Judges 8:28-35 – Gideon Dies

Jdg 8:28

1. Just as God had promised, Gideon’s war was a success!
   1. Midian was totally defeated and Israel as a nation was much stronger.
   2. God had done his part in the agreement.
   3. If God promises something, we can trust his promises, God does not disappoint.
2. For Gideon personally, however, the end was a spiritual failure.
   1. First, Gideon’s golden foot leads to idolatry.
   2. Secondly, Gideon takes many wives, something that in the Old Testament almost always ends in misery and which Paul advises against (1 Tim 3:2).

Jdg 8:31

1. Although Gideon undeniably said he did not want to be king, he acted like a king. When Gideon has a son, he names him “Abimelech” which means “father is king”.

Jdg 8:32

1. When Gideon eventually dies, he dies at an old age.
   1. Gideon began well with God.
      1. Then he was poor and dependent on God.
      2. Now he was rich and self-sufficient.
   1. Sometimes it is easier to live for God when you are poor and in need.
      1. From a spiritual perspective, getting rich and having a good life can be absolutely devastating.
2. In order for Gideon to remember God and all that God had done in his life, he had to look back.
   1. I think many believers recognize themselves in this. But I don’t think it is God’s purpose for our lives that our spiritual peak is when we are 20 years old.
   2. I believe that God wants to use us more and more as we get older and more experienced.
   3. My advice to you is that if God leads you to great success, continue to be a simple person even after the victory.

Jdg 8:33

1. After Gideon died, Israel fell back into idolatry again. This is in line with the tragic cycle in the book of Judges (Judges 2:19).
2. “Baal-Berit” means “lord of the covenant”, which shows that the Israelites saw Baal as their covenant god.
3. This shows us that we all depend on God’s Holy Spirit to remain with God.
   1. Gideon was filled with the Spirit of God and empowered to act according to God’s will, but eventually his devotion seems to have waned.
   2. The people of Israel, who were not filled with the Spirit of God, fell back into idolatry as soon as Gideon was dead.
   3. Paul urges all believers to “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18) and to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:16), which I believe is necessary to live a devoted life for God. We need to be repeatedly filled with the Spirit of God.