Most of you have heard the expression “to live like a king.” It means to live a comfortable life with all of the luxuries you desire—power, authority, wealth, pleasure, and most of all, glory! Few people ever truly achieve the life of a king, but that certainly doesn’t stop many people from trying. And God’s servant, Gideon, was no exception!
As we have discovered over the past few weeks, God transformed Gideon from the coward of the county into a fearless warrior. Gideon implemented God’s brilliant battle plan of terrifying the Midianites with 300 torches and trumpets at night and watching the army turn their swords on each other, and then he enlisted the help of the northern tribes of Israel to hunt down the remnants of the Midianite army. After he proved his might by executing the kings of Midian, the people of Israel pressured him to become their king and establish a royal dynasty.
In what appears to be a noble and godly gesture in Judges 8:23, Gideon refuses the people’s monarchical requests and gave the dramatic theological declaration “the Lord will reign over you.” When we read this statement in isolation, it evokes the response, “Wow! What humility! What character! What moral and political resolve to turn down the opportunity to live the life of a king.”
But when we examine the story a more closely, we realize that Gideon had some major character flaws. It is always sad when our heroes have holes in their holiness. The fact is that he was already living like a king and he would continue to do so until his death. Why would he need the position of king when he already had the lifestyle? I wish Gideon’s story ended on a triumphal note, but it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at his life as a king!
The Diplomacy of a King (1-3)
After Gideon called on the tribe of Ephraim to help him and his 300 men finish off the Midianite army, they crossed back over the Jordan River with the heads of Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, in their hands. Instead of being grateful to Gideon, they began to bombard him with complaints because he had not called on them to join the battle sooner.
In his response, he acts like a king by employing the diplomacy of a politician. He comes across as humble, but really, he is using slick words and stretches the truth to pacify Ephraim’s anger to keep them on his side. He uses a rhetorical question to minimize his and his own tribe’s accomplishments and inflates Ephraim’s role in the battle.
But it is interesting that Gideon doesn’t even mention God in the exchange. He failed to say anything about his own divine call or his divine empowerment from God’s spirit, and he conveniently forgot to say anything about God’s desire to defeat the Midianites with minimal force. He should have told the men of Ephraim that he did not call on them because that was not what God wanted, but instead, he used this opportunity to promote his own political posture. Gideon’s guile was quite effective, but it shows a serious flaw in his moral character.
This scene causes us to question some of the motivations in our own hearts. First, like the men of Ephraim, I wonder how many of us complain when our personal role is minimized rather than simply rejoice in the accomplishments of others. Are we more interested in our own personal agendas or in God’s plan?
Second, like Gideon, I wonder how many of us use smooth speech or exaggerate the truth to get what we want from people. Do you ever manipulate facts or avoid sharing important details to achieve your desires? Do you ever shy away from using God’s name in a conversation because you are afraid of how others will respond?
The Requests of a King (4-9)
After the anger of Ephraim subsided, Gideon and his 300 men continued to chase Zebah and Zalumma, the two kings of Midian. As they entered the neighboring towns of Succoth and Peniel exhausted from pursuit, Gideon requested food for himself and his hungry men. Even though Gideon was not a king and did not have the authority to demand provisions, he certainly expected these Israelite towns to show hospitality and provide for them. But in both cases, his requests were rejected by the town leaders. The narrator does not give us a clear reason for this. It is implied that they perhaps questioned Gideon’s authority or doubted his ability. Maybe they felt that Gideon’s mission wasn’t necessary. We simply do not know for sure.
But we do know that Gideon acted like a king when he responded to the denial of his demands: he was absolutely furious—or dare I say, “He was royally ripped!” He threw diplomacy to the wind and threatened the town of Succoth by promising to return and thrash them with thorns and thistles. He promised Peniel that he would return and tear down their tower, which represented the town’s primary defense. These dual threats reveal that Gideon developed the expectations and assumed the authority of a king.
This scene helps us evaluate our own authority and expectations. Consider these questions in your heart, “Do I expect people to grant my requests and meet my demands? Do I expect people to conform to my goals and automatically share their resources with me? Do I ever feel that I have authority over others? Do I ever say things like, “I’m entitled to…” or “I deserve…” Am I apt to throw a fit or threaten someone when I don’t get what I want? Do I ever expect to be treated like a king?” Like Gideon, our conduct reveals our true character!
The Vengeance of a King (10-21)
Even though Gideon did not get the provisions he wanted from Succoth or Peniel, he pressed on by an unsuspecting route and ambushed Zebah and Zalumma and their force of 15,000 troops, which was what was left of their army of 135,000. He captured the kings, annihilated the entire army, and returned by the pass of Heres to seek his vengeance.
As Gideon approached Succoth, he took matters into his own hands again by seizing a young official from the town and forced him to write down the names of all 77 town officials. And he fulfilled his promise by teaching them a lesson of retribution. Even though he had no authority to do so, he whipped each of them with switches made from desert thorns.
When Gideon arrived at Peniel to make good on his promise to tear down their tower, his rage went beyond his threat and he massacred all the men of that city. His behavior could have been justified if Peniel had been a Midianite city, but these were fellow Israelites, his own people! As he poured out his vengeance, he was acting like a king completely out of control, no longer bound by the rules of civility, national loyalty, or obedience to God. (Block, 293)
Furthermore, in Gideon’s confrontation with Zebah and Zalmunna, he mocks them by asking, “What kind of men did you kill at Mt. Tabor?” They respond by saying, “Men like you; men with a princely appearance.” This is another ironic hint by the narrator to show that Gideon is acting like a king. Then we learn that the murdered men were none other than Gideon’s biological brothers, thus revealing the reason why Gideon was so hell-bent on tracking down these kings. He was acting outside of God’s will by pursuing a personal vendetta.
Gideon’s statement, “As surely as the Lord lives, if you had spared them, I would spare you” sounds pious, but it doubtful that he meant it. The oath to the Lord was undoubtedly meant to impress his captives, but it was an empty exploitation of the divine name and a violation of the Third Commandment (Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.) He invoked God’s name to sanctify his vengence. Even though Gideon was not a king, he sure was acting like it!
This is even more apparent when Gideon tells his young son Jether to do his dirty work for him by killing the Midianite kings. His purpose in this is to humiliate the kings by death at the hands of a child. But when Jether is too scarred, Gideon executes them himself. He may have proved his manhood, but he also proved his disregard for the Lord’s commands. (Block 293)
This scene compels us to think about our own vendettas and attitudes of vengeance. When someone doesn’t give you what you want, how do you react? When someone hurts you with their words or actions, how do you respond—with anger and bitterness or mercy and forgiveness? When you experience injustice, do you take matters into your own hands or do you trust God to deal with it? Most of our vendettas aren’t as violent or bloody as Gideon’s, but they are just as destructive to our souls!
The Ego of a King (22-28)
Now that Gideon had finished off the Midianite army and executed their kings, the people of Israel actively campaigned for him to be their king. This request shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the agent of salvation. They gave all of the glory to Gideon rather than God.
At first, it appears that Gideon flat out rejects their request for him to be king; after all, he even gives them a theological reason—“only the Lord should rule over you.” But it is curious that he doesn’tt correct the people’s mistaken interpretation who delivered them. Their praise stroked his ego and he took the glory for himself rather than deflecting it to God.
This is confirmed in his subsequent conduct of requesting that his soldiers give him a gold earring from their share of the plunder. By requesting such a gift and demanding this symbolic gesture of submission, he once again takes on the conduct of a king. And the amount of gold that he receives takes on the character of a royal treasure—1700 shekels of gold amounts to 43 pounds. This is indeed a treasure fit for a king! (Block 300)
Gideon also assumed a king’s role by crafting an ephod (a priestly robe) from the gold and erecting it in his hometown of Ophrah. This image memorialized Gideon, not God. And the people prostituted themselves in worship before it as they had with the idols of Baal. Gideon’s kingly ego led to idolatry and became a snare to him and his family.
This scene serves as a warning for us to keep our egos in check. When we demand the submission of others, we raise ourselves as objects of worship. When we take the credit for what for something God has done or fail to deflect the glory to God, we tread on dangerous ground. When we allow the praise of people to go to our heads, we become a snare to ourselves and the people around us. When we try to memorialize ourselves or our families, we walk a very thin line of idolatry! In a culture of rampant idolatry, we need to constantly remind ourselves that we are not kings and that the world doesn’t revolve around us.
The Escapades of a King (29-35)
Well, despite Gideon’s failures, it appears that his story ends on a positive note. The land of Israel had peace for 40 years, Gideon experienced the blessing of having seventy sons, he lived a good long life in his hometown, and he was buried with his ancestors. But under the surface, trouble was brewing. Gideon enjoyed the escapades of a king by marrying many wives, having a little concubine at his side, and named the son he fathered through his concubine Abimelech, which means, “My father is king.” How ironic is that? His kinglike accumulation of many wives and gold was in direct violation to God’s law (Deut. 17:17) Therefore, it doesn’t surprise us that no sooner than Gideon died, the people of Israel forgot what the Lord had done for them, fell back into idolatry, and failed to show kindness to Gideon’s family.
After God had been so gracious to Gideon—delivering him from a life of fear, calling him into his service as judge over Israel, clothing him with courage, supernaturally saving him from the hand of the Midianites, and showing him favor at every turn, it is so sad to hear how the story ends. But this is exactly what happens to Christians today who don’t maintain a close relationship with the Lord. When we allow falsehood, selfishness, anger, vengeance, ego, immorality, and idolatry to creep into our lives, our story doesn’t end well either! When we forget what Jesus Christ has done for us through his death and resurrection, it is easy to be confused about who is really the king.
I pray that we will all learn from Gideon’s mistakes. Instead of striving to live like a king, let us live for the king!