As soon as he was dead

So it was, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god. Thus the children of Israel did not remember the LORD their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; nor did they show kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had done for Israel. - Judges 8.33-35

Things were going well with Gideon as judge. God had delivered the nation. They had a godly man who was a hero to the nation as their judge.

There is nothing wrong with following after good and godly men.

But when that happens there is always a danger to beware of.

Men are men. They are not God and they are not forever. Sometimes men fail and sometimes they leave and even if they don’t eventually they are going to die. Men are not going to be here forever.

Gideon died. With their hero gone Israel went right back to their old ways and fell back into sin.

We need to beware of having men as our hope.

Only God as our ruler lasts forever. Only He won't change. Only He won’t go.