Abimelech
Son of Gideon and a slave woman
Here Gideon is called Jerubbal (related to Baal)
This time the apostasy was different
Not neighbouring powers or an invasion
From within
James 4
1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
Illustration: We look for ways to be first on everyone else’s priority list. We look for ways to be first in line. We look for ways to be first at the checkout counter. We look for ways to be the first ones getting into a parking spot. We look for ways to win in the game of “first come, first served.”
This was the heart of Abimelech
Nothing like his father
He was passionate to lead and nothing would stand in his way
Gideon had said that no son of his was to be king or rule over the people
Judges 8 22The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian.”
23But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you.”
Abimelech was ambitious
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be a leader or wanting a position
But the Lord must call
Many are in positions of authority through ambition, manipulation, a ‘friend’ or by knowing someone in a position already
People cannot manufacture leadership or position
There was no consultation with God, the priest or any tribe of Israel
When we appoint people to positions we must consult the Lord and make sure He has called = disaster
Led to destroying his own flesh and blood – 70 brothers
The youngest survived by hiding – Jotham
Abimelech deviously went to the town of his mother where he knew people would support him
He became his own god who demanded worship
He broke the commandments:
· 1st and 2nd by wanting to set himself up to be worshiped and rule
· 6th by murdering his brothers
· 3rd through being dishonest (used God’s name in vain)
· 9th by being a false witness
He sweet-talked them into agreeing with him
He had an agenda of his own
The Lord’s Prayer changed to:
My Kingdom come, my will be done
People are very clever at whispering in the ear when they are motivating people to follow them
Everything should be done in the open and discussed by all when raising up others
Too much talking behind the scene can be dangerous
If someone comes talking to you to gain approval, be careful
Everyone allowed him to carry on and didn’t question his motives etc
Because of this, the people lost
· Their honour
· Their liberty
· Justice
· Gratitude
Illustration: Matthew Henry said, ‘He came in like a fox, ruled like a lion and died like a dog.’
When Jotham spoke out, no one listened
He shouted from Mt Gerizim, the place where the blessings were read on the day they entered Canaan
Instead of a blessing, he spoke a curse
Curses are very real even today
People’s lives can be badly affected by what people say
Our words are very powerful
There is life and death in the tongue
Abimelech wasn’t even the rightful heir due to his mother’s position
He convinced the people by asking them if they wanted one or seventy ruling them
They funded his project using money from the temple of Baal
He hired people who were worthless and reckless
He was building a political platform
He had selfish ambition; this mixed with pride = destruction to anyone who got in his way
In Is 14:13 we read of an Angel that turned into a devil through pride
Matt 23:12 God brings down those who exalt themselves
For 3 years he did ok
The words spoken by Jotham started to become a reality
V23 God sent an evil spirit
A disagreeable unpleasantness
The word spirit here means wind, breath or mind
In other words, Abimelech became twisted in his mind and began to treat his people badly
Later, we see how Saul was also influenced by an evil spirit (not necessary a demon)
We see how God can use evil to bring about His purposes
This is where we need to watch our words as people can misunderstand God entirely
Read the parable Judges 9:7-15
7When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’
9“But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honoured, to hold sway over the trees?’
10“Next, the trees said to the fig-tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
11“But the fig-tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’
12“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’
13“But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?’
14“Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’
15“The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
This is the first parable in the bible
Parables can be useful to convey a message
The people accepted the thornbush
God was showing them how they had refused the valuable trees which had something to offer them
This is just like us
We take second best at times and settle for things that are of no real value:
· Anything that replaces God in our life
· We chat to friends yet not to God
· We listen to many voices, but not the Holy Spirit
How can you trust thornbush?
If we like they, turn from hearing the law, then our prayers are an abomination to the Lord
Prov 28:9 if anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable
It’s so important we listen to what God I saying and not allow words we hear to fall onto deaf ears
Do we listen to what God wants?
These people were to pay the price for their stubbornness and neglect of God’s word
Now the devil was sowing discord and mischief
Trust was diminishing
Those who appointed him now wanted to dethrone him
· They grew jealous of each other
· They grew uneasy at his rule
Those who set him up now wanted him out
But why?
People who are placed in authority and power must forego everything for the call
· Private interests and advantages
Leaders should not be in positions for gain or for pride
They should sacrifice their own needs for the sake of the community
The main reason why there was a decline at this time is found in verses 16 and 19
16“Now therefore, if you have acted in truth and sincerity in making Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done to him as he deserves—17for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian; 18but you have risen up against my father’s house this day, and killed his seventy sons on one stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother—19if then you have acted in truth and sincerity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. 20But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth Millo; and let fire come from the men of Shechem and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!”
The two words used for truth and sincerity or integrity
‘emeth’ and ‘tāmim’
The only place outside of Judges 9 where these two words are found are in
Joshua 24:14
14“Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! 15And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Here Joshua had set a stone under the oak in Shechem as an oath to his service to God alone
The people had not acted in truth or integrity
There was a breakdown and a decline as we see in verse 23; now they dealt ‘treacherously’ with him
A society that cares nothing about the truth will fall apart
We see it when people begin calling what is evil good
· Abortion
· Sex outside marriage
· Co-habiting
The list is endless
Bad relationships were beginning to develop
We have to be very careful with relationships in Church
Once there is a breakdown, things will begin to spiral out of control
God hates those who sow discord among the brethren
We must learn from history or it will repeat itself
The Midianites destroyed themselves through confusion
Here we see a mutual destruction taking place
How many times have you witnessed a church split through someone trying to take control without the Lord being in it?
How many times have you seen people spiritually destroyed because someone sowed discord among the people?
We must make sure we don’t touch anything God is doing here
Phil spoke about needing the fear of God in our lives
It is only when we fear God that we will walk in truth and with integrity
Many were wounded
V 40 tells us how many got caught up in the squabbles and arguments
They turned against him and robbed him; they trusted Gaal instead
This was a threat to his leadership
People took sides, he lost their respect
We see it happen time and again in church life
The sad part of this story is that people are still the same today
The heart of the human spirit hasn’t changed
And the ending?
A woman struck him with a millstone from the tower
He saw it coming
It was shameful to be killed by a woman and not in battle
He had his servant kill him with a sword
One stone slew him, just like David would do with Goliath
God has His own ways of dealing with His enemies
The battle is always the Lord’s, this is why we must be careful about what we say
We should examine our own motives and take heed not to sow discord among the members of the church body
It is God who raises up and it is God who will replace people in His own time
1. Let us never put ourselves forward unless we know that God has truly called
2. Let us walk in truth and integrity or we shall fall in shame and dishonour
