A Scared Young Man
Gideon is instructed by the Lord to build another altar to the worship of Yahweh. But at this time, the site of that altar was at the location of an Asherah pole, a center of pagan worship. An Asherah pole was a monument to a Canaanite goddess, named Asherah, the mother of Baal. Both Asherah and Baal appear many times in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Gideon tore down the pole to the false god, but he did it at night, because, according to verse 27, he was afraid of the reaction of the townspeople. He was right about one thing, the people were angry at this act and were led to Gideon as the culprit. It is interesting that when the men of the town confront Gideon’s father, he seems to get that this pagan deity is a false god. Joash informs the people in verse 32 that Baal should plead his own case rather than have someone else do it, if he really is a god.
Was Gideon ready to carry out God’s instructions?
There is one more thing that he does that is the most controversial and the most remembered.
Next Week: Putting out the fleece
Mark Riser - Apologist 