Talk About A Change!

So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David. [Ruth 4.13-17] 

If we fail to understand the background of this passage, we fail to see just how great a redemption story is seen in it.

Ruth was an idolatrous Moabite. She chose to follow God. She became the great grandmother of King David. Talk about a change!

Father in heaven, help us to see just how capable You are of turning our idolatry into that which pleases You if we give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Don't Be Distracted By The Love Story

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband. [Ruth 1.1-5] 

Because of our distraction with the love story of Ruth's life, we have overlooked some important facts in it. These facts do not change the story, but they give more depth of meaning and more continuity with the whole Bible. That depth of meaning has everything to do with idolatry and God's instructions about it.

First, it was a diluting move of fear, not faith, that led Elimelech to move to Moab. Rather than trust God alone to meet his family's needs, Elimelech moved to Moab, a land well-known for its idolatry. Elimelech's move ignored Israel's painful history with Moab:

While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the LORD’s anger to blaze against his people. The LORD issued the following command to Moses: “Seize all the ringleaders and execute them before the LORD in broad daylight, so his fierce anger will turn away from the people of Israel.” So Moses ordered Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death the men under your authority who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.” [Numbers 25.1-5]

In short, Elimelech's move set him in opposition to God. Allowing his sons then, to marry Moabite women, put them in harm's way as well. To assume the deaths of Elimelech and his two sons were just 'bad luck' is blatant disregard for Numbers 25.1-5. 

Naomi must have recognized the dilution she and Elimelech had allowed because when she decided to return to Judah, she attempted to separate herself from Orpah and Ruth:

But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the LORD reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. May the LORD bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD himself has raised his fist against me.” [Ruth 1.8-13]

While it seems over-dramatic that Naomi said God had raised His fist against her, she was not wrong. She repeated this conviction again later:

I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” [Ruth 1.21] 

It is highly significant then that Orpah returned to her people but Ruth did not. Both women made a conscious decision: one to return to Moab and its gods, and one to reject Moab and its gods to follow the LORD. 

And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. [Ruth 1.14-18]

So, finally, Ruth made the conscious decision to give up idolatry and follow God. THIS IS HUGE! AND, it points us right to Jesus. It was Ruth's known testimony of giving up her way and following God (the God of Naomi) that caught the eye of Boaz. Boaz married Ruth and, through the bloodline of their offspring, the Messiah of the world is identified!  And, what did He, the Messiah of the world say?

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

That is exactly what Ruth did. She forsook idolatry. She declared God alone as her God. That is how Jesus was seen in her. And, that is how Jesus will be seen in us. 

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

It is pure futility to expect Christ to be seen in us as long as we have not forsaken all other gods - the idols that promise us better life, but that only bring death and destruction.

Father in heaven, the depth of Ruth's story is a testimony of Your Almighty existence. I should not be surprised to find the reference to idolatry in Ruth, but I have been blinded by idolatry and the religion that shelters it, and have only just now seen it. May I be found trustworthy with this revelation and, like Naomi, affect a rejection of idolatry and more importantly, a return to You. So be it.

A Horrible Story - Our Story

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. [Judges 21.25] 

The story that precedes Judges 21.25 (all of today's One Year Chronological Bible reading) is absolutely horrible. It is unthinkable that the Levite would push his concubine out to an enraged group of homosexuals to be literally raped to death.

It must be understood that the setting in which all these events were taking place was Israel's occupation of the Promised Land without having annihilated its idolatrous inhabitants. God was very clear in His warning that doing so would open the door for gross idolatry among His people and consequently every shameful ungodly thing that accompanies it.

“So be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction. Do not deviate from it, turning either to the right or to the left. Make sure you do not associate with the other people still remaining in the land. Do not even mention the names of their gods, much less swear by them or serve them or worship them. Rather, cling tightly to the LORD your God as you have done until now. [Joshua 23.6-8]

But, without a king, there was simply no designated leadership to abide by everything Moses wrote. The leadership of a king was defined earlier in Israel's history:

“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the LORD his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. [Deuteronomy 17.18-19]

A king would serve as a focal point for God's laws to be honored among all the people - as long as that king was true to God's laws himself. But, that's another story that will be seen soon enough as Israel's history progresses beyond Judges...

Sufficient for this article today is that Israel had disregarded God's warning against intermingling with the idolatrous occupants of Canaan and today's appalling story is just one more example of how that intermingling played out.

Homosexuality is at the heart of the story of the Levite and his concubine in today's reading. The very fact that it is politically incorrect to make such a distinction in American society today is proof positive that the USA (and every other country that embraces homosexuality) is just as guilty of idolatrous intermingling as was Israel.

Are we beyond the point that God's Word can change our hearts and minds about idolatry? Will God's people stubbornly insist that the plethora of idols today (easily identifiable by their offerings to do for God's people what God jealously said He would do for us Himself) is just the way it is? Will no one associate the overwhelming powerlessness of the Church today (compared to Jesus - not each other) with the stubborn rebellion of idolatry repeated over and again in the Bible (refusing to trust God alone)?

Jesus left no room for anyone to reason (through education, common sense, emotion, or otherwise) what is, or what is not an idol in his or her own life. Jesus simply said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

In just today's One Year Chronological Bible reading alone, more than 65,000 people died. How can we read this and fail to see the gravity of the situation described? Idolatry leads to death! And, it was not only from the offenders that death occurred (from the tribe of Benjamin), but also from the entire nation (Israel) of which those offenders were citizens! 

Homosexuality is only one symptom of idolatry. Paul provided to Timothy a general list of other symptoms:

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! [2 Timothy 3.1-5]

Before the list to Timothy above, Paul was a bit more descriptive in his letter to the Romans:

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. [Romans 1.18-32] 

Look closely at the sentence above: "And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles." Before defending ourselves as "idol-free,' should it not concern us how the (made) industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology utilize images to identify themselves? They use people in most all their advertisements, while some use birds (emus?) and animals, and others use reptiles (snake on a stick, and lizards). But far more damning than their symbols is that the benefits they all provide (at a notable cost) are all benefits God promised (for free) to those who trust Him alone.

What more evidence do we need that society is rife with idolatry when all the shameful things Paul listed to the Romans are commonplace among us today? And what's more, are not all these shameful things justified by those who embrace them as things their hearts desired?

And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. [Romans 1.23-24]

Why do we not see this? Because we do not know the Bible! Oh sure, we may know the tenets of whatever denominational preference we hold, but we remain willfully ignorant of the whole Bible and Jesus Christ Whom it reveals. 

The sin problem of man is idolatry. The solution Jesus boldly declared is repentance and faith (described in word in Mark 1.15 and in action in Matthew 16.24):

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” [Mark 1.15] 

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

I apologize if my tone is harsh here. However, I will not apologize for the Bible passages quoted. They are neither misquoted nor taken out of context. They are from the Old Testament AND the New Testament and consistently reveal the sin problem of idolatry. Jesus' demand to give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me is no less exclusive than God's 1st Commandment (You must not have any other god but me).

Will we follow our king, Jesus, or will we continue to do whatever seems right in our own eyes?

In the telling widespread and overwhelming absence of a king - the King, Jesus, the WHOLE Word of God, the horrible story of Judges 21 is, sadly, our story. The cause is idolatry and the effect is every evil and vile thing Paul described above existing in our society - void of the Jesus-mirroring, indisputable power of God. 

Father in heaven, may Your Word open our eyes to its Truth, Jesus. May we be found genuinely giving up our own way (idolatry), taking up our cross (faith in You ALONE), and following Him. So be it.

The Diluting Factor

One day Samson went to the Philistine town of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute. [Judges 16.1] 

Nothing more clearly depicts the condition of dilution that occurs when idolatry is tolerated than the verse above.

Samson, dedicated to God from birth, was patronizing a prostitute.

Then, the story of Samson and Delilah is almost comical in its ridiculousness. But, such can be expected when pure faith in God has been abandoned by dilution. It just gets worse and worse.

And so, we come to the story of Micah and his open idolatry that carried right over into the tribe of Dan.

In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. [Judges 17.6]

Now in those days Israel had no king. And the tribe of Dan was trying to find a place where they could settle, for they had not yet moved into the land assigned to them when the land was divided among the tribes of Israel. [Judges 18.1] 

I have never realized this before, but even in the narrative of the story being told in Judges 17.6 and Judges 18.1, idolatry had so diluted and distorted Israel's understanding that they really thought having no king was why things were so bad. They could not see that their problem was not "no king," but that it was instead that they had "no God."

Samson's, Micah's, and Dan's stories in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading are not meant to make sense. They are recorded as a warning to us how the least little bit of idolatry shipwrecks pure unadulterated faith in God.

Such is the condition of God's people today. While we claim "God," "the Bible," "faith," and the "Holy Spirit," we blindly fail to see that we effectively look and act nothing like Jesus Christ Who said:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

"The Church" (myself very much included) has some explaining to do about a directive Jesus was crystal clear about:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

It is pure dilution that reads John 14.12 and thinks the Church today is okay. Instead of realizing the problem today is "no God," the Church has consoled itself that it is merely a matter of proper religious interpretation (more religion)... But in so doing, why is the Church still so divided over the matter? More religion is not going to fix the glaring problem for the Church any more than having a king would solve the glaring problem of ancient Israel. The problem to be fixed is idolatry. Jesus Christ told us exactly how to fix it: you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Jesus Christ told us exactly what our lives would look like when we do: anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works.

Biblical accuracy is not achieved in doing what is right in our own eyes. Biblical accuracy is achieved only when there are no idols in our lives (that blind us, by the way: Psalm 115.2-8 and Psalm 135.15-18) and we are identified as Christians because we actually look and act like Christ! Having religion is no better than having a king, but when idolatry is involved, both seem to make everything alright...

Father in heaven, I have never really seen Samson's, Micah's, and the tribe of Dan's stories in the light I have seen them today. But, in this light, the fact that these stories make no sense, now makes perfect sense when idolatry is seen as the diluting factor. May the light of Your Word today reveal to us how idolatry has us looking and acting nothing like Jesus Christ, but thinking more religion will fix it. As Your Word shines upon our diluted condition, may we be found giving up our own way, taking up our cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

Inherent Idolatry

And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. He said, “If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the LORD whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” [Judges 11.30-31] 

Just because someone makes a vow to God does not mean it is done as God would have it.

A vow is a powerful commitment. Bible history reveals (this story included), that a vow stands whether it is Godly or not. And, this is precisely why God repeatedly warned Israel about intermingling and intermarrying with godless and idolatrous people, specifically, the people of Canaan.

Jephthah was the product of such forbidden intermingling. Jephthah, being "of Gilead" was certainly the Israelite descendant of Joseph through Manasseh, Makir and Gilead. The origin of Jephthah's prostitute mother is unknown, but her prostitution alone is evidence of her idolatrous godlessness. As far as role models go, neither Jephthah's prostitute-paying father nor his sex-selling mother were exemplary.

The fact therefore, that Jephthah made any kind of vow to God at all shows his zeal to serve God. In that zeal however, he made a vow whose conditions were idolatrous in origin.

But still, there are questions about Jephthah's vow we might explore...

First, should we assume that Jephthah lived in his house not only with his family but also with animals acceptable for sacrifice? It could be true... But, what if it was a dog?

Next, Jephthah had only one child, a daughter. It would seem much more likely that a child would rush out first to meet a father returning from war. This is only because the child, in most cases, would be much quicker to respond than the anxious mother who would be equally, if not more excited to welcome her husband home alive. 

Jephthah's response, when his only child ran out to meet him, is telling:

When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. “Oh, my daughter!” he cried out. “You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.” [Judges 11.35]

When Jephthah made his vow, did it not even register in his mind, even if they kept animals in the house, that his child or his wife might possibly come out first? And, what did his response to his daugther say then to his wife?

Finally, before we cast an evil eye upon Jephthah, we should understand that Jephthah was working with the knowledge he had. His parents were both philanderers and not likely strong 'teachers of God's ways.' So, it is entirely possible that Jephthah was indeed zealous enough to sacrifice his only child or his wife in misguided devotion to God even though human sacrifice was inherent to idolatry.

The lesson in Jephthah's story for us is this: how might inherent idolatry be affecting our devotion to God today?

Can we be sure that our current "'Christian" practices are all indeed "Christian" if, in fact, those practices look nothing like Christ? Just asking for a friend...

Father in heaven, Jephthah's story reminds me how important it is that I give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Jesus. May I be found doing just that - and that alone. So be it.

God, Man, And Idolatry

Finally, they cried out to the LORD for help, saying, “We have sinned against you because we have abandoned you as our God and have served the images of Baal.” [Judges 10.10] 

This is the repeated plight of the people of Israel: they repeatedly abandoned God and turned to idolatry. 

Many Bible readers have recognized "Israel's repeated rebellion." Many have subsequently concluded (or struggle not to conclude) that the Bible is outdated and irrelevant to modern man. In this perceived irrelevancy, the strongest possible documented warning for man today is blindly overlooked.

God is still God and man is still man. And, according to the Bible, the prevailing problem of sin against God, idolatry, is still idolatry!

Jesus, God in the flesh, did not come to earth to deal with idols. Jesus came to earth to deal with man whose gross idolatry rendered him lost and condemned.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” [John 3.18-21]

The God-nature, in which man was created, was in fact, man's vulnerability. The very creative nature of God within man, when deceptively provoked to abandon God through self awareness, immediately set out to create. This started in the Garden of Eden. Satan's deceptive provocation, "Has God really said...?" resulted in man's disobedience that led to his first creative act: sewing figs leaves together to cover themselves. This self-focused creative act set in irreversible motion all the "making of idols" that would be man's and Israel's repeated and growing sin.

The creative God-nature in man has exponentially grown. The God-nature-creativity of man is at levels of unprecedented advancement in the earth today. And, Jesus did not stop or change it simply because the creative God-nature in man is not sin. But, when that creative God-nature in man abandons God and becomes self-focused, it is the epitome of condemning sin and judgment in which the unbeliever lives by default (John 3.18-21 above). 

Jesus came to offer man the opportunity to repent of abandoning God by giving up self-focused God-nature-creativity (the way of man) and instead, believe the way of God - the Way of Jesus - the way of other-focused God-nature-creativity - the way of the cross. Jesus said it like this:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Why did Jesus not specifically mention idols? Because, as God in the flesh, He would never do so. Instead, He would remain only God-focused saying things like:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6] 

Idols therefore are not the problem. Idols are the collective symptom of man's abandonment of God that causes him to use his creative God-nature for his own self-focused reasons. This would explain why religion today bears so little resemblance to Jesus... Man has used his God-nature-creativity to make an institution for himself (to futilely cover himself) because he has not obeyed God - he has not obeyed Jesus in giving up his own way, taking up his cross, and following Him. It should not be surprising then that the Church today is, for all practical Jesus-like purposes, powerless.

With the Old Testament's documentation of man's God-nature-creativity-turned-selfish (the way of man - and therefore, the way of idolatry) and Jesus in the New Testament demanding man must give up his own way (the way of man - and therefore, the way of idolatry), how can we ignore man's timeless sin of idolatry? How can we not see in the creations of man his abandonment of God?

If God is indeed still God, then we must also understand that Satan, the liar and deceiver, is still Satan. He was fallen in the Garden of Eden, he was fallen in Jesus' day, and he is still fallen today. Satan is still lying and still deceiving. And, man is still falling for Satan's lies insatiably using his God-nature-creativity for himself ...and therefore the Church, compared to Jesus, lies in an unremarkable state of powerlessness.

A true believer's active response to idolatry is daunting because of the unprecedented complexity of idolatry today. However, the simplicity of Jesus' solution, to give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me, is not about what we do, but what He has done. In contrast to Adam and Eve believing Satan's lie and abandoning God, we can believe Jesus' Truth and return to God.

Father in heaven, never has man's sin problem (idolatry) been more to clear to me than it is right now. May Your people be encouraged by these words here to make giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus not only a daily endeavor, but a moment-by-moment endeavor. May Your power return to Your people as they return to You. So be it.

When God's Victory Becomes Man's Idol

But the LORD told Gideon, “There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will test them to determine who will go with you and who will not.” When Gideon took his warriors down to the water, the LORD told him, “Divide the men into two groups. In one group put all those who cup water in their hands and lap it up with their tongues like dogs. In the other group put all those who kneel down and drink with their mouths in the stream.” Only 300 of the men drank from their hands. All the others got down on their knees and drank with their mouths in the stream. The LORD told Gideon, “With these 300 men I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home.” [Judges 7.4-7] 

I have heard it said (and probably have repeated it myself) that the men who drank from their hands were the true warriors. It is alleged that those who drank from their hands were more superior for warfare than those who put their mouth to the stream.

Well... That all sounds well and good until we look back to see what God was doing...

The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. [Judges 7.2]

God was not interested in building a super-army. In fact, He was doing just the opposite. Now, before we argue that verse three indicates otherwise...

Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight. [Judges 7.3] 

...we should understand God is first removing the timid or fearful because fear is the opposite of faith. While it might indeed be assumed that fearless warriors are the beginning of a super-army, it should understood that faith-filled warriors please God - they know and believe it is not about the quality or quantity of warriors, but about God's power. There is a significant difference.

There is sufficient Bible evidence to conclude that "pure faith" is what God was wanting in Gideon's army because what they would be a part of and witness would be nothing short of "purely miraculous." And, as all of Judges 7.2-7 (all the passages above) reveals, it was God's desire to accomplish a God-only miraculous feat - all He wanted was a small contingency of men who would, in faith, cooperate. That cooperation began not with fighting, but with a somewhat "ceremonial" act of faith.

He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it. Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon!’” It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” Each man stood at his position around the camp and watched as all the Midianites rushed around in a panic, shouting as they ran to escape. When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the LORD caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath. [Judges 7.16-22]

God did not need Gideon to be able to defeat the Midianites. But what God wanted was for a few faithful men to experience what genuine obedient faith in God can yield. And, they did!

Interestingly enough though, Gideon had a lapse of faith when he "made" the ephod mentioned below:

But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD will rule over you! However, I do have one request—that each of you give me an earring from the plunder you collected from your fallen enemies.” (The enemies, being Ishmaelites, all wore gold earrings.) “Gladly!” they replied. They spread out a cloak, and each one threw in a gold earring he had gathered from the plunder. The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels. Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family. [Judges 8.23-27] 

Although it could be speculated that Gideon innocently made the ephod to represent what God had done, it could also be interpreted that the man-made ephod was a symbol of human accomplishment - an idol. And, that is precisely what happened as it became a trap for Gideon and his family. The rest, as they say, is history.

There exist certain man-made industries today that are speculated to be the work of God. Although the accomplishments of these man-made industries often began with well-meaning and even faithful Godly men, history is unfolding that they have become a trap just like Jacob's moving his family to Egypt became to them and like well-meaning, faithful Gideon's ephod became a trap to his family. Idolatry's modus operandi is always the same: lure people in with a reasonable idea, and then, trap them with it. It started in the Garden of Eden ("Has God really said...?") and continues on in our day.

God does not need our strength and certainly not our reason. He wants our faith and obedience so He can show Himself strong on our behalf. As Gideon's story reveals, God wants us, like Gideon, to rid ourselves of any notion that we can accomplish anything in our own strength. Likewise, Gideon's story reveals that if man "makes" something, be it a carved image or multi-billion dollar industry - even as a testament to God, it will, in Biblical prophetic fulfillment, eventually become a trap - a pillaging idol to God's people and their families.

Not ironically, Jesus' timeless demand stands, marking anything of 'our own way' (accomplishments, reason) not only unimportant, but a roadblock to pleasing God:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word. In all Gideon's obedience we see the call of Jesus to "give up your own way." In Gideon's well-meaning but unnecessary ephod, we see why Jesus made that call... May we make every effort to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.