“Then the people of Ephraim asked Gideon, “Why have you treated us this way? Why didn’t you send for us when you first went out to fight the Midianites?” And they argued heatedly with Gideon. But Gideon replied, “What have I accomplished compared to you? Aren’t even the leftover grapes of Ephraim’s harvest better than the entire crop of my little clan of Abiezer? God gave you victory over Oreb and Zeeb, the commanders of the Midianite army. What have I accomplished compared to that?” When the men of Ephraim heard Gideon’s answer, their anger subsided. Gideon then crossed the Jordan River with his 300 men, and though exhausted, they continued to chase the enemy. When they reached Succoth, Gideon asked the leaders of the town, “Please give my warriors some food. They are very tired. I am chasing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” But the officials of Succoth replied, “Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your army.” So Gideon said, “After the Lord gives me victory over Zebah and Zalmunna, I will return and tear your flesh with the thorns and briers from the wilderness.” From there Gideon went up to Peniel and again asked for food, but he got the same answer. So he said to the people of Peniel, “After I return in victory, I will tear down this tower.” By this time Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor with about 15,000 warriors—all that remained of the allied armies of the east, for 120,000 had already been killed. Gideon circled around by the caravan route east of Nobah and Jogbehah, taking the Midianite army by surprise. Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings, fled, but Gideon chased them down and captured all their warriors. After this, Gideon returned from the battle by way of Heres Pass. There he captured a young man from Succoth and demanded that he write down the names of all the seventy-seven officials and elders in the town. Gideon then returned to Succoth and said to the leaders, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna. When we were here before, you taunted me, saying, ‘Catch Zebah and Zalmunna first, and then we will feed your exhausted army.’” Then Gideon took the elders of the town and taught them a lesson, punishing them with thorns and briers from the wilderness. He also tore down the tower of Peniel and killed all the men in the town. Then Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “The men you killed at Tabor—what were they like?” “Like you,” they replied. “They all had the look of a king’s son.” “They were my brothers, the sons of my own mother!” Gideon exclaimed. “As surely as the Lord lives, I wouldn’t kill you if you hadn’t killed them.” Turning to Jether, his oldest son, he said, “Kill them!” But Jether did not draw his sword, for he was only a boy and was afraid. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said to Gideon, “Be a man! Kill us yourself!” So Gideon killed them both and took the royal ornaments from the necks of their camels.”
Judges 8:1-21 NLT
It doesn’t take much for God to turn a nobody into a somebody. This is the easy part. This is often done with blessings that often would take a lifetime to earn being quickly and unduly bestowed upon them. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t take long for our sin nature to exploit that lack of experience in us. Within this disorientation of growth and power lies the perfect breeding ground for sin to rise up as pride and tyranny. When people gain power quickly, they tend to abuse it. It is not a statement of bad intentions, but rather a lack of skill and respect for it. Here we see Gideon’s pride grow. Again, he challenges he addresses the power dynamic within his own country, using it to justify his victory. His answer to Ephraim could’ve been the Lords leading but he wished to emphasize that his troop was both powerful and unrecognized for it. This type of bitterness grew into a brutality and tyranny that had him compared to the very enemies he was told to overthrow. But the seeds of this heart were always there. In the questioning of God, in the way he felt sorry for his tribe, his path was determined. Our path toward sin is always determined, without the correct emphasis, when we encounter blessings. If we don’t approach them with humility first, we end up becoming the things we hate.
God’s Blessings and Human Nature: God can quickly elevate someone from obscurity, but human sin nature often leads to pride and abuse of power.
Gideon’s Downfall: Gideon’s pride and bitterness, evident in his response to Ephraim, showcase the potential for abuse of power.
Path to Sin: Without humility, blessings can lead to sin, as seen in Gideon’s transformation from a humble leader to a tyrant.
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