BEWARE of the big head

We all want a little of the glory don't we! A part of the victory? To be a part of the fight AND the win!
Do you can't blame these guys for feeling left out....

The men of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why did you treat us this way? Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight against Midian?” They argued angrily with Gideon.
But he answered them, “I have not done as well as you! The small part you did was better than all that my people of Abiezer did. God let you capture Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of Midian. How can I compare what I did with what you did?” When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, they were not as angry anymore. (Judges 8;1-3)

Well Gideon did settle them down
with his answer, but then he goes right into another battle to catch kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, without including them! And I don't see that the Lord commanded this battle or that Gideon consulted God!
It was a person vendetta!

When Gideon and his three hundred men came to the Jordan River, they were tired, but they chased the enemy across to the other side. Gideon said to the men of Succoth, “Please give my soldiers some bread because they are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.”
But the leaders of Succoth said, “Why should we give your soldiers bread? You haven’t caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet.”
Then Gideon said, “The Lord will surrender Zebah and Zalmunna to me. After that, I will whip your skin with thorns and briers from the desert.” (Judges 8:3-7 NCV)

When the Lord first met up with Gideon he was a meek and humble guy, he was actually scared and hiding from the enemy, to now possibly getting a big head because of his victory !
But that was the Lords victory, because He had decreed that battle!

Gideon captured those kings, but now he was after those who turned down his plea for some food and had ridiculed him. You don't make fun of Gideon! Was this really necessary to do what he did next!

When Gideon came to Succoth, he said to the people of that city, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. You made fun of me by saying, ‘Why should we give bread to your tired men? You have not caught Zebah and Zalmunna yet.’ ”
So Gideon took the elders of the city and punished them with thorns and briers from the desert. He also pulled down the tower of Peniel and killed the people in that city. (Judges 8:15-17 NCV)

Gideon is on a rampage! He then kills those kings too! But he first ask his young son to do the job, but he couldn't do it!

Then Gideon said to Jether, his oldest son, “Kill them.” But Jether was only a boy and was afraid, so he did not take out his sword.
Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on. Kill us yourself. As the saying goes, ‘It takes a man to do a man’s job.’ ” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna and took the decorations off their camels’ necks. (Judges 8:20, 21 NCV)

Gideon named one of his sons Abimelech which means 'my father is King' ...
Did he put himself on the throne?
Would vanity be in his description now?

He seems sincere when He says he will not be a king to them...

The people of Israel said to Gideon, “You saved us from the Midianites. Now, we want you and your son and your grandson to rule over us.”
But Gideon told them, “The Lord will be your ruler. I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you.” (Judges 8:22, 23 NCV)

But Gideon is letting the power get to him...

He said, “I want you to do this one thing for me. I want each of you to give me a gold earring from the things you took in the fighting.”
The Ishmaelites 
They said, “We will gladly give you what you want.”
So they spread out a coat, and everyone threw down an earring from what he had taken. The gold earrings weighed about forty-three pounds. This did not count the decorations, necklaces, and purple robes worn by the kings of Midian, nor the chains from the camels’ necks.
Gideon used the gold to make a holy vest, which he put in his hometown of Ophrah. But all the Israelites were unfaithful to God and worshiped it, so it became a trap for Gideon and his family. (Judges 8:24-27 NCV)

43 lbs of gold to make a so called holy vest, to honor himself! And it backfired on him....The people worshipped ....IT...,..instead of God!

Oh Gideon, you exalted yourself and kind of, sort of ....wanted all the glory, like those men in the beginning of this chapter.

I know, it's easy to do! You get caught up in the 'it's all about me'
and 'patting yourself on your back' syndrome, thinking you did something great when God should always be exalted high above us!
I know, because I've done it too Gideon!

I don't think God id pleased with it,
I KNOW He isn't pleased with it! It causes others to look to man, to worship a leader instead of worshipping HIM!

We ALL get caught up in honking our own horn!
Lord whoever reads this, help us to be humble in your sight. Help us not to take any of the glory
for anything we do!
And help us not do anything....anything without consulting you first!
And help us teach our generation who to serve instead of what to serve, because ....

As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel were again unfaithful to God and followed the Baals. They made Baal-Berith their god. And they were not kind to the family of Jerub-Baal, also called Gideon, for all the good he had done for Israel. (Judges 8:33, 35 NCV)
Amen.

Created 3 months ago