Judges 8-9

After the victory over the Midianites, Gideon, once fearful, now has a taste for revenge (8:19).  He takes up the spirit of the age – violence and tribalism (8:16), returning evil for evil, and encouraging his young son in it (8:19,20). Feigning false humility, he refuses to be a king though he makes the demands and acts like a local despot.  He even creates a shrine that becomes a stumbling block to the people of Israel (8:27) and his son carries on the bloody legacy (chp 9).

The call to obedience isn’t a call to isolated moments of great victory, but the day by day - to the end of life commitment to Jesus.  Leave a legacy of “long obedience.”