Gideon the Judge who Refuses to be King

The war of liberation against the Midianites had been brought to completion. Great has been the achievements, of Gideon's faith. "Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also." So do they offer him the supreme authority and even express a willingness to make it hereditary. This offer of the people can apparently be defended by saying that there was need of a settled government, a center of authority which would bind the tribes...