Why did Gideon fear his "father's household" and "men of the city"? Setting the Scene: Judges 6:25-27 “On that very night the LORD said to him, ‘Take your father’s young bull … tear down your father’s altar to Baal …’ … So Gideon took ten of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night.” (Judges 6:25-27) Why Fear Rose in Gideon’s Heart • Family entanglement in idolatry – The altar and Asherah pole belonged to his own father, Joash (v. 25). – Confronting the sin meant confronting the patriarch of his house. • Community devotion to Baal – The “men of the city” were committed enough to demand Gideon’s execution when they discovered the altar destroyed (vv. 28-30). – Blasphemy against Baal was viewed as a capital offense in that culture. • Potential for violent retaliation – Idolatry had woven itself into civic identity; tearing down the altar threatened social cohesion and economic rituals linked to Baal’s fertility cult. • Political oppression and national despair – Midianite domination had already crushed Israel’s morale (6:1-6). Any internal conflict could draw harsher reprisals from Midian, increasing personal risk. • Gideon’s own sense of inadequacy – He had just confessed, “My clan is the weakest … and I am the least in my father’s house” (6:15). Natural timidity intensified the threat of family and neighbors turning hostile. Scriptural Proof of the Danger “When the men of the city rose early in the morning and saw the altar of Baal torn down … they said to one another, ‘Who has done this?’ … the men of the city said to Joash, ‘Bring out your son, that he may die.’ ” (Judges 6:28-30) Their immediate call for death justifies Gideon’s nighttime caution. Obedience in the Face of Fear • Gideon obeyed completely, though he chose a prudent moment. • Nighttime action did not dilute obedience; it displayed wisdom amid danger (cf. Matthew 10:16). • God later honored this obedience by clothing Gideon with His Spirit (Judges 6:34). Scripture Echoes • Moses feared Pharaoh yet returned in obedience (Exodus 2:14; 4:19-20). • Jeremiah trembled before hostile townspeople but still proclaimed the word (Jeremiah 26:20-24). • Early apostles prayed for boldness under threat (Acts 4:29-31). Takeaways for Today • Faithful obedience often invites opposition first from those closest to us (Matthew 10:34-36). • Prudence and courage can coexist; acting wisely is not faithlessness. • God meets fearful servants where they are, strengthens them, and uses their obedience to topple idols—then and now. |
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