The Plans of Abimelech

Dei Break

Judges 8:28 – 9:57

After Gideon's death, after ruling in Israel for forty years, Israel turned again to the Baals. Abimelech, a son of Gideon (Jerubbaal) by a woman of Shechem, decided that he wanted the kingship that his father had refused. Through some clever maneuvering, Abimelech turned his Shechem relatives against his seventy half-brothers, managing to bring them all to public execution "on one stone" (9:5). Only Jotham, the youngest, escaped by going into hiding. After the slaughter, Abimelech was declared king (9:6).

The surviving son of Gideon came out from hiding to confront the people with a story that, in essence, told them that they had murdered good men in order to have the least of Gideon's sons rule over them (9:8-15). Jotham's speech contained sarcasm ("if then you have acted honorably" – they obviously had not). When finished, he ran from the city to avoid capture by his half-brother.

Abimelech did not rule well and God removed him from his self-proclaimed monarchy after three years. Abimelech's fall was precipitated by his own failure, which gave the newly arrived dissident, Gaal (9:26), opportunity to incite rebellion. Abimelech, however, defeated the rebels and cruelly salted the fields to destroy their fertility. He also set fire to a tower where the citizens of the city had fled for safety. However, when he tried the same action in another town near Shechem, a "mere" woman killed him with a rock thrown from the tower top (9:53-54).

How can one avoid the question of Israel's constant rebellion against God? It seems so stupid, so arrogant, so sinful. Yet, if we are honest, we must admit that in our private lives, we do the same. We do not worship carved trees, golden ephods, or stone images, but what about the things that do draw us from God? The tight schedules, the lust for more money, personal power, or possessions; the bigger house and its mortgage payment that prevents us from serving the needs of others. If we are not constantly vigilant, do we not also turn to other gods when times are good and our own power seems adequate? Fortunately, God's grace overcomes our stupidity.

Next time: Rise of the Philistines