Going Through It
When being Called, Committed, and Cast isn’t easy
Gideon
Gideon: A Judge Called by God
Gideon, the son of Joash, belonged to the clan of Abiezer within the tribe of Manasseh. Among the twelve judges of Israel, Gideon receives more attention in the biblical narrative than any other, with Samson a close second. His story, recorded in Judges 6–8, takes place roughly eleven centuries before the Christian era and tells of a man whose life reveals both the power of God and the struggles of human faith.
A Weak Man Called to Greatness
Gideon’s story begins after seven years of cruel oppression by the Midianites. Their repeated attacks had devastated Israel, leaving the people impoverished and desperate. Finally, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for deliverance (Judges 6:6). In response, God sent an unnamed prophet to explain the reason for their suffering: they had forgotten the Lord and failed to remain faithful to him alone.
God then sent his angel to Gideon, who was secretly threshing wheat in a wine press to hide it from the Midianites. The angel greeted him with the surprising words,“The Lord is with you, mighty warrior”(Judges 6:12). There is a touch of irony in this greeting. Gideon hardly appears to be a mighty warrior; he is simply trying to preserve a little grain without attracting the attention of Israel’s oppressors.
Yet God sees in Gideon what Gideon cannot yet see in himself. He calls him to lead Israel’s deliverance, promising to be with him and assuring him that he will defeat the Midianites (Judges 6:14, 16, 34). Gideon is acutely aware of his own limitations and the magnitude of the task before him. In this sense, his weakness becomes an ideal setting for God to demonstrate his power. The story reflects a recurring biblical principle: God often chooses the weak to accomplish what human strength alone could never achieve (see 1 Corinthians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 12:10).
The Destruction of Baal’s Altar
Before Gideon can deliver Israel from its enemies, he must confront the idolatry within his own community. God commands him to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and destroy the adjacent image of Asherah, a goddess associated with Baal worship.
Knowing that such an action would provoke fierce opposition, Gideon carries out the command at night with the help of his servants. His fears prove justified. The following morning, the men of Ophrah discover what has happened and demand Gideon’s death.
Unexpectedly, his father, Joash, comes to his defense. He challenges the people to let Baal defend himself if he truly is a god. If Baal is capable of protecting his own honor, Joash argues, he shouldn't need human beings to fight his battles for him. This confrontation earns Gideon the additional name Jerubbaal, meaning “Let Baal contend” (Judges 6:32).
The episode marks an important turning point. Before Gideon can lead Israel against the Midianites, he must first confront the false worship that has taken root among his own people.
The Fleece and the Testing of Faith
Although Gideon has begun to obey God, his faith remains uncertain. He seeks further reassurance that God truly intends to deliver Israel through him. He asks for a sign involving a fleece of wool: first, that dew should fall on the fleece while the surrounding ground remains dry, and then that the fleece should remain dry while the ground becomes wet.
God graciously grants both requests (Judges 6:36–40). Rather than rejecting Gideon for his hesitation, God patiently accommodates his need for reassurance.
Even so, Gideon must learn that Israel’s victory will not depend on the size of its army.
God tells him that his forces are too numerous, because a victory won through overwhelming military strength might lead Israel to boast that it had saved itself (Judges 7:2). The purpose of the coming battle is to make unmistakably clear that deliverance comes from the Lord, not from human power or numbers.
Gideon’s army is therefore reduced from 32,000 men to just 300. Through an unusual process of selection, God strips away nearly all the human strength on which Gideon might otherwise have relied (Judges 7:3–7).
Still, God knows that Gideon needs encouragement. He directs him to approach the Midianite camp under cover of darkness. There, Gideon and his servant Purah overhear a soldier recounting a dream that another soldier interprets as a sign of Midian’s coming defeat. Hearing this, Gideon worships the Lord, strengthened by the confirmation that God has already set Israel’s victory in motion (Judges 7:13–15).
Victory with Only Three Hundred Men
Gideon divides his 300 men into three companies and positions them around the Midianite camp during the night. Each man carries a trumpet, an empty jar, and a torch concealed inside the jar.
At Gideon’s signal, the men blow their trumpets, smash their jars, reveal their torches, and shout, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (Judges 7:20).
The sudden noise, lights, and confusion throw the Midianite camp into chaos. Believing themselves surrounded by a formidable force, the Midianites turn against one another and flee eastward across the Jordan River.
Israelite forces from Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh join the pursuit. The men of Ephraim also enter the conflict, capturing and killing two Midianite leaders. However, they become angry with Gideon because he had not called on them earlier in the campaign. Gideon responds diplomatically, praising their contribution and calming their resentment (Judges 8:1–3).
His response reveals a different kind of leadership. Gideon is not merely a military commander; he also demonstrates the tact necessary to preserve unity among the tribes of Israel.
The Pursuit of the Midianite Kings
The pursuit continues beyond the Jordan, where Gideon encounters an uncooperative response from the Israelites of Succoth and Penuel. These communities refuse to provide food for his exhausted soldiers because they fear retaliation from the Midianite kings, Zebah and Zalmunna, who remain at large.
Gideon responds with fierce anger, threatening severe punishment when he returns victorious (Judges 8:7–9). His reaction reflects the harsh realities of justice and warfare in the ancient world. Unlike his measured response to Ephraim, Gideon shows little patience toward those he believes have refused to support their own people at a critical moment.
Eventually, Gideon defeats the remaining Midianite forces at Karkor, a remote location east of the Dead Sea. He captures Zebah and Zalmunna and brings the campaign to a decisive conclusion. The Midianite threat that had oppressed Israel for seven years is finally broken.
The Refusal of Kingship
Following this extraordinary victory, the Israelites ask Gideon to rule over them, proposing that he and his descendants establish a hereditary dynasty. Gideon refuses, declaring, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you” (Judges 8:23, KJV).
This response reveals one of the noblest aspects of Gideon’s character. Despite his military success, he acknowledges that Israel’s true king is God. He refuses to claim for himself a position that belongs to the Lord.
Nevertheless, Gideon accepts a substantial share of the gold taken from the defeated Midianites. The wealth he acquires marks a significant change in his circumstances, and the remainder of his life is spent in relative peace and prosperity. He has many wives and fathers seventy sons through his family line. One of his sons, Abimelech, is born to a concubine from Shechem, a Canaanite city. Abimelech will later become a central figure in a tragic episode of violence and ambition (Judges 9).
The Tragic Ending of Gideon’s Story
Despite Gideon’s remarkable achievements, his story ends on a troubling note. From the gold he receives after the victory, he makes an ephod, a religious object that may have resembled a priestly garment or served as a cultic image. Whatever its precise form, the object becomes a spiritual snare for Gideon and his household, and the Israelites begin worshiping it at Ophrah (Judges 8:27).
The irony is striking. Gideon had begun his mission by tearing down his father's altar to Baal, confronting the idolatry that had led Israel away from God. Yet, later in life, he creates an object that itself becomes a focus of unfaithful worship. The man who helped deliver Israel from spiritual and political oppression inadvertently contributes to another form of spiritual failure.
After Gideon’s death, the Israelites return to the worship of false gods, especially Baal-berith, meaning“Lord of the Covenant.” They forget the Lord who had delivered them from their enemies, and they fail to show gratitude or loyalty to Gideon's family for all he had done (Judges 8:33–35).
His story therefore ends with a sobering contrast: a great victory over Israel’s enemies does not guarantee lasting faithfulness to God.
Gideon’s Legacy: Faith in God’s Power
Gideon remains a complex figure. He is humble enough to acknowledge that Israel belongs under God’s rule, yet hesitant enough to seek repeated signs before acting. He demonstrates courage in confronting idolatry and leading an unlikely military victory, yet his later choices help lead the people back into spiritual confusion.
His life illustrates both the patience of God and the limitations of human faith. Gideon does not begin as a fearless hero. He begins as a man hiding from his enemies, uncertain of his calling and conscious of his weakness. God nevertheless chooses him, equips him, and uses him to accomplish a deliverance that couldn't reasonably be attributed to military strength.
The New Testament remembers Gideon among the heroes of faith in Hebrews11:32. His inclusion there emphasizes that, despite his shortcomings, he acted in trust and became an instrument of God's purposes. The expression “the day of Midian” later became a biblical image of deliverance accomplished by God rather than by human might (Isaiah 9:4).
Ultimately, Gideon’s story points beyond the man himself. His greatest achievement was not simply defeating Midian with 300 men, but demonstrating that God can work through human weakness to accomplish extraordinary things. At the same time, his final years remind readers that past victories cannot replace continued faithfulness. The God who delivers his people must also remain the object of their worship and allegiance.