The Lord will rule over you. Gideon made the gold into an ephod

 Judges 8:22-35

But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you."

And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.”

Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. 

No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side. They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.

On the death of Gideon, the Israelites once again began to worship the Baals. God was fine in a crisis, but when that was forgotten the pull of gods who would bind Israel to their neighbors and give good crops was too strong.

Why?

The attraction of the Baals is strong to Israel for they thought it give good crops to them.

When people were living in good crops and safety are easily forgot the grace of the Lord and the history they have experienced. Next-generation will be attracted by this world and gods.

Gideon asked his people to give him very little earing, but when the whole Israelite donated it could be a lot of gold, and he made it an ephod, it became a snare to Gideon and his family. Gideon did a wrong decision after his victory.

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基甸得勝後，面對人的問題。

基甸表面上不願做王，很高的情操，理由很高尚。但是又要大家繳納戰利品，19Kg金子。做了一個以弗得，大祭司進入聖所時穿的衣服，上面有代表以色列人各支派的寶石，帶入聖所禱告。設立在本城俄弗拉，基甸把以弗得當做神像來拜，好像在家鄉開了一個廟，用宗教方式收攬人心，當王。做王的有沈重的壓力。無形中當宗教領袖，沒有做王的責任，有問題是以弗得的問題，是神的問題。有權無責的王。神要人與神一同做王，神給人權力，同時也要承擔責任。我們要學習神的樣式。

基甸為何如此行?因為信仰沒有根基，仍然沒有脫離迦南敬拜的文化。因此用自己的方法來拜。我們的信仰要完全脫離傳統信仰的模式。所信的神只要賜給我們福氣，保平安，其他就不用管了。我們的信仰要有神的話，我們常常要神聽我講，卻不要聽神講。許多教會強調禱告會，卻在乎讀經。神給我們恩典，不能我們都沒有付出。

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How?

People are weak and easily be attracted by this world when he is life easily.