But Gideon told them, " I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you." And he said, " I do have a request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the gold plunder."
Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers.
After Abimelech had governed Israel three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech.
Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. but as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'a woman killed him.'"
From Judges 8 & 9 NIV
The humble, effective and good servant Gideon declines a place of human honor, a kingship. Yet, his record is tarnished by the golden ephod he made. An item placed in his hometown that did become a snare to Gideon and his family.
God is just. Here we read of God's sending an evil spirit, after three years, between the citizens of Shechem and Abimelech to avenge the death of seventy brothers.
The warrior Abimeleh, by asking his armor-bearer to, 'kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" Can give us pause to consider pride, arrogance and other less desirable qualities of a leader.
One might reflect on positive and negative leadership qualities: humility, fear of the Lord, thoughtful, respectful, wise, kind, proud, rude, arrogant, and other words can be used to consider positive and negative leadership qualities.
We can consider today two leaders: Gideon and Abimelech. Gideon becomes ensnared by making an ephod to which worship is given. Abimelech hires reckless adventurers, causes much bloodshed, and may be best rememberd for a moot desire, that of wanting to die of a stab wound rather than having been killed by a "woman."
What kind of life did Abimelech's subjects have?
We all have some leadership roles; as parent, student, teacher, employer/employee, and other positions. The position of leadership is a lonely place. Where and to whom do you look and how do you develop your concept of how you are to lead others; at home, work, church, to Christ?
What kinds of things in your life could become or are a snare to you? Pray for the Spirit to remove any blindspots.
What kind of people do you look for as leaders? as followers? Reckless adventurers? What other kinds of people?
What attributes of God, of Gideon, of Abimelech do you see?
Pray for: our leaders that they be protected and given wisdom in the decisions they make; wisdom and discernment in your decisions to select a leader; development of leadership skills; the Spirit to guide and open eyes to see the Spirit's guidance.
In Christ,
David P
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