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Judges Chapter 9
Abimelech's Conspiracy
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Judges 9:1 And Abimelech
the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren,
and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of
his mother's father, saying,
Here we have a very sad story. This
story is where one person decides he wants to rule over others and
be the king. He was the son of Gideon through a concubine living in
Shechem. We can see here also the peril of having more than one wife
or having some wives and some concubines. Rivalry, greed and a
desire to control and have power over others causes murder many
times throughout history. Gideon would not have wanted this if he
were alive. Oh how important it is to teach our children the way to
live for God and not follow the ways of the world.
- Judges 9:2 Speak, I
pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is
better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are
threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign
over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.
- 3 And his mother's
brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all
these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for
they said, He is our brother.
- 4 And they gave him
threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of
Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons,
which followed him.
- 5 And he went unto
his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of
Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone:
notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was
left; for he hid himself.
So we see Abimelech set up a corrupt
government hiring evil men with money from the treasury of a temple
of Baal-berith, not a temple of the true God Jehovah. He hired these
men to kill the sons of Gideon which amounted to 70 except one who
hid from them. Jotham was the youngest son of Gideon. It is so
heartbreaking to read of these things.
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Judges 9:6 And all the men
of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and
went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that
was in Shechem.
His whole reign is bloody and evil.
Sometimes people choose the wrong leaders and it ends up in much
bloodshed and corruption. Yet as we read the rest of this chapter,
it is all for nothing. Evil rulers never really get by with what
they do. It comes back upon their own heads either in this life or
when they stand before God in eternity. No one gets by with anything
unless they repent and get right with God. It's not worth it.
We see today, politicians run for office, and
do things to ruin the reputation of those that run against them.
Some go so far as to pay corrupt people to purposely set their
opponents up with false documents and lying witnesses. In the end
though, there is nothing covered that shall not be made known. No
one gets by with anything. Better it would be for them to come clean
and admit their sins while they still are alive rather than face God
when it's too late to make it right.
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Judges 9:7 And when they
told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount
Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them,
Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto
you.
Jotham is the son of Gideon who hid
when assassins killed all his brothers to keep them from objecting
to Abimelech becoming king. Those that kill or destroy the
reputation of their rivals make the worst kings in history. They
will destroy any that so much as disagrees with them in any way.
They live in fear themselves and destroy any that they feel
threatened by. They are like poisonous snakes that strike out to
kill and destroy out of fear.
Here is the parable of Jotham:
This prophecy of Jotham was fulfilled
in Judges 9:22-57.
- Judges 9:9 But the olive tree
said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they
honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
- 10 And the trees said to the fig
tree, Come thou, and reign over us.
- 11 But the fig tree said unto them,
Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be
promoted over the trees?
- 12 Then said the trees unto the
vine, Come thou, and reign over us.
- 13 And the vine said unto them,
Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be
promoted over the trees?
- 14 Then said all the trees unto the
bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.
So we see all the Olive trees, fig
trees, vines were serving a purpose, they were fruitful and very
busy. They had no time to rule over the other trees. They were
working, content and went on with their good works.
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Judges 9:15 And the bramble said unto
the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put
your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the
bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
The bramble has no purpose. It might be
good for hedges but produces nothing really productive. In this
instance it represented Abimelech exactly. Hedges can be sharp and
cause harm. A good picture of cruelty, oppression and one that cares
nothing for those that they rule over.
Jotham gives his own interpretation:
- Judges 9:16 Now
therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have
made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal
and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving
of his hands;
- 17 (For my father
fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you
out of the hand of Midian:
- 18 And ye are risen
up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons,
threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made
Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of
Shechem, because he is your brother;)
- 19 If ye then have
dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this
day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in
you:
- 20 But if not, let
fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and
the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of
Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.
- 21 And Jotham ran
away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of
Abimelech his brother.
After saying what was on his heart,
Jotham ran away to hide out of fear of Abimelech. We will see from
the rest of this chapter the fulfillment of scripture itself:
- Galatians 6:7 Be
not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.
- 8 For he that
soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he
that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life
everlasting.
The Downfall of Abimelech
God doesn't always send judgment
immediately, in His mercy He gives people a chance to repent and
make things right. When judgment comes, He is justified. We see now
however, the time has come to avenge the house of Gideon.
- Judges 9:23 Then God
sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem;
and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
- 24 That the cruelty
done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and
their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew
them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the
killing of his brethren.
God is sending judgment against
Abimelech for killing the sons of Gideon and also the men of Shechem
for helping Abimelech. He is using them to bring judgment as Jotham
predicted. They turn on each other.
- Judges 9:25 And the
men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the
mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them:
and it was told Abimelech.
- 26 And Gaal the son
of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and
the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.
- 27 And they went out
into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the
grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god,
and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.
Gaal enters the picture here was a Canaanite who
helped the men of Shechem turn further against Shechem. A lot of
rebellion happens by following just one person. Yet in this case it
brings judgment for their sins against the household of Gideon.
Gideon's other name is Jerubbaal from the time he destroyed his
father's idols of Baal.
- Judges 9:28 And Gaal
the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that
we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul
his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for
why should we serve him?
- 29 And would to God
this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech.
And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
- 30 And when Zebul
the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed,
his anger was kindled.
Zebul was one who was still loyal to
Abimelech and sought to warn Abimelech.
- Judges 9:31 And he
sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the
son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold,
they fortify the city against thee.
- 32 Now therefore up
by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait
in the field:
- 33 And it shall be,
that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise
early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the
people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou
do to them as thou shalt find occasion.
- 34 And Abimelech
rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and
they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
- 35 And Gaal the son
of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the
city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him,
from lying in wait.
- 36 And when Gaal saw
the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down
from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou
seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.
- 37 And Gaal spake
again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the
land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.
- 38 Then said Zebul
unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is
Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that
thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.
- 39 And Gaal went out
before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.
- 40 And Abimelech
chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and
wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.
- 41 And Abimelech
dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren,
that they should not dwell in Shechem.
- 42 And it came to
pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and
they told Abimelech.
- 43 And he took the
people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in
the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth
out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.
- 44 And Abimelech,
and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in
the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other
companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and
slew them.
- 45 And Abimelech
fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and
slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and
sowed it with salt.
Sowing salt is a custom that made the land
worthless and barren. France use to spread salt upon the property of
traitors. In 1162 AD, Hadrian sowed Jerusalem with salt.
- Judges 9:46 And when
all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered
into an hold of the house of the god Berith.
- 47 And it was told
Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were
gathered together.
- 48 And Abimelech gat
him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with
him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough
from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and
said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me
do, make haste, and do as I have done.
- 49 And all the
people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed
Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire
upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died
also, about a thousand men and women.
This fulfilled the 1st part of Jotham's
prophecy. The men of Shechem that helped Abimelech kill the sons of
Gideon perished. Unfortunately women and children die also. They
fled to a tower of a false god who couldn't save them.
- Judges 9:50 Then
went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez, and took
it.
- 51 But there was a
strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and
women, and all they of the city, and shut it to them, and gat
them up to the top of the tower.
- 52 And Abimelech
came unto the tower, and fought against it, and went hard unto
the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
- 53 And a certain
woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, and all
to brake his skull.
By the hand of a woman judgment comes
upon Abimelech fulfilling the rest of Joham's prophecy.
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Judges 9:54 Then he called
hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him,
Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A woman
slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died.
Wow, the pride in him was so great that
he preferred to die by the hand of his own men than by a woman. This
type of thing is what keeps many from finding grace and mercy from
the Lord. Pride which truly goes before a fall.
- Judges 9:55 And when
the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed
every man unto his place.
- 56 Thus God rendered
the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in
slaying his seventy brethren:
- 57 And all the evil
of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon
them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
All for nothing. All the murder, fighting,
hating, and exalting oneself to become king. All for nothing in the
long run, yet no one understands. It keeps going on and on even
today. No one will get by with unrepented sin. No one. This is the
reason Jesus came and paid the price of sin for all who would
receive and believe in Him. We don't have to be lost and without the
presence of God in our lives. There is hope. Jesus, the Son of God
is that hope. DC
Judges Chapter 10
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