For those of you familiar with common Bible stories, you’ll remember the story of Gideon – the Israelite who tested God with requests for signs of a dry fleece / wet ground and then wet ground / dry fleece. He was also the commander who led the remaining 300 soldiers to victory from Midianite oppression after God had pruned them back after telling Gideon to only use those who lapped from their hand when drinking from the river. (See Judges 6 through 8 for his story.)
What most of us do not realize, however, is what became of Gideon after the fact. I know I didn’t until last night!
Many people think that the Bible only reflects happiness and heroes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The old testament isn’t all fluff and frivolty. It isn’t all cute saying and proverbs. What it is, is a history of a nation – God’s people. It includes the good along with the bad, and represents humanity as we are – not as we want to be. Along with our tribulations and triumphs, these historical stories shows us our downfalls and weaknesses. Sins aren’t covered up, God isn’t all loving and forgiving, and even God’s chosen people do not always live morally. Along with the triumps of great heros (such as Abraham, Moses, and Job), the historical accounts of the Israelites (and surrounding countries) also show us vulgarity, prostitution, idolotry, war, violence, illigitimate sex, rape, murder and more. It’s important to remember that God is not condoning the people’s actions either. It is because of their hardened hearts that God allows these tales of tradgedy and woe to take place. The stories are definately not for the faint at heart – they represent humans at their worst – and show us fully mankind’s need for a Savior!
From these stories in the Old Testament, not only can we learn how to live as God wants us to, we also learn how not to live. As the saying goes, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Case in point? Gideon himself.
Despite his knowledge of Yahweh (GOD), despite his being used as an instrument to deliver Israel from oppression, and despite all the good he did accomplish, Gideon had a human weakness that many of us have…
Love of the Physical World.
He loved wealth and things he could physically see & touch.
After conquering the Midianites, he made a mistake. A graven mistake. He requested a share of the gold that the soldiers had plundered from the town. With that gold, along with other pendants and ornaments he had himself plundered, he created a visible image which he then hung in his city.
This physical thing, this graven image which severely disobeys the very first of the 10 commandments, became a thing of worship for Israel. It took their eyes off of the one true invisible living God and placed them on something visible – but dead!
As we learn in Judges 8:27 we read the ominous foreboding that it “became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.” (KJV) The Message translates it to say “Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.” Over the next few verses, we learn that Gideon had many wives and sons. He had a huge family!
So, what do we have here?
A father, a husband, a respected community leader, a commander, a follower of God – someone who had the opportunity to lead his own family into greatness under the servitude of the Almighty God of Israel. In today’s Hollywood feel-good world, the curtain would come down just moments before we would have learned of Gideon’s mistake. A final scene would show his smiling children adoringly at their conquering father, home from war. Everyone would live happily ever after, and the audience would walk out imagining what terrific glory must have come from the children of a great hero such as Gideon.
But remember – our actions, no matter how great, do not automatically lead to that “happily ever after”. Mistakes made – even a seemingly small mistake – can eventually lead our entire family to distruction!
And Gideon made a graven mistake.
In the following chapter we are introduced to Abimelech, Gideon’s son by one of his concubines from Shechem. Abimelech, being ensnared by his own love for power and greatness convinces his mother’s people that he was the best man to lead them. He convinced them he was the only man capible of leading them. And then, using a bounty from the temples of Baal (a false god they worshiped), he hired men to kill his own brothers. All of his father’s sons, except for the youngest who escaped, were slaughtered.
That’s right! Gideon’s son murdered his family because of his lust for power and love of the physical world.
Later we learn Abimelech dies a horrific death in battle.
Could all of this destruction have been avoided if Gideon had taken a stance against graven images? What would have become of his family is he had been more concious about following God’s commands? What about Abimelech’s mother, who’s own family worshipped the false god Baal? Did they ever stop to think of how their own actions would affect their descendants?? Could Abimelech’s wicked ways have been thwarted earlier in life if his parents would have been more concious of their own actions before him?? Who knows.
What we do know is that there is always a consequence to every action we propogate.
In other words, we “reap what we sow”. Every tiny seed we plant in our family has the power to someday grow and eventually take over our lives of not only us, but our future decendants. God doesn’t cause mayhem and destruction. Humans do.
In the modern world, many people believe that parents do not influence their children, and the battle of “Nature vs. Nurture” rages strong. They believe that a grandparent’s or parent’s actions have no effect on the next generation. This, in essence, lets people “off the hook” and takes away personal accountability when it comes to child rearing.
“Do what you want, have fun, don’t worry – because it doesn’t matter in the future! As long as you’re not hurting anyone, do what you feel like doing!” is what this theory is saying.
Hogwash.
Gideon wasn’t “hurting anyone” when he created a simple golden image after his war battles. David wasn’t “hurting anyone” when he conceived an illigitimate child with Bathsheba. Lot wasn’t “hurting anyone” when he chose to plant his tent near Sodom so his cows could have nicer grass to eat.
Yet look at the destruction their seemingly innocent actions later brought down upon not only them, but their entire families!
While it is true that we can not force our children or grandchildren to behave or act in a certain way (either good or bad), it is not true that our actions do not influence their inner thoughts and behaviors. And when a child watches his parents, many habits and beliefs of the older generation are transferred to him – and upon becoming an adult, these ingrained beliefs give birth to habitual living. The principle of the consequences of our love for God – or sins against Him! - being passed on to future generations is taught in Exodus 34. It’s even touched upon in the Proverbs, where we learn to “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This applies not only to good things we train them in – but the bad as well! Our influence on our children is extremely powerful.
We never know what children are learning from us as they watch our actions! We never know how that one little seed, planted one day when we show our sinful human frailty, is going to grow in the future. One tiny, terrible, bad seed (such as when Gideon chose to put the graven image up before his family) can sprout in someone who witnessed our actions and grow tremendously, and give evil a chance for a strong foothold in those tangled roots.
Reading – and understanding – Gideon’s full, sad, haunting family legacy for the first time last night really caused me to think about my own family. I thought of my parents and grandparents. My mom’s parents raised 9 children, all of whom became wonderful people with wonderful children and grandchildren of their own. My grandfather was a pastor. His personal seeds were planted in the souls of 2 of his sons – and today they themselves are pastors. My Grandfather’s great-grandson is only 17, but has a huge heart for the Lord and has talked about becoming a pastor himself. What a terrific legacy my grandparents gave to all of us!
I also think of my own parents and things I learned from them growing up – and I realize that much of who I am today was derived from watching my parents actions – not from what they “told” me to do. When I search my soul, I recognize my parents in me – the good, along with the bad. I try to overcome the “bad” (such as my procrastination, a quick temper, and sloppiness), but these seeds are so habitual, and so deeply rooted, that I find myself slipping back into them over and over. (Jesus is definately the only one who can pull out those tangled plants!) The people my parents were 20 years ago is playing itself out heavily in who I am today. Their legacy – and the seeds their actions planted - is living on in me just as Gideon’s legacy lived on (and the died) in Abimilech and his brothers.
So what about our children? The next generation? I’m 25 and am expecting our first child. Who do I want Little Jack to be one day? Am I “that” person myself? What character traits will he learn me, his Mom? What bad seeds do I have in my life that he will be witnessing as he grows? What good seeds do I want to plant? My husband and I, whether we like it or not, hold a powerful position in his little life. Based on our actions today, we will either be influencing him towards good or bad! As we go about the monotany of our daily lives, I don’t want to forget that Little Jack is watching us – and learning – and developing his core being. Will harmful words said between me and my husband someday play themselves out between Jack and his own wife – and lead to divorce? Will misunderstood sarcasm from one of us someday blossom into an unkind and bitter spirit towards others in our son? Will my ignorance of the shows I may let Jack watch on television cause development of character traits that someday land my child in jail?? We don’t want that at all! We want to leave him a good legacy!
This is especially important to us as we consider how to pass on our love for God’s teachings and correct living to him. We don’t want to pass on “religion” and “tradition” – we want to pass on a true reverence for right living. You know, the kind of living that brings true peace and happiness along with a deep love for God and Jesus. Thankfully, God has promised to mature us in Christ’s image as long as our focus stays on Him – and that’s the best guarantee we have in our quest of raising Jack to be a good person. My prayer for our family is that we do not fall into a worldly trap like poor Gideon did!
Even the smallest seeds of evil can blossom into armies of terrible sin!
What about your own family? Are you paying attention to the legacy you are leaving your children?
I hope so!
The Lord has given you true insight into what he wants for your family.
May you and your husband stay on this path to raise your son.
And your Lord and Savior will bless you.
Ruby