Failure to Finish
Daily Old Testament Reading: Judges 6-9
Daily Focus Passage: Judges 8
Gideon served as a judge of Israel. Most people recognize Gideon as the judge who tested the calling of the Lord with the fleece on the floor, the one who selected his army by how they drank water, and how he claimed victory over the enemies of the Israelites. Yet, we tend to forget that the ending of Gideon’s leadership became a failure and promoted the waywardness of Israel. Gideon’s inability to finish well reveals the importance for believers and Christian leaders today to understand the necessity of finishing well.
GIDEON REFUSED RESPONSIBILITY IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
In Judges 8, the people ask Gideon to rule over them after his successful work of freeing them from the oppressors. Gideon responded negatively and even declared that no one in his family would rule over them because the Lord alone must be their King. This statement is theologically correct; the Lord must be the King. Yet, the Lord empowered judges as his earthly representative to lead the people under his guidance. This form of leadership existed in the Exodus with Moses and in conquering the land with Joshua. Yet, Gideon provides an answer difficult to argue with because he mentions the Lord. Thus, Gideon used a righteous response to neglect the responsibility of leading.
GIDEON FELL PREY TO THE TEMPTATION OF SUCCESS
As Gideon rejected the role of leader, he requested the people to gain wealth. He asked the people to present him with a portion of the plunder received in the victories. As the people agreed, Gideon took the plunder, crafted an Ephod, and placed it in his hometown. The Bible states that the people would disobediently come to the place of the Ephod and worship. Gideon used righteousness to neglect the responsibility to lead, yet he misused his success to elevate the self and lead others astray.
GIDEON’S ACTIONS LED TO PEOPLE TURNING FROM GOD
As the people journeyed to worship in Gideon’s hometown, their journey and worship turned away from the Lord and fell into idolatry. When Gideon allowed his flesh to intercede with his calling and to keep him from finishing well, he led the people not in following the Lord but away from the Lord. Instead of representing the Lord, he misrepresented the Lord even though his words sounded good. His failure to finish well impacted his life and his family's life as the Word declares that the act became a snare to his family. At the same time, his failure to finish well impacts the others around him.
GIDEON’S FAILURE TO FINISH IMPACTED THE NEXT GENERATION
The death of Gideon marked the presence of a new generation. The Bible details that after the death of Gideon that the people fell into deep disobedience before the Lord and that the disobedience led to an evil judge and eventually another judge to rescue them. Gideon’s personal decisions and how he finished extended beyond his family and impacted the generation of Israelites that followed him. This reality serves as a reminder of how the actions of one individual impact those who come behind them.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
The life of Gideon teaches us today the importance of finishing well in the Lord. The unfolding and ending of Gideon’s story must challenge us to seek the Lord and obey his calling. At the same time, we must guard against using righteous words to excuse ourselves from serving the Lord and battle against the temptations of the flesh that believe we deserve something when we genuinely do not. Finally, we must live understanding that our decisions and actions extend beyond us as an individual and impact our families, friends, and those who come after us. Thus, we must choose to finish well and battle the threat of failing to finish.
