Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

 

Judges 6:28-35

 

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the altar that had been built.  And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had searched and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.”   Then the men of the town said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has broken down the altar of Baal and cut down the Asherah beside it.”   But Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been broken down.”   Therefore on that day, Gideon was called Jerubbaal, that is to say, “Let Baal contend against him,” because he broke down his altar.

 

Now all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the people of the East came together, and they crossed the Jordan and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel.   But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.   And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, and they too were called out to follow him. And he sent messengers to Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, and they went up to meet them.

 

When the gods you are putting your trust in are broken down, men first get mad, and then they lose hope.  If you do not believe me; it only requires one to go back in our history and look at the actions of many in the 1930 stock market crash who had wealth and lost it overnight.  And many of them kill themselves, the altar they worship at had been torn down. 

 

That is what is taking place with the people who lived around Gideon, and yet the God who they had rejected was Gideon’s protector, and God used Joash Gideon's dad to be his entrustment of protection for his son.  One man with God was greater than all the men of that area, and all he said was if Baal can’t defend his altar, is he a god worth getting all upset over.

 

Can the gods you are putting trust in defending themselves, are you willing to listen to the words of a Joash when they speak the truth.  That day Gideon was clothed by the Spirit of God and he called the nation to battle against those who were God’s enemies, the worshipers of little gods, gods who cannot see nor hear.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice