Judges 6:25-32 – The Altar of Baal
Gideon has questioned that the LORD is with Israel, even though the great sins for which God was using the Midianites to chastise Israel are readily apparent in Gideon’s own family. His father has an altar to Baal and an Asherah (a wooden pole symbolizing the fertility supposedly granted by a goddess), at which the people of their town worship false gods. The LORD commands Gideon to use his father’s bull to pull down these idols. He is then to build an altar to the LORD, sacrifice a second bull and burn it on the wood from the Asherah pole, thus showing God’s power over false gods.
Gideon, fearing his family and the people of the town, does this with the help of ten servants in the dead of night. However, when the townspeople investigate the next day, it becomes clear that Gideon is responsible. When the people want to put Gideon to death, his father, Joash, intervenes saying Baal should contend for himself if he is a god. Because of this, the Bible often calls Gideon by the nickname “Jerubaal” which means “Let Baal contend.”
Though Gideon is reluctant and fearful at first, his obedience to God does not result in his execution at the hands of Baal worshippers. On the contrary, it convinces his idolatrous father of the emptiness of these false gods.
Similar to Gideon, many of us live in cultures that have turned against the LORD. Whether we live in historically Christian nations or not, idolatry and false religion are in evidence all around us. May we be bold to proclaim the true God in the face of idol worship.
Questions
- How has idolatry infiltrated Gideon’s family?
- Why is Gideon called “Jerubaal”?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we be bold in the face of idolatry to proclaim the true God.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.