25They answered, “We’ll be glad to give them.” So they spread out a garment, and each of them threw a ring from his plunder onto it. 26The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels,b not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. 27Gideon 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. (Judges 8)
Thoughts: The ephod was a piece of clothing the priest used to tell God's will. There was a Urim and Thummin that only the priest could use to basically discern a yes or no answer from God. Gideon was always wanting to know God's will and he doubted it too much. So he decided to make his own way of discerning God's will- his own ephod made of gold (cf. Ex. 28:6). In the end, people started worshiping the ephod as an idol. Anything- even good things- can turn into an idol. The same thing happened with the snake Moses had Aaron make. It was a good thing that people eventually worshiped and became a snare to them. There are many good things that turn evil and sour if we start giving ourselves to them more than God. Some worship education as their god; Some worship their work as god; some worship their family as god; some worship their things- house, car, boat as god; Some give more to try to get things they don't need with money they don't have to impress people they don't like (as Dave Ramsey says).
Prayer: Lord, let me love you and only you with my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.
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