Gideon's Ephod

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In other articles in this issue, we have seen how that even a faithful and humble man like Gideon succumbed to pride and ultimately failure later in his life. His making of an expensive ephod deserves our special notice, however, for two reasons. First of all, the failure concerned the making of something that was God-ordained and connected with the priesthood. Second, it does not seem that Gideon foresaw the wrong use to which this ephod was put. The whole incident is a solemn warning for us today.
After the signal victory over the Midianites, the Israelites had obviously collected a great deal of spoil. Among the spoil were the golden earrings worn by the Midianites, as well as golden ornaments from their kings and chains worn by their camels. Gideon requested these, and with them he made an ephod. Doubtless it was very beautiful, for the ephod was to be made “of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen” (Ex. 28:66And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work. (Exodus 28:6)). With “a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold” (Judg. 8:2626And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks. (Judges 8:26)) with which to work (more than 42 pounds), Gideon very probably enhanced the beauty of his ephod using many threads and/or ribbons of gold, and he made something very pleasing to the eye. Although we are not told specifically, it is very likely that Gideon intended it to glorify the Lord, who had given Israel this great victory.
However, it is noteworthy that Gideon did not give the ephod to the priests (who were the only ones who could use it properly), but rather “put it in his city, even in Ophrah” (Judg. 8:2727And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. (Judges 8:27)). If Gideon intended the ephod for the Lord’s glory, it certainly seems as if there were mixed motives in his heart. The result was predictable, for “all Israel went thither a whoring after it” (vs. 27). Instead of God’s center at Shiloh, Ophrah became a center, and Gideon’s house was preferred to the house of the Lord. Thus it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. The ephod meant nothing unless worn by the priest, and in this way the outward form became more important than the reality.
This is not the only occasion of a religious object becoming in itself an object of worship. The same thing happened to the serpent of brass made by Moses, which was a picture of Christ made sin for us. A look at the serpent of brass was sufficient to heal an Israelite who had been bitten by the fiery serpents the Lord had sent among the people (Num. 21:4-94And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. 6And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. 9And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:4‑9)). Hundreds of years later, in the time of Hezekiah, the children of Israel were still burning incense to it as an idol. Hezekiah wisely destroyed it, along with other trappings of idolatry, and called it simply “Nehushtan”—a piece of brass (2 Kings 18:44He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4)).
In our day, with the light of Christianity, we may perhaps smile at those who would make an object of worship out of material things, but surely we are in danger of doing the same with spiritual things. An idol is anything which displaces Christ in my heart, and this can occur very subtly, especially in spiritual things. Even things good in themselves and given of God can take my eyes off Christ. The local assembly, the preaching of the gospel, my service for the Lord, my family, and even divine principles—all may be an object of my heart, and yet be short of Christ. Commenting on this very tendency, another has written, “Principles are not enough: We need God. Without this, mighty principles are but a sword in the hands of a child or of a drunken man; it were better to take it away from him, or at least, that he not use it till he be sober.” Much of Christendom has gone further, introducing into Christian services beautiful buildings, incense, robed clergy, religious ritual and instrumental music, to name a few. These in themselves become idols and are used of Satan as a distraction with which to occupy souls. These things too were given of God, but were for a previous dispensation under law; they have no place among those who seek to worship God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)).
We are always most vulnerable after the Lord has used us to win a great victory, and it was the spoils of victory which Gideon used to make his ephod. It is incumbent on us to be especially on guard at such times, for the results of giving in to Satan’s wiles can be serious. In Gideon’s case, we cannot help but wonder if his ephod paved the way for the re-introduction of idolatry in Israel. We read in Judges 8:3333And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god. (Judges 8:33), “It came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.” Our hearts need this warning.
W. J. Prost