Judges 8:22-35 Out of the Ashes: Danger in victory – It’s tough to end well

Turin 2006 Olympics

The gold metal favorite is USA Lindsey Jacobeliss

Clearly best snowboarder in the world over at least the last year.

All she has to do is win the last race.

Let’s see.

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She had it. Years of work. Massive lead.

But in the midst of certain victory she gets arrogant. She seeks to show how great she is by putting on a show.

And didn’t work. She failed to finish.

And so it can happen to any of us.

Clear victory is a dangerous time.

So it was for Gideon and the nation of Israel.

They had won. Defeated the oppressors in an impossible way.

God had given clear victory.

What will happen now?

Let’s see.

It’s tough to end well. There are dangers in victory.

I. Tough to end well: Dangers in victory

A. Neglected worship of the Lord Judges 8:22

B. Sought human leadership over God’s leadership Judges 8:22a

(ESV) Judges 8 22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, youand your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

C. Stole God’s glory Judges 8:22b

(ESV) Judges 8 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.”

1. Replace the Lord’s action with human action

II. Tough to end well: Drifting away from the Lord

A. Saying the right words Judges 8:23

(ESV) Judges 8 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.”

B. Creating an avenue for sin Judges 8:24-26

(ESV) Judges 8 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, 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 of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels.

C. Replacing God Judges 8:27a

(ESV) Judges 8 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.

D. Influencing others away from the Lord Judges 8:27b

(ESV) Judges 8 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after itthere, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family.

III. Tough to end well: A spiral downward

A. Prosperity Judges 8:28

(ESV) Judges 8 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

B. Leaderlessness Judges 8:29

1. Absent

(ESV) Judges 8 29 Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house.

2. Adopt the ways of the world Judges 8:30-32

(ESV) Judges 8 30 Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

C. A total disconnect from the Lord Judges 8:33-34

(ESV) Judges 8 33 As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. 34 And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side,

1. Adrift because of dependence on man

D. Disloyalty to people Judges 8:35

(ESV) Judges 8 35 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.