The Legacy Drift | Judges 8:28-32

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Our text today is Judges 8:28-32.

So Midian was subdued before the people of Israel, and they raised their heads no more. And the land had rest forty years in the days of Gideon. Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. Gideon had seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he called his name Abimelech. And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Ophrah of the Abiezrites. — Judges 8:28-32

At first glance, it appears Gideon finishes well. Midian is crushed. Israel enjoys forty years of rest. He dies at a good old age. On the outside, it’s a success story. But beneath the surface, cracks have formed.

Gideon has multiple wives. He fathers seventy sons. He keeps a concubine in Shechem. And he names that son Abimelech—“my father is king.” The very thing Gideon swore off in verse 23—kingship—he now lives out through his family. His words said, “God rules.” But his life secretly and subtly proclaims, “I rule.”

And those seeds of compromise would grow into one of Israel’s darkest chapters, which you will see in the next chapter.

Peace and faithfulness are not always synonymous. We have been learning this throughout the Book of Judges. A patriarch can win wars and still lose his family and the next generation for the Lord.

Gideon’s drift shows us how legacies are shaped—not by big moments, but by the slow accumulation of bad choices. A compromise in marriage. An unchecked desire for status. A child raised in divided loyalties. These seeds eventually sprout into a full-grown rebellion in the next generation.

You are planting seeds today. Your habits, your words, your faith—or your lack of it—will shape your children and grandchildren. Gideon left Israel with forty years of rest, but he left his family with a fractured legacy that would be devastating.

Your true legacy isn’t your success—it’s your succession.

ASK THIS:

Am I planting seeds of faith or seeds of compromise in my home?
What hidden patterns in my life might grow into pain for the next generation?
Do my words about God’s rule match my lifestyle?
If my legacy is not my success but my succession, what am I truly handing off?
DO THIS:
Take one intentional step to plant a seed of faith in your family today—pray with them, open the Word, or speak a word of blessing over them. Remember: your true legacy isn’t your success—it’s your succession.

PRAY THIS:
Father, keep me from building a false peace while sowing seeds of compromise. Help me plant a legacy of faith that will outlive me and point my family back to You. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"The Blessing."