THE LORD WILL RULE OVER YOU

Passage: Judges 8:22-35

Key verse: 23

NIV

Gideon’s Ephod

22 The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23 But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule(A) over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring(B) from your share of the plunder.(C)” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites(D) to wear gold earrings.)

25 They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26 The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,[a] not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains(E) that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod,(F) which he placed in Ophrah,(G) his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare(H) to Gideon and his family.(I)

Gideon’s Death

28 Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head(J) again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace(K) forty years.

29 Jerub-Baal(L) son of Joash(M) went back home to live. 30 He had seventy sons(N) of his own, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine,(O) who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek.(P) 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age(Q) and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.(R) They set up Baal-Berith(S) as their god(T) 34 and did not remember(U) the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. 35 They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal(V) (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.(W)

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 8:26 That is, about 43 pounds or about 20 kilograms
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Gideon's Ephod

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; (A)the Lord will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, (B)because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels[a] of gold, besides (C)the crescent ornaments and (D)the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon (E)made an ephod of it and put it in his city, (F)in Ophrah. And all Israel (G)whored after it there, and it became a (H)snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. (I)And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

The Death of Gideon

29 (J)Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had (K)seventy sons, his own offspring,[b] for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine (L)who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died (M)in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, (N)at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 (O)As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and (P)whored after the Baals and made (Q)Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel (R)did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, 35 (S)and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 8:26 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  2. Judges 8:30 Hebrew who came from his own loins
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

After the Lord saved Israel through Gideon, the people of Israel wanted Gideon to be their king. Gideon did not comply. He would not rule them, because the Lord is their sole ruler. He is the one who saved them.

Gideon did ask them for some of the plunder. He took a gold earring from each of them and fashioned it into an ephod. Maybe Gideon thought he was doing something good, but the ephod became a snare to him and his family. The people of Israel came to worship the ephod. They rejected the Lord as their ruler and once again worshipped an idol.

After Midian was subdued, the land had peace. Gideon lived to a good old age, but as soon as he died, the Israelites began their detestable practice of idol worship again. They didn’t remember their previous misery, nor did they remember God’s great salvation work through Gideon.

Prayer: Lord, you are my Savior and ruler. Protect me from worshipping anything else. Help me to be mindful of your great salvation work in me.

One Word: Worship the Lord only