This past Sunday, we finished up our series through the book of Judges by looking at the life of Gideon. Although Samson is probably the most well-known person in the book of Judges (that’s what supernatural feats of strength will get you), Gideon is the center of the book and the most important person. His story is a hinge around which the rest of the book turns. Structurally, he is the central judge—there are three who come before him (Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah/Barak) and three who come after him (Abimelech, Jephthah, and Samson). Gideon also marks a transition point in two aspects of the judges.
The judges before Gideon are presented flatly in terms of their character and allegiance to God. They are called into service, perform that service, and then rule as judge. Following Gideon, however, the judges have negative aspects to their character and allegiance to God that impact their performance as judges. Jephthah’s rash vow, Abimelech’s usurpation of power, Samson’s consistent godlessness—these contrast strongly with the uprightness of the earlier judges.
Just as significantly, the service rendered by the judges is presented flatly as well. Othniel, Ehud, and Deborah/Barak unite the nation and then lead them into a decisive battle that re-establishes peace. After Gideon, however, the judges struggle to unite the people and often find themselves fighting against their fellow Israelites. Abimelech destroys one of the major cities of Israel. Jephthah strikes down thousands of Ephraimites. Samson never even attempts to unite the people. As a result, the time of peace grows shorter—or even disappears. Samson hinders and damages the Philistines but never breaks their power.
In both of these respects, the latter judges lead into the two stories that close the book of Judges—the story of the Danites and their idolatry, and the story of the Levite and the slaughter of the Benjaminites.
As I have pointed out in previous blog posts, it is clear that the structure of Judges is very intentional and carefully thought out. It is also clear that Gideon’s story sits at the heart of that structure. More than any other book of the Bible, Judges is about failure. It is perhaps the darkest book, thematically and in terms of its content. It is hard to find a lower point than the account of the raped and murdered concubine. What we see in Gideon, therefore, is the failure of the judgeship.
Gideon’s story is the most extreme of all the judges. The oppression of the nation reaches its most severe point, with the Midianites the largest and most powerful of the enemies faced in the book. Unlike with the other judges, the oppression is general, stretching over the whole territory rather than remaining regional. Gideon faces the largest army. His army, by contrast, is the smallest fielded in the whole of the Old Testament—not even equipped with weapons of war, but only trumpets and torches. Gideon himself is the least impressive of the judges—the least important member of the least important clan of Manasseh.
The victory he wins is also the most complete. Only a few members of the army escape back to Midian; their kings are all killed and their confederation broken up. Unlike the other enemies in Judges, Midian will never recur as an enemy of Israel. Its power is broken forever.
Yet in spite of this total victory, it is with Gideon that two troubling factors are introduced. First, as he finishes mopping up the Midianites, he comes into conflict with some of his fellow Israelites and, for the first time, turns the nation against itself with violence. Second, he takes the spoils of victory and forms them into a garment that becomes a snare for the idolatrous hearts of the Israelites. He rules not as a judge, but as a king—even as he refuses the title and responsibilities of a king.
In the end, Gideon’s story, which sits at the center of the chiastic structure of Judges, is itself organized as a chiasm. It begins with his strong stand against idolatry and his victory over Israel’s enemies, then moves to his victory over Israel itself and his introduction of a new idolatry into the land. The era of the judges ends in failure—the nation, even with the strong memory of the power and mercy of God, as well as the provision of the land according to the covenant, cannot keep itself from breaking that covenant. The punishments that God brings are not sufficient to return them to Him. A new solution is required—a king.