Joel M Bradshaw

22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”

23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.)

25They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 

27Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.

28Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again. During Gideon’s lifetime, the land had peace forty years.

29Jerub-Baal son of Joash went back home to live. 30He had seventy sons of his own, for he had many wives. 31His concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek. 32Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.—Judges 8

1. Gideon proclaimed not to be a king. It was a George Washington type of moment. Or so it seemed. Gideon wouldn’t be king and one of his sons wouldn’t either. Instead God was to be their King. If the story would have just ended there, it would be theologically excellent. Like a reversal of the later rejection of God as King in order to demand Samuel anoint a human king. But, well, Gideon would be himself.
2. He accepted a kingly sum of gold and used it to make a priestly garment statue that was worshiped in Gideon’s hometown. Sure, Gideon delivered the people from Midian, but ensnared them in idol worship. Worship tied to himself! This isn’t a good moment.
3. He lived like a king. Many wives and 70 (!) sons. This was a Gideon dynasty in the making. And one son gets mentioned by name. The name of that son translated from Hebrew is “my father is king.” Yeah, that’s what he named one of his sons. Oh, but only God shall be their king!
   
   Gideon’s story reminds us that our lives illustrate our values. What we believe is shown by how we live. The choices you make depict what you want most. Gideon’s life didn’t match his proclaimed values. It doesn’t take a specialist to surmise that his life instead proclaimed a different set of values. What a great reminder for each of us!–JMB