Judges 8:22-28 KJV
22 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.
24 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)
25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.
26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels' necks.
27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
28 Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

A Priesthood outside of Jerusalem. Not synagogue but a place to worship God because the distance being to great to travel by horse or walking. When man establish a priesthood not handed down by God's priestly design man no longer following God. Yet in the first two verses in Gideon is clear that God would lead his people. Yet by establishling an ephod he was establishing something not by God's command and this place would also be lead by priest of other gods. Yet dedicated by man for a godly purpose.

God through out scripture allows man to make error like ephrod to acknowledge the need for a Messiah not design by man but of God's design. Everything man design is corruptible. Everything that is of God is uncorruptible. Temple of Jerusalem a place for man to worship, no it was a house for God to live with man being his workmen.

Example the tower Babel errected by man destroyed by God because man's desire to reach God by their demand their way(story in Genesis 11).

Man desire to build to errect something not design by God. Either gets destroyed or demolished sooner or later. People's worship of man becomes the problem.

Why is Christ not seen the same way as the ephrod or the tower of Babel. Both design to reach God. One design by God fearing leader of Israel and the other the will of the people of that day and time. Christ was and is the Messiah to come. The New Covenant whose laws did not change but the sacrificial law. The law of faith and love still remained. Christ teaching and faith in God would draw us to our greatest teacher God's Holy Spirit. Christ would cleanse us through his blood and cross because we deserved to die for our sins but through God's grace and faith in Christ and God our sins are forgiven and through the resurrection of Jesus and his teachings, we are transformed and sanctified. What did Jesus teach: parables, about the law of love and his need to go to the cross and pay our sin debt. Becoming our Great High Priest through the resurrection. God establishing and giving this role to him. Through his death and resurrection we are redeemed, saved by God's wonderful marvelous grace. Then the last spiritual gift from God is his Spirit. Neither the devil nor man can duplicate, though both try.

Who will lead you, the one you choose to follow in faith. One will take you heavenward and the other will take you to hell.

Dear Heavenly Father lead us through Christ our risrn Savior by your Holy Spirit teaching us your word. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study:

Ephesians 2:1-22 KJV
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.