From Victory to Influence... and the Test that Follows

Gideon’s Story - Part 3

The God of Israel did it again. An impossible victory through an unlikely leader that restored a nation. 

But the greatest test wasn’t the battle.

It was what came after.

“Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, you and your son and your grandson also, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.” And Gideon said to them, “Let me make a request of you: every one of you give me the earrings from his spoil.” (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) And they answered, “We will willingly give them.” And they spread a cloak, and every man threw in it the earrings of his spoil. And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian, and besides the collars that were around the necks of their camels. And Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his city, in Ophrah. And all Israel whored after it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.” Judges 8:22-28 ESV

This was Gideon’s moment. He could have taken the bait of fame and influence, but instead, Gideon gets it right. He tells the Israelites, “The Lord will rule over you.”

It’s almost ironic. God had already freed the Israelites from human rule and gave them His law, His presence, and His covering.

They didn’t need a king.
They wanted one.

While Gideon refused the throne, he still took the gold and built a symbol: an ephod.

This was a sacred garment worn by priests in the tabernacle. It didn’t look dangerous. It was known and familiar to the Israelites.

But somehow, it became a substitute, and the people turned to it.

What started as influence slowly became a snare.

Many leaders don’t see this coming.

You can say the right things and still build something that quietly pulls people away from the very God you’re pointing them to. Gideon didn’t set out to lead Israel into idolatry, he simply gave them something tangible to hold onto instead of seeking the Lord.

“Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Now Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel.” Judges 8:28-35 ESV

They didn’t remember, not the victory, the deliverance, nor the God who delivered them.

They returned to what they could see.

Recognition and influence are honors most people never experience, but they are also some of the greatest tests a leader will ever face.

Influence doesn’t just reveal what you say—it reveals where your heart truly rests.

Become the leader who doesn’t absorb influence, but redirects it.

Point people back to Christ, not to what you’ve build.

Reflect
1. Has your obedience to God ever brought you influence? 

2. What things have you used to humbly redirect others, but may have unintentionally taken attention away from God? 

3. What legacy are you influencing others to leave behind? 

Prayer
Lord, I don’t want to build anything that replaces You. Guard my heart from the pull of influence and recognition. Help me not only say the right things, but build a life that points people back to You. Give me wisdom to see what I’m creating, and humility to remove anything that competes with You. Let my leadership lead others closer to You even when I’m no longer there. Amen.

What you build today will shape what people follow tomorrow.

-The Deployment Project