The story of Gideon ends in self-serving idolatry. A man who had experienced the guidance and power of God’s Spirit turned back to serving the gods of the Canaanites. After victory over the Ismaelites, Gideon served the idols of the land.
And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you; give me every man of you the earrings of his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a garment, and every man cast in it the earrings of his spoil.
And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold; besides the crescents and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were about the necks of their camels.
And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah; and all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family (Judges 8:24-27).
Throughout Israel’s history, the leaders and people turned to the gods of the land. What is it about idolatry that is so attractive? Why do people turn from the one and only God to serve empty and worthless gods?
John Oswalt’s book, The Bible Among the Myths, the best book I have read on the subject of idolatry, I have attempted to produce some of Oswalt’s insights in a question and answer format. I hope it will answer why idolatry has such a strong appeal.
Why would someone like Gideon turn from the one and only God to serve an idol?
Idolatry seems to make events in history easier to understand. Stories about the gods give human traits to powers beyond our comprehension, making unpredictability seem normal.
We can all picture a perfect world where everything runs smoothly, society stays intact, and all our needs are met. The world of gods and idols imagined an ideal place, always busy but orderly and unchanging.
In contrast, Yahweh made frightening demands on people. He called Gideon to tear down all the idols in his community, risking his life. He reduced Gideon’s army to just 300 people to face the Midianites.
These and other parts of Gideon’s journey with God likely made idolatry seem like a safer choice.
Why were ephods, sacred poles, trees, altars, etc. essential to idol worship?
To understand the use of ephods, sacred trees, poles, and altars, it’s important to grasp the idea of continuity. Continuity means everything is connected.
For instance, continuity suggests that I am one with a tree, not just symbolically or spiritually, but truly. The tree and I are the same.
This concept extends to everything in the universe, including deities. It means the divine is both materially and spiritually identical with the physical and social universe we know.
Worship around ephods, sacred poles, trees, altars, etc., is not a symbolic act. Since there is no separation between gods and humans, what the humans do at these locations is an actual experience with their gods.
This explains why meals at sacred sites always included food for the gods.
The visible world can only be explained by the existence of an invisible world that mirrors ours.
Since the heavenly world mirrors our own, we perceive the gods as both male and female. Plant and animal life come from divine union. Everything in our world starts with sexual behavior.
Therefore, it’s essential to get the god and goddess to engage in sexual relations. If they do, rain will fall, and the earth’s womb will be fertilized.
This happens through ritual and action. That’s why prostitution has historically been linked to idolatry.
Why is Gideon’s self-interest a paradigm for all idolatry?
A recurring theme in Gideon’s story is his self-interest. At its root, self-interest believes things matter only in relationship to myself.
The idea of continuity takes self-interest to another dimension, to the extent that I believe it is pointless to separate me from something outside of me. What else is there but me? How important is anything if it doesn’t relate to me?
To make the ephod, Gideon asked for a significant contribution from the people, but at its root was self-interest. The gift of the ephod to the gods was intended to ensure peace, prosperity, fertility, and more.
Loving kindness and faithfulness are two major themes that reflect God’s character. He is separate from humanity both in his essence and character.
God can not be manipulated by sacrifices or ritual. Humans do not determine his will. Rather, God invites humans to join him in his purposes.
Gideon and generations of Israelites after him chose the route of idolatry instead of faithfulness to Yahweh. They attempted to manipulate the gods through idolatry, instead of loyally following the faith-challenging directions of Yahewh.
Are there any parallels in 2025?
All religions, with the exception of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have elements of continuity in them. They all have aspects of pantheism and familiar elements with ancient idolatry.
The prophets accused Israel of syncretism, claiming that the people blended the worship of Yahweh with the idols of the land. I believe American cultural religion has done the same.
For example, the need for a home, food, security, and the good life is supplied by the American god, money. The prosperity gospel is the most prevalent picture of how American Christianity has blended this idol with God.
The ancient gods were mirrored after humans, but larger than life. I think the gods of wealth in our culture are viewed as human, but also larger than life.
Every day, we hear of billionaires. To get an idea of how billionaires are larger than normal humans consider this. If you stack one million dollar bills on top of each other, they will reach 358 feet tall. If you stack one billion dollars on top of each other, the pile will reach 24 times the height of Mount Everest.
That’s certainly larger than the life that the vast majority of humans experience.
How many Americans think, “If I just had a million or better yet a billion dollars, I wouldn’t ever worry again”?
This is but one example of American idols. Consider adding beauty, power, athletic and musical ability, and sex to the list.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed the attempt to make Gideon a king, his refusal, and his idolatry on YouTube
today.
Real Voices 