The Judges. Day 21, Gideon Tears Down His Father's Pagan Altar

As we closed yesterday's study we found Gideon setting up an altar at the location where the angel of the Lord showed him a sign. That night the Lord asks Gideon to do something. He must remove a pagan altar at his family's homestead. Gideon needs to make a clear statement (for his own sake as well as his people's sake) that he intends to serve no god but the Lord. The reason the people are enduring oppression by the Midianites is because some dabbled in idolatry and some fell headlong into it. Gideon, whom the Lord has chosen to lead Israel to victory, must set a godly example for the people to follow. He must be first to cast down idols.

"That same night the Lord said to him, 'Take the second bull from your father's herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper kind of altar to the Lord your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering." (Judges 6:25-26) The Lord asks for a specific bull from the herd of Joash, Gideon's father. Scholars have offered a variety of opinions on this. Some say the Lord asked for a bull seven years old because seven years is how long the Israelites have been subject to the Midianites and that the sacrifice of this bull indicates the end of the seven years of hardship. Others think this particular bull was being fattened for sacrifice to Baal and that, as part of Gideon's repudiation of idolatry, he was to offer it to the Lord instead of allowing it to be offered to Baal.

Gideon does what the Lord asks but he does it before sunup. The angel of the Lord may have called him a "mighty warrior" but he still doesn't feel like one. He knows the townspeople, and some of his own relatives, are going to be upset enough to attack and even kill him. This is how invested they are in their worship of Baal. "So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the Lord told him. But because he was afraid of his family and the townspeople, he did it at night rather than in the daytime." (Judges 6:27) 

"In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was Baal's altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar. They asked each other, 'Who did this?' When they carefully investigated, they were told, 'Gideon son of Joash did it.'" (Judges 6:28-29) It did not occur to them to suspect Gideon at first. They probably assumed he shared his father's religious beliefs and would not have dared touch his father's altar to Baal. We don't know who spilled the beans on him but, considering that ten other men knew what he had done, and considering that those men probably told their wives or other household members or friends what had happened, I doubt it took long for the townspeople to learn the identity of the one who destroyed the heathen altar.

We see now why Gideon did this work at night. The people are so angry that they want him dead. "The people of the town demanded of Joash, 'Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.'" (Judges 6:30) They form a mob and march to Joash's house to demand he deliver up his son immediately so they can put him to death.

But the example Gideon is setting has already produced godly results. His father---the man who set up the altar to Baal to begin with---defends his son's actions. He not only defends his son's actions but acknowledges that if Baal were really a god at all, he should have been able to prevent his altar from being destroyed. "But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, 'Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.'" (Judges 6:31) Joash is probably the head of his family clan or a respected elder in his town. He talks like a man of authority and evidently has the manpower to back up his words that anyone who resorts to violence over this altar incident will be put to death. Also, the fact that his altar to Baal was apparently the whole town's center of pagan worship indicates that Joash is a man who holds a position of leadership. Thirdly, the people give up on their idea of killing Gideon when they hear Joash's stern words. I believe they are used to taking instructions from him.

The mob disperses. "So because Gideon broke down Baal's altar, they gave him the name Jerub-Baal that day, saying, 'Let Baal contend with him.'" (Judges 6:32) I can't decide if they mean this as a threat, such as, "Fine, we'll go. But Baal will deal with him.", or if they are agreeing with Joash's words, saying, "If Baal is god, then he will defend his honor. If nothing happens to Gideon, then we accept that Baal is not a god at all." The fact that Baal does nothing to Gideon in retribution serves as a sign to the people that Baal is not worthy of worship.

Later in the Old Testament we'll find the prophet Elijah facing down four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal along with four hundred prophets of Asherah. He will build an altar to the Lord and they will build an altar to Baal. Elijah will say to them, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." Then he will announce that whichever deity sends down fire to consume the offering on the altar is the one true God. The pagan worshipers will call out to Baal all day but will receive no answer. However, when Elijah calls upon the Lord, the Lord will send fire from heaven to consume Elijah's offering. Something similar is happening in today's passage. If Baal had been a god, he should have been able to keep his altar from being torn down. If Baal had been a god, he would not have needed the townspeople to defend his honor against Gideon; he would have taken action himself. But nothing happens. The altar to the Lord remains standing. Gideon keeps living. I think the townspeople are forced to conclude that Baal either does not exist or that he lacks the power to do anything on his own behalf. And a god who cannot do anything on his own behalf can scarcely be expected to do anything on man's behalf.

Gideon proves to us that it's possible to set a godly example for anyone. Sometimes we feel intimidated about sharing our testimony or displaying our faith around someone in authority over us or someone who is our elder. But Gideon set an example for his father even though he was probably the youngest son of the family since he said in yesterday's passage, "I am the least in my family." His father appears to have been a man of authority who may not have been in the habit of consulting any of his sons, much less the youngest son, when making decisions. But in our passage today he defends his youngest son and speaks words that everyone in the crowd (including himself) needs to hear: If Baal is God, he needs no defender. If Baal can't defend himself, he isn't God. 

If Baal isn't God, then who is? The God of Israel. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. The God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt. The God who drove out heathen nations from the promised land and planted Israel in their place. The God who is going to deliver them from the oppression of the Midianites by the hand of Gideon, a man who is willing to risk everything on the basis of his belief that the Lord is God.