Month: April 2018

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Day 100 — I Samuel 15 – 17, Psalm 144

Day 100! Doesn’t that feel like an accomplishment?!

God regretted that He had made Saul king because Saul had turned back from following Him and had not performed His commandments. Further, because Saul rejected God’s word, God rejected him from being king. Unlike man, God doesn’t have to live with regret; He judges what causes Him regret. Isn’t regret a sad word for God to use with regard to one He had chosen? He doesn’t have anything to regret with regard to you, does He?

Saul claimed that he had performed God’s commandment and obeyed God’s voice by going on the mission which God had sent him and devoting to destruction the people he defeated. When he was confronted about the animals that had been saved from destruction, he placed the blame on the people and said that the animals were for sacrificing to God. We aren’t given enough information to know what truly was in Saul’s heart: did he really think he had obeyed God’s command, or was he justifying his actions? God didn’t buy it, and He won’t buy our excuses, either. If Saul was confused about the details of his mission, God didn’t buy it. If he believed that partial obedience, the going and destroying of the people, was good enough to call it obedience, God didn’t buy it. If he truly felt pressured by the people, God didn’t buy it. Failure to obey was called rebellion by God. Apparently God saw the sin of presumption in Saul’s actions, that he intended to ask forgiveness later for his actions, and expected to receive it after having done what he wanted instead of what God wanted. God didn’t extend that to him. What does God’s response to Saul lead you to expect from Him if you try the same?

Saul confessed that he had sinned – was it prompted by genuine remorse? Apparently it was just words, for he asked Samuel to pardon him, when the sin had been against God. And although he said he wanted to bow before the Lord, and did bow, he did not submit to God. We know that because Samuel had to be the one to kill the Amalekite king, and although Samuel had told Saul that God had taken the kingdom from him and given it to a more worthy man, Saul made no secret about his intention to kill Samuel if he anointed another king. Another hint about the condition of Saul’s heart was that he called God “the Lord your God.”

When God told Samuel that man looks on the outward appearance, I don’t think He was just thinking about the kind of things that made Saul stand out physically, but also a person’s actions. God is not fooled by our actions. Our service, our kind gestures, our pious demeanor, and our words may favorably impress other people, but God will never be fooled by them. And even if we try to convince ourselves that our motives are pure, that we’re “doing okay,” God is not fooled. We may actually fool ourselves, but we will never fool God. That is why David in Psalm 139 invited God to search him and try him. Since Saul’s example shows that even if we fool ourselves we will not be excused by God for our rebellion or presumption, we should regularly invite Him to reveal to us if there is anything in our hearts that has fooled us, so that we can make it right. God will not do that if we don’t invite Him to. Today is a good time for that, since our reading reminds us of it!

Several clues in today’s reading reveal that David was not highly regarded by his father or brothers. Can you imagine being left out of that important feast with the renowned Samuel, when everyone else in the family got to attend? He was so unimportant in his father’s eyes that Jesse didn’t even tell Samuel that there was another son until Samuel asked, and then Jesse was dismissive of the young man. Did the hurt that must have caused him shape David to be the man after God’s own heart? I believe those kinds of hurts are allowed by God to drive us to Him. Can we appreciate them for what they are, and allow Him to use them for His intended purpose?

The Philistines weren’t far into Judah’s territory when they gathered at Socoh, for Azekah was just on the Philistine side of the boundary between Philistia and Judah. Saul had made progress in his ongoing fight against the Philistines.

David was offended by Goliath’s taunts because he was defying the armies of the living God, and in so doing had defied God Himself. In a day when every people had multiple gods, and each people group respected the gods of any other people who enjoyed wealth or success in battle, Israel’s God would have been perceived as one of many. David was taking a stand first and foremost for God’s honor above all other gods. In doing so, he trusted God to deliver Goliath into his hand, so that “all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves….”

Goliath’s huge sword and spear and javelin meant nothing to the one who came in the name of the living God, the Lord of hosts. David must have looked tiny and naked next to Goliath in his bronze helmet, coat of mail, and greaves, protected behind his shield bearer. He must have expected that his bold words would provoke Goliath, but he spoke them unashamedly as he took his ridiculously vulnerable stand. He would have had a captive audience as he spoke them; what a witness! And God validated his witness, so that no one could deny that God saves,. God would have stood out above all other gods, not only because of David’s words, but God’s actions. What does David’s example teach you about your own witness for God? Does God want you to be jealous of His honor?

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Day 99 — I Samuel 13 – 14

The Philistine garrison at Geba was only about five miles north of Jerusalem (which I offer as a landmark because you may know where it is) and about four miles northeast of Saul’s home town of Gibeah. This was well into Saul’s kingdom. The move to Michmash drew them even closer to the center of Saul’s kingdom. This situation put pressure on the king. We will now see in action this monarchy that the people so wanted.

Note God’s criterion for the king, that he be a man after His own heart. That Saul failed to keep God’s command meant that he was not such a man. Was that fair to Saul, when he offered the sacrifice in the first place to seek God’s favor? All I can say is that he was not sensible to seek God’s favor in a way that violated His command. He failed to do so because he saw the battle as his and not God’s, and was pressured when his soldiers began abandoning his cause. Didn’t he recall Gideon’s defeat of the Midianites, when God severely whittled the Israelite army down so that the victory was clearly His? This king, impressive as he was physically, as promising as he initially seemed, cracked under pressure.

While Saul hung back well away from the enemy, possibly seeking guidance from God through the Urim and Thummim (which of course had proven unreliable in Judges 20), Jonathan took action. He didn’t need the ephod to seek God’s guidance. He stepped forward for service in the assumption that God might want His people to take a stand, knowing that this was God’s battle and He just needed a willing servant to take action. He trusted God to reveal what that action would be. He established as predetermined signs two reasonably likely situations, and defined what action should follow each one. If situation A happened, he would take it as God’s warning to hold back; if situation B was presented, then he would accept it as God’s encouragement to move forward. What a great way to seek God’s guidance! Sovereign God can certainly control the actions of His creatures in guiding His people to do His work. This is a great example for us to follow in seeking God’s guidance in our own lives.

In case you found the action difficult to follow, Jonathan and his armor bearer killed twenty men in the garrison, which triggered a frightened reaction among all of the Philistines not only in the garrison, but also in the camp of the army assembled for battle. Their response alerted Saul that this was an opportunity to strike the Philistines while they were vulnerable, and he led his army of 600 essentially unarmed foot soldiers into battle. That army was joined by Israelites who had defected to the Philistines, and those who were in hiding throughout the land, and they were able to put the innumerable Philistine army with its 30,000 chariots and 6,000 horsemen to flight.

This was a great miracle that would have never happened if Jonathan hadn’t taken action under God’s guidance. In contrast, everything Saul did in his own wisdom seemed to hinder the efforts of the Israelites in achieving a great victory. Both lives are examples to us.

Based on what you’ve learned about the importance God places on the fulfillment of one’s vow, weighing in the rashness of Saul’s vow and foolish pronouncement of death, do you think Saul was right to allow the opinions of the people to keep him from fulfilling his vow to kill Jonathan? What does this teach you about your words?

How pleased should the people have been with this king they wanted in place of God? “These things happened to them as examples to us….”

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Day 98 – I Samuel 9 – 12

God regarded His people because their cry for a king had come to Him. What they were asking for was against God’s will for them, and further, was a way of by-passing God. Instead of relying on God, appealing to Him in times of crisis, they would be appealing to the king, as is demonstrated in chapter 11. Instead of their seeing a time of prosperity as a blessing from God, they would see it as the result of a good king’s administration. This teaches us to be careful in our praying. Is our heart’s desire anything other than to know God? Then what if He gives us our heart’s desire, and it interferes with our knowing Him? We need to pray as Jesus taught us to pray, and not simply for the desires of our hearts. If we can’t pray for God’s will to be done, we can ask for Him to change our hearts so that we can.

The people committed great wickedness in asking for a king, yet Samuel told them, “do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart…. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart.” They didn’t blow it by committing great wickedness! He didn’t mean that they should not be concerned about their wickedness in making this choice, but that they shouldn’t consider it the end of their relationship with God. They still had the opportunity to serve Him; their chances weren’t finished. They could still choose to serve Him if they would do so in truth and with all of their hearts! God gives the same message of hope to His New Testament people in I John 2:1. Do you need to take it to heart today, to find the resolve you need to make the choice to serve God in truth and with all of your heart? Do you need to share that message of hope with someone else who needs to hear it?

Note the characteristics of Saul that we see in these chapters, for they reveal why he was chosen by God to lead His people. What do you see? A good study habit is to list the characteristics you note.

God changed Saul’s heart in preparation for his being king. Think about that: God has the power to change a heart. It’s perhaps a truth we take for granted because we don’t contemplate it, but how profound it is. It has a couple implications:

  • Have you noticed evidence of God’s transforming power in you? If not, ask God to show you the work He has done, for sometimes it happens so gradually and quietly that we may doubt whether it has happened at all. If He has no change to reveal to you, then you should be wondering whether you have His Spirit in you, which should be a fearsome prospect. Take your concerns to God for answers! If you have no such concerns, praise God for His transforming power, and witness to others about it. For He deserves the praise, not you.
  • How does this truth affect your prayers for others?
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Day 97 — I Samuel 4 – 8

Why would the Israelites think it was a good idea to carry the Ark of the Covenant into battle? Perhaps they were recalling that it was carried with their forefathers when they marched around Jericho. Or perhaps they were following a pagan custom of bringing in the big guns by carrying an image of their god to the battle. In any case, this wasn’t from God, and it wasn’t God’s help they were seeking. Their actions present a lesson to us, that we can’t elicit our desired action from God by invoking His name in error. He promises to be found by those who will seek Him, not His blessings. If we are seeking Him, we must do so His way; a true seeker will be seeking to understand what that way is. Psalm 145:18 says “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

God taught the Israelites that the Ark required special handling. It resided in the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle, a place where only the High Priest could enter only one day a year, and at great peril. Why didn’t God’s presence strike them down when they came for the Ark? It appears that God’s glory had departed from it. Isn’t it sad that no one seemed to miss it? Is it possible for us New Testament people to miss the departure of God’s glory?

God’s people weren’t able to retrieve the Ark, but God didn’t need their help. Not only was it returned, but the Philistines were judged in the process so that they knew Gods’ power. Do you suppose that God still wants to show His power in the world so that all will know Him? Isn’t that what our witness for Him is supposed to accomplish?

The people mourned and sought after God. Mourning accompanies a true seeking after Him, because separation caused by sin is what necessitates seeking after God. Meeting Him makes man aware of the awfulness of his sin. Have you ever suffered with the knowledge of how awful your sin is? Such knowledge is a true gift from God, as unpleasant as the experience is, for it drives us to Him with a greater understanding of our helpless need for a Savior. Samuel’s instructions to the seekers were to put away the foreign gods, direct their hearts to God, and serve Him alone. A true seeking of God isn’t limited to words, but will be evident in our actions.

God warned them what the outcome of having a king would, be, and we will read about the fulfillment of that warning. Why couldn’t His people live according to His plan, continuing to seek and serve Him, and asking for Him to supply the leaders they needed? The answer is that if man was capable of doing that, we wouldn’t have needed a Savior! As it is, Jesus our Savior has released us from our enslavement to sin and self, making it possible for us to live in submission to God. We need to trust Him and pray for His will to be done! Otherwise, we can be caught off guard by the enemy who deceives us into thinking that we can live according to our own plan without suffering the consequences God warns us about – like the Israelites did.

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Day 96 – I Samuel 1 – 3; Psalm 113

The account of Elkanah’s family in today’s reading is another example that shows that everyone was not “doing what was right in his own eyes” in Israel in those days. Such people were not visible to the writer(s) of Judges, but were quietly living as God intended for them to live, in the midst of the awful sin that came from each one doing what his selfish heart desired.

Any woman who knows what it’s like to suffer unfulfilled longings for children understands only a fraction of what Hannah suffered because of her infertility. On top of wanting helplessly to hold her own children, Hannah had to suffer the degradation of her personal worth for her lack of children, for in that culture the worth of a woman was measured in her ability to have children. Doubtless it was all the more difficult for her that the other woman in the home had children; where could Hannah find refuge from the hurt that confronted her even in her home? Then there was the added burden of that other wife’s “provoking her bitterly to irritate her”; could you imagine having to live with that? Can you imagine how worthless Hannah must have felt? How tortured her life must have been? Hannah’s example offers inspiration to women suffering infertility today.

I can’t imagine giving up a young child to live far away. As much as Hannah must have longed to keep that boy, waiting for him for so long and desiring so intensely to have him, she loved God more. She rejoiced in the blessings God had given rather than focusing on what she was losing by giving up Samuel. She doubtless wept for her loss as she left him in Shiloh, but her “heart exulted in the Lord.” What a witness! She testified that her strength “was exalted in the Lord.” She “rejoiced in His salvation.” She knew Him to be her firm foundation. She found all that she needed for self-worth in Him, for she recognized that all are subject to God: He can change the fortunes of anyone, so that the one exalted in society is brought low, and the low one exalted. Counter to what her culture taught her, she believed that one’s station doesn’t change one’s worth in truth. What of Hannah’s example might you need to put into practice today?

Eli was about to discover the same counter-culture truth that Hannah had discovered, because he did not esteem the office of High Priest as it merited, catering instead to his sons and allowing them to degrade the office to satisfy their sinful and selfish desires. Eli himself didn’t despise God, for he warned his sons, but the judgment was pronounced against him. Actually, as God sees it, failing to honor Him is the same as despising Him, and Eli definitely failed to honor Him in the way he allowed his sons to continue in their despicable actions. If you see any injustice in that, or anything else that makes you doubt God’s good character, please confess your doubts to Him and ask Him to enlighten you. If you are truly seeking Him, He will be found by you in a way that is unforgettable!

What a contrast Eli and Hannah are, and what a contrast their legacies are! Eli’s actions impacted his entire household and its future generations in a devastating way; Hannah has given encouragement and a godly example to countless women through the ages. Does it make you think about the legacy you are building?

Just as Samuel mistook God’s voice for Eli’s, we can miss perceiving His words to us if we’re not expecting to hear from Him. Do you expect to hear from God? He doesn’t often speak audibly, but He does communicate with us in many other ways. The problem is, He doesn’t speak loudly enough to be heard over the constant barrage of noise and/or activity with which we fill every minute of our days. If we are going to hear from Him, we must seek Him, ask Him, expect Him to answer in His way and not our own, and wait for Him in an atmosphere conducive to hearing from Him. That would be a prayerful atmosphere. What would that prayerful atmosphere look like for you? Would it be outdoors or indoors? Surrounded by nature or soft music or absolute silence? He says through the writer of Psalm 46, “Be still, and know that I am God.” If stillness is foreign to you, you are going to have to practice it to take advantage of this gracious opportunity to know God.

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Day 95 — Ruth

What a beautiful story today’s reading is, and all the more so because of the ugliness of what we have been reading. How fitting it is that we read about the redemption of these two worthy women, on the heels of reading about the downward spiral of wickedness and hopelessness that forsaking God brought to Israel. For the book is not primarily a romantic story about Ruth and Boaz placed here for our enjoyment, but a story about redemption, to teach us about the realities of what our Savior has done for us.

Did you catch the details about Naomi’s and Boaz’s characters that indicate they were people who still sought to serve God in the godless culture of Israel during the judges? Boaz’s greeting the harvesters in the name of the Lord, his kindnesses to one who was nobody in that society despite the fact that he was a man of standing, Naomi’s trust in him, and her confidence that he would promptly do as he said, are all clues. Not everyone was doing only what was right in their own eyes in Israel in that day! But just as in our culture, no one seemed to want to admit that, because the exceptions to that rule raised the standard for everyone else.

Naomi was apparently a pleasant woman as her name indicates. That the deaths of her husband and sons turned her bitter attest to the difficult situation left to her. Women in that day were necessarily under the protection of a man; they had no means of providing for their own needs or protecting themselves in the relatively lawless society we’ve been reading about in Judges. We saw in yesterday’s reading that women were not valued in a society like Israel during the time of the Judges, where might made right. That seems to be upheld by Boaz’s commanding his servants not to touch Ruth, and Naomi’s warning that in someone else’s field she might be harmed. Can you appreciate the desperate situation Naomi and Ruth were in?

The Mosaic Law provided for women in Naomi’s and Ruth’s vulnerable situation, so that they wouldn’t be left helpless (ref. Deuteronomy 25:5-6). The family member who was closest in relationship to Naomi’s late husband seemed to know that he was the redeemer, but didn’t wish to fulfill that obligation, so his actions left Naomi and Ruth hopelessly destitute.

Boaz went beyond what was required of him. He charged his workers to look after Ruth’s safety, he had them pull out grain for her to pick up, and he went to the family redeemer rather than sending her. None of these would have been significant costs to him, but they meant all the difference to Ruth and Naomi. We all have strengths which God can use to minister to others in ways that cost us little because of the way God has gifted us, but that mean so much to others who are not gifted in that area. We need to allow Him to use us as He has gifted us with strength.

So think about the change in Ruth’s and Naomi’s conditions and learn the lesson about redemption. We are in a hopeless state of degradation from the curse of sin, and helpless to get out of it. As you understand the desperate situation that Naomi and Ruth were in, hopefully you can better appreciate your own wretched state without Jesus. Like the hero Boaz, our Redeemer has changed that condition completely. Hopefully these characters’ lives speak powerfully to us, to help us understand how much our Savior has done for us, and how wonderful He is. Can you spend some time meditating on that today, and offer praise and thanks to your Savior?

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Day 94 — Judges 19 – 21

When the text says that the Israelites inquired of the Lord, they were probably using the Urim and Thummim, which scholars believe were something like die that they used for the purpose of  receiving a judgment from the Lord (ref. Numbers 27:21). This was a method given to them by God for getting an answer from Him. How does that method of communicating with His people, given at a time when He was speaking face-to-face with Moses on a regular basis, impact your ideas of how you might seek an answer from God when you ask for His guidance?

God could doubtless be in the outcome of the roll of the Urim and Thummim, just as He could direct the results of a lottery; however, it was presumptuous of the people to think that He would give them an answer just because they asked for one. They didn’t know God or His word enough to understand that as long as they were hostile to Him, He would be hostile to them (Leviticus 26:23-24). The only way they could change that would be to confess their sins humbly and submit to God. It’s a reasonable guess that the sin throughout Israel had become so great that the wickedness in Gibeah was no greater than the sin of the entire nation. That would have made the aggression of these tribes in the name of “removing this wickedness from Israel” hypocritical. What made them think that God was in favor of their attacking their fellow Israelites? Doubtless, what had happened to the Levite and his wife in Gibeah was horrible, but hypocritical outrage was not the response God desired. Check out Leviticus 26:40-42 to see what a more appropriate response would have been in God’s eyes. What do you think would be a proper Christian response to the sin of our nation today?

Or perhaps God was willing to answer them, and He was using their attacks to judge the wickedness of the entire nation as well as Benjamin’s.

Again we see man’s flawed ways making a mess of justice. What a contrast man’s flawed ways are to God’s good ways. And yet those good ways don’t seem good enough to please God’s Old Testament people. Are His New Testament people any different?

A theme of the book of Judges is in the final verse of the book: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” As if the problem with their behavior was lack of a king instead of sin and their failure to serve and know God. Their not having a king was a lame excuse that kept them from having to admit what the real problem was and address it. It was also justification for their wanting what God didn’t want them to have. If they weren’t careful, God would give them what they were wanting, and they would find out that it wasn’t what they were expecting it to be.

Thus we finish reading Judges – doesn’t if seem like we’re moving quickly? We’ll soon be reading about how God gave Israel their desired king, and then the people settled down contentedly in the Promised Land and fulfilled God’s purpose for them of knowing Him and enjoying intimate fellowship with Him under the servant leadership of their God-honoring king…. Or not. Actually, we will see more proof of man’s need for a Savior.

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Day 93 — Judges 14 – 16

Samson was chosen by God before his life began, to “begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” Presumably his parents followed the instructions they had been given and raised him as a Nazirite from birth. He had advantages over other judges, chosen and prepared from birth, empowered by the Spirit of God, and yet his service looked so dreadful. This theocratic form of government, with God being Israel’s king, wasn’t working, because the leaders weren’t truly led by Him.

Samson’s story is filled with confusing contradictions. His demand that his parents arrange for him to marry a Philistine wife, when God had forbidden His people to marry the foreigners in their midst was part of God’s plan?! The Sprit of the Lord came upon him spontaneously and mightily so that he could kill the lion, when as a Nazirite he wasn’t supposed to be in the presence of a carcass? He was filled with God’s Spirit and yet had such an unworthy character. He did not seem to possess a character or judgment or even self-control worthy of a leader, yet he was chosen by God to judge Israel for twenty years. The only insight I can offer as to why God allowed this to happen is that if this was the best He had to work with, He worked with it. But my guess is that He wanted to do more for His people, if only He had a more willing and faithful servant to provide leadership. The Philistines continued to be a problem for the Israelites until a more fitting servant arose to finish them off. That would be David.

That all of Samson’s experience was apparently God’s plan, again shows us that we cannot comprehend His higher ways and thoughts. It also shows us that He will work through people who are not fully surrendered to Him, or even surrendered to Him at all. Our poor choices will not necessarily prevent Him from working at all, but may hinder the full realization of His purpose.

Samson’s example challenges us with the quality of our fitness for service, and thus the quality of our service. What kind of fitness have your choices achieved for you?

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Day 92 — Judges 10 – 13

Israel’s crying out to God in their misery and confessing their sin of forsaking God in favor of serving the Baals wasn’t enough to rouse God’s compassion to rescue them. It was when they forsook the Baals and other gods and served Him that God exercised compassion and gave them victory over their enemy. As has been asked before, how does God get His people’s attention when they have forsaken Him? Suffering seems to be the only thing that prompts unfaithful people to turn to God. Therefore, God would be foolish to relieve the suffering in response to a mere crying out to Him or even to a confession of sin. It is when the suffering has achieved its desired result, that of returning His people to Him, that He relents. Let us keep in mind that if we New Testament folk are in an unfaithful state, God will impose suffering on us as encouragement to return to Him. He will not be moved until we move; simply crying out to Him or even confessing our unfaithfulness is not turning. Remember that God is neither unfaithful nor foolish.

Jephthah did not seem to be God’s choice of leader, but the people’s; nevertheless, God helped rescue Israel from Ammon by sending His spirit upon Jephthah for the mission of defeating their enemy. When can we ever have God or His ways figured out?

Jephthah made a rash vow needlessly, which demonstrated his ignorance of God. Even though human sacrifice is detestable to God, Jephthah had to keep his vow to God. Such is the importance to God of faithfulness to one’s word. That conflicts with our culture’s value of keeping one’s word, which devalues everyone’s word by teaching us to do what is most convenient for us. Whose standard will you accept and live by? God’s standard is a livable one if we are careful in the commitments we make.

Those Ephraimites were troublemakers, complaining after the battle was over that they didn’t get to participate. Who was in the right here? No one! God used such confrontations to judge His people for their sin. Sin creates chaos, drama and confusion. Let us remember that it is never attractive; if it seems so, it is because our enemy has deceived us. Don’t be deceived into thinking that sin is ever anything but what is represented here, and uglier.

The significance of the many sons and daughters some of these judges had, and their riding on donkeys, was that the judge described was king-like. The description was meant to convey how impressive they would have been to the people of that day. Only through many wives did a man get that many children, and only a wealthy man could afford that many wives. That he was able to provide a means of personal transportation for each one of his many children spoke of even greater wealth; this large family was not simply getting by. After years of judgment – remember what that would have looked like, according to Moses? – , they could only have accrued that much wealth by collecting it from their people, imposing taxes or tribute. Recalling that God, and not a king, was to be the leader of His people, you may realize that these leaders who were impressive to the people of their day are not in truth impressive at all. How disappointing this Old Covenant plan turned out for God and for His people!

Was God in error to devise the plan that deteriorated so quickly into such a hopeless spiral of sin and chaos? As the all-knowing being that Scripture teaches God is, He wasn’t surprised by this. So why did He give them this doomed plan? Why didn’t He give them a king like they obviously wanted? The kingdom plan was not as good as His plan – Scripture will teach us that. As I have contemplated all of this, it seems to me that God had a good reason for giving them the Law and designing their government as He did, for the outcome teaches us to long for something better – for Messiah. It teaches us the uselessness and hopelessness of man’s ways and thoughts, and points us to God’s higher ways and thoughts. Hopefully we’ll see that more and more as the story continues to unfold.

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Day 91 — Judges 8 – 9

Gideon’s actions aren’t easy for us to understand because of the vast cultural differences from our own, but we should understand that they reveal a divided heart. Let’s try to evaluate them for a better understanding of Gideon’s story.

Gideon was humble enough to respond diplomatically to Ephraim’s anger about not being called into battle when he won that great victory for Israel. In his reply he wasn’t discounting the amazing work God had done through him, because no one could miss how great it was, but he didn’t need to brag about it to raise the ire of his brothers. How lovely his humility was!

He was not taking vengeance in His actions against the towns of Succoth and Penuel, but destroying them as acts of war. That was a good thing, for God said that vengeance was His to take.

Declining the people’s offer to be made king seems like a good thing, but his actions seem to deny his words. He asked for their tribute, he kept for himself the spoils from the kings they had defeated, and he had many wives, which would be king-like. So while he refused to be crowned king, he behaved like a king. That was not God’s idea of what the leaders of his people should look like, but it was consistent with the people’s idea of what a king looked like. We all know that actions speak louder than words.

Whatever the ephod was, it was an article that people worshiped. Perhaps it was intended to be a memorial of the great victory God had given Israel through Gideon’s leadership, and we have seen how God valued memorials. But recall that when God instructed his people to set up memorials, it was always something basic and humble, such as a pile of stones, something that would never pose the danger of being worshiped. Gideon ended up worshiping this ephod himself, and it became a snare to his household and all of Israel. Gideon’s action led his family and the entire nation astray, which left them only slightly better off than when he took leadership of the nation under Midian’s oppression.

Gideon’s arrogant actions and divided heart also left to the nation Abimelech to follow in his footsteps, whose actions brought the ugliness of injustice, deceit and wickedness on the nation. He was not a God-given leader, but a power-grabber, leading only to serve his own interests. His leadership was not a blessing to the nation in any way.

So while Gideon led the nation in a great victory over Midian and in so doing gave us some great lessons to treasure and an example to follow, he also led his people into defeat and wickedness. In all, perhaps the most significant lesson of his life is that even a hero of the faith can blow it if he is not careful and diligent in maintaining and growing his devotion to God.

We have read for one quarter of the year! Celebrate your milestone as you celebrate our Savior’s victory over death and all that it means for us! Happy Easter!