Judges 8:22-28--Gideon's Ephod

Judges 8:22-28
English Standard Version
​
Gideon's Ephod
22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” 23 Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you.” 24 And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. 27 And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. 28 So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

---

Already we see the wickedness of the peoples' hearts that they want a king to rule over them (they won't say it quite like they are going to say it in the beginning of 1 Samuel where we think of Saul as the first king of Israel).  The people want Gideon and his sons and grandsons to be their kings-a few problems with this though.  First the people had not sought the LORD's approval on this.  Second, the LORD should be the one to choose a king for the people (look how much better it goes for the people when the LORD chooses David than when the people choose Saul).  Also, Gideon is of the wrong tribe to be a king--it is written in the Law that the scepter will not depart from between the feet of the house of Judah until the Messiah would come (it was the responsibility of the tribe of Judah to be in leadership and not only leadership but the "scepter" is a symbol of kingship).

Gideon gives the proper answer at first saying that neither he nor his descendants would be their king for the LORD was their king, but Gideon then turned around and did something that he should not have done that became a stumbling block to himself, his family and all of Israel.  He asked that all the Ishmaelites that were just conquered give up their golden earrings and they willingly gave them up.  This was added to the loot that was taken from the jewelry and clothing worn by the kings that were defeated and the ornaments and collars that were on the camels that were defeated.  So then Gideon acquired great wealth that he should have given to the LORD and had put into the treasury of the Tabernacle, but, instead he made an ephod for himself.  We don't use the word ephod very much today--it was a linen apron worn by priests.  It would have been made out of these same kinds of materials--linen, purple cloth, and gold.  However, Gideon was not a priest nor was he even of the tribe of Levi, so the right to wear or even make an ephod like this did not belong to him.  It became a stumbling block to him as it became something the people worshiped as they remembered the victory and ascribed that victory to Gideon and not to the LORD.

The physical occupation of the Midianites was subdued and the people had peace for 40 years, but this is a less satisfying victory because we see that the people and the leaders are more morally corrupt than before and that even when the LORD gives them victory, they are still actively breaking the Law.  At least Gideon refused to be made king, but we'll see next time that the only thing that is keeping the people from going back to the Baals is that they don't want to do it for the sake of Gideon.  As soon as he dies, they are right back to their old practices of paganism and idolatry.