Why did God command Gideon to destroy evil altars?

Answer 1

A:The story of Gideon is told in Judges 6-8, but he is known elsewhere in The Bible as Jerubbaal, a name that means "may Baal contend," , and scholars believe that Jerubbaal was his original and probably only name. The online JewishBible suggests that Joash named his son at birth Jerubbaal and not Gideon. We now know that throughout the period of the Judges, Baal was actually one of the gods of Israel.

The author of Judges, a staunch, unswerving devotee of Yahweh, could not write the story of the ancient hero chosen by God to drive out the Midianite menace, if his name was so obviously associated with Baal. It would have been anachronistic to have a prophet, whose name so clearly identifies him with Baal, break down the altar of Baal. Hence, the author devised the name Gideon to be used only in telling this story, but elsewhere in the Bible he would still be Jerubbaal.

God could call on Gideon (but not 'Jeubbaal') to destroy the altar of Baal in order to trigger an insurrection against the Midianites. Thus, centuries after the event, the Jews had a satisfying explanation of how their ancestors defeated the Midianites.

Answer:

Shortly after God brought the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt, they embraced a motley group of false gods and abandoned the one true, living God who had delivered them and showed their families many miracles via Moses. Even with this 'insult,' God reached out to His rebellious children (as He always does) by sending 'judges' to deliver them from oppression and to guide them to the proper way of life - God's way as He was their spiritual monarch at this time.

Gideon was one of these Judges for God's purpose. We read how in Chapter 7 of Gideon executing God's command to destroy these false altars and erect an altar to Him only. The following four verses encapsulates the meat of this incident:

Judges 6:30-34New King James Version (NKJV)

30 Then the men of the city said to Joash, "Bring out your son (Gideon), that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that wasbeside it."

31 But Joash said to all who stood against him, "Would you plead for Baal? Would you save him? Let the one who would plead for him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him plead for himself, because his altar has been torn down!"32 Therefore on that day he called him (that is Gideon) Jerubbaal,[a] saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar."

33 Then all the Midianites and Amalekites, the people of the East, gathered together; and they crossed over and encamped in the Valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon; then he blew the Trumpet, and the Abiezrites gathered behind him.

Footnotes:

1. Judges 6:32 Literally Let Baal Plead