READ JUDGES 9
GO DEEPER
One of the most horrifying and violent stories in the book of Judges is found in Judges 9—and that says something. The judge we've been with for several chapters, Gideon's son Abimelek, observes the power vacuum created by his father's passing. Abimelek visits his mother's household in Shechem to make his case, keeping in mind this leadership gap. Why his mother's house? This scenario is odd. His mother was a concubine rather than one of Gideon's wives, and his father served as the judge of Israel. Why would Abimelek visit her home, then?
Going back to Judges 8, we can observe Gideon's reaction when the people attempted to elevate him above the position of judge to that of king of Israel. " And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you." (Judges 8:23).
Abimelek might have been aware that the other half-brothers, who were Gideon's offspring, were adhering to their father's teachings. He may have chosen to target those he could control, such as his mother's relatives, who were less accustomed to Gideon's speech. That could also be the reason Abimelek murdered sixty-nine of his seventy-nine half-brothers, with Jotham being the only one not killed since he fled from Abimelek.
It is necessary to ask: What does God think of this abusive, deceptive power grab? God is expressly referenced twice in Judges 9, but neither time does God express sympathy for Abimelek. In order to get support, God first "stirred up animosity" between Abimelek and Shechemm. The chapter's conclusion then states that "God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: . . " (Judges 9:56,57).
God's disapproval is evident in both His silence and His condemnation of Abimelek and Shechem's behavior. Specifically, Abimelek did not receive a call from God to guide Israel back to Him, in contrast to the real judges. Power grabs that oppress the defenseless are not acceptable to God. Additionally, as we learn in Judges 5, He calls us to participate in His work in the world by identifying wickedness, speaking out against it, and acting upon it, just as Jotham did here.
Prayer
What relevance does this have to our modern lives? What instances of power abuse—perhaps not on this scale, but in a similar spirit—have you witnessed in your life?
2. In those cases, how did you react?
3. What can you and your community do moving forward to support God in this global endeavor?