Gideon's Name Change

Now it came to pass the same night that the LORD said to him, “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the LORD your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” So Gideon took ten men from among his servants and did as the LORD had said to him. But because he feared his father’s household and the men of the city too much to do it by day, he did it by night. And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, there was the altar of Baal, torn down; and the wooden image that was beside it was cut down, and the second bull was being offered on the altar which had been built.  So they said to one another, “Who has done this thing?” And when they had inquired and asked, they said, “Gideon the son of Joash has done this thing.” Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has torn down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the wooden image that was beside it.”  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!” Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.” (Judges 6:25-32),

I have been pondering Gideon's call as a Judge/Leader of Israel.  Gideon seems to have had a less than stellar pedigree (at least in human terms).  He wasn't from the right tribe, he wasn't the first born son, etc., etc.  Gideon's only claim to leadership? He heard from Yahuweh!  Once hearing from the Almighty, Gideon tore down the altar of Baal and destroyed other symbols of pagan worship.  He was so fearful of the consequences to his family, that he performed his deeds of destruction at night.  When it was discovered that Gideon was the man who caused the Baal worship problems, he was branded with a moniker that means in essence "Troubler of Baal". 

We are living in a day when once again, there is a need for the men and women of the Creator to stand up and be counted.  First of all the pagan 'high places' must be torn down in our own lives.  As we take a stand for righteousness expect friends and family members to reject your ideas and opinions.  Don't be surprised when you are branded as "living under the law" or misguided, etc.  Such is the cost of leadership in the day in which we live.  If our Heavenly Father did not believe you could handle the call that is on your life, He wouldn't have given it to you.