A. INTRODUCTION
1. Bible historians tell us that the first king of Israel was S __ __ __, of the tribe of Benjamin, who was crowned by the last judge of Israel, S __ __ __ __ __. While it is true that Saul was the first crowned king of all Israel, he was not the first king crowned in Israel. That honour belongs to A __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, who had himself declared king in the city of Shechem some 200 years before the reign of Saul.
2. Abimelech was one of the _____ (!) sons of Gideon, the only one born of Gideon's c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. His story is told in the ninth chapter of the book of Judges.
a. His was the story of a "second class son" and a "b __ __ s __ __ __;" the story of a man who murdered all but one of this half-brothers!
b. His story is laced with p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ intrigue, duplicity and revenge.
c. His story includes several memorable battle scenes -- including the complete destruction of a significant Canaanite city -- and ends with a less-than-glorious death at the hands of an unnamed w __ __ __ __ .
d. His story also features the first p __ __ __ __ __ __ in the Bible.
3. But the story of Abimelech as recorded in Judges 9 also reveals to us what can happen when a legitimate n __ __ __ is met by a legitimate p __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ambition but is accessed
through illegitimate m __ __ __ __ and addressed with illegitimate m __ __ __ __ __ __.
a. "We need to remind ourselves at this point of the basic lesson of Judges 9. If God is not King, a usurper will arise in His place. If God had been kept in His place as King, Abimelech would never have been successful. But when there is a spiritual vacuum, Satan will rush in to fill it." - Gary Inrig: Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay
b. Galatians 5:16 [ TLB ]
I advise you to obey the Holy Spirit's instructions. He will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won't always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to.
B. TEXT
1. Judges 8:29-35 contains the brief record of the life of Gideon after his great victory over the Midianites. His two great failures:
a. a life of personal I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(1) He assembled a virtual h __ __ __ __ of wives who bore him _____ sons (and, no doubt, a large number of daughters, too) and at least one c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
(2) A popular misconception about concubines is that they were nothing more than "kept" women or extra-marital "girlfriends." Concubines were actually "second class" wives, either slaves or servants or Gentiles maidens of conquered peoples. They enjoyed legal status in Israel, but were clearly distinguished from wives and could be more easily divorced. Very often a concubine lived under the same roof with her man and his wife ( or wives ), but always came under the authority of the "veiled" wife. Sometimes, as was the case with the mother of Abimelech, the concubine lived elsewhere, maintaining a "second home" for the man to whom she belonged. Perhaps the most famous of the biblical concubines was H __ __ __ __, mother of Ishmael.
The practice of concubinage was fairly widespread in the ancient Mesopotamian world, but always created tension in families. By the time of the divided kingdom, prophets of God encouraged monogamy, which had become the accepted societal norm by the time of Christ.
ref: Exodus 21:7-11
Deuteronomy 21:10-14
Genesis 16:1 - 17:27; 21:1-21
b. a l __ __ __ __ __ of spiritual insignificance.
(1) Like the judges before him, Gideon's influence in Israel did not outlive him.
(2) The establishment of a hybrid Baal - Jahweh religion ( Baal-Berith is translated literally as "Baal of the Covenant" ) most likely occurred over a period of time during the life of Gideon.
(3) There is no evidence in the record of Abimelech of his possessing even a remote aware- ness of the One True God of Israel.
2. Judges 9:1-6 contains the record of Abimelech's rise to power.
a. He established a support base among his own family in the city of Shechem.
b. His "campaign" was financed through money taken from the Baal-Berith temple there. He used it to hire an army of "w __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ men" who assisted him in the systematic slaughter of all but one of his half-brothers ( v.5). That they were slain "on one stone" may indicate that they were sacrificed to Baal-Berith.
c. His opposition thus eliminated, Abimelech is made "king" in Shechem.
(1) It is highly unlikely that his authority was recognized anywhere outside the general region of Ephraim and Manasseh.
(2) "Abimelech's 'coronation' was a farce, an empty ritual that was never accepted or blessed by the Lord. The new 'king' not only blasphemed God by the promises he made, but he defiled a place sacred in Jewish history. The coronation took place at the 'great tree at the pillar in Shechem' ( Judges 9:6 ). This is probably the 'oak at Moreh,' where the Lord appeared to Abraham and promised to give him and his descendants the land ( Genesis 12:6 ). It was near this site that the nation of Israel heard the blessings and curses read from the Law and promised to obey the Lord (Deuteronomy 11:26-32; Joshua 8:30-35 ). Jacob buried the idols here as he called his family back to God ( Genesis 35:1-5 ), and here Joshua gave his last speech and led the people in reaffirming their obedience to the Lord ( Joshua 24:25-26 ). All of this sacred history was degraded and dishonoured by the selfish acts of one godless man." - Warren W. Wiersbe: Be Available
3. Abimelech's coronation ceremony was interrupted by the loud cries of someone shouting from Mount Gerizim, which overlooked the city of Shechem. It was J __ __ __ __ __, Gideon's youngest son, the only one who escaped the fate suffered by his brothers and half-brothers.
a. Mount Gerizim was the famous "Mount of B __ __ __ __ __ __ __" (Deuteronomy 27:12 ).
b. As you may remember from our study of the book of Joshua, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal form a remarkable natural amphitheater, so Jotham's shouts could be heard from his mountainside platform.
c. In v.7-15 is recorded the "Parable of the T __ __ __ __."
(1) It is a fable about four plants which were offered the honour of being crowned "king" of all the trees.
- The o __ __ __ __ tree declined the honour in order to keep producing its vital o __ __, "by which both gods and men are honoured."
- The f __ __ tree also declined, since it meant that it could no longer produce its fruit, "so good and sweet."
- The g __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ refused, preferring to continue producing w __ __ __, "which cheers both gods and men."
- The t __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __, which produces nothing of benefit and was used only as kindling for fires, was more than happy to receive the honour, agreeing to be elevated to the status of "king of the trees" with a veiled threat, recorded in v.15:
And the thorn bush replied, "If you really want me, come and humble yourselves beneath my shade! If you refuse, let fire flame forth from me and burn down the great cedars of Lebanon!" [ TLB ]
(2) Jotham explains the fable in v.16-20, presenting to the men of Shechem each of the two possible outcomes of their actions regarding Abimelech, then flees for his life. One could read into this parable that the rise of Abimelech ( "My Father is the King" ) actually represented his ultimate triumph in a power struggle among the sons of Gideon.
- "In Jotham's parable the trees represented Gideon's 70 sons, and the thornbush represented Abimelech. Jotham's point was this: a productive person would be too busy doing good to want to bother with power politics. A worthless person, on the other hand, would be glad to accept the honour -- but he would destroy the people he ruled." - Study Notes on Judges 9:7-15: The Life Application Bible
- "[Jotham's parable] encapsulates beautifully the widespread human judgment that those who seem the best potential leaders are already happy doing what they do well, while those who take the job are without the best qualifications. Olive, fig and vine delight gods and men alike. Their noble credentials are beyond question. Only on their refusal of sway over the other trees would one think of approaching the bramble!" - A. Graeme Auld: Joshua, Judges and Ruth
- "Jotham....strongly appeals to his hearers' consciences (9:16). He also reminds them of past favours (9:17), rebukes them for their heartless ingratitude (9:18), and emphasizes the result of their rebellion (9:20).
Jotham drew a deliberate contrast between Abimelech and his father. He described the worthlessness of Abimelech, whom the men of Shechem had willingly appointed as their king. He also tacitly hinted at their rejection of Jahweh as the One who should rule over them. Jotham also charged the people with their shameful treatment of the family of his father, who had earned their devotion and respect. Then, instead of looking to the Lord for a leader like Gideon, they had chosen the son of his slave-concubine and for the sake of personal gain had acknowledged him as 'their brother.'" - Cyril J. Barber: Judges
4. V.22-49 contain the account of an uprising against Abimelech three years after his rule began.
a. V.23 contains the troubling phrase: ...God sent an e __ __ __ s __ __ __ __ __ between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem..."
(1) Was the "evil spirit" just "an attitude of s __ __ __ __?"
(2) Was it actually a d __ __ __ __ sent personally by God?
(3) Either way, God Himself was at the source of the conflict which arose between the people of Shechem and their new "king" (v.24).
ref: 1 Samuel 16:14-16
1 Kings 22:1-40 (re: a "lying spirit")
Isaiah 45:5-7
Amos 3:3-6
b. The chief personalities, besides Abimelech, in this episode are Z __ __ __ __, who had been appointed governor of Shechem ( Abimelech had apparently moved out to the city of Arumah ) and G __ __ __, an outsider who gathered a popular following among the leading families in Shechem. With the help of Zebul, Abimelech handily defeated an army of Shechemite citizens led by Gaal, then destroyed the entire city in retribution. It might be interesting to note that Abimelech employed the same military strategy as had his father, Gideon (v.34, 42-43).
c. The "tower of Shechem" to which many fled before the onslaught of Abimelech's army was in all probability located apart from the city itself. It became the funeral pyre for more than 1,000 men and women (v.46-49).
5. Abimelech pressed his retaliatory raids to the town of Thebez, which he first besieged, then captured. Once again, the citizenry fled to the relative sanctuary of the local temple ( the "s __ __ __ __ __ tower" of v.51) and, once again, Abimelech prepared to set it afire. This time, as he approached the entrance with the torch, an "upper m __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __" was dropped on his head by a woman on the roof. Mortally wounded, Abimelech ordered his armour-bearer to finish him off, and he was summarily dispatched. The story of his death became a point of reference for King David ( 2 Samuel 11:6-21 ).
a. "Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small." - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (quoted by Warren Wiersbe): Retribution
b. The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin. (Proverb 21:12, NIV )
c. "The final two verses of chapter 9 summarize God's intervention in the downfall of Abimelech and Shechem. Both parties were guilty of murder and ultimately had to pay for their crimes. Jotham's curse was fulfilled in a remarkably literal way. The fire that destroyed the tower of Shechem may have been partially fed by thornbushes, the very designation used for Abimelech in the fable. Verse 48 states that Abimelech had put the wood for the fire on his "shoulder," which is "Shechem" in Hebrew. Thus the name of the city held prophetic import for its own destruction." - Herbert Wolf: Judges, in Volume 3 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary
6. Judges 10:1-5 closes out the fourth epoch of the Period of the Judges in the history of Israel.
a. T __ __ __, of the tribe of I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ judged Israel for _____ years.
b. J __ __ __ of Gilead judged Israel for _____ years. The added note about his 30 sons and their 30 donkeys and those 30 towns indicate that he had personal wealth and that his family probably enjoyed a "royal" status and exercised considerable influence.
C. APPLICATION
1. From Jotham's Parable of the Trees we learn important lessons about the priorities in the life of those who serve God and seek to please Him.
a. We must avoid the lust for p __ __ __ __.
(1) 1 John 2:15-17 [ TLB ]
Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love these things you show that you do not really love God; for all these worldly things, these evil desires -- the craze for sex, the ambition to buy everything that appeals to you, and the pride that comes from wealth and importance -- these are not from God. They are from this evil world itself.
(2) James 1:12-16 [ TLB ]
Happy is the man who doesn't give in and do wrong when he is tempted, for afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life that God has promised those who love Him. And remember, when someone wants to do wrong it is never God who is tempting him, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. Temptation is the pull of man's own evil thoughts and wishes. These evil thoughts lead to evil actions and afterwards to the death penalty from God. So don't be misled, dear brothers.
(3) Galatians 6:7-8 [ NIV ]
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
b. We must understand God's p __ __ __ and p __ __ __ __ __ __ for our lives. We each have a function ordained by God.
(1) We each of us must pursue that function in accordance to God's guidance, which is provided in His Word.
(2) He has given each of us the Spiritual g __ __ __ __ necessary to accomplish what He called us to do. When we use them in pursuit of our ordained functions, two wonderful things happen:
- we are b __ __ __ __ __ __;
- God is g __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
2. We can also learn much from the story of the rise and fall of Abimelech.
a. There is a need for spiritual l __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ in virtually every area of our lives:
(1) g __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(2) c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(3) s __ __ __ __ __ __;
(4) b __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(5) f __ __ __ __ __ __ __; and
(6) local c __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
b. God has established principles of spiritual leadership in each of these realms. Those principles, again, are contained in His Word. Some are specific; others are general.
c. When God's principles are blatantly disobeyed, or only partially obeyed, or completely ignored, a "leadership v __ __ __ __ __" will result.
d. Eventually, a less-than-godly usurper will make himself, or herself, or itself available to fill the vacuum, and the result will be chaotic, painful, and destructive. It doesn't matter whether this usurper is evil, incompetent, or ill-equipped; the result will be the same.
3. Does God want me to fill every leadership vacuum I come across in my life? No!
a. If I am not equipped to do it, I could perhaps worsen the situation, in spite of my best intentions. My role in such cases may be that of a p __ __ __ __ __ warrior, behind-the-scenes organizer, or will "gopher." Perhaps God can use me to assist the one who clearly is God's person for the job. At any rate, I must avoid the two most common errors in these instances:
(1) foolish I __ __ __ __ __ __; and
(2) hand - w __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
b. If I am the one God has equipped to do the job, I must do it! The leading causes of those vacuums in spiritual leadership are d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ and a __ __ __ __ __. I must, of course, take care to exercise leadership solely in the strength of the H __ __ __ S __ __ __ __ __. If the vacuum is truly spiritual in nature, it cannot be filled in the strength of my flesh.
c. If I am caught in the "in-between" (as is so often the case), where I know a vacuum exists, and I know I am not the obvious choice to fill it, but no one else around me is, either, then I may be called upon by God to be His v __ __ __ __ __ through which His will is done. What is required of me then is:
(1) h __ __ __ __ __ __ __;
(2) t __ __ __ __ in the g __ __ __ __ of God; and -- first of all --
(3) to be a __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.
ref: 2 Corinthians 3:1-5
Ephesians 6:10-18
2 Corinthians 4:7
2 Timothy 2:20-21 [ NIV ]
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. Based on what we have studied in Judges 9, list five one-word positive character traits of Abimelech:
2. Now list at least three of his fatal flaws.
3. Most of us would agree that there exists a "spiritual vacuum" in our nation's leadership. List three things that Christians can do to address this vacuum.
4. Is it possible that this vacuum in spiritual leadership in government is part of God's will for our
country? Read Isaiah 45:5-7. Take one of the following positions in a brief summary of insights.
a. Our country seems clearly to be in spiritual decline. If this is God's will, how can I change it? More to the point, why should I even try to change it? Wouldn't that be working against the will of God? I think Christians should live their lives in obedience to God, and live in complete separation from the evil world system.
b. Sure, our system does seem corrupt and seems to always come down on the anti-Christian side of all issues. But we reap what we sow, right? If we elect godly men and women to office, and if our nation has another Great Awakening, there's no reason why God wouldn't stop our moral free-fall and heal our land.
5. List five areas in your family where your children would benefit from witnessing the exercise of godly leadership. If this question does not apply to you, then list five areas where you believe children would benefit from observing the exercise of godly leadership in the home.
6. Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 and Ephesians 6:10-18. Describe some likely results if I attack spiritual problems with "weapons of the flesh?"
7. List some of the "usurpers" in our lives which often come forward to fill the areas of spiritual vacuum in our lives.
8. Why is it so hard to wrest control back from them once they establish themselves in our lives?
9. Read Galatians 5:16-25.
a. Describe what it is to "walk in the Spirit."
b. What does v.18 mean?
10. Read Romans 7:15-25. Some scholars insist that Paul in this passage is talking about himself before he became a Christian. Others say that Paul here writes about a person who is at best a "carnal" Christian. Could Paul be talking about a "growing" Christian? Why, or why not?
