Ancient Heroes: Gideon

The Book of Judges is one of the most violent and bloody books in the Bible. This may excite certain teenaged, male readers, but it’s off-putting for most people. Aren’t these the kinds of stories that motivate religious violence, showing ancient religious heroes slaying their enemies in the name of their god? Shouldn’t we move past this kind of thing? Why do we need to hear stories of violent people from the past? Now there are a few rare, bright moments. Deborah, in Chapters 4-5 is awesome. She’s full of faith and power in Israel’s God and led the people to a great victory over the Canaanites who allied together to wipe the Israelites off the map. Gideon also has some glimmers of faith and courage, especially when he decides to enter a battle armed with empty clay pots and a torch! But his angry streak gets the best of him in the end, and he makes a ritual object that the Israelites end up worshipping after his death. What about Gideon’s son? Let’s just say you would never want to meet him in a dark alley (Judges 9).