Learn From Gideon, 44

~ Commemorate Spiritual Victories ~

The Biblical account of the life of Gideon provides for one of the most interesting character studies in all of Scripture.  In this series we will discover practical lessons for living the Christian life today.  

Scripture  ~  “Then Gideon said to them, ‘I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.’  For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.  So they answered, ‘We will gladly give them.’  And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder.  Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks.  Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah.  And all Israel played the harlot with it there.  It became a snare to Gideon and to his house” (Judges 8:24-27).

Learn From Gideon  ~  Rejoice when God gives you a victory. 

1. Leaders are responsible for the spiritual welfare of their people.
2. Gideon collected part of the resources from all his men and then he made an ephod—a sacred vestment to commemorate the victory (ephods are also mentioned in Judges 17:5 and 18:14).
3. Note also, that following a spiritual victory they were vulnerable to Satan:  “And all Israel played the harlot with it there.  It became a snare to Gideon and to his house.”  (We will see some of the consequences of this later.)

Challenge For Us  ~  Are you acting responsibly as God’s child in the place He has put you? 

concluding comment  ~  We learn about Gideon primarily from Judges 6-8, but also Isaiah 9:1-7, and Hebrews 11:1-3, 32-34.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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