Last time we saw how God called Gideon out of the winepress
to be a ‘mighty warrior’. Despite his initial doubts, Gideon responds. In
Judges 6:25-27, he hears God’s directions, “’Take your father’s bull, the
second bull seven years old, and pull
down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred
pole that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord
your God on the top of the stronghold here, in proper order; then take the
second bull, and offer it as a burnt-offering with the wood of the sacred pole
that you shall cut down.’ So Gideon took ten of his servants, and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family
and the townspeople to do it by day, he did it by night.”
In one night Gideon tears down the pagan altar and builds a
new altar to the Living God. He then sacrifices his father’s bull on the altar.
I hear faint echoes in this story of the actions of Francis of Assisi who sold
the cloth from his father’s business to help the poor of Assisi. In both cases
these young men acted under God’s direction rather than by the precepts of the
law of the land and of family.
We can imagine the consternation of the people of Ophrah
when they found “the altar of Baal was broken down, and
the sacred pole beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered on the
altar that had been built. So they said to one another, ‘Who has done this?’
After searching and inquiring, they were told, ‘Gideon son of Joash did it.’
Then the townspeople said to Joash, ‘Bring out your son, so that he may die,
for he has pulled down the altar of Baal and cut down the sacred pole beside
it.’ But Joash said to all who were arrayed against him, ‘Will you contend for
Baal? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to
death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his
altar has been pulled down.’ (Judges 6:28-31)
I think we have to give Gideon’s father some big credit
here. It’s his altar that was
destroyed, and his ‘second bull’ that
was sacrificed. However, he doesn’t let the people kill his son. Instead he suggests
‘If [Baal] is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been
pulled down.’ Later on Elijah says something similar when taunting the priests
of Baal during the contest about whether Baal or God was real. (I Kings
18:20-40)
Gideon acted to reinstate the altar of God in the midst of
the people of Ophrah. He acted because believed God asked him to
take action and he trusted in God’s presence with him. His courage inspired
his father to defend him. Sometimes we can hesitate to stand up for what we
know is right because we are afraid of ‘what the neighbors will think or say’. Gideon’s
actions could be called reckless and foolhardy, but they definitely got the
people’s attention.
Francis of Assisi also acted in what his father and the
people of Assisi thought was a rash and reckless way. When he was brought
before the leaders of Assisi, he stood his ground, even to the point of
stripping off his clothing because he would keep nothing given him by his
earthly father. That action both shocked and inspired the clergy and people of
the area. The images we see of Francis piously talking to the birds cover up
the really counter-cultural (and counter established church) actions he took in
following God’s call to ‘rebuild my church’. His message calling for a return to the simplicity of God's love was in conflict with the power structure of the church of his day.
In this image from a Bible story book, circa 1950s, we
see Gideon and his servants tearing down the altar and sacred grove. It is clearly not an easy task. Confronting what needs to be changed is never easy. Gideon acted mightily to address the pagan influences in Israel and brought about change. Francis, too responded to God and brought about revival. Francis heard God say ‘rebuild my church’. Gideon’s call was
“deliver Israel from
the hand of Midian”. Both men were gifted by God for their mission.
Both were given courage to act and step out in faith. Both stepped out of their
comfort zone to do something totally unexpected and life changing.
Perhaps we need to ask ourselves what are the Baal altars in
our lives? What are we clinging to that keeps us from responding to God fully?
Are you being called to do something that will build up the
Kingdom of God? Is it something you are hesitating to act on because you are
unsure, or because you fear what ‘someone’ might say?
Go in strength, mighty one of valor. God is with
you.
