Gideon's Golden Ephod

David, reflecting on the Lord's greatness, wrote -

They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds. ¹

The Lord's wondrous workings in our lives and the lives of others serve not only as a blessing, but also as reminders to lift our gaze to the one who is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and rich in love. He is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

We praise God for what he has done; we worship him for who he is - for all that he does springs out of all that he is. Our entry into his presence begins with praise and thanksgiving and we come to bow down before him and cry out holy, holy, holy. This is the natural response of worship. Remember Mary at Jesus' feet, feeding on his word, basking in his presence, drinking the water of the Author of Life. ²

God has been faithful to present to us Scriptural accounts, examples, that guide us into a worshipful lifestyle. The story of Gideon is one such account in Scripture that serves as a faithful instructor, safeguarding us from the potential pitfalls we sometimes encounter in our walk with Jesus. ³

God gave Gideon a miraculous victory using a small army and a leader with low self-esteem to defeat an army of professional soldiers. The Lord was very intentional in how that battle was to be fought. Human strength would receive no credit. The size of Gideon's army would not be a factor in the outcome of the battle. The Lord alone would receive the glory in this situation. And he did.

Gideon and his small army of three hundred men went out against the Midianites, the Amalekites and other eastern peoples - a force as thick as locusts. ⁴ There was a cry on the battlefield that day, not a cry of triumph, but a cry of fear from the fleeing enemy. Gideon and his men pursued the kings of the Midianites and captured them. They had faced seemingly impossible odds, but God was with them and gave them the victory he had promised. The Midianites were defeated. What an occasion for praise!

But that victory soon soured. Out of the spoils of war, Gideon made a golden ephod which God's people worshipped. ⁵ In this, we find a word of caution regarding our heart's tendency to set our focus on the good things God does for us instead of on the God who is good. We are being reminded to worship the Giver, not the gift.

Oh yes, we are to remember what the Lord has done, the victories he has given, the freedom he has granted. And we are to share his wondrous working in our lives with others. With every miracle, every sign, and every wonder, our testimony of what God has done should lift the gaze of the hearers to worship the One who is good.

Scripture References

¹ Psalms 145:5-6

² Luke 10:38-42

³ Judges 6-8

⁴ Judges 7:12

⁵ Judges 8:27 - 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.