Text: Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.”
Judges 8:22-27, “(22) Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. (23) And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. (24) And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) (25) And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. (26) And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks. (27) And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.”
The Golden Ephod
Judges 6:11-16, “(11) And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. (12) And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. (13) And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. (14) And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? (15) And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. (16) And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”
Judges 6:24-27, “(24) Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (25) And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: (26) And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. (27) Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.”
- Jehovahshalom = “the Lord’s peace; the sign or witness of God’s speaking peace to me, and to his people: or the place where he spake peace to me, when I expected nothing but destruction.[1]
Judges 6:28-35, “(28) And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. (29) And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. (30) Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. (31) And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. (32) Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar. (33) Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. (34) But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. (35) And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.”
The temptation of this church age is also its burden.
- The temptation of the golden ephod
- The burden of the golden ephod
KJV, Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.”
ESV, Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.”
The Spirit of God – God’s Glory, God’s Anointing – wrapped around Gideon like a garment.
Came Upon (H3847) = “A primitive root; properly wrap around, that is, (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively: – (in) apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on, upon), wear.”
The golden ephod was Gideon’s attempt to manufacture what only God’s anointing and power can produce (Judges 8:22-28).
The result of this ephod was Israel’s fall into idolatry worshipping man made idols and not God, the created and not the Creator.
Rather than return to what attracted God’s attention to him in the first place, Gideon tried to establish his own system of worship.
There is only One Way to God and any other method leads to idolatry.
“The sword of Lord, and of Gideon” = Gideon taking partial credit for Divine success, and pride beginning to creep in:
Judges 7:16-20, “(16) And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. (17) And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. (18) When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon. (19) So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. (20) And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.
Judges 8:27, “And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.”
Israel went a whoring — they committed idolatry by going to Gideon’s golden ephod in Ophrah to inquire the will of God.
This false ephod drew Israel away from the true ephod, instituted by God for this end, which was to be worn by the high-priest only and was in Shiloh where the Tabernacle rested.
Which thing became a snare — Sin and ruin came upon Gideon, his children and Israel because of this golden ephod.
Judges 8:33, “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.”
Gideon may have been a decent man who made the golden ephod with the good intention of worshipping God, but any desire to set up a religion on your own terms and not by the Word of God ultimately leads to sin and ruin.
Why was this sin so dangerous and how does it relate to the church today?
- Superstition and will worship, worshipping God by a device of his own, which was expressly forbidden:
- Me and Jesus we got our own thing goingGod knows my heart, He knows I’m a good person
- Good people don’t go to heaven. Born again people go to heaven.
- Presumption, in wearing, or causing other priests to wear this kind of ephod, which was peculiar to the high-priest:
- Presumption stems from pride, insolence, and arrogance. It is total rebellion against God, His Word and/or His appointed leaders.
- Transgression of a plain command, of worshipping God ordinarily but at one place and one altar,
- Deuteronomy 12:5, 13-14, “(11) But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:… (13) Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest: (14) But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”
- Making a division among the people:
- Laying a stumbling-block, or an occasion of idolatry, before that people, whom he knew to be too prone to it.[2]
[1] Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.
[2] Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Judges 8:27
The Pillar and Ground of Truth 