April 29
The Israelites Ask Gideon To Be Their King Judges 8:22-35
When the battle was over and Israel had won, the people cheered. They flocked around Gideon and praised him. “You saved us!” they told him. “Be our king. And after you are gone, your son can rule and his son after that!” But Gideon said, “I won’t be your king, and my son won’t be king either. Only the Lord is your King. But I will ask one thing of you. Give me all of the precious gold you took from the Midianites during the battle.” So the people obeyed. They laid gold rings, jewels, and camel ornaments down at Gideon’s feet. He took all of it home and melted it down. Then he made a gold figure. He put the statue in his home town of Ophrah. The people began to worship the statue. Even Gideon was tricked into bowing down in front of it. But as long as Gideon was alive, the Lord let Israel live in peace despite this worhip of idols.
148 GIDEON
149 GIDEON