Almost a year has gone by since Tiger Woods admitted sharing a bed with women who were not his wife. Since then he’s lost his marriage, millions of dollars in endorsements, and his golf game has been off. What prompted Tiger to make such a gaffe? Let him tell you in his own words: “I knew my actions were wrong, but I convinced myself that normal rules didn’t apply…I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me. I felt I was entitled.”
“Entitled.” You don’t have to be a superstar to feel that way; you just have to be human. We all think that we are deserving of more money, more respect, and more time to do what we want. The consequences of such an entitlement attitude, however, are devastating – not just to ourselves but to everyone around us. Just ask Tiger. Or ask Gideon. That’s what we’ll do this morning as we contemplate Gideon’s gaffe and find out how God’s warrior inadvertently made an idol.
I just called Gideon “God’s warrior” but do you remember what he was like when we first met him a few sermons ago? Gideon was more of a worrier as he didn’t think he was cut out to lead the Israelites in battle when God called him to do so. It took a few miracles to convince Gideon that God was really with him before he willingly led 300 soldiers against 135,000 Midianites. But once Gideon got going, he was all warrior. He pursued the enemy 300 km (an Edmonton-Calgary distance) until he caught up with the Midianite kings and put them to death himself. Gideon then punished the Israelite towns that had refused to feed his army when they had passed through in pursuit of the enemy. Having witnessed these warrior-like acts, Gideon’s followers wanted to make him king. After all hadn’t he just saved them from the Midianites? Well no, God had saved them. Had the Israelites forgotten how the opening attack took place without a single Israelite soldier holding a sword, spear, or even a knife? They had just made a little noise with their rams’ horns and voices, and shone a little light with their torches and God used that to throw the Midianites into confusion so that 22,000 of the enemy killed each other in a matter of minutes. Still, it must have been a temptation for Gideon to take credit for the victory, but he responded like this to the people’s plea to become their king: “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you” (Judges 8:23).
Well said, Gideon! And Gideon and the Israelites lived happily ever after. Amen. Not quite. While Gideon did not want to be called “king” he sure acted like one. Before the Israelites dispersed, Gideon asked his soldiers to give him a share of their spoils – just a gold earring each. Like a king exacting tribute from his subjects, Gideon squeezed this treasure from his fellow countrymen even though he didn’t need it because God had blessed him with plenty of riches of his own as a result of the battle. With the gold, Gideon made an ephod, a breastplate normally worn by the high priest. It’s a curious thing for a soldier to make – like a four-star general today commissioning a gold replica of the gown his pastor wears. While we don’t know why Gideon made this ephod, we do know how he used it. Gideon set it up in his hometown like some sort of headless monument – perhaps to remind the Israelites of how he, God’s chosen warrior, had led them in battle against the Midianites and therefore was deserving of their honor. Even if Gideon’s motivation for making the ephod was innocent, the result was disastrous. The people treated the golden breastplate like some sort of idol, bowing down before it. Our text says that the ephod became a “snare” even to Gideon and his family.
And then there was the issue of all the wives Gideon took. Again he was acting like the kings of his day who thought they were entitled to this “pleasure” because they could afford it. And as if the multiple wives were not enough to satisfy him, Gideon also kept a concubine in a neighboring town. She gave birth to a son whom Gideon named “Abimelech.” Do you know what that name means? “My dad is king.” Sure, Gideon had said the right thing about becoming Israel’s king but his actions betrayed his true thoughts on the matter.
Oh that Gideon the warrior would have remained more of a worrier! Are you surprised to hear me say that after three sermons of chiding Gideon for being too much of a worrier? In the face of his promises God wants us to be bold. But when God blesses bold efforts, which have been motivated by his promises, we should not let the success go to our heads. Anything we accomplish is God’s doing. We are just the tools – and imperfect tools at that – like a computer that freezes up just as you’re about to print off reports for that important meeting, or a saw that snaps in two when you’re trying to trim trees. Had the following words of Solomon already been written in Gideon’s day he should have held on to them with all his might: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10a). No, God doesn’t want us to be afraid of him - that is unless we reject his word. He wants us to respect him and to acknowledge that without him we are nothing and can accomplish nothing. That’s what I meant when I said that Gideon the warrior should have remained a bit of a worrier who maintained a healthy respect for God’s honor.
Don’t we “respectable” church-going Christians have a lot in common with Gideon? We too may turn away from obvious temptations, saying the right thing about sin but then we secretly give in and justify our failings thinking, “We’re entitled.” For example you might not get plastered at the company Christmas party, but you’ll drink just enough so that you say and do things you otherwise wouldn’t. Is that so wrong? You’ve got to cut loose some time? Or you may not jump in the sack with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you know that’s wrong but you do wonder how far you can go, revealing that you think of your sweetheart’s body as your plaything and not the Lord’s sacred temple reserved for your sweetheart’s future spouse? Or you may never have robbed a bank, forged a check, or shoplifted. These things are clearly wrong. But do you worry about your investments as if God can’t be relied upon to care for you in retirement as he does now?
When we fail to turn from sins like these we don’t just hurt ourselves, we hurt those around us. Gideon’s gaffe regarding that ephod led his whole family into the sin of idolatry. And his refusal to follow God’s rules regarding marriage caused massive family problems. Of the 71 sons Gideon had, only 1 escaped a violent death. Friends, what kind of snares have we inadvertently set for our families? I think the biggest trap that we fall into is wanting to be like the world. We want to be as rich and comfortable as everyone else so we work crazy hours that zap us of the energy to carry on family devotions during the week. And we want our children to excel in sports and school so we put them in all kinds of clubs. But the family ends up being so tired from running around to these things that it and we can hardly focus on what goes on here Sunday morning. After a while, church is no longer a highlight but an obligation to endure. If that is our attitude, it would be better not to come to worship. At least then we wouldn’t be guilty of the sin of hypocrisy. And don’t think that because things are going well in your life that this means everything is OK between you and God. Gideon and the Israelites enjoyed 40 years of peace, but inwardly, spiritually, things were a mess. Accordingly the Apostle Paul wrote: “Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” (Romans 2:4)
Yes, Gideon’s gaffe should lead us to repentance. That means first of all being sorry for our sins – not just the “big” ones that everyone else knows about but also the “small,” hidden sins. Then we will want to rid our lives of anything that causes these sins. In our gospel lesson this morning Jesus said that if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off (Matthew 18:8)! But wouldn’t we all end up limbless in a matter of minutes if we took Jesus’ words literally? The point is that when it comes to sin only drastic measure will do. Cancelling your cable subscription, for example, may seem like a drastic measure but if mindless TV is wasting the precious time God has given you to interact with the family or do homework, then it’s the right thing to do.
However drastic the measures we take against sin may seem to us, it will be nothing compared to the measures God took to save us from our sins. God the Father cut off his right arm and tore out his heart nailing both to the cross as it were when he sent his Son to face his wrath for our sins. Thanks to these drastic measures all your sins, not just most of them, but all your sins have been forgiven. Jesus’ blood does not “kinda” cleanse us - the way an old dishwasher “kinda” cleans pots and pans leaving rice and potatoes bits stuck to the bottom forcing you to scrub them off. No, you’re made new again. Better than new, actually. You’re new and empowered – like a toy from the store that comes with batteries. So Jesus’ blood doesn’t just forgive past sins it empowers you to steer clear of future sins.
Did Gideon ever repent of his sins? He must have since he is listed in Hebrews 11, a chapter of the New Testament that registers Old Testament heroes of faith. But while Gideon was saved, how many of his family members and fellow Israelites were? Had Gideon’s poor choices, motivated by his entitlement attitude, led them away from the faith permanently? We can’t do anything about that. But what we can do is pray: “Lord, empty me of my pride, my worry, my lack of faith. Fill me with your Word. Only then will I hate that which is evil and cling to that which is good. Work this attitude in me for Jesus’ sake so that I may be a help and not a hindrance to those you have entrusted to my care. Yes, make me a warrior, a humble warrior who boldly does your will to your glory, for your people.” Amen.
