Gideon ferrets out the last kings

Judges Chapter 8

The people of Ephraim asked Gideon why he didn't include them in fighting the Midianites and they argued with him. But Gideon compared them to a harvest better than the entire crop of his little clan and told them that it was God who gave the victory over the generals of the Midianites. Hearing this, they were no longer angry.

Then Gideon cross the Jordan and continued to chase the enemy. When they reached Succoth, he requested food and water for his tired warriors as they were chasing kings Zebah and Zalmunna. But the leaders of Succoth told him to come back after they had captured the kings, then they would feed his warriors.Gideon told them that after the Lord gave him a victory over the kings, he would return and tear the flesh of the leaders of Succoth with thorns and briars. And he left and went to Peniel and asked again for food, but got the same answer. So he told the leaders of Peniel that after he returned in victory, he would tear down their tower.

By this time kings Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with 15,000 warriors. Gideon circled around by caravan route taking the Midianites by surprise. The two kings fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors. Then he returned by way of Heres Pass and captured a young man from Succoth and demanded he write down all seventy-seven rulers and leaders of that town. Then he returned to Succoth and reminded the leaders of how they refused to feed and water his exhausted troops until they captured the kings. Gideon took the leaders of the town and punished them with thorns and briars and he knocked down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town.

Gideon asked the kings what the men they killed at Tabor looked like. They replied the men they killed looked like the sons of a king. Gideon knew they meant his brothers. He said he wouldn't have killed the kings, if they hadn't killed his brothers. So turning to his Jether, his oldest son, he told him to kill the two kings. But Jether was only a boy and was afraid. Kings Zebah and Zalmunna told Gideon to not ask a boy to do a man's job, so Gideon killed them himself and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.

The Israelites asked Gideon to be their ruler, but he refused because he told them the Lord ruled over them. However, he said he had one request: that each of them give him an earring out of the treasures they collected from the fallen enemies. The Isralites did so gladly and the weight of the earrings was 43 pounds, not including chains, crescents, pendants and royal clothing. Gideon made an ephod out of the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites began to worship the ephod and it became a trap for Gideon and his family.

For the next forty years the land was at peace and Gideon returned home and had seventy sons and had a concubine in Shechem who bore him a son named Abimelech. Gideon died at a very old age and as soon as he died the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping Baal again and forgot the Lord who had rescued them from their enemies and showed no loyalty to the family of Jerubbal (Gideon) despite all the good he had done.

BIBLE NOTES SHOW: Ephrain's leaders felt left out because they had taken part in the battles, but got left to clean up the escaping Midianites. Gideon was a diplomat and assured them their job was greater than his own tribe's.
The leaders of Succoth and Peniel were probably more concerned about saving themselves and didn't think about God's power to save.
For a king to be killed by a boy was humiliating. The two kings wanted to avoid that disgrace and also wanted a more experienced swordsman to inflict the death.
People wanted Gideon as king, but he stressed that God was the ruler. He never lost sight of his faith.
An ephrod was a linen garment worn by priests over their chests. It was considered holy (see Exodus 28:6-35,39:2-24)and Gideon probably wanted a visible reminder to commemorate the victory. Sadly, he never counted on the people worshiping it.
The relationship with a concubine produced a son for Gideon, a son who tore apart his family and caused tragedy for his nation.Moral laxity causes such problems and Gideon should have been watchful against temptations. Sometimes Satan's strongest attacks come after a victory.

How does this chapter relate to us today? Sometimes we feel slighted like the Ephraim people perhaps because we don't get a leadership role or highly visible role. But we must remember that not every important job is highly visible. Much good work is done behind the scenes. Like the engineer and architects may design the building, but it is the bricklayers who do the actual work. Pride causes us to want recognition, but we must be content to be God's bricklayers. So I say, get out there and start laying bricks of faith for your Lord!

Yours in Christ,
Mary

Prayer Requests are needed for:
HEALTH: Gabe, Wanda, Janice Long’s parents, Arlene’s nephew, Logan and the newly born Stella who is taking mother’s milk now and Lori (who suffered a terrible accident)and her family. Update on Stella: She has good days, but is far from out of the woods. Pray for her, please and her parents too.
SPIRITUAL UPLIFTING: Gail, Mary
RESTORATION OF FAITH: Al, John
LOVE AND SUPPORT: Claire, Hunter
SUPPORT: Haiti, Chile, those who need jobs, those who are about to lose or have lost their homes. Pray too, for our country’s leaders and our military people who die each day for our freedom.