Gideon’s fear arises out of an awareness of Israel’s spiritual condition. He knows his own brethren will be boiling hot mad at him, and come to the defence of these idols before they defend him.1 It is what makes Gideon’s fear at least understandable. But it again raises the question of just how valiant and valorous is this warrior, who has just seen God and declared him to be peace.2
27 So Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had told him. But because he was too afraid of his family and the men of the town to do it by day, he did it by night.