When a Legacy Falls Apart | Judges 8:33-35

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Our text today is Judges 8:33-35.

As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god. And the people of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hand of all their enemies on every side, and they did not show steadfast love to the family of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return for all the good that he had done to Israel. — Judges 8:33-35

The irony here is sharp. Gideon was nicknamed Jerubbaal—“let Baal contend against him”—after tearing down Baal’s altar in his father’s yard. His name became a living testimony against false gods.

But the moment Gideon dies, Israel runs back to Baal. They don’t remember the LORD who rescued them. They don’t honor the family of Jerubbaal. They return to Baal again.

It’s a tragic picture: a man once known for defying idols leaves behind a people enslaved to them again. Gideon’s personal victories didn’t guarantee generational faith. His success could not secure succession.

Faith is not inherited like money in a will. Every generation must choose God for themselves.

But what you build—and what you hand off—matters. Gideon’s life teaches us that tearing down idols once isn’t enough. You must raise up others who will keep tearing them down long after you’re gone.

This is why your legacy isn’t defined by your wins in the present but by the disciples you prepare for the future. Your true legacy isn’t your success—it’s your succession.

ASK THIS:

What will people remember when my name is spoken?
Am I modeling a faith that will outlast me?
Where could idolatry creep back in if I’m no longer around?
Who am I discipling so the faith doesn’t end with me?
DO THIS:
Share with someone younger in the faith one story of how God tore down an “idol” in your life. Invite them to tell theirs—and keep the fight alive.

PRAY THIS:
Lord, let my life testify against the idols of this age. And let my legacy not die with me, but live on through those I hand faith to. Amen.

PLAY THIS:
"Worthy of It All."