Judges 9:1-57
“The man who would be king”
- Intro.
- Vs. 1-6 Division
- Vs. 7-21 Distraction
- Vs. 22-57 Destruction
Intro
Rudyard Kipling’s short story “The Man Who Would Be King” about two scoundrels who try to set themselves up to be kings in Afghanistan could fit the 9th chapter of Judges and Abimelech’s life. Contrast that with our own American heritage in George Washington. In a letter written in 1782 from George Washington to a Colonel Nichola of the Revolutionary army after he suggested that George Washington with the full backing of senior officers and civilian leaders make him king or dictator of the new nation made up of 13 colonies. Washington refused firmly and disbanded the army returning to his home in Mount Vernon as an ordinary citizen. In part he wrote, “I am much at a loss to conceive what part of my conduct could have given encouragement to an address which seems big with the greatest mischief’s that can befall my country.” The 9th chapter of Judges (the longest in the book of Judges) provides an example of leadership the opposite of Washington’s. He had such a desire to be king that he wouldn’t allow anything or anyone stand in his way.
Vs. 1-6 Division
Vs. 1-2 Abimelech (My father is king) got more than the name from Gideon he got the attitude that went with it. Gideon in 8:23 turned down the request of the nation to become king and then spent the rest of his life acting like one. Abimelech is ambitious and courts the position. When you have arrogance coupled with ambition you have a very dangerous person.
Every now and then I hear folks attempt to defend polygamy say, “Well it’s in the Bible and it doesn’t say you shouldn’t do it!” That is not actually true as God spoke through Moses in Deut. 17:17 warning the nation that when they came into the land and wanted to set a king over them they should make sure that he doesn’t “multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.” Beyond this verse we have countless examples such the story before us where such a practice was first pagan and 2nd always destructive to the family unit.
Abimelech was a product of two factors that influenced him his parents and his home environment. His mother was a product of his father’s backsliding as she was part of his harem but he hadn’t given her the dignity of becoming his wife. She was for his pleasure not his life partner. This seems to have influenced him in some of his decisions.
- First, in his request before his mother’s family he either ignores or is unaware of Gideon’s refusal in 8:23 that any of his offspring ever serve as king.
- Second, he clearly plays the separation between his father’s family and his mother’s family by asking them which they prefer to rule over them 70 or 1 that has grew up among them?
- Third, the obvious spiritual influence as Abimelech calls his father Jerubbaal (He who contends against Baal) and in verse 4 Abimelech’s campaign is financed with funds from the temple of Baal-Berith (the god of the covenant).
Vs. 3-6 No doubt Abimelech despised Gideon’s brand faith and it made it far easier to choose to worship Baal of his mother’s relatives. Shechem was equally confused as it was the final resting place of Joseph’s bones and the city where Joshua had the nation recommit their lives to God. With Gideon, it didn’t take long to take yesterday hero and make him today’s scoundrel. The only thing that Abimelech had learned from his father was that he felt it was his destiny to rule over the people; after all he had seen his father act like a king so why not be one?
In 8:33 We are told that, “As soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god.” The irony here is that apparently this included Gideon’s sons and Abimelech receives the temple funds to secure 70 hit men at a shekel each to knock off his 70 ½ brothers. The god they were worshipping was paying for the contract on their lives.
Amazingly no protest ensued, no moral outrage on behalf of the nation as in one swoop at a place where cattle were slaughtered all but one of Gideon’s offspring was killed. Sometimes a nation receives the leader that best represents their nature. “We need to beware of the tendency to minimize character qualifications for leadership and the servant heart that is so clearly portrayed in the Bible.” If God would have been continually crowned as King Abimelech would have never have been invited to the palace!
Vs. 7-21 Distraction
Vs. 7-15 There was only one man willing to stand up and call the city and his ½ brother on the carpet for this the only survivor out of the 70, Jotham. As Abimelech was being crowned Jotham had a few words to those below mount Gerizim. Ironically according to Jos. 24:26 Abimelech’s coronation took place at the same tree where Joshua had solemnly placed a copy of the law of God . The 800 foot Mount Gerizim was the same hill that according to Deut. 27:12 the people pronounced a blessing when they entered the Promise Land which overlooks the city of Shechem. Gideon was from the tribe of Manasseh and Abimelech’s actions were anything but a blessing.
This is the first parable recorded in the bible as Jotham the lone survivor saw the trees looking for a king. For some unknown reason they decide to appoint a king and sought the Olive tree, the fig tree and the grape vine and none were interested. Each of these three recognized that they were being asked to replace God that they already had over them at a price of what they were created to do, be a blessing to both God and man. The trees came to the bramble bush also known as the buckthorn not a tree a worthless bush that was a product of the curse of Genesis 3. It produced no fruit, no shade, its wood wasn’t used so all you could do with it was burn it. So in the parable of Jotham this worthless bush says to the trees “come take shelter in my shade”, what shade? Those trees in the parable refused the leadership position as they viewed it as a step down as they would have to give up what they were designed to do “bear fruit”.
Why would a tree do something so foolish, well they wouldn’t yet Shechem had?
Hey saint’s there are still folks like this today who want to lead so they can rule over people not serve people. The test of a person’s character is to see how they treat those who disagree with them. If their only desire is to destroy those who disagree then they are like the bramble; “Plenty of sharp points, but of no real use except to injure others!” Jesus said in Mark 9:35 as He called the twelve disciples to Him, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Vs. 16-21 The reason the men of Shechem supported Abimelech was because he was their relative. Jotham’s warning to the men of Shechem was that their unwise choice will come back to burn them. After Jotham painted the picture in the parable of Abimelech being a “prickly kind of guy” and of no value other than to be burned, he runs for his life not to have a “Beer” but to the town of Beer. The point of the parable to the people of Shechem was to point out that you will know a tree by its fruit as no fruit bearing tree would give up its calling to serve its own ego!
Vs. 22-57 Destruction
Vs. 22-24 The rest of this chapter is used to see the fulfillment of Jotham’s prophetic parable. Yet behind the scene we see God at work even in the midst of the spiritual vacuum. Someone has said that disillusionment is the offspring of illusion and it only took 3 years for the people of Shechem to realize this. Abimelech was not a liberator he was a tyrant and they began to be adversaries who were once allies. In judgment, God removed the peace that was between them and sent this spirit of ill will. God allows satan to do what he does best cause division so that the folks of Shechem and Abimelech would both see the errors of their ways and repent and get their hearts right. Beyond this The men of Shechem set ambushes on the mountain roads, hoping to disrupt the trade routes that profited Abimelech.
Vs. 25-38 Gaal (contempt) had some gal as he got drunk and exercised some “beer muscles” as he calls out Abimelech and his army publically saying that the people shouldn’t follow this guy as he is the son Jerubbaal (Gideon) and that his chief officer Zebul is a double agent and that they should serve a true blood not a ½ breed. Gaal’s remedy is vote for him and he will remove Abimelech and they could go back to their true roots of the Hivites who founded the city under “Hamor” who was name means “an ass”. Here than is a good reason not to get drunk as you have a tendency to say stupid things that can get you in trouble. As Zebul the double agent says, “Put your money where your mouth is and take him on if you want to take the title.”
Vs. 39-49 Zebul deceived Gaal, allowing Abimelech’s troops to take superior position. Abimelech then turned his anger against the people of Shechem, and killed as many of them as he could. The survivors in the city of Shechem took refuge in a tower but Abimelech burnt them out and killed them all, about a thousand men and women. Just as Jotham had predicted in his parable that if Abimelech had done this to become and you helped him then one day you will attack you and light you on fire as well. Remember this was his home town and not only does he destroy it he puts salt on its fields son nothing will grow. The lesson here is simple if you put folks like this in leadership over you it’s only a matter of time before they will “burn you” and make your country unproductive.
Vs. 50-55 After his brutal victory at the tower of Shechem, Abimelech probably thought he was an expert at “tower attack.” He went to Thebez (10 miles away) and attacked the city and the tower there but at Thebez, a woman dropped a millstone (ten to fourteen inches long and weighed five pounds or more) on Abimelech’s head and mortally wounded him. Yet even at his death he was arrogant as he considered it more “manly” to be killed by his own armor bearer. Thus Israel’s headache of Abimelech was over at last.
In the end the pagan god they had turned to in the first place to finance Abimelech’s reign becomes a crematory for a 1000 of the cites inhabitance. Abimelech’s lust for power and control could not be controlled by himself which all came crashing upon his head. This is what happens when you get a “big head” someone is got to drop something down on you as God killed two birds with one stone! Abimelech, worried that anyone would know that a woman killed but the Lord put it down in the Bible “a best seller” so all know the story that this guy full of himself was killed by a woman. So the story ends with a commentary from the complier of this book in verse 56-57 saying that both Abimelech and Shechem received the fruit of their own foolish choices. Saints, this story teaches us about the peril of pride and the ambush of ambition! But it also reveals that no matter what God is in control and whatever a man sows that he will also reap.
This is a placeholder. Notes will be added