Judges 6:25

GIDEON'S FIRST ASSIGNMENT

"And it came to pass the same night, that Jehovah said unto him, Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah that is by it; and build an altar unto Jehovah thy God upon the top of the stronghold, in the orderly manner, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt-offering with the wood of the Asherah which thou shalt cut down. Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as Jehovah had spoken unto him: and it came to pass, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, so that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night."

"Jehovah said unto him" (Judges 6:25). We are not told exactly how God spoke to Gideon, but it might very well have been by the angel of Jehovah who had previously spoken to him.

"Take thy father's bullock, even the second bullock seven years old" (Judges 6:25). The word "even" should be read "and," according to the marginal reference; and F. F. Bruce states that, "The evidence of the versions indicates that the word `second' here is actually `fat.'"[14]

What is commanded here is that Gideon should take two bullocks (which would be required in the work of demolition and in the building of the altar to Jehovah), including the FAT one, which was probably being reserved for a sacrifice.

Significantly, the very first assignment for Gideon was that of cleaning up his own residence. His father had violated God's will by sponsoring the altar to Baal and the abominable Asherah that stood by it, and it was a stroke of God's own magnificent genius that ordered the Asherah cut up and used to fuel a burnt-offering to Jehovah!

"Regarding the Asherah, she was a mother-goddess, the consort of Baal in the O.T. The word also stands for an image of this goddess. Scholars reject the idea that `an Asherah' was merely a post, and would translate `Asherah-image,' instead of `Asherah.'"[15]

As Bruce said, "We are here confronted with a situation in which the worship of Jehovah has been syncretized with Baalism, Jehovah perhaps being considered as one of the Baalim."[16] It cried out to God for the very destruction that Gideon executed upon it!

Before leaving this paragraph, it should be noted that Gideon seems to have had more power and resources than his earlier profession of insufficiency would indicate.

"In the orderly manner" (Judges 6:26). The marginal reference here reads, "with that pertaining to it," indicating that whatever was necessary to identify the altar as "unto Jehovah" would be included in Gideon's building of it.