Judges 8:18 – 21 “Next, Gideon asked Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men did you kill at Tabor?” “Men like you,” they answered, “each one resembling the son of a king.” “They were my brothers,” Gideon replied, “the sons of my mother! As surely as the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.” So he said to Jether, his firstborn, “Get up and kill them.” But the young man did not draw his sword; he was fearful because he was still a youth. Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Get up and kill us yourself, for as the man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon got up and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and he took the crescent ornaments from the necks of their camels.”
Gideon has noticed that his brothers are missing; if they had lived, they would have reported themselves to him. Evidently, Gideon’s brothers were murdered and not killed in the heat of the battle. Had Gideon’s brothers died in battle, Gideon would have accepted that loss as unfortunate but to be expected.
Gideon’s whole family must have been quite handsome and must have resembled one another. Why does Gideon mention that his brothers were the sons of his mother and not of his father? It’s likely that Gideon’s father may have had several wives. In such situations, the siblings belonging to one woman would feel a much closer bond to one another than they would to their half – brothers and sisters. Many times in polygamous families, a man might favor one wife over another; woe betide you, if you were a child of an un – favorite wife! Gideon loved his brothers so much that he would even have spared Zebah and Zalmunna had they not murdered his brothers.
Why did Gideon ask his son to kill the kings rather than doing it himself in the first place? To be killed by a youth was shameful; Gideon wanted to graphically demonstrate that these kings had REALLY been defeated and disgraced. As an inexperienced warrior, Gideon’s son balked at the idea of killing someone in cold blood. The statement “For as the man is, so is his strength” might have been a popular proverb in that part of the world at that time. Pricked in his conscience, Gideon killed the two Midianite kings.
Why did Gideon strip the crescent – shaped ornaments off the Midanite camels? These ornaments would have been made of gold or silver or both and would have been quite valuable. It is also likely that these ornaments were only hung on the necks of the royal camels and not on the camels of all the rest of the Midianites. By taking these ornaments, Gideon was graphically demonstrating his complete victory over the Midianites and their allies. The modern equivalent might be to capture the opposing generals’ vehicles.
APPLICATION: Evil must be defeated completely! Any form of compromise will lead to complete disaster. The Ephraimites have already killed Oreb and Zeeb, the two Midianite princes, and now Gideon has captured and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, the two Midianite kings. Most of the Midianites and their allies have been destroyed. For the time being, Gideon’s victory is now complete.
When facing evil, there can be no compromise. Many times, we wish for an easy way out of a difficult situation. We might begin boldly but once things become tough, we wish we could be somewhere else. But the problem is that evil that is not completely eradicated will always come back and it may come back far stronger than it was before. Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 12:43 – 45 that “When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”
The Jews to whom Jesus was speaking were under the crushing rule of the Roman Empire. By AD 70, the Romans had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and had taken Masada, that impregnable fortress built by Herod overlooking the Dead Sea. Jesus was trying to warn his listeners that “going along to get along” would not save them, either physically or spiritually.
Around the world today, Christians are confronting a flood – tide of evil on many fronts. Young people who have not been taught about the One True Living God are creating their own deities in their own images. Many churches and religious groups have compromised to get members rather than demanding that would – be members hew to certain standards. But compromise has never saved anybody or any organization.
Each of us must examine our own hearts and ask ourselves what we truly believe and why we believe it. If we are following the One True Living God, well and good. But if anything else has crept in unnoticed, we need to repent and to turn back to God. Compromise will lead to moral and spiritual disaster. Christians in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,China, and Russia are already being hunted down as criminals. If persecution reaches you, would you stand the test of faith or compromise to save your own skin? Let us all pray that when the hour of testing comes, we will be ready and willing to stand for righteousness and not to compromise.
PRAYER: Father God, this morning we lift up all who are being killed for their faith. We lift up the families torn apart by conflict. We lift up the parents who might have to watch their children being massacred. We lift up children who are watching their parents being killed before their eyes. Lord, help these believers to stay strong. And help us, so that when our time comes to stand for you, we will neither falter or fail. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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