It happened the same night, that Yahweh said to him, Take your father's bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it;
Significantly, the very first assignment for Gideon was that of cleaning up his own residence.  His father had violated God's will by sponsoring the altar to Baal and the abominable Asherah that stood by it, and it was a stroke of God's own magnificent genius that ordered the Asherah cut up and used to fuel a burnt-offering to Jehovah!