Gideon's Ephod Judges, chap. 8
No more magnificent victory is recorded in the history of Israel than that of Gideon over the Midianites. Faith shines out in that man of God in Jewish splendor. He is therefore nothing in his own sight. Jehovah is all to him; and if Jehovah be all, who can withstand the feeblest being to whom He is all ? Thus the victory over the enemy is complete, and it is manifestly Jehovah's victory by reason of the realized weakness of the instrument. Such men it is who live to the glory of God. Their works and the way of their works tell of God and not of men. But alas, how the best of God's men are after all only men, and, as men, able to fail most grievously.
The mighty victory won, Gideon still acting in faith, refuses to accept the proffered place of ruler over Israel. Jehovah was that, and in that place; and Gideon will not trespass against God's rights. But he asks the people for the golden ornaments which they have taken from their foes, and with them he makes an ephod by which he causes Israel to sin greatly against God. That ephod told of the victory, and they worshiped it. The victory given them by Jehovah's grace took the place of Jehovah Himself. It was idolatry; the sad effects of which soon broke out in Israel, and in Gideon's house especially.
We have long had in mind that Gideon's course illustrates pointedly a very common course among Christians. The cross of Christ and His death thereon is their victory. There all their foes were overcome. It was the end of all condemnation for all who are of faith (Rom. 8 :i ; John 3:17, 18). It was the end of themselves as sinners before God (Col. 2:20-3:11), even as in His resurrection it was their introduction as saints-a set-apart people to God by redemption-into the very presence of God.
The Holy Spirit sent to dwell in the believers was the seal of all this glorious victory of Christ on their behalf, making them perfect before God, that if any man glory he should glory in the Lord (i Cor. i:30, 31). But instead of glorying in the Lord, many turn to glorying in the fruits of His victory-in what the Holy Spirit does in or through them, in experiences, powers, etc. Hence all the shades of "Perfectionism" in existence. Some glory in their "holiness " or "perfect love." Others in their powers to "heal," or in "tongues." Others in their superiority over their brethren who, not having had this or that experience, are not therefore indwelt as they are by the Spirit. All these, and other forms of the same idolatry come from putting the victory in the place of the Victor, and the effects of this are no less deadly than in the case of Gideon. It is hard to be still nothing in our own sight when Christ's victory has put us in such an elevated position before God. It is easy to glory in the victory rather than in the blessed One who won it and turned all its benefits to us.
"Thou hast left thy first love" was our Lord's complaint to Ephesus. It may seem a small matter, but it opens the door to all the idolatry around Gideon's golden ephod. When you hear people preaching the Holy Ghost instead of Christ, you may be sure they are a proud people, who have shaken off more or less the reproach of " Christ crucified."