So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. Thus the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel. (Judges 8:33-35)

Gideon’s Folly

Gideon was not the best of character, but he was the judge of Israel for four decades. He was a reluctant leader. One of the great victories of Gideon was defeating the Midianites with only three hundred men. The armies of Zebah and Zalmunna numbered one hundred thirty-five thousand. One hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword were killed. Gideon went after the remaining fifteen thousand and routed the whole army. He punished the leaders of Succoth for not helping him and pulled down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city. During the forty years of the reign of Gideon, the Lord showed His power and might to the people by the hand of Gideon.

In the cycle of the Judges, Israel could never get enough of idolatry. The people asked Gideon to rule over them, but Gideon refused, telling the people the Lord must rule over them. For unknown reasons, Gideon made an ephod from the offerings of the people and set it up in his city. All Israel played the harlot with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. There was peace in the land during the rule of Gideon for forty years. As soon as Gideon died, the people immediately reverted to their idolatrous ways. They played the harlot with Baal, and made Baal-Berith their god.

The hearts of the people were not wholly devoted to God. It is remarkable that immediately upon the death of Gideon, they returned to the immoral worship of Baal. They forgot all the Lord had done for them. The Law of Moses recounted the victories of God against Egypt and the nations of Canaan. Gideon’s victory over the Midianites testified to the power of God, but the people did not believe it. They enjoyed the pleasures of idolatry and spared no time to immerse themselves back into the works of the flesh. To make matters worse, they took no consideration for the family of Gideon and what he did. There was no loyalty to the man who judged them for forty years and drove away the Midianites. Their ingratitude was immense.

Whatever reforms Gideon tried to put in place were ineffective. What Gideon was unable to do was to change the hearts of the people toward God. It is unclear why they kept allegiance to Gideon as long as he lived, but it is abundantly clear they shared no loyalty at his death. Their hearts were corrupt. They could not wait for Gideon to die to return to their old ways. Time and again, they fell back into idolatry, and God punished them. The human spirit takes a long time to learn eternal lessons, and Israel was no exception. It is a wonder God has allowed the world to remain for so long with such rebellious souls.

The heart of man remains unchanged. Sin continues to drive men away from God to the pleasures of a life that ends in death. The heart must be devoted to God. Gideon’s death sparked a backlash against the Lord God, but their disobedience was punished by the wrath of God. Serving God demands allegiance to the Lord at all times. It is not the leadership of a man that commands respect and honor. Worship is given to God alone, regardless of who the leader is. Gideon failed to guide the hearts of the people. After his death, he was forgotten. Sin does that. It fills the heart with ingratitude and distrust. Do not let your heart trust in a man – trust in God.