And the men of Israel said to Gideon, Rule over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us from the hand of Midian.
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And Gideon said to them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you Jehovah will rule over you.
Gideon has just crushed Midian. Israel offers him a crown — for him, his son, and his grandson. He turns it down and points the nation to its true ruler.
The men of Israel meant it as gratitude. But their reasoning gave the credit to the man who had held the sword, and Gideon saw where that road ends.
Gideon had earned the respect of Israel. The people who saw the Lord feed the five thousand wanted to take Him by force and make Him king (John 6:15). In the same way, the men of Israel wanted Gideon to reign over them, and his sons to reign after him (v. 22). They thought this was the way to perpetuate the blessing that God had brought to them through Gideon. But this would be confidence in the vessel, not confidence in the Lord. Gideon saw this at once and refused their proposal, telling them the Lord should rule over them, not Gideon or his sons (v. 23).
Gideon refused not only a throne for himself but a family line after him. He did not treat the authority God had lent him as something he could pass on.
Gideon refused this principle absolutely, even for himself or his descendants. He had left the power with Him who had given it, God Himself: "I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the LORD will rule over you" (Judges 8:23). So too Moses, when told that he could not lead Israel any further than the border of the land, and that he must lay down his leadership, did not presume to name his successor, much less to think of his own son as taking up what he had laid down.
Earlier chapters show Gideon tested by enemies and by angry fellow Israelites. This test came dressed as admiration, and writers see it as the harder one.
But we see him exposed to a fresh snare (vv. 22-23). It is no longer the flattery of the world, but that of the people of God… They put their leader in the place of the LORD and offer him the sceptre… None are more prone to clericalism than the people of God. It is not only the curse of Christendom. It is also the natural bent of a believer's heart. When a ministry is blessed, we are apt to treat the servant as a "minister" in the human sense, and so lose sight of God… The aim of Gideon's ministry was that God should have first place, and lose none of His authority over His people.
The crowd once wanted to make Jesus king. He refused. Writers see the same principle in Gideon.
The Lord Jesus would not be made king by the people (John 6:15). He came in His Father's name, and they would not receive Him that way. He would not be received in His own name… Gideon retires; he will not take the place of rule that belongs only to the LORD. He knows what happens if the people fix their minds on Gideon: nothing but weakness and dishonour. But if they acknowledge the LORD and lean on Him, there will be strength and blessing.
The same principle shows up in Paul when believers began to set him up as their leader.
Paul hides himself. He had received great revelations from the Lord, and he had a wide range of knowledge. Yet the moment he sees people starting to set Paul up, he says, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase"… Had he put himself forward, Christ would not have been seen. This principle was true of Gideon and true of Paul. It is true of every believer who acts in faith.
The story does not stop at verse 23. Having declined the crown, Gideon asked for the gold earrings of the plunder — and writers treat that request as the undoing of his fine answer.
Great service often breeds self-satisfaction. It also breeds a hunger for honour, which unspiritual people are far too ready to give us. The crowd urges Gideon to rule over them, but he replies, "I will not rule over you… the LORD will rule over you." How could he take the place of the God who had so blessed and honoured him? So far he spoke in the wisdom of the Spirit. But then he asked for the earrings taken from the enemy. That showed a hidden wish to keep a memorial of his own service, even though he had refused the place of power and dignity. What could such a desire produce but a snare?
- Credit — Israel looked at the man God had used, not at God, so their thanks came as a crown.
- Confidence — A permanent ruler would have meant confidence in the vessel, not confidence in the Lord.
- Crown declined — Gideon refused the throne for himself and for his sons, and named the LORD as Israel's ruler.
- Christ — Jesus would not be made king by the crowd. Paul hid himself when believers began to set him up. The pattern holds for every servant of God.
- Caution — Gideon refused the throne, then asked for the gold. A hidden wish to be remembered can turn a great victory into a snare.