Judges 8:22-35
We want you to be king! You are awesome and we want you to lead us!
These are tough words to say “no” to. But that is exactly what Gideon did. After leading Israel to defeat the Midianites, the people wanted him to be king. Amazingly, he turns it down saying that “the Lord will rule over you!” (V.23).
This is one of the main themes in the book of Judges. Someone comes along and helps Israel get out of a bad situation and they want to have them be the king. The problem with this is that God wants to be their king. I think there is something in inherently in each person that knows worshipping another person is not right. Given the choice between people worshipping you or worshipping God, most people would say that people should worship God. Now, they might live like people should worship them, but most likely they will respond like Gideon and say, let God be first in your life, not me!
The problem comes in our life, and in Gideon’s situation, where neither you, nor God, is king in your life. If you are not careful, other strange things will become the object of your affection and worship. Gideon had an interesting request for everyone to give him a gold earring (43 pounds worth!) and he made an ephod (fancy apron) out of them. Before long the people of Israel were worshipping this fancy apron (v.27).
This ephod became a trap for Gideon and his family.
What things in your life have become a trap for you? What things have become so important to you that you don’t know what you would do without it? Have things been memorialized to the point of worship? I think it’s easier than we realize to say we are not worshipping someone, but then turn something into a symbol or idol that elevates a person or object to a place in our life that it should not be.
Your life will be ok if your house doesn’t have the one decoration in it. Your life will be ok if you don’t have that one piece of jewelry. Your church will be ok if it doesn’t have that one pew just for you, or that pulpit. Your life will be ok if you don’t have that car, or that air freshener in the it’s vents.
From the big to the small. From the obvious to the inconspicuous. Everything will be “trying” to earn the title of sacred cow, or sacred ephod, in your life. Don’t let yourself fall into that trap. Choose to make God the Lord who will rule over you.