Thematic Bible: Gideon, in destroying the altar of baal


Thematic Bible



That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night. read more.
The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah! Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down.