Judges 8:13-26 – Be careful in making every decision

Gideon and his men returned from the battle, having captured Zebah and Zalmunna and routed the Midianites. Remembering the disdain that the men of Succoth and the people of Penuel showed them, he then made good his threats to the people of those two cities. Gideon captured a youth from Succoth and from him obtained the names of the seventy-seven key men of that city. He then showed them the two kings whom they had captured. And as warned, he punished them with thorns and briers. He also punished the people of Penuel by tearing down their tower. So, both the cities were punished for their failure to help their countrymen. Failure to carry out a warning will dilute one’s credibility. And Gideon was not about to allow that to happen to his life. So, he kept his word and did what he had warned the two cities on what he would do. He needed to because these would be a good object lesson for his followers. What happened to Succoth and Penuel underscore an important lesson: that we should always avail ourselves to the work of the larger fellowship. In God’s work, the whole should always be given priority over the part.

In Judges 8:18-21, Gideon went about punishing the two kings whom he had captured. He confronted Zebah and Zalmunna and they confessed to have ordered the killing of those people who were Gideon’s blood brothers. This suggests that they had killed them underhandedly. If they had been merciful to those whom they had killed deceitfully, Gideon would have spared them. Since they did what seemed so treacherous, he was not about to be lenient to them. So, Gideon turned to Jether, his firstborn son and ordered him to kill the two kings. We are not given the reason why Gideon wanted his son to do the execution. Perhaps, he wanted to humiliate them by asking his young and inexperienced son to do the execution. But Jether refused to do it. What lesson can we learn from this incident? In serious matters in the battle, always get people who are ready and trained for the task. Don’t put the work under jeopardy by using inexperienced and unprepared people before they are ready. Realizing their time was up the two fugitive kings told Gideon to kill them himself and so he did it with one blow. And he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.

In verses 22-26, Gideon was recognized and accepted by the Israelites as their leader. They were flowing with gratitude to him for all that he had accomplished in the destruction of the Midianites. They wanted to make him their ruler. But Gideon knew better. Had it not been for the LORD, he would never have been successful. He refused to take what was rightly God’s. He attributed the success to the LORD and insisted that He should be the rightful ruler. Gideon did, however, ask that each of them should contribute an earring from the spoil taken from the enemies to show their gratitude. The enemies were Ishmaelites hence they all worn an earning. What Gideon received amounted to 1,700 shekels of gold. What he did with the gold he received led to the beginning of the degeneration of the people. It is needful for us to be careful about what we do after the battle is won. Remember, whatever victory we have secured can be undone by one wrong decision.  So be circumspect and do what is right!