The battle is not over.

INTRODUCTION:

Throughout my childhood I loved to run. I operated very much like all of our kids do after church — I loved to run around the building racing and playing tag. I’m not sure why I remember this, but… When I was in kindergarten my teacher used to set up chairs in our gym/fellowship hall and we would do time trials around this “track.” I prided myself on being the fastest in my class. One day I vividly remember racing around the chairs and going the fastest I had ever gone. So fast in fact, that I believed I had floated. I thought that I was running so fast that I was levitating. From that day forward, I wanted to be like one person: The Flash.

The Flash became my favorite super hero. Even today, if you asked me who my favorite super hero is, I would say the Flash. Now what makes a good super hero story/movie is a worthy opponent — an arch enemy.

For the Flash, that would be reverse-flash. Every super hero has a consistent enemy. An enemy that never dies. An enemy that is never totally defeated. That wouldn’t make for a good story would it?!

Batman has the Joker. Green Lantern has Sinestro. Spider-Man has the Green Goblin. The Avengers have Thanos. And Superman has Lex Luthor. Every hero has an arch enemy.

In the last two weeks we have surveyed two chapters of the life of Gideon. He has had quite the transformation. His story almost reads like that out of a comic book. Fearful, oppressed Gideon has morphed into a faithful, Spirit-empowered judge, the hero of the Israelites.

For every hero, there’s an enemy.

For Gideon, his enemy wasn’t defeated in Judges 7. The battle wasn’t over. In fact, the battle wasn’t over when all of the Midianites were defeated (Judges 8:21,28). The battle wasn’t over when Israel had peace for 40 years (Judges 8:28).

Gideon’s enemy is the same as Israel’s enemy, and the same for you and I today. Gideon was his own worst enemy. Israel’s was their own worst enemy. Friends, our greatest enemy does not come without, but from within. We are own worst enemy.

Judges 8 serves as a warning to those who allow their faith in God to shift into self-reliance.

Paul puts it this way in his letter to the Galatians: “Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)

Gideon, in Judges 8, gives three warning signs that help us know when we’ve shifted from faith in God into self-reliance.

WARNING SIGN #1: SEEK YOUR WILL, NOT GOD’S WILL (vs. 4-21)

Read with me Judges 8:4-21

Judges 8:4–21 KJV 1900

4 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower. 10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host. 13 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. 15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. 17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city. 18 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.

What’s missing in these verses? What would have Gideon from chapters 6-7 done? The first major warning sign of someone who has shifted into self-reliance is they lack consultation with God.

LACKING CONSULTATION WITH GOD

Gideon’s story is famous for several reasons. 1) Not many people can say they defeated 120,000 men with vases and trumpets. and 2) Gideon’s fleece of wool. What was the whole point of the fleece? Whether the fleece/ground was dry/wet was confirmation from God that Gideon would be successful in carrying out God’s will. Gideon was so careful to know and do God’s will at the outset of his judging days.

Fast forward two chapters and we find Gideon making really rash, fast decisions.

He decides to cross over the Jordan river to pursue the Midian kings/commanders. Gideon leaves the promised land without consulting God.

The earlier commands from the Lord in Joshua and Judges was to drive the Canaanites out of the land (which they had failed to do). Gideon had accomplished God’s command. The Midionites were driven from the land.

In Judges 8, we never find Gideon appearing before God and requesting his guidance and leadership.

We can often shift from faith in God to self-reliance because we simply want our way, not God’s way.

Luke 22:42 “42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

Humility is antithetical to self-reliance. Humility trusts God. Pride relies on self.

When we seek our will, not God’s will, we also damage relationships.

DAMAGING RELATIONSHIPS (vs. 4–9, 13-17)

Next Gideon comes to two places, Succoth (tribe of Gad) and Penuel (tribe of Gad).

These were Gideon’s own brothers from Israel. But here we find Gideon responding quickly with judgment and punishment because of their denial to fuel his quest to accomplish his will.

The elders of Succoth (77 men) were beaten with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers (vs. 16). Likewise the men of the city of Penuel were killed and their defenses (towers) were destroyed (vs. 17).

Have you ever bitten someone’s head off who challenged your authority? What happens when someone ruins your plans? Does your self-reliance affect your spouse, kids, church family?

PURSUING REVENGE (vs. 10-12, 18-21)

All this seemed to stem from Gideon’s desire for revenge (vs.18-19). At the very heart of Gideon’s pursuit was this desire for vengeance. It’s seemingly what fueled him. It’s what drew him away from seeking God’s will.

Why do you pursue your own will? What causes you to forget God?

WARNING SIGN #2: SEEK YOUR GLORY, NOT GOD’S GLORY (vs. 1-3, 22-32)

Judges 8:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

At the beginning of our narrative, the heart of Ephraim is exposed. Ephraim has the same issue as Gideon. They desire glory. Ephraim was considered the strongest tribes, a tribe of war. They took issue with the fact that Gideon had not called for their help at the outset. Ephraim viewed their brothers in Manasseh as smaller and weaker. They were upset that they were not included in the fight.

How do you react when you’re not included? What’s your response when someone’s service is recognized above your own?

The tribe of Ephraim exposes a condition that’s endemic with the people of Israel — they seek their own glory above the glory of God.

Pause, what should have been the response of the people of Israel and of Gideon at the beginning of this chapter — Song of Miriam, Song of Debrah and Barak. A heart that trusts in God readily gives all the glory and praise to Him. A heart that is self-reliant grasps for every ounce of praise and glory for himself.

Let’s watch Gideon…

Judges 8:22–26 KJV 1900

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.

ESTABLISHED HIS KINGSHIP (vs. 22-26,30-31)

While Gideon rejected the title of king, Gideon accepted the lifestyle of kingship.

One commentator wrote, Kings demanded bequests from their vassals, kings amassed a royal treasury, kings displayed symbols of royalty (such as the crescent decorations, the pendants, the purple robes of the Midianite kings, and the royal neck bands worn by the camels), kings established and maintained harems.

All this comes in contrast to how the Lord desires for a king to be chosen and conduct himself.

Deuteronomy 17:14–17 KJV 1900

14 When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Does Gideon fit this description? That’s a resounding no!

Genesis 14

Judges 8:30–31 KJV 1900

30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

Abimelech — my father is king. Interesting name choice.

All along the way, Gideon is leaving clues about his inward heart condition. Self-reliance may not be overt. But rather, a condition of the heart.

ESTABLISHED HIS PRIESTHOOD (vs. 27-29)

Judges 8:27–29 KJV 1900

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. 28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. 29 And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

Does this sound familiar? This whole episode turns into a virtual repeat of Aaron’s manufacture of a golden calf (Exodus 32:2-8), with the same tragic outcome. Instead of it being a means of honoring God as Israel’s ruler, it becomes an idolatrous object that leads them even further away from him.

The man who began his career by leading Israel out of idolatry ends his career by leading them back into it.

WARNING SIGN #3: SERVE FALSE GODS, NOT THE TRUE GOD (vs. 33-35)

Judges 8:33–35 KJV 1900

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 Baal-berith their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.

At the beginning of Gideon’s story, we find the Israelites worshipping Baal. Has Israel changed? There has been no change in Israel from Judges 6-8. They have been the same idolatrous people enslaved to their idols.

Hopefully you’ve been tracking with me up till now. As soon as I said those who are self-reliant serve false gods, I lost you. I don’t do that!

What is idolatry? Idolatry is a sin of the heart in which we love and value something else above God. This is the ultimate sin of self-reliant people.

We’ve been talking with the kids over the last couple of weeks about idols, and I’ve been asking them what their idols are. I’ve heard answers like video games, stuffies, tv, toys, balls, and friends. But for those of us in this room, maybe it’s not as simple as that.

For some, our idol is our social status, security/stability, money, freedom, or self-gratification. We all have items that we value above God. Those who trust in God love and serve God with all their heart. There’s not any room for self.

Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

At the end of Gideon’s life, we find the Israelites worshipping Baal-berith — which means Lord of the Covenant. Think about how opposite that was for Israel.

Judges 6:8–10 KJV 1900

8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; 9 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

Jehovah is their covenant God, yet they willingly choose to serve/worship false gods.

It’s disappointing really, how quickly the Israelites forget the deliverance of Jehovah and worship other gods.

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION

REMEMBER

When you’re tempted to shift from faith in God to self-reliance, remember the past deliverance of God.

Exodus 13:3 “3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place.”

Remember the past miracles of God. Why would Gideon desire to continue on his own strength after the amazing victory that God had just brought?

REPENT

What is repentance? Repentance is turning from sin and to God. Friends, this will be an on-going struggle. The battle against our enemy will never be won until we get to heaven. But we must fight. The way we fight is through repentance.

It’s an endless cycle.

*Logan’s story/illustration

Judges 8 serves as a warning to those who allow their faith in God to shift into self-reliance.