Untitled Sermon (3)

From Victory to Descent: Lessons from Gideon’s Leadership

Bible Passage: Judges 8:1-10:5

Summary: The passage narrates the aftermath of Gideon’s victory over the Midianites and the subsequent challenges he and Israel faced, including conflict among the tribes, the request for kingship, and the rise of idolatry.  These chapters teach us to reflect on our responses to success and leadership. In moments of victory, it is crucial to remain humble and dependent on God rather than turning to pride,vengeance, or idolatry, which can lead to division and spiritual decline.  Spiritual victories must be followed by vigilance and humility or else we are in danger of losing sight of God after experiencing success and forgetting the importance of unity in the body of Christ.

Big Idea: True victory comes not from our accomplishments but from our relationship with God, urging us to remain faithful and united as we navigate the challenges of life after triumph.

A. Gideon Shows Humility

Judges 8:1–3 (GNB)

1Then the men of Ephraim said to Gideon, “Why didn’t you call us when you went to fight the Midianites? Why did you treat us like this?” They complained bitterly about it. 2 But he said, “What I was able to do is nothing compared with what you have done. Even the little that you men of Ephraim did is worth more than what my whole clan has done. 3 After all, through the power of God you killed the two Midianite chiefs, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I done to compare with that?” When he said this, they were no longer so angry.

Ephraim pursued the remnant of Median’s army and killed them all including the two kings Oreb and Zeep.  Then they came and complained to Gideon asking why he didn’t call them earlier (chapter 7: Gideon and his 300 man army defeated 120,000 Midianites and sent them fleeing.)

1. Why did Ephraim complain to Gideon?  Were they seeking to be helpful or were they seeking fame and honor?

2. How did Gideon pacify their complaint?

B. Gideon's Courage, Pride, and Revenge

Judges 8:4–21 (GNB)

4By this time Gideon and his 300 men had come to the River Jordan and had crossed it. They were exhausted, but were still pursuing the enemy. 5When they arrived at Sukkoth, he said to the men of the town, “Please give my men some loaves of bread. They are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the Midianite kings.” 6 But the leaders of Sukkoth said, “Why should we give your army any food? You haven’t captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet.” 7 So Gideon said, “All right! When the Lord has handed Zebah and Zalmunna over to me, I will beat you with thorns and briars from the desert!” 8 Gideon went on to Penuel and made the same request of the people there, but the men of Penuel gave the same answer as the men of Sukkoth. 9 So he said to them, “I am going to come back safe and sound, and when I do, I will tear your tower down!”

3. Ephraim was mad because Gideon sent the Miadintes fleeing without them.  Sukkoth and Penuel ignored what Gideon had accomplished with 300 men and refused to give them refreshment for their journey.  Does anyone in Ephraim or Sukkoth or Penuel acknowledge what God has done through Gideon?  Is there any courage in Israel or just self-glorification, lack of faith, and fear?

4. What do you make of Gideon’s threats against Sukkoth and Penuel?  Are his threats justified?  Is he showing faith in God or seeking revenge for himself?

10Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor with their army. Of the whole army of desert tribesmen, only about 15,000 were left; 120,000 soldiers had been killed. 11Gideon went along the road by the edge of the desert, east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and attacked the army by surprise. 12 The two Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, ran away, but he pursued them and captured them, and caused their whole army to panic.

13When Gideon was returning from the battle by way of Heres Pass, 14he captured a young man from Sukkoth and questioned him. The young man wrote down for Gideon the names of the 77 leading men of Sukkoth. 15 Then Gideon went to the men of Sukkoth and said, “Remember when you refused to help me? You said that you couldn’t give any food to my exhausted army because I hadn’t captured Zebah and Zalmunna yet. Well, here they are!” 16 He then took thorns and briars from the desert and used them to punish the leaders of Sukkoth. 17He also tore down the tower at Penuel and killed the men of that city.

5. Was the punishment given to the men of Sukkoth (dragging them through thorns and briars) justified for what they had done?  What about the murder of all the men in Penuel and all the people who fled into the tower for safety?

18Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What about the men you killed at Tabor?” They answered, “They looked like you—every one of them like the son of a king.” 19 Gideon said, “They were my brothers, my own mother’s sons. I solemnly swear that if you had not killed them, I would not kill you.” 20Then he said to Jether, his eldest son, “Go ahead, kill them!” But the boy did not draw his sword. He hesitated, because he was still only a boy. 21Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Come on, kill us yourself. It takes a man to do a man’s job.” So Gideon killed them and took the ornaments that were on the necks of their camels.

6. Was Gideon’s motive for chasing and killing the Midianite Kings done to bring salvation to Israel from her enemies or to avenge the murder of his brothers?

God still used Gideon inspite of these moral failures and gave Gideon great success.

C. King Gideon?

Judges 8:22–28 (GNB)

22After that, the Israelites said to Gideon, “Be our ruler—you and your descendants after you. You have saved us from the Midianites.” 23Gideon answered, “I will not be your ruler, nor will my son. The Lord will be your ruler.” 24But he went on to say, “Let me ask one thing of you. Every one of you give me the earrings you took.” (The Midianites, like other desert people, wore gold earrings.) 25 The people answered, “We’ll be glad to give them to you.” They spread out a cloth, and everyone put on it the earrings that he had taken. 26 The gold earrings that Gideon received weighed nearly 20 kilogrammes, and this did not include the ornaments, necklaces, and purple clothes that the kings of Midian wore, nor the collars that were round the necks of their camels. 27 Gideon made an idol from the gold and put it in his home town, Ophrah. All the Israelites abandoned God and went there to worship the idol. It was a trap for Gideon and his family. 28 So Midian was defeated by the Israelites and was no longer a threat. The land was at peace for 40 years, until Gideon died.

7. In verse 23 Gideon seems to remember who he serves and who the people should serve.  But then Gideon does what a king would normally do and he asks for gold and jewelry from the spoils.  The people oblige Gideon and give him great wealth.  Gideon takes the gold and jewelry and uses it to build an idol.  What do you make of Gideon’s refusal to be king but request for gold?

D. Gideon's Forgotten Legacy

Judges 8:29–35 (GNB)

29Gideon went back to his own home and lived there. 30 He had 70 sons, because he had many wives. 31 He also had a concubine in Shechem; she bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech. 32 Gideon son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, at Ophrah, the town of the clan of Abiezer. 33 After Gideon’s death the people of Israel were again unfaithful to God and worshipped the Baals. They made Baal-of-the-Covenant their god, 34 and no longer served the Lord their God, who had saved them from all their enemies round them. 35 They were not grateful to the family of Gideon for all the good that he had done for Israel.

Abimelech means “Son of the king”

8. Based on Gideon’s behavior, was he king over Israel?

9. What happened in Israel after Gideon died?  Was he a good judge?

E. Abimelech's Apostasy and Aftermath

Judges 9:1–57 (GNB)

1Gideon’s son Abimelech went to the town of Shechem, where all his mother’s relatives lived, and told them 2 to ask the men of Shechem, “Which would you prefer? To be governed by all seventy of Gideon’s sons or by just one man? Remember that Abimelech is your own flesh and blood.” 3 His mother’s relatives talked to the men of Shechem about this for him, and the men of Shechem decided to follow Abimelech because he was their relative. 4They gave him 70 pieces of silver from the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant, and with this money he hired a bunch of worthless scoundrels to join him. 5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and there on the top of a single stone he killed his 70 brothers, Gideon’s sons. But Jotham, Gideon’s youngest son, hid and was not killed. 6 Then all the men of Shechem and Bethmillo got together and went to the sacred oak tree at Shechem, where they made Abimelech king.

7When Jotham heard about this, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted out to them, “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, and God may listen to you! 8 Once upon a time the trees got together to choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ 9 The olive tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my oil, which is used to honour gods and human beings.’ 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ 11 But the fig tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good sweet fruit.’ 12 So the trees then said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king.’ 13 But the vine answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my wine, that makes gods and human beings happy.’ 14 So then all the trees said to the thorn bush, ‘You come and be our king.’ 15 The thorn bush answered, ‘If you really want to make me your king, then come and take shelter in my shade. If you don’t, fire will blaze out of my thorny branches and burn up the cedars of Lebanon.’ 16“Now then,” Jotham continued, “were you really honest and sincere when you made Abimelech king? Did you respect Gideon’s memory and treat his family properly, as his actions deserved? 17 Remember that my father fought for you. He risked his life to save you from the Midianites. 18 But today you turned against my father’s family. You killed his sons—seventy men on a single stone—and just because Abimelech, his son by his servant woman, is your relative, you have made him king of Shechem. 19 Now then, if what you did today to Gideon and his family was sincere and honest, then be happy with Abimelech and let him be happy with you. 20 But if not, may fire blaze out from Abimelech and burn up the men of Shechem and Bethmillo. May fire blaze out from the men of Shechem and Bethmillo and burn Abimelech up.” 21Then because he was afraid of his brother Abimelech, Jotham ran away and went to live at Beer.

22Abimelech ruled Israel for three years. 23 Then God made Abimelech and the men of Shechem hostile to each other, and they rebelled against him. 24This happened so that Abimelech and the men of Shechem, who encouraged him to murder Gideon’s 70 sons, would pay for their crime. 25 The men of Shechem put men in ambush against Abimelech on the mountain tops, and they robbed everyone who passed their way. Abimelech was told about this. 26Then Gaal son of Ebed came to Shechem with his brothers, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 They all went out into their vineyards and picked the grapes, made wine from them, and held a festival. They went into the temple of their god, where they ate and drank and spoke scornfully of Abimelech. 28 Gaal said, “What kind of men are we in Shechem? Why are we serving Abimelech? Who is he, anyway? The son of Gideon! And Zebul takes orders from him, but why should we serve him? Be loyal to your ancestor Hamor, who founded your clan! 29 I wish I were leading this people! I would get rid of Abimelech! I would say to him, ‘Reinforce your army, come on out and fight!’ ” 30 Zebul, the ruler of the city, became angry when he heard what Gaal had said. 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech at Arumah to say, “Gaal son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem, and they are not going to let you into the city. 32 Now then, you and your men should move by night and hide in the fields. 33Get up tomorrow morning at sunrise and make a sudden attack on the city. Then when Gaal and his men come out against you, hit them as hard as you can!” 34So Abimelech and all his men made their move at night and hid outside Shechem in four groups. 35 When Abimelech and his men saw Gaal come out and stand at the city gate, they got up from their hiding places. 36Gaal saw them and said to Zebul, “Look! There are men coming down from the mountain tops!” “Those are not men,” Zebul answered. “They are just shadows on the mountains.” 37 Gaal said again, “Look! There are men coming down the crest of the mountain and one group is coming along the road from the oak tree of the fortune tellers!” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is all your big talk now? You were the one who asked why we should serve this man Abimelech. These are the men you were treating so scornfully. Go on out now and fight them.” 39 Gaal led the men of Shechem out and fought Abimelech. 40 Gaal fled, and Abimelech pursued him. Many were wounded, even at the city gate. 41 Abimelech lived in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem, so that they could no longer live there. 42 The next day Abimelech found out that the people of Shechem were planning to go out into the fields, 43 so he took his men, divided them into three groups, and hid in the fields, waiting. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he came out of hiding to kill them. 44While Abimelech and his group hurried forward to guard the city gate, the other two companies attacked the people in the fields and killed them all. 45The fighting continued all day long. Abimelech captured the city, killed its people, tore it down, and covered the ground with salt. 46 When all the leading men in the fort at Shechem heard about this, they sought safety in the stronghold of the temple of Baal-of-the-Covenant. 47 Abimelech was told that they had gathered there, 48 so he went up to Mount Zalmon with his men. There he took an axe, cut a branch off a tree, and put it on his shoulder. He told his men to be quick and do the same thing. 49So every man cut off a branch of a tree; then they followed Abimelech and piled the wood up against the stronghold. They set it on fire, with the people inside, and all the people of the fort died—about a thousand men and women. 50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, surrounded that city, and captured it. 51There was a strong tower there, and every man and woman in the city, including the leaders, ran to it. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof. 52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he went up to the door to set the tower on fire. 53 But a woman threw a millstone down on his head and fractured his skull. 54 Then he quickly called the young man who was carrying his weapons and ordered, “Draw your sword and kill me. I don’t want it said that a woman killed me.” So the young man ran him through, and he died. 55When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. 56In this way God paid Abimelech back for the crime that he committed against his father in killing his 70 brothers. 57 God also made the men of Shechem suffer for their wickedness, just as Jotham, Gideon’s son, said they would when he cursed them.

6. Judges' Just Leadership

Judges 10:1–5 (GNB)

1After Abimelech’s death Tola, the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo, came to free Israel. He was from the tribe of Issachar and lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. 2 He was Israel’s leader for 23 years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. 3 After Tola came Jair from Gilead. He led Israel for 22 years. 4 He had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys. They had 30 cities in the land of Gilead, which are still called the villages of Jair. 5 Jair died and was buried at Kamon.