Personal Revenge: (Judges 8:13-21)

With all the men weary and the enemy kings already subdued, the battle comes to an end. But Gideon, having possessed the victory, begins to step out of line. Instead of continuing to follow God’s direction, he begins to pursue his personal interests. First, he strikes the men of Succoth, kills the men of Penuel, and brings down the tower of the town.

He then interrogates the kings of the Midianites and asks about the deaths that had not yet been disclosed: Gideon asks what the men they killed at Tabor looked like. And the men answered: “They both looked like you. They looked like the sons of a king,” giving the impression that they wanted to flatter Gideon in an attempt to get away with it. It had probably been a recent and memorable event, considering that they remembered how the ones they killed, looked like.

Gideon reveals that they were his brothers, his mother’s sons. And he says that if they had not killed his brothers, he would not have killed them. Therefore, killing them was not a command from God, or an act out of the fear of God, but that of personal revenge.

Gideon asks his son to kill them, but the boy does not have the courage, as he is young. The kings still provoke him: “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So, he kills them. God was no longer first for Gideon here. He places himself, and his own will, first.

It is striking to see how quickly Gideon begins to look at things in a carnal way after Israel’s victory, to the point of allowing his behaviour to be motivated by provocation from the enemy. This is a danger to watch out for.

When we make a covenant with God, He blesses us. However, we must always keep in mind that it is God who has given us the victory. Therefore, though we have won and are regarded highly by other people, we are still nothing.

The victor is the one who is vigilant to never allow their actions or reactions to be motivated by a word of evil. David expresses this well, in saying, “Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.” (Psalms 36:11)

It is not only a matter of not being touched by evil, but also about not allowing oneself to be moved by evil. Gideon allowed himself to be moved by the words of the wicked.

Whenever we are faced with provocation, we have that choice. Which voice will we listen to? Which hand will move us? Which word will we follow?

Continues tomorrow…

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