Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Judges chapter 6 verses 25 through 32:
25 That night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Ba′al which your father has, and cut down the Ashe′rah that is beside it; 26 and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, with stones laid in due order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt offering with the wood of the Ashe′rah which you shall cut down.” 27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had told him; but because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.
28 When the men of the town rose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Ba′al was broken down, and the Ashe′rah beside it was cut down, and the second bull was offered upon the altar which had been built. 29 And they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And after they had made search and inquired, they said, “Gideon the son of Jo′ash has done this thing.” 30 Then the men of the town said to Jo′ash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, for he has pulled down the altar of Ba′al and cut down the Ashe′rah beside it.” 31 But Jo′ash said to all who were arrayed against him, “Will you contend for Ba′al? Or will you defend his cause? Whoever contends for him shall be put to death by morning. If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down.” 32 Therefore on that day he was called Jerubba′al, that is to say, “Let Ba′al contend against him,” because he pulled down his altar.
Today’s Lesson is a deeply archetypal story about one generation’s rejection and reform of a previous generation’s idolatry. Gideon plays the role of the reformer — though because of fear, he performs his actions against his father’s altars at night. He is an archetypal son indeed!
What is interesting in the story is the way in which his father, when faced with the possibility of losing his son, is willing to stand against his own community in defense of him. Jo’ash is willing to face the hostility of the people for the sake of Gideon. Jo’ash is willing to change and to see; the community’s gods — Baal and Asherah — are no gods at all. They are idols.
Every generation needs help from the next in seeing its idols. I believe this is the central aspect of the great youth movement now sweeping our nation and calling for gun law reform. I was ambivalent towards these efforts in times past until I, like Jo’ash, realized they were revealing to us our own idolatries and that in not listening we will surely lose more of them.
We need to listen to our youth. They have something to say to us about our false gods. To hear and stand beside them may subject us to ridicule from our neighbors. But to not do so risks a fate even worse.
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