Gideon made it into an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.I wish I properly understood how it is we get to this point. We are giving something for the use of God, and somehow we always seem to be able to twist it into something that is completely useless. He creates an ephod, an item for determining God's will, and yet it corrupts the entire nation.
I'm especially curious what they mean by playing the harlot with it. Is it somehow used for prostitution? Is that the way the people fell this time? Or is it simply a metaphor, referring to how they made the ephod the focus of their worship, instead of the one for whom Gideon had made it? Whichever it was, it's sad that even Gideon could not stop himself from losing sight of God, instead using something he had created himself as a substitute.
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