When God told Gideon to obey HIM and deliver the Israelites from the invading hoards of marauding Midianites, he was first commanded to go home and tear down his family's altar to Baal. The first thing required of him was a cleansing of his own home. God said, "Tear down your father's Baal altar and chop down the Asherah fertility pole beside it. Then build an altar to God, your God." He had to rid himself and his family of perversity and sin before he went off to do battle with the invaders.
Gideon's first battle was with the sin that was close at hand, the sin the Lord warned Cain "is crouching at your door; it desires to have you." Before he could run off to fight the enemy that covered the land like locusts, Gideon was required to get his heart right. So Gideon tore down his family's altar to Baal.
And just as Paul later told the Corinthians to "run away from idolatry," Gideon turned toward God, ran away from sin, and he didn't stop running until he ran into the pages of history.
So it's worth asking.
What are you running from?
What are you running for?
Genesis 19:17
Now run for your life!
Don't look back!
Don't stop anywhere.
Run!
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