Profiles in Cowardice

We’re now with our next judge: Gideon. What immediately sticks out (compared to the judges of chapters 3-5) is the length of this narrative, which spans three chapters of the book. More time is spent on Gideon than Ehud, Othniel, Shamgar, and Deborah... combined. While the flannel graph Sunday school lessons of our youth may have us believe that Gideon is the hero of this three-chapter story, what we actually find is a man who is a coward, questioning God at every turn. What hope is there for Israel when even the judges exemplify the weakness of the people?