Unfaithfulness

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 67:1-3
• Hymn — How Great Thou Art (#227)
• Prayer of Invocation
• Heidelberg Catechism — Lord's Day 3 (Questions 6–8)
• Hymn of the Month — The Law of God Is Good and Wise
• Pastoral Prayer
• Sermon
• Hymn — Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (#525)
• Benediction — Numbers 6:24-26

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Sermon Title: Unfaithfulness

Scripture: Judges 8:4-35

I. Unfaithfulness Toward the People of God

A. Gideon and his 300 exhausted men request bread from Succoth and Penuel while pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian

1. The officials of Succoth and Penuel refuse hospitality out of strategic fear of Midian's retaliation
2. Gideon pronounces judgment on both cities and makes good on his threats after capturing the kings (Judges 8:13-17)

B. This refusal mirrors Israel's treatment by the Moabites and Ammonites in the wilderness

1. Deuteronomy 23:3-4 — Moabites and Ammonites excluded from the assembly because they did not meet Israel with bread and water
2. Succoth and Penuel were fellow Israelites from the tribe of Gad — a far worse offense than pagan nations withholding hospitality

C. Tribal factionalism is beginning to emerge as a recurring theme in Judges

1. Judges 8:1-3 — the tribe of Ephraim had already accused Gideon fiercely for excluding them from the battle
2. Matthew 12:25 — every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste

D. Hospitality to the people of God is a consistent biblical obligation

1. Matthew 25:31-46 — the sheep welcomed Christ's little ones; the goats refused
2. 1 John 3:17 — closing one's heart against a brother in need shows the love of God does not abide in that person

II. Unfaithfulness Toward the Leader Ordained by God

A. The rejection of Succoth and Penuel is not merely personal disloyalty to Gideon but rejection of the Lord who appointed him

1. This parallels Israel's wilderness grumbling against Moses and Aaron
2. Numbers 16:28-33 — Korah's rebellion against Moses was equated by Moses with despising the Lord; the earth swallowed Korah and his followers
3. Miriam's grumbling against Moses resulted in leprosy as divine judgment

B. This principle carries into the New Testament

1. Jesus instructs the disciples to shake the dust from their feet against towns that reject them, declaring it would be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the judgment (Matthew 10:14-15)
2. Galatians 1:8-9 — anyone preaching a different gospel than the apostles', even an angel, is accursed

C. At the close of chapter 8, Israel fails to show steadfast love to the family of Gideon (Judges 8:35)

1. This is the first summary statement in Judges about how the people treated their judge — a sign things are worsening
2. Gideon's family is forgotten, treating him as though he were cursed rather than a faithful servant of God

D. Faithful leaders are forgotten by their people but never forgotten by God

1. Gideon's mention in Hebrews 11 demonstrates God does not forget those who served him faithfully
2. The early church honored the martyrs — Polycarp, Stephen — preserving their memory across generations
3. John Foxe's Book of Martyrs galvanized the Protestant faith by recording those who fought valiantly for the truth

III. Unfaithfulness Toward God Himself

A. The people offer Gideon the kingship and he refuses the title, but his actions reveal a contradiction (Judges 8:22-23)

B. Five ways Gideon acts like an ancient Near Eastern king while denying the title

1. He takes the lion's share of the spoil for himself
2. He claims the purple garments of the Midianite kings — symbols of royalty (Judges 8:26)
3. He establishes a national cult center in Ophrah with the ephod
4. He establishes a large harem and fathers 70 sons
5. He names his son Abimelech, meaning my father is king

C. The ephod becomes an idol and a snare (Judges 8:27)

1. The ephod was a priestly garment holding the Urim and Thummim, used to discern the will of Yahweh in specific situations
2. Gideon was not a Levite but from the tribe of Manasseh — compare Saul in 1 Samuel 15 who was judged for performing priestly acts
3. A God-ordained means of grace stops being a channel to Yahweh and becomes the object of worship itself — Israel's hearts stop at the object rather than ascending to the Lord
4. This parallels the Roman Catholic elevation of the Mass: the means of grace becomes an idol

D. Gideon joins a long line of leaders who began humbly but did not end well

1. David — Bathsheba, Uriah, many wives, the census
2. Solomon — many foreign wives
3. Hezekiah — displaying his wealth to the Babylonians
4. Success and humility are extremely difficult to hold together for fallen humanity

E. Christ is the true and faithful Judge and King Israel needed — and we need

1. From the cradle to the grave Jesus remained utterly dependent on the Father: I only do what the Father tells me
2. At the cross, God dwindled Christ's army not to 300 but to Christ alone, the weakest and most humble king the world has ever seen
3. 2 Corinthians 12:9 — the power of God is made perfect in weakness
4. The cross is the sign of the true Servant King; true power is found there, not in the things of this world
5. Believers are called to take up the cross, tapping into the power of God rather than the power of man