Watery Words
Watery Words
Judges 8:1-3
Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “What is this that you have done to us, not to call us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they accused him fiercely. And he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? … God has given into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. What have I been able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger against him subsided when he said this.
Like father like son. The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree, has it? Remember earlier in Gideon’s biography, after he tore down that memorial to Baal, that a mob of angry men stormed to his father’s door demanding retribution, but Joash quelled their wrath with a simple word: “Let Baal contend for himself if he really is a god.” Starting fires is easy. Spreading them through gossip and slander is even easier. But putting out fires when they’re at their hottest is no mean feat. When a little rumor turns into a riot, when torches and swords and guns start blazing in men’s eyes, it typically leads to all hell breaking loose—not to the calm of Heaven. But Gideon, like his dad, has the uncanny ability to turn his tongue into a firehose when the flames are licking his feet. “The tongue is a fire,” said the apostle James. Yes, but Gideon shows us that it can be water, too.
Consider the winsomeness of Gideon’s reply from different angles, friend. Perhaps Gideon perceives that the Ephraimites are vainglorious, wanting the fame for themselves. To that end, Gideon smooths over their grip by effectively lavishing them with all the glory. But maybe it’s the other way round. Perhaps Gideon perceives that these Ephraimites aren’t concerned with their own glory but rather they think he just wants the glory—that he’s recklessly started a war against Midian with 300 troops to make a name for himself. Well, to that end, he quells that perception by demeaning his contribution in a show of genuine humility.
I think this virtue of diplomacy remains Gideon’s greatest contribution to his generation and ours, providing a living illustration of the proverb, “a soft answer turns away wrath.” To be people of valor in the face of conflict. To suffocate fires with our words rather than start them.