Judges 8:23-28: a reflection

23Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The LORD shall rule over you.” 24Gideon said to them, “I do have a request: that you would each give me the earrings of his plunder.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25They answered, “We will willingly give them.” They spread a garment, and every man threw the earrings of his plunder into it. 26The weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, in addition to the crescents, and the pendants, and the purple clothing that was on the kings of Midian, and in addition to the chains that were about their camels’ necks. 27Gideon made an ephod out of it, and put it in Ophrah, his city. Then all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. 28So Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and they lifted up their heads no more. The land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon.

After Gideon rightly refuses to make himself king, pointing the people to God's rule, he makes an ephod from the gold of his victory, which becomes a snare, leading Israel into idolatry, a warning that even a well-meant act can become a snare. I will not rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you, Gideon rightly said, refusing kingship. But then he made an ephod from the gold, and all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. Gideon did well to refuse to grasp kingship for himself and to point the people to God's rule. But the ephod he made, perhaps with good intentions, became an object of idolatry, drawing Israel and Gideon's own house away from God. Even his well-meant act became a snare. This shows that even a well-meant act can become a snare, drawing people from God. Even a well-meant act can become a snare, drawing people from God. Be careful that what you make or set up does not draw yourself or others from God. Good intentions do not prevent a thing from becoming a snare. Consider what your actions may lead others into, not only your intentions.

Notice the two sides of Gideon here. On one side, Gideon does well: asked to become king, to found a dynasty, he refuses, rightly declining to grasp power for himself and pointing the people to God as their true ruler, the LORD shall rule over you. This was good and humble. But on the other side, Gideon then makes an ephod from the gold won in battle, and this ephod, whatever his intentions, became a snare: all Israel came to worship it wrongly, and it drew Gideon's own house away from God. Something Gideon made, perhaps meaning well, became an object of idolatry and a snare. This holds a sobering warning. Even good people, even with good or well-meant intentions, can make or set up things that become snares, drawing themselves and others away from God. Good intentions do not guarantee good effects; a thing made or established with the best of motives can still become an occasion of sin, a snare that draws people from God. This calls us to consider not only our intentions, but the effects of what we make, set up, or establish: whether it may become a snare, drawing ourselves or others away from God, however well we meant it. We do well to be careful that what we make or set up does not become a snare, considering its effects and not only our intentions. Be careful that what you make or set up does not become a snare drawing people from God. Good intentions do not prevent a thing from becoming a snare. Consider the effects of what you establish, not only your motives. Even a well-meant act can draw yourself or others away from God.

That is worth taking to heart, for even a well-meant act can become a snare drawing people from God, and we do well to consider the effects of what we make, not only our intentions, as Gideon's ephod became a snare. We can assume good intentions guarantee good effects; but Gideon's ephod, whatever his intentions, became a snare drawing Israel from God. Consider the effects. Be careful that what you make or set up does not become a snare; consider not only your intentions but the effects, lest even a well-meant act draw yourself or others from God. Be careful that what you make or set up does not become a snare drawing yourself or others away from God, considering its effects and not only your intentions, as after Gideon rightly refused to make himself king and pointed the people to God's rule, he made an ephod from the gold of his victory which became a snare leading Israel into idolatry, a warning that even a well-meant act can become a snare; for Gideon did well to refuse to grasp kingship and to point the people to God's rule, saying the LORD would rule over them, but the ephod he made, perhaps with good intentions, became an object of idolatry drawing Israel and his own house away from God, so that even his well-meant act became a snare, which holds a sobering warning, that even good people with good or well-meant intentions can make or set up things that become snares drawing themselves and others from God, since good intentions do not guarantee good effects and a thing made with the best of motives can still become an occasion of sin and a snare, which calls us to consider not only our intentions but the effects of what we make, set up, or establish, whether it may become a snare drawing ourselves or others from God however well we meant it, so that we do well to be careful that what we make or set up does not become a snare.

Lord, after Gideon rightly refuses to make himself king, pointing the people to your rule, he makes an ephod from the gold of his victory, which becomes a snare, leading Israel into idolatry, a warning that even a well-meant act can become a snare. I will not rule over you; the LORD shall rule over you, Gideon rightly said, refusing kingship. But then he made an ephod from the gold, and all Israel played the prostitute with it there; and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house. Gideon did well to refuse to grasp kingship for himself and to point the people to your rule. But the ephod he made, perhaps with good intentions, became an object of idolatry, drawing Israel and Gideon's own house away from you. Even his well-meant act became a snare. Show me the two sides of Gideon here. On one side, Gideon does well: asked to become king, he refuses, rightly declining to grasp power for himself and pointing the people to you as their true ruler. This was good and humble. But on the other side, Gideon then makes an ephod from the gold won in battle, and this ephod, whatever his intentions, became a snare: all Israel came to worship it wrongly, and it drew his own house away from you. Something Gideon made, perhaps meaning well, became an object of idolatry and a snare. This holds a sobering warning. Even good people, even with well-meant intentions, can make or set up things that become snares, drawing themselves and others away from you. Good intentions do not guarantee good effects; a thing made with the best of motives can still become an occasion of sin. This calls me to consider not only my intentions, but the effects of what I make, set up, or establish. Take that to my heart. Keep me from assuming good intentions guarantee good effects; help me be careful, Lord, that what I make or set up does not become a snare, considering its effects and not only my motives, lest even a well-meant act draw myself or others away from you.