When Memorials are Misused

"Then Gideon said to them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.

So they answered, “We will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks. Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house."

Judges 8:24-27

So Gideon was the man that God used to deliver the Israelites from the people of Midian.

God chose him to lead an army of three hundred men against the multitudes of the enemy. The Bible says they were as numerous as locusts or as sand on the shore. Throughout that process, the Lord confirmed His word to Gideon countless times, showing him what to do. God specifically told Gideon to only use three hundred men because He was going to reveal His power in their victory, and so that they would see that it was not their own might or strength that saved them, but God. So when Gideon did all that the Lord commanded him, he was strengthened, and God gave him victory.

Then all the people wanted Gideon to rule over them, but he told them that it was the Lord who reigns over them and that he would not do it. But he asked for a piece of gold from everybody’s plunder, and he created an ephod with it and set it in his hometown. The Bible then says that this was a snare to Gideon and all his house, and the people of Israel played the harlot with it. This means that they committed spiritual adultery with it, seeking guidance and honor from it instead of God. An ephod is part of a priest’s robe that is made out of gold and stones and forms a breastplate. Ephods were used to seek confirmation from God, and the ephod that Gideon made was meant to be a memorial of how God led and delivered them from the people of Midian. But it was so much easier to worship an ephod and glorify what you have done than it is to worship God and glorify what He has done—and they did that. They started treating the ephod as if it were a lucky charm or something that would give them what they wished for, as if worshiping and paying this ephod would tell them their future or give them power to accomplish certain things.

This is called idolatry, and it makes the Lord jealous because they are worshiping a thing and not Him. We see this happening even today when someone chooses to glorify things instead of the One who gave them those things. It is really easy to misuse a memorial when the focus is on what you got and not who gave it to you. So let’s not let memorials become idols.

Pray with me: Lord, thank You for what You have done. Help me to see the things in my life that I have put above You and remove them. I give You all the glory for what You have done, and I repent of taking that for myself. In Jesus’ name, amen.