INTERESTING FACTS : "THE BIBLE IS WORTH ALL OTHER BOOKS WHICH HAVE EVER BEEN PRINTED." -- PATRICK HENRY

 

DAILY READING : JUDGES 8 - 9

 

TEXT : Jdg 9:1  And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, Jdg 9:2  Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. Jdg 9:3  And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.

 

THEME : SOWING AND REAPING

 

After the death of Gideon, there is a void in power. Once again, God has raised up a deliverer in Israel's time of need, and once again, as soon as the Judge is dead, the people go astray. However, in this particular event, it is one of Gideon's sons that usurps God's place in Israel through his ambition for power.

 

Gideon made it clear that neither he nor any of his sons would rule over Israel when they asked him to be their king.

 

"Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you. [Jdg 8:22 - 23]

 

There can be no doubt about Gideon's statement. It is clear and unambiguous. His words could not be misunderstood. The Lord is to be their King, not he or any of his sons.

 

Still, Abimelech seizes power through subtlety and deceit. Under the pretense that perhaps all seventy of Gideon's sons would rule over the people, Abimelech convinces the men of Shechem, a notable, important city of the tribe of Ephraim that he is the best choice. Then, he systematically murders all his brothers so there is no contesting his authority. The only son of Gideon to escape is Jotham, who later utters a prophecy through a parable against Abimelech and the men of Shechem. Matthew Henry offers some thoughts on Abimelechs's rise to power.

 

"We are here told by what arts Abimelech got into authority, and made himself great. His mother perhaps had instilled into his mind some towering ambitious thoughts, and the name his father gave him, carrying royalty in it, might help to blow up these sparks; and now that he has buried his father nothing will serve his proud spirit but he will succeed him in the government of Israel, directly contrary to his father's will, for he had declared no son of his should rule over them. He had no call from God to this honour as his father had, nor was there any present occasion for a judge to deliver Israel as there was when his father was advanced; but his own ambition must be gratified, and its gratification is all he aims at."

 

Jotham's prophecy was told in the form of a parable and shouted from a place on Mount Gerizim. This is the same mount the Levites uttered the blessings of the Law. His prophecy/parable is one of destruction on both Abimelech and the men of Shechem for the murder of Gideon's sons as well as their rejection of God and His Law.

 

There is pe rhaps no Law of God more observable, then the law of sowing and reaping. We see this all through the Scriptures as well as in life. The Scriptures declare -

 

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. [Gal 6:7 - 9]

 

Here the Christian is exhorted to sow to God's Spirit and Word with the knowledge we will reap in time. Still, we also learn that those who sow to their bad and sinful nature will reap from that as well - except they will reap ruin and decay. That is, they will reap destruction of their life ["corruption"].  The difference between the two types of sowing is as plain as light and dark, night and day, heat and cold, good and evil. No one can misunderstan d it.

 

Therefore, when Abimelech embarks on the course of subterfuge, he is bound to reap the same, which in time, he does. God sends an evil spirit between Abimelech and his companions that brought him to power the men of Shechem.

 

"Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren." [Jdg 9:23 - 24]

 

In the course of time, both the men of Shechem suffer loss of life, as does Abimelech. However, in Abimelechs's case, he is gravely injured by a woman - a gross embarrassment for a warrior. Finally , his armourbearer kills him with the sword. The evil Abimelech had sown, he reaped. No one escapes this Law of God any more than they can avoid His other Laws. God's Laws are as unchangeable as He is.

 

TRUTH FOR TODAY : THOSE WHO WANT POWER ARE THE WORSE CHOICE TO BE IN POWER!

 

Lord Acton, in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887 wrote - "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."[1] Perhaps the latter part of his declaration is overstated, but one must agree with the former part. Men who lust for power, as a rule, are the worse choice for such power. In truth, almost all of the kings who eventually ruled the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were corrupt and evil. There are exceptions such as Joash, Jehoshaphat, etc. Yet, the majority of them were not men who "sowed to the Spirit." Rather, they sowed to the flesh, and reaped destruction for them and the people they ruled. Once again, the law of sowing and reaping are inviolable. It is inevitable that what is sown in the ground of life will spring up in the course of time - whether good or bad.

 

Often, people are deceived by their own leaders, who in turn are a judgment on the ungodliness of the peopl e. There is a reciprocal relationship between government and those who are governed. Still, a leader has the greatest responsibility and culpability when they err and cause those that follow them to do the same.

 

"...and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail. For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. [Isa 9: 15 - 16]

 

This is why we are exhorted to pray for those who are in power and have authority.

 

"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour." [1 Tim 2: 1 - 3]

 

Again, there is a direct relation between government and the governed.

 

As Christians, we must make sure Christ is our King. If so, we will not fear what man can do unto us. However, if Christ is not and we look to Man for our ultimate source of aid, comfort, support, promotion, etc., then we bring a curse similar to Jotham's on our own head, even as the Scriptures say.

 

"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out he r roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. [Jer 17:5 - 10]

 

The men of Shechem received what they had sown. Abimelech reaped what he had sown. Let us therefore beware of what we sow, for we will certainly reap!