Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it. - Judges 6:30 (KJV)
The crowd’s rage was immediate and intense. Gideon had destroyed their altar to Baal, and they wanted blood in return. Their precious object of worship lay in ruins, and someone had to pay. The very thing they had poured their devotion into — their time, their resources, their hopes - was gone, and they could think of nothing but revenge.
How revealing their response was. When what we treasure is taken away, our reaction exposes the true state of our hearts and how deep our affections were!
Consider what happens when life strips away something we’ve grown attached to: a career we’ve built our identity around, a relationship we’ve depended on for security, a dream we’ve pursued with single-minded focus, or even a ministry we’ve poured ourselves into. In that moment of loss, what rises to the surface? Gratitude that we can now focus more fully on God? Or something much darker?
The men of the city couldn’t see that their altar was actually an obstacle to true worship. They couldn’t recognise that its destruction was an act of mercy, freeing them to turn their hearts toward the living God. Instead, they wanted to destroy the very person God had used to liberate them.
How often do we respond the same way? When God allows our cherished idols to be removed - whether through circumstances, other people, or His direct intervention - do we receive it as His loving discipline? Or do we, like these men, seek to “punish” whoever we believe is responsible for our loss?
The test of our spiritual maturity isn’t found in how we handle blessings, but in how we respond when our affections are redirected by force rather than choice. Do we trust that God’s disruptions are actually His invitations? Can we see His hand at work, even when others seem to be the instruments of our disappointment?
True freedom comes not from clinging to our altars, but from having them torn down. Sometimes God uses difficult circumstances or even difficult people to show us how tightly we’ve been gripping things that were never meant to hold our affections. The question isn’t whether these removals will hurt (as they will!), but whether we’ll let the pain drive us toward God or away from Him.
When our altars crumble, we discover what we’re really made of. We learn whether our peace depends on our circumstances or on our Saviour. We find out if we can trust God’s goodness even when His methods feel harsh.
Prayer: Father, when You allow my cherished things to be taken away, help me to see Your loving hand at work. Give me grace to respond with gratitude rather than bitterness, trusting that You are freeing me to love You more fully. Guard my heart from the desire for revenge against those You use as instruments of change in my life. Amen.
Reflection: Think of a time when something important to you was removed or taken away. How did you respond? What might God have been teaching you through that experience about where your true security lies?