Now we can’t go on, it’s too late to open all the rest of it but how many remember how fascinating it was? I think it was such a wonderful way that the Lord could work that miracle. Now do you know how this story ends? Don’t look at it now. How many know the very last thing that happens in the life of Gideon? What was it? Do you remember what he did which was alright? Yes, he made a memorial.
Now get this because this is a good thing to remember. It says at the very end, after all this conquest and the battles are over and the kings are taken; the people are rejoicing in it; and as a memorial, it says, he made an ephod unto the Lord.
An ephod was part of the dress worn by the priest and it was clasped at the shoulder. The High Priest wore an ephod. It was like a pocket in the front and a pocket at the back and clasped with precious stones—an ephod. There were times when not only the priest wore them but there were occasions when an ephod was permitted to be used by the lay man, by ordinary people.
Little Samuel had an ephod made when he was very small. You see it was suggestive. Gideon made this ephod as a memorial unto God. And so he took all those earrings, you remember, all this paraphernalia, and he made an ephod. Gideon made it unto God—a memorial—a sense of what victory we’ve had, and that became a point for their communion and for their sense of thanks giving to God.
It was started originally as something that was in God. God would bless it. Do you remember what it says at the end? “And it became a snare.” And the people began to, instead of using it to the glory of God, they used it almost like an idol and diverted their worship from God to this ephod—a thing which was begun as a simple thing, legitimate thing, a good thing.
Why not have a memorial? Yes, but how many people can keep a thing where it belongs? Very few! It became. It became—not, it was. Gideon didn’t make it a snare. No, no, no. Oh no, people never do—they never start making a snare. The thing degenerates into a snare until they become a captive to it and the first thing you know it will damn them all.
And here it was a memorial—a very nice thing. Look at the things that people have had, we say, in God,—a memorial! It was alright, He blessed it—a beautiful thing.
Well now, just you wait! How many of you think you have strength to keep that thing where it belongs in the Spirit? Too many times a thing that has started as a little spiritual helpful thing will degenerate on a lower level and lower until it is a snare, and the whole thing is nothing but a snare of the devil.
I always say to people,
“Be careful of your friendships—be careful of any of those things.”
“Why,” you say, “he’s a wonderful fellow! He belongs to the same church I do!”
Now that’s alright.
“She’s a wonderful woman!”
That’s alright too, BUT, a thing that can be alright can be all deadly wrong and become a snare. And that’s what it was and it became—not it was started as a snare. Oh no, it was all started sweet—a memorial. It became a snare! So I don’t blame Gideon. I’m only sorry that that shadow had to be cast over such a victorious life and then have that shadow cast over it. T he very thing that he had instituted unto God had, by others (he didn’t do it), but others caused it to be dropped down until it says,
“It became a snare and they all went whoring after it.”
All the children of Israel were making it a substitute. So I like Gideon. He’s been a lot of help to me. I’ve got some other things in there but we can’t take too long. I have some Scriptures in the New Testament that hook right in with all of this. How many of you
see it is a good field? I can’t finish it but take that home for your homework. Take that story of Gideon and sit down sometime and read over Judges chapters six, seven and eight and see your analogies running around in there. And remember your flail and the and the trumpet. And remember that is what He is qualifying us for NOW. And also this: It doesn’t mean it ceases, there are phases of our Christian experiences yet in which we are still laying down and picking up. This continues on all through life. It is a progression.
How many of you got anything more to think about? Do you kind of get a location in your own pattern of some of the things of the Lord’s dealings?
Prayer
Our loving Lord, we thank Thee for these simple little stories which are so full of spiritual suggestion and food for our thought and consideration and even for our encouragement, for our admonition. And so as we’ve been looking at Gideon and his wonderful life in Thee, the way that You handle him, it gives us courage, Lord. It gives us courage to move on with Thee and dare to believe what Thou art doing—that, He that hath begun the good work will finish it. We ask that You will bless it to our good for Jesus' sake. Amen.