite influences. God tells Gideon, basically, that before he can get to the business of delivering Israel from Midian, he needs to get his own house in order. This doesn’t mean that Gideon participated in the Canaanite worship, but his father certainly did.
Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and it came about, because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, that he did it by night. When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was torn down, and the Asherah which was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar which had been built. –Judges 6:27-28.
Gideon did as the Lord instructed. But, with human frailty, he succumbed to his fear and tore down the altar at night when no one would see him. From the text, we do not see God displeased with Gideon: better is doing God’s will in fear than not doing it at all. The reaction of the men of the city was not surprising:
They said to one another, “Who did this thing?” And when they searched about and inquired, they said, “Gideon, the son of Joash did this thing.” Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has torn down the altar of Baal, and indeed, he has cut down the Asherah which was beside it.” –Judges 6:29-30.
Baal
Can you believe these guys? These are not Midianites, they are children of Israel! These are the chosen people of God and here they want to kill Gideon on account of their false gods!
But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal, or will you deliver him? Whoever will plead for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his altar.” –Judges 6:31.
This is interesting. Here is a father who has fallen into pagan worship (the Baal and Asherah were his). His own son tears it down. Now the neighbors come over to his tent and demand that he turn his son over to them. It makes me wonder…what was he thinking? From his response, he is telling them that if this god that they have been worshiping is so powerful, let him deal with Gideon. His response makes me wonder if he hadn’t grown tired of these false gods who haven’t done anything for him like Yahweh used to. If he was so into worshiping them and had pledged allegiance to them, why didn’t he just turn his son, Gideon, over. Child sacrifice wasn’t so strange at this time. In fact, it was quite normal. It was as if Joash was snapped back into reality but such a bold move by his youngest son.
Therefore on that day he named him Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he had torn down his altar. –Judges 6:32.
Because of Gideon’s boldness, Joash renames his son. It’s almost as if Joash knows that nothing is going to happen to Gideon because Baal is powerless to do anything.
In the final post, we’ll talk about how God finally uses this mighty little warrior to fight the Midianite army with only 300 men!
May He Increase!
