Thursday
Evening Bible Study
October
11, 2018
Introduction
The book of Joshua recorded the overall conquering of the Promised Land of
Canaan.
Through their battles they conquer 31 kings over a period of about five
years.
Through Joshua’s leadership, they had done the larger, overall job of
taking care of the main resistance and establishing themselves as the dominant
force in the land.
(Jos 21:43–45 NKJV)
—43 So the LORD gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to
their fathers, and they took possession of it and dwelt in it. 44 The LORD gave
them rest all around, according to all that He had sworn to their fathers. And
not a man of all their enemies stood against them; the LORD delivered all their
enemies into their hand. 45 Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD
had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.
The main battles were over, but there were still pockets of resistance
left, still places to be conquered.
There is unfinished business.
God has told the people that the reason these places remain unconquered are
to test the people:
To keep them “battle ready”
To see if they really love God
The book of Judges gets its name from the people God used to help lead the
nation during the period between Joshua and the kings.
This would be a period of four hundred years.
Some were warriors, others prophets, one was a woman.
These people were not kings as such. The nation considered God to be their
king, and that God used a specific man to bring help and leadership to the nation
at various times.
The book of Judges is a “messy” book.
Now the video I’ve used is kind of “cute”, but in Judges, we’re going to go
from “cute” to “nightmare”. We’re almost
halfway to “nightmare”.
You’re going to see God use some very flawed people to save the nation.
The book is summed up by the last verse:
(Judges 21:25 NKJV)
In
those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was
right in his own eyes.
We might tend to think that God only uses “perfect” people, but the truth
is, everyone God has every used is flawed at some point.
You’re going to see God’s people doing the most horrible things.
Note: Some of the blocks of events recorded in Judges may not be in
chronological order.
There aren’t a lot of time markers in each section. For example, in Judges
20:28 (at the end of the book), Phinehas is mentioned as being the high priest.
Yet he was also the high priest at the time of the beginning of the book. We
know that the book of Judges covers roughly four hundred years, and Phinehas
didn’t live that long.
The last couple of weeks we’ve been looking at how God used a man named
Gideon.
Gideon was a man filled with all kinds of fears, yet he still took the
steps God asked him to take, and as a result, Gideon took his tiny group of 300
men to face 135,000 Midianites. I have
actual footage…
Gideon’s men were the original “300”, 700 years before the Spartans faced
the Persians.
And no, the battle didn’t look anything like the Spartans.
Gideon’s men were equipped with nothing more than trumpets, torches, and
clay pots.
Gideon’s brought out their torches, blew their trumpets and shouted, “The
sword of the LORD and of Gideon!”.
The Midianites freaked out and started killing each other.
Judges 7 ends with the Israelites chasing the Midianites across the Jordan
River.
Gideon asked the tribe of Ephraim to join in the fight and they kill two of
the Midianite princes.
(Judges 7:23–25
NKJV) —23 And the men of Israel gathered together from Naphtali, Asher, and
all Manasseh, and pursued the Midianites. 24 Then Gideon sent messengers
throughout all the mountains of Ephraim, saying, “Come down against the
Midianites, and seize from them the watering places as far as Beth Barah and the Jordan.” Then all the men of Ephraim gathered
together and seized the watering places as far as Beth Barah
and the Jordan. 25 And they captured two princes of the
Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb.
They killed Oreb at the rock of Oreb,
and Zeeb they killed at the winepress of Zeeb. They pursued Midian and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the
other side of the Jordan.
The battle starts to move from the Jezreel Valley as the Midianites begin
to flee toward the Jordan River.
Naphtali, Asher, and Manasseh are the tribes that surround this whole
battle scene, and they join to chase the Midianites.
Notice that Gideon invites the tribe of Ephraim, south of the battleground,
to try and cut off the escape at the Jordan.
:25 Oreb … Zeeb
This victory would be one of the classic victories in the mind of Israel –
You will see these names in a couple of places in Scripture as examples of
God taking care of Israel’s enemies.
(Psalm 83:11 NKJV) Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, Yes, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
We’ll get to Zebah and Zalmunna
in a minute (8:10)
Isaiah also wrote about these victories (Is. 9:4; 10:26)
(Is 9:4 NKJV) —4 For You have
broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his
oppressor, As in the day of Midian.
(Is 10:26 NKJV) —26
And
the Lord of hosts will stir up a
scourge for him like the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb;
as His rod was on the sea, so will He lift it up in the manner of Egypt.
8:1-21 Midian Conquered
:1 Now the men of Ephraim
said to him, “Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you went to
fight with the Midianites?” And they reprimanded him sharply.
:1 Why have you done
this to us
The men of Ephraim were upset that they weren’t told about the battle
earlier.
Lesson
Never satisfied
It seems that no matter what you do, there will always be people who will
find fault in what you are doing.
Illustration
This elderly couple was having trouble with forgetfulness, so they went to
their doctor. He said, “Why don’t you try writing down everything so you’ll remember.”
So one evening, Grandma asked Grandpa if he’d like some ice cream. “Sure,
that’s sounds good, but you’d better write it down.” “No,” Grandma said. “I can
remember that. Would you like chocolate syrup on top?” “Yes, but you’d better
write it down.” “I can remember that. How about some nuts on top, too?” “OK,
but I think you’d really better write it all down.” “No, I can remember.” So
she went into the kitchen and she was in there a long time. Finally, Grandpa
went in and asked her what was taking so long. “I made you bacon and eggs,”
Grandma said. “I told you to write it down!” Grandpa said. “I wanted toast,
too!”
From a human perspective, the Ephraimites have a good point.
Couldn’t he have done a better job at trying to include more people into his
battle plan?
The truth is, God didn’t want a lot of people involved at the beginning of
this battle.
Be careful that you’re not in the camp of those always finding fault.
Sometimes it’s appropriate to just say to Gideon: “Good job!”
:2 So he said to them,
“What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of
the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
:3 God has delivered into
your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then
their anger toward him subsided when he said that.
:2 Ephraim … Abiezer
Gideon is smoothing things over with the Ephraimites by saying that the
best his lowly family could ever do was not nearly as good as the worst that
the Ephraimites could do.
On top of that, they were the ones who got Oreb
and Zeeb, those Midianite princes.
Lesson
Peaceful words
The Bible says,
(Proverbs
15:1 NKJV) A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh
word stirs up anger.
You can choose to use words that will work towards resolving an argument,
or you can use words that will stir up anger. Gideon chose to calm them down.
Paul wrote,
(Philippians
2:3 NKJV) Let nothing be
done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each
esteem others better than himself.
Gideon chose to take the “lower seat”, choosing to give honor to Ephraim.
:4 When Gideon came to
the Jordan, he and the three hundred men who were with him crossed over,
exhausted but still in pursuit.
Notice that Gideon still has his original 300 with him.
:5 Then he said to the
men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who follow me, for
they are exhausted, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian.”
Succoth is a town on the eastern side of the Jordan River.
Gideon is looking for a little help with food for his troops. It seems that
they’ve gone further than he ever expected.
He still has two kings of Midian to catch.
Zebah – “sacrifice”
Zalmunna – “shelter is denied”
:6 And the leaders of
Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to
your army?”
:6 the leaders of Succoth said
The people of Succoth think that Gideon is in over his head. They are
afraid that if they help Gideon, then Zebah and Zalmunna will come back and hurt them.
These people of Succoth seem to have two problems in regards to helping
Gideon –
First, they have this idea that Gideon has bitten off a little more than he
can chew. They don’t think he could do anything to hurt Zebah
and Zalmunna.
Second, they live pretty close to the Midianites. If they help Gideon, and
he fails, then they are going to be in BIG trouble.
As a result, they don’t want to risk getting involved.
:7 So Gideon said, “For
this cause, when the Lord has
delivered Zebah and Zalmunna
into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and
with briers!”
Quite a contrast with what Gideon says to Ephraim. Where’s those “peaceful”
words?
We might just look at this and think that Gideon is tired, hungry, and
cranky.
I think that there’s a time to be a peacemaker, and there’s a time to be
firm with people.
The people of Ephraim had been helping with the battle, these people want
to sit on the sidelines.
:8 Then he went up from
there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way. And the men of Penuel
answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.
:8 Penuel – “facing God”
This is a little farther up the Jabbok valley (we’ll see in a minute)
The same place where Jacob wrestled with an angel (Gen. 32:30).
The men of Penuel give Gideon the same kind of answer that the men of
Succoth gave him.
:9 So he also spoke to
the men of Penuel, saying, “When I come back in peace, I will tear down this
tower!”
:10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at
Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen
thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one
hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.
:10 Karkor – a town on the eastern side of
the Jordan, about even with Dead Sea (not on map).
:10 fifteen thousand
Here’s where we get the size of the Midianite army. 15,000 left, 120,000
have already been killed, that makes a total of 135,000.
:11 Then Gideon went up
by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah
and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp
felt secure.
:11 Jogbehah
(see map) So Gideon has come from the Jezreel valley, passed Succoth, then
Penuel, and is now around Jogbehah.
Another fifteen miles or so southeast of Penuel.
:11 he attacked … while the camp felt secure
The Midianite army wasn’t expecting them. They thought they had got away.
:12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he
pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah
and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.
:12 routed the whole army
Don’t think that Gideon’s only victory came when the Midianites turned and
killed each other.
Gideon and his 300 did take on 15,000 and win.
:13 Then Gideon the son
of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres.
:13 Heres – cherec – “sun”
The Old King James makes is sound as if Gideon finished this whole battle
before the sun came up. Might be better
to think of this as a place instead of a time.
:14 And he caught a young
man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the
leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.
:15 Then he came to the
men of Succoth and said, “Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, ‘Are
the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna
now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?’ ”
:16 And he took the
elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he
taught the men of Succoth.
:16 he taught the men of Succoth
Not a pleasant way to learn a lesson.
Sometimes it’s better to step out and trust people like Gideon.
:17 Then he tore down the
tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
Gideon follows through on his earlier threat.
:18 And he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of
men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” So they answered, “As you are,
so were they; each one resembled the son of a king.”
:18 each one resembled the son of a king
I think the idea is that as leaders, Zebah and Zalmunna killed some of the leaders of Israel, and they
looked a lot like Gideon.
Perhaps Gideon was wondering if they were the ones responsible for his
brothers’ deaths.
:19 Then he said, “They were
my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Lord lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you.”
:20 And he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them!” But the youth
would not draw his sword; for he was afraid, because he was still a
youth.
:20 Rise, kill them
Apparently, this was a type of honor that Gideon is offering to his son, to
execute these enemies of Israel and the ones who killed their relatives. Jether doesn’t seem up to it.
:21 So Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise
yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength.” So Gideon
arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna,
and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
:21 crescent ornaments
These were amulets that were put on the camels as a charm against evil or
injury. They were probably made of gold and had little moons, full or crescent,
engraved on them—most likely in honor of the moonfaced goddess Astarte.
8:22-28 Gideon’s Ephod
:22 Then the men of
Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson
also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.”
:23 But Gideon said to
them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you.”
:23 I will not rule
over you
The Israelites are overwhelmed with gratitude towards Gideon for the
deliverance he has brought. They offer to make him king.
Gideon is smart enough to know that even though God had called him to lead
a battle, God had not called him to be a king.
Lesson
Know your calling
We talked on Sunday how God has
plans for us.
He has things that He has
planned for each of us to do.
(Ephesians
2:10 NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in
them.
But like Gideon, it’s not uncommon for people to try and talk others into
positions that they are not called to do.
Illustration
“Salesman At the Circus”
Following the 1929 stock market crash, an out-of-work stock broker finally
landed at the winter quarters of the circus in Peru Indiana, and asked the
manager if he had any jobs. The manager said, “We have only one job and I don’t
think you’d be interested in it.” The salesman said he’d take anything...he was
so hungry. “Well”, said the manager, “we’re looking for someone to wear Nelly’s
skin, and I don’t think that would interest you.” “What are you talking
about?”, asked the stock broker. Nelly”, replied the manager, “was our pet
Gorilla and our most popular attraction. After Nelly died we tried to buy
another gorilla, but none were available - so we finally skinned Nelly and want
someone to put on her skin and take her place in the cage.” “How much does that
job pay?” asked the salesman. “$25 a week and board”, was the reply. “Mister,
we’re wasting a lot of time... Where’s the skin?” Well, it turns out that the
salesman made a better gorilla than even old Nelly. He hopped all around the
cage, rattled the bars, beat his chest...so that people who saw him went away
and said, “Have you seen Nelly?” More people came, and before long it was the
most popular attraction in the Circus. At which point the manager came along
and said to the broker, “Boy, you’re doing such a swell job that I’m going to
raise your salary to $35 a week and board”. Well, this really got the broker excited
and he hopped around the cage as he had never hopped before, In fact, he hopped
so much that he hit the trap door down at the end of the cage, and fell through
into the next cage. As the door clanged behind him he looked over at the
corner, and there lay a great big lion. As the lion opened his eyes and
blinked, the broker scrambled up the side of the cage to sit on that little
trap seat up there, hanging on for dear life. The lion got up slowly and took a
couple of steps toward him, then crouched like he was going to spring. The
gorilla was shaking in fear so much the bars were rattling, and he closed his
eyes because he thought this was it. But then the lion said, “What are you so
scared about big boy? Do you think you’re the only stock broker in this
Circus?”
A mark of maturity is learning to be comfortable in your own skin. It’s
learning to know what you are called to do and not to do.
:24 Then Gideon said to
them, “I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me
the earrings from his plunder.” For they had golden earrings, because they were
Ishmaelites.
:24 give me the earrings
These Midianite/Ishmaelites had rings.
The Bible says the workman is worthy of his wage (Mat. 10:10), so in a sense,
there’s probably nothing wrong with Gideon’s request initially.
But I can’t help but think he goes a little too far with all of this.
When Samuel is “judge”, he will remind the people that he never took
“gifts” from people. (1Sam. 12:3)
(1 Samuel
12:3 NKJV) Here I am. Witness against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox
have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I
oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to
blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.”
Gideon gets to thinking that even though he wasn’t going to be king, it
would be nice to have a reward. The Israelite soldiers have acquired a huge
amount of booty from their slain enemy. All Gideon asks is for one gold earring
from each of the slain enemy soldiers.
:25 So they answered, “We
will gladly give them.” And they spread out a garment, and each man
threw into it the earrings from his plunder.
:26 Now the weight of the
gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels
of gold, besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were
on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their
camels’ necks.
:26 one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold
These Midianite/Ishmaelites had rings.
The New Living Translation says “forty three pounds of gold” (from 135,000
men)
(Judges 8:26 NLT) The weight of the gold earrings was forty-three pounds, not
including the royal ornaments and pendants, the purple clothing worn by the
kings of Midian, or the chains around the necks of their camels.
The workman is worthy of his wage (Mat. 10:10), but I can’t help but think Gideon goes a
little too far with all of this.
Even though Gideon is only receiving a single earring from each of the
slain Midianites, keep in mind there could have been something up to 135,000
earrings!
:27 Then Gideon made it
into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah. And
all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to
his house.
:27 Gideon made it into an ephod
ephod – ‘ephowd
– priestly garment, shoulder-cape or mantle, outer garment.
An “ephod” is technically a priestly garment.
Exactly what an “ephod” was or looked like is a matter of some dispute.
It may be nothing more than a simple linen garment.
Sometimes an ephod is connected to getting answers from God.
David asked the priest to “bring the ephod” so he could ask God a question
and get an answer (1Sam. 23:9-11)
(1 Samuel 23:9–11
NKJV) —9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord
God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into
his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your
servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
It’s possible Gideon may have done this only as a way of commemorating the
victory and remembering God, but the people ended up worshipping this thing.
The people sought the ephod rather than God whose Tabernacle was in Shiloh.
Gill: The Jewish commentators generally understand this ephod to be made as
a memorial of the great salvation God had wrought by His hands for Israel, and
of the wonderful things done by Him.
The way this is described, it doesn’t seem that Gideon is at fault here.
The problem wasn’t in Gideon making the ephod, the problem came with the
importance that the people put on it. Apparently, somewhere along the way, the
people looked at this ephod in an unhealthy way.
Lesson
Finish well
It’s not just important that we face the big crises and battles well by
trusting in the Lord. It’s important that we continue to walk with the Lord,
day in and day out.
(1 Corinthians
9:24–27 NKJV) —24 Do you not know that those who run
in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may
obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the
prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one
who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it
into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become
disqualified.
This golden ephod was part of Gideon’s “messiness”.
Illustration
“The Race Track”
Charlie was a regular visitor at the racetrack. One afternoon he noticed an
unusual sight. Right before the first race, a Catholic priest visited one of
the horses in the stable area and gave it a blessing. Charlie watched the horse
race very carefully, and sure enough the blessed horse came in first! Charlie
followed the priest before the next race, and again he went to the stables and
performed a similar procedure. Charlie played hunch and put a couple of dollars
on the blessed horse. Sure enough the blessed horse came in by two lengths and
Charlie won close to fifty bucks! The priest continued the same procedure
through the next few races and Charlie won each time. He was now ahead $1000,
so between races Charlie left the track and went to the bank and withdraw his
life’s savings $20,000. The biggest race of the day was the last one. Charlie
followed the priest and watched carefully which horse he blessed. He then went
to the betting window and put his whole $21,000 bundle of cash on that horse to
win. Then Charlie went out to watch the horses race. Down the stretch they
came, and as they crossed the finish line, the horse Charlie’s fortune was bet
on was dead last! Charlie was crushed. He located the priest and told him that
he had been watching him bless the horses all day, and they all became winners
except the last horse on which he had bet his life savings. Charlie then asked,
“What happened to the last horse which you blessed? Why didn’t it win like the
others?” “That’s the trouble with you Protestants,” sighed the priest. “You can
never tell the difference between a blessing and the Last Rites.”
Charlie started well, but he didn’t finish well!
:28 Thus Midian was
subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more.
And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon.
:28 quiet for forty years
quiet – shaqat – to be quiet, be tranquil, be at
peace, be quiet, rest, lie still, be undisturbed
This will be the last time of peace that Israel will experience in the book
of Judges. The following two judges (Jephthah, Samson) did not bring a period
of peace.
8:29-35 Gideon’s Death
:29 Then Jerubbaal the
son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.
:30 Gideon had seventy
sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives.
:31 And his concubine who
was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
:31 Abimelech – “my father is king”
Apparently, Gideon had 70 “legitimate” children from his many wives. But
because Abimelech was the son of a “concubine” (Josephus says her name was “Drumah”), he wouldn’t have had the full status of a son of
one of Gideon’s wives. We’ll see Abimelech in the next chapter.
By the way, 70 wives is part of Gideon’s “messiness”
God’s original plan for marriage is always best – Adam and Eve – one man,
one woman.
:32 Now Gideon the son of
Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the
tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah
of the Abiezrites.
:33 So it was, as soon as
Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel again played the harlot with the
Baals, and made Baal-Berith their god.
:33 Baal-berith – “lord of the covenant; a
god of the Philistines
The worship of “Baal” took many forms of the land depending each city.
There were many different “Baals”.
:34 Thus the children of
Israel did not remember the Lord
their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every
side;
:35 nor did they show
kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (Gideon) in accordance with the good he had
done for Israel.
Once again, the cycle starts all over again.
9:1-6 Abimelech’s treachery
:1 Then Abimelech the son
of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and spoke with them and
with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying,
:2 “Please speak in the
hearing of all the men of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy
of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?’ Remember
that I am your own flesh and bone.”
:1 Jerubbaal – “contends with Baal”
This was the nickname of Gideon that his father gave him after Gideon had
torn down the altar to Baal (Judg. 6:32)
(Judges 6:32 NKJV) Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, “Let Baal
plead against him, because he has torn down his altar.”
:1 Shechem
Video: Shechem map
This was an ancient city even in the time of Judges. Today the Palestinian
city of Nablus occupies the site.
Notice the hills all around it.
You’ll see this in a minute from another view.
The city dates back to the time of Jacob.
Jacob lived near the city Shechem for awhile with
his family. The city was built by a man named Hamor,
and he named the city after his son, Shechem (Gen. 33:18-19)
(Genesis 33:18–19
NKJV) —18 Then Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in
the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and
he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And he
bought the parcel of land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.
This son, Shechem, was the one who raped Jacob’s daughter Dinah (Gen. 34),
and then two of Jacob’s sons retaliated by killing all the men of the city.
:1 to his mother’s brothers
Just like today, sometimes life in the “average” family can get messy.
Abimelech has two sides to his family – his father Gideon’s side, and his
mom’s side.
Illustration
A little girl asked her father, “How did the human race come about?” The
father answered, “God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so all
mankind was made.” Two days later she asks her mother the same question. The
mother answered, “Many years ago there were monkeys, and we developed from
them.” The confused girl returns to her father and says: “Dad, how is it
possible that you told me that the human race was created by God and Mom says
we developed from monkeys?” The Father answers, “That’s simple, honey. I told
you about the origin of my side of the family, and your mother told you about
her side.”
Abimelech is going to make an appeal to his mother’s side of the family,
the people of Shechem.
Note: It’s possible that Abimelech’s Shechemite mother was a Canaanite, not an Israelite.
:3 And his mother’s
brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of
Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He
is our brother.”
So the people of Shechem like the idea of having one of their residents
ruling over the nation.
:3 all the men of Shechem
Even though Gideon had refused to be called a “king”, these people are
looking at Gideon’s death as a leadership vacuum, and they figure that Gideon’s
sons will now “rule”.
Abimelech has made his campaign speech to the Shechem side of his family,
and they in turn hold a rally with the rest of the men of Shechem and they all
agree that it would be good for them if Abimelech was the son to take over the
leadership of the nation.
:4 So they gave him
seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith,
with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him.
:4 from the temple of Baal-Berith
Baal-Berith – “Lord of the Covenant”.
It’s kind of ironic that Gideon was known as “Jerubbaal”, the one who
contends with Baal, and yet here one of his sons is getting money from a temple
of Baal.
This money is used to hire a goon squad. They are going to be paid one
shekel for each of Gideon’s sons that they will kill.
:5 Then he went to his
father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the
seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of
Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself.
:5 killed his brothers
Abimelech eliminates all his competition. Not exactly a “fair election”.
Only one of Gideon’s sons survives.
Lesson
How to become a leader
There were others in history got their position in this manner.
Athaliah, one of the queens of the nation of Judah, killed all her children
so she could rule the nation.
The saying about Herod the Great was that it was safer to be a pig in
Herod’s household than it was to be his wife or son – because he had them killed
out of fear of betrayal.
One of David’s sons, Absalom, tried to gain power through a different kind
of manipulation
(2
Samuel 15:5 NKJV) And so it was, whenever anyone came near to bow down to him,
that he would put out his hand and take him and kiss him.
Absalom “kissed” his way into people’s hearts while at the
same time bad mouthing his father David to the people.
Absalom ended up leading a revolt, even trying to kill his
father, but he was unsuccessful.
Godly leaders are to be different:
(1 Pe 5:1–4 NKJV)
—1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and
a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that
will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers,
not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being
lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the
Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade
away.
Jesus showed us another way.
(Mark 10:42–45
NKJV) —42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know
that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall
not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be
your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be
first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come
to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Let me just give a warning here –
The way you become a leader will have an effect on how you finish as a
leader.
You can take the shortcut like Abimelech and just walk all over people, but
you’re going to have much more difficulty than if you do things Jesus’ way.
Jesus said a key component to promotion is faithfulness
(Lk 16:10–12 NKJV) —10 He who is
faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust
in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been
faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
12 And if you
have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your
own?
A faithful servant is the best leader.
:6 And all the men of
Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and
they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was
in Shechem.
:6 Beth Millo – “house of the fortress”
This was the name for a section of the city of Shechem which seems to have had
a tower located there.
:6 made Abimelech king
In a way, Abimelech becomes the first “king” in Israel. But we don’t
consider him the “first king” because this was Abimelech’s doing, not God’s.
Saul will be the first king that God will choose.
This is a king financed by Baal worship.
9:7-21 The Tree Parable
:7 Now when they told
Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and
cried out. And he said to them: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may
listen to you!
:7 Mount Gerizim
This is one of the hills overlooking the city. The city is in a natural
shaped amphitheater.
Here’s a view of the city of Shechem from Mount Gerizim.
The first hill opposite us is Mount Ebal.
Shechem is down in the valley between the hills.
The hill opposite us in the middle is “Moreh”
(remember that)
Jotham is going to tell a story about trees. He’s going to use the trees
that the people are familiar with in the land of Israel.
:8 “The trees once went
forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over
us!’
We think of olive trees for producing olives. Ancient cultures looked at
olive trees as a source for oil to burn in their lamps.
:9 But the olive tree
said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, With which they honor God and men,
And go to sway over trees?’
:10 “Then the trees said
to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us!’
:11 But the fig tree said
to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, And go to sway over
trees?’
:12 “Then the trees said
to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us!’
:13 But the vine said to
them, ‘Should I cease my new wine, Which cheers both God and men, And go
to sway over trees?’
:14 “Then all the trees
said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us!’
:14 all the trees said to the bramble
The trees finally ask a bramble or thorn bush to rule over them.
Some types of brambles produce berries, though not all edible, and some are
“purgatives” (produce diarrhea). Mostly, they’ve got thorns.
The idea of the parable is that the trees start with the best tree and
offer to make it a king. When the olive tree refuses, they go down a notch to
the next tree. This continues until the only one who will accept being king is
the most worthless of plants, the bramble. All a bramble is good for is for
starting a fire.
The lesson is that the most qualified leaders were too busy to govern, so
the people of Shechem have chosen the most worthless person imaginable to be
their king.
:15 And the bramble said
to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me as king over you, Then come and
take shelter in my shade; But if not, let fire come out of the bramble And
devour the cedars of Lebanon!’
:15 take shelter in my shade
The irony is that the other trees and plants are all taller than a bramble.
:15 let fire come out of the bramble
The bramble is threatening the other “trees” to either follow him or he
will burn them to the ground.
Remember this. This is a prophecy
we’ll see come true in a minute…
: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—
:17 for my father fought
for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;
:18 but 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—
:19 if 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.
:20 But 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!”
:21 And Jotham ran away
and fled; and he went to Beer and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his
brother.
:20 let fire come from Abimelech
Just as in the parable, Jotham is warning that Abimelech and the people of
Shechem will end up destroying each other.
Remember this…
:21 Beer – “well”.
Not sure where this was.
9:22-49 Abimelech v. Shechem
:22 After Abimelech had
reigned over Israel three years,
:23 God sent a spirit of
ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt
treacherously with Abimelech,
:24 that the crime done
to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on
Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided
him in the killing of his brothers.
God lets things go for three years.
And then God allows things to get stirred up between Abimelech and the
people of Shechem.
:25 And the men of
Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they
robbed all who passed by them along that way; and it was told Abimelech.
The men of Shechem were disrupting the trade routes in Israel.
:26 Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with
his brothers and went over to Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their
confidence in him.
:26 Gaal – “loathing”
While Abimelech may have been ˝ Canaanite, Gaal
is a full Canaanite.
He’s more “home” boy, than Abimelech.
And he has a lot of “gall”.
:27 So they went out into
the fields, and gathered grapes from their vineyards and trod them,
and made merry. And they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank,
and cursed Abimelech.
:27 gathered grapes
That puts this event in the summer.
And it makes them all drunk.
The grape harvest takes place in the summer (June-July).
The Shechemites were holding a pagan festival to
their god.
A conspiracy is forming. A drunken conspiracy.
:28 Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is
Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he
not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his
officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of
Shechem; but why should we serve him?
:28 Zebul (“exalted”) – This is the
current “mayor” of Shechem, a guy who was loyal to Abimelech.
:28 Serve the men of Hamor
Remember “Hamor”? This was the original founder
of Shechem, who named the city after his son, back in the days of Jacob. (Gen. 33:19)
Gaal is encouraging the people to get back to
their Canaanite roots.
:29 If only this people
were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” So he said to
Abimelech, “Increase your army and come out!”
:30 When Zebul, the ruler of the city, heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger
was aroused.
:31 And he sent
messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Take note! Gaal
the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to
Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you.
:32 Now therefore, get up
by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the
field.
:33 And it shall be, as
soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush
upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out
against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity.”
:31 he sent messengers
Zebul informs Abimelech about the plot by Gaal and even tells Abimelech what to do about it. He is
supposed to surround the city and attack in the morning.
:34 So Abimelech and all
the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait against
Shechem in four companies.
:35 When Gaal the son of Ebed went out and
stood in the entrance to the city gate, Abimelech and the people who were
with him rose from lying in wait.
:36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul,
“Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” But Zebul said to him, “You see the shadows of the mountains as
if they were men.”
Zebul is just trying to delay Gaal
and give Abimelech time to attack.
:37 So Gaal spoke again and said, “See, people are coming down
from the center of the land, and another company is coming from the Diviners’
Terebinth Tree.”
:37 from the Diviners’ Terebinth Tree
When Abraham came through Shechem, he made a stop at the “terebinth tree of
Moreh” (Gen. 12:6)
Moreh was that hill on the east side of Shechem
(different than the “hill of Moreh” the Midianites
were camped at (Judg. 7:1)
(Genesis
12:6 NKJV) Abram passed through the land to the place of
Shechem, as far as the terebinth tree of Moreh. And
the Canaanites were then in the land.
“Moreh” = “teacher”
:38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where indeed is your mouth now,
with which you said, ‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are
not these the people whom you despised? Go out, if you will, and fight with
them now.”
Talk is cheap. It was easy for Gaal to boast
against Abimelech, but now he’s face to face with Abimelech’s army.
:39 So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with
Abimelech.
:40 And Abimelech chased
him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance
of the gate.
:41 Then Abimelech dwelt
at Arumah, and Zebul drove
out Gaal and his brothers, so that they would not
dwell in Shechem.
:41 Zebul drove out Gaal
Zebul blocks the gates while Abimelech chases the
enemy north.
Apparently Abimelech chased enemy troops four miles to the north (Arumah)
Zebul was able to gather those faithful to
Abimelech and keep Gaal from entering back into the city.
:42 And it came about on
the next day that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.
The people are going out to harvest their vineyards again.
:43 So he took his
people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. And he
looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against
them and attacked them.
Abimelech is waiting for the grape pickers. He wants revenge on the Shechemites.
:44 Then Abimelech and
the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance
of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who
were in the fields and killed them.
:45 So Abimelech fought
against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were
in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
:45 sowed it with salt
This makes the land worthless, you won’t be able to grow anything again.
Archeology has confirmed this 12th-century (BC) destruction of Shechem.
It remained a ruin till rebuilt by Jeroboam I as his capital (1 Kings 12:25).
We now get a little more detail about the destruction of the city …
:46 Now when all the men
of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of
the temple of the god Berith.
:47 And it was told
Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.
:47 the tower of Shechem
This is probably the tower of “Beth Millo” of vs.
6.
:48 Then Abimelech went
up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were
with him. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the
trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the
people who were with him, “What you have seen me do, make haste and do
as I have done.”
:48 Zalmon – Tsalmown – shady
Not sure where Zalmon is, but Abimelech gets the
people to cut down branches.
:49 So each of the people
likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against
the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the
people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women.
:49 set the stronghold on fire
Remember Jotham’s prophecy?
(Judges 9:20 NKJV) But if not, let fire come from Abimelech and devour the men of
Shechem and Beth Millo…
1,000 people die in the fire.
Lesson
Leaders we deserve
Remember that the whole reason Abimelech became “king” over the nation was
because of the help he got from Shechem in killing all of Gideon’s sons.
Someone once said, “We get the leaders we deserve”.
The people of Shechem were bad people. Abimelech was a bad guy. They were
right for each other.
(Proverbs
14:34 NKJV) Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is
a reproach to any people.
It’s kind of scary when you think of the spiritual condition of the United
States.
Don’t blame the political parties, we’ve got the leaders
we deserve.
We need to once again be a nation that follows the Lord.
9:50-57 Abimelech’s Death
:50 Then Abimelech went
to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it.
:50 Thebez – “conspicuous”
Thebez is about ten miles away.
Abimelech tries to expand his “kingdom” by taking another city.
:51 But there was a
strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the
city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the
tower.
:52 So Abimelech came as
far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower
to burn it with fire.
No problem. Abimelech knows what to
do with towers.
:53 But a certain woman
dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
:53 upper millstone – the top stone of a hand mill. This would weigh
a few pounds.
:54 Then he called
quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword
and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his young man
thrust him through, and he died.
:54 ‘A woman killed him.’
He couldn’t stand the thought of his official biography ending with being
killed by a woman.
Yet this is how we know he died – by a woman.
Lesson
Live in the truth
Abimelech was a guy who lived for appearances. He wanted to “look good”
even in death.
Jesus said,
(Luke 12:2 NKJV) For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden
that will not be known.
We try to keep things secret, but secret things seem to always find a way
of leaking out.
Illustration
An elderly couple were attending church services. About
halfway through, the wife wrote a note and handed it to her husband. The note
said, “I just let out a silent fart. What do you think I should do?” He
scribbles back, “Put a new battery in your hearing aid.”
Real growth comes in our lives when we learn to embrace “truth”
(Ephesians
4:15 NKJV) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in
all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
The truth is sometimes embarrassing. The truth sometimes hurt.
But you can’t grow until you learn to face the truth.
:55 And when the men of
Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.
:56 Thus God repaid the
wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy
brothers.
:57 And all the evil of
the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse
of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
:57 God returned on their own heads
We haven’t see much in the last couple of chapter about people asking God
for help.
But that doesn’t mean God hasn’t been at work.
You reap what you sow. (Gal. 6:7-8)
(Ga 6:7–8 NKJV) —7 Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who
sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the
Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.