Judges 9

Intoduction: (Review of Chapter 8)

In chapter 8 we are told the following:
Gideon pacified the complaining Ephraimites.
He pursued the Midianites until he took their two kings whom he slew
later.
On his return, he chastised the men of Succoth and Penuel.
He was offered kingship of Israel which he did not accept.
He requested of the Israelites the golden earrings which they had taken
from the Midianites and made it into an ephod which became a snare to
his household and his people.
The people were in peace for forty years during his lifetime.
He had a numerous lifestyle issue and died in a good old age.
After his death the Israelites fell into idolatry, and were ungrateful to his
family.
A. Abimelechs rise to power (v.1-6).
v.1-3: Abimelech forces his brothers to submit to him.
1 Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mothers
brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his
mothers 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. 3 And his mothers 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.
Sons of Jerubbaal (v.2): Abimelech refers to his father not as Gideon but
as Jerubbaal. Why? (Ans. Because he is trying to insinuate that the
seventy sons of Gideon are like their father who fought against their god,
Baal.)
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 (v.2): Here he is suggesting that the people of Shechem
must choose between him and the seventy sons of Jerubbaal and subtly
presents four arguments:
1. Centralized rule by one man is preferable to decentralized rule by
seventy men. The true Godly system is one God, but many diversified
human rulers. The pagan system is one statist rule, but as many idols
and gods as you wish.
2. Jerubbaals seventy sons will become rulers. There is no hard
evidence that they had such aspirations, but Abimelech suggests they
do.
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3. Shechemites are worshipers of Baal-Berith and a family of Baal

Fighters should not be ruling over them.
4. He, on the other hand, is from their hometown. He is in fact related to
them by blood. Hence, he understand and can sympathize with their
situation. He is a worshipper of Baal-Berith just as they are. And from
what we can see in verse 3, it was this last argument that was most
effective.
v.4-5: Abimelech repays the trust of his brothers with a massacre.
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. Then he went to his fathers 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.
What is the meaning of killing his brothers on one stone? (Ans. They
were all carefully slain on one stone indicates that they became human
sacrifices to Baal. Just as Gideon had reestablished the worship of the
Lord by sacrificing a bull to Him (Jud. 6:25-27), sacrifice to Baal is
likewise reestablished by the sacrifice of the seventy sons of Jerubbaal.)
Why did God allow Gideons seventy sons to be killed? (Ans. They died as
a result of their own sins, for Judges 8:27 says that Gideons ephod
became a snare to himself and his household. The seventy sons were
compromised, just as Gideon was. They had fallen into sin, along with
their father. And also because of their fathers sin, for had Gideon lived
faithfully with one wife there would have been no Abimelech, and no
tendency toward kingship if Gideon had effectively cut it off. Thus, the
deaths of the seventy sons were part of God's judgment against Israel.)
v.6: The men of Shechem make Abimelech their king.
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.
According to Joshua 24:1, 24-26, this pillar was a monument erected by
Joshua as a memorial stone to remind the people of their covenant with
the Lord. It was to remind them that the Lord was their King. Now, in a
great act of perversion, the Lord is totally rejected at this very spot, and
a murderous human king is enthroned. Also, the Tabernacle of the Lord
had been formerly pitched next to this oak tree and pillar (Josh. 24:26).
But now this site is the location of the house of Baal-Berith.

B. Jothams warning(v.7-21).
v.7-21:The parable of the trees.
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! 8 The trees once went forth to
anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign over us! 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! 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!
Listen to me, you men of Shechem, That God may listen to you! (v.7):
What does he mean by that? (Ans. Jotham claims that their hearing and
response to his story will determine Gods response to them. That is, if
they hope to obtain God's favour, they should consider and give him a
patient and impartial hearing. On the same note, those who expect God
to hear their prayers must be willing to hear reason and faithful reproof.
For if we turn away our ear from hearing the law, our prayer will be an
abomination, Prov. 28:9.)
When the trees were looking for a king, the government was offered to
the olive tree, fig-tree, and the vine, but they refused it. Why? (Ans.
Because they prefer to serve rather than to rule, to do good than bear
influence to others. And here, we learn that wise and good men can see
the vain-glorious result of being on the top position; that they decline
such offer and choose to be useful rather than to be great.)
What can you say about this parable of Jotham in general? (Ans. It tells
us things about government. 1. Government requires a man a great deal
of work and sense of responsibility; he that is promoted over them must
take care of them and strive to be a perfect public servant. 2. That those
who were installed to places of public trust and power must forego all
their private interests and ambitions, and sacrifice them for the good of
the community. The fig-tree must lose all its sweetness, because being
promoted will make you being exhausted. 3. That those who were
honored and revered are in danger of losing their fatness and
fruitfulness. Promotion oftentimes make men proud and lazy, thereby
losing their usefulness. And that's probably the reason why those who
desire to do good are afraid of being too great.)
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v.16-21: Jotham applies the parable: The city of Shechem will pay for
choosing such a worthless man.
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 fathers 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.
Because he is your brother (v.18): This is the real reason why the men of
Shechem supported Abimelech, his mother, though only a female servant
to Gideon, was from Shechem. And Abimelech probably grew up in
Shechem (Jdg 8:31).
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! (v.20): What is the meaning of this? (Ans.
Jothams warning to the men of Shechem was that their wrong choice
will come back to hurt them. He predicted that they will soon be set on
fire and consumed by their king and the foolishness of their actions.
Since the men of Shechem have not acted in truth and sincerity with
Gideon, they have nothing to look forward to but reaping the reward of
their actions. Because a relationship based on ambition, ingratitude,
disloyalty and bloodshed could only have disastrous consequences for
both sides.)
C. Fulfillment of Jothams warning (v.22-57).
v.22-25: Abimelech's difficulty caused by God.
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. 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.

 God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem
(v.23): God did the same thing in 1 Samuel 11:6, when God sent a spirit
of jealousy upon Saul, and again in Isaiah 19:14, when God sent a spirit
of perverseness upon the people. God was able to do that because
demons, evil spirits, even Satan himself cannot function outside of Gods
permissive will (Job 1). But why would God use demons or Satan as His
tools? (Ans. In order to provide mankind an alternative. Man must have
an alternative in order for him to choose a relationship with God.
Because God said, I will give mankind a choice, he can either choose
Satan or he can walk with Me.)
When there is a spirit of ill will, or a spirit of jealousy, or a spirit of
perverseness moving in a person who attacks you, what must be your
reaction towards that person? (Ans. Your reaction must not be of
condemnation, but of compassion. Instead of looking at the person as
vicious, we must look at him as victim. Always trust God, seek Him, and
youll see why He has allowed this to be, for God actually uses the enemy
to accomplish His purpose. And take comfort, because nothing can
happen to us without the Lord allowing it.)
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
(v.25): After three years, hostility developed between the men who were
ruled by the bramble, and Abimelech himself. No longer loyal to
Abimelech, the men of Shechem decided to raid caravans passing
through their area. It ruined the image of His government for it cannot
guarantee safe travel in the immediate area of its control. It was a
strategy of destabilization and it could give financial blow to Abimelechs
kingdom.
v.26-41: Abimelech's difficulty caused by Gaal.
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.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. 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? 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
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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. 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. 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 Divinersa Terebinth Tree. 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. 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.
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. (v.26):
The men of Shechem lost their confidence in Abimelech, so they chose a
new leader named Gaal, the son of Ebed. They were so confident that
their new leader Gaal could protect them against Abimelech that they
started throwing drunken parties and openly cursing Abimelech.
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? (v.28): What do
you notice with those questions of Gaal? (Ans. Gaal uses the very same
argument that Abimelech had used against his seventy brothers. He
notes that Abimelech is the son of Gideon, the Baal Fighter; that
Abimelech was a halfbreed, and his religion was a halfbreed religion
combining symbols of the true faith with the philosophy of Baalism to
form the religion of Baal-Berith, the Baal of the Covenant. He, a fullblooded Canaanite, encourages Shechem to cast out all remnants of
Israelite culture and return wholly to the original Canaanite culture of the
city. The city that had been founded by Hamor, who named it for his son
Shechem.)
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. (v.31): The Shechemites' counsels
were betrayed to Abimelech by Zebul, the ruler of the city, who
continued to be loyal to him. His anger was kindled, because Gaal seems
had ignored him (v. 28); but perhaps, if he had only complimented and
been nice to Zebul in the midst of all those development, he might have
gained him ; but he, being ignored, sends notice to Abimelech of all that
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was said and done in Shechem against him. Betrayers are often betrayed
by some among themselves, and the cursing of the king is sometimes
strangely carried by a bird of the air.
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell
wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. (v.40): There is nothing
surprising here, the drunken celebration of the previous night had left
Gaal and his men both mentally and physically unprepared for any kind
of effective military activity; and Abimelech and his army easily defeated
them. Nothing further is said of Gaal who fled, presumably with all of his
relatives; and, nothing is said of his being captured or killed, possibly he
and his company went to some other city, seeking their personal fortunes
just like what pirates do.
v.42-49: Abimelech's wickedness.
42 And it came about on the next day that the people went out into the field,
and they told Abimelech. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
He took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished
the city and sowed it with salt. (v.45): After demolishing the city, why did
he sow it with salt? (Ans. He sprinkled the ruined city with salt as a
symbol that it was to be forever an uninhabited, barren desert (Dt.
29:23). In his actions, Abimelech is acting like God. Like Gods cherubim
keep men from Eden, so Abimelechs men guard the gates and let no one
in. Just as a city that commits treason against the Lord is to be
completely destroyed, so Abimelech completely destroyed the city that
betrayed him.)
And set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the
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tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women. (v.49): Even
those who had escaped to the tower, or stronghold cannot avoid
Abimelechs wrath, fire literally shot out from him and consumed them
all. Jothams curse is fulfilled like a tidal wave of unstoppable evil, a
terrifying fury that destroyed Shechem. Once the tide of evil builds,
nothing can contain it in the end. This was the unlearned lesson of the
1930s as the evil Nazi power grew stronger and stronger, almost
unchallenged, until the whole world was caught up in its terrible
outcome. We think that sin can be contained; but it cannot. We allow
little sins and even white lies, and persuade ourselves that we can stop
whenever we wish, but it is not like that.
v.50-55: Gods judgment on Abimelech.
50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and
took it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and
womenall the people of the cityfled 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. 53 But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelechs
head and crushed his skull. 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.
Three things that are worthy of observation about the death of
Abimelech: 1. He was slain with a stone, like what he did to all his
brethren, slaying them upon one stone. 2. His skull was broken, the
unworthy head which is guilty of wearing the usurped crown. 3. The
stone that had killed him was cast upon him by a woman,
What are the reasons why Abimelechs death was especially humiliating?
(Ans. He was killed by a woman, he was not killed in the actual combat,
he was killed by a farm implement instead of a war weapon, and he was
stabbed to death by a servant and not by a warrior.)
v.56-57: Summation: The certainty of Gods judgments.
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.
There are two things that are noteworthy about this story: Firstly, the
danger of having proud ambition. Abimelechs dangerous ambition is
what propelled him to do such evil things. But the Bible says, "God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). That is
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why we are to humble ourselves under His mighty hand in order that He
will exalt us in due time (see 1 Pt. 5:6). Today's society always says,
Watch out for Number One. But Jesus says, Blessed are the meek, for
they shall inherit the earth (Matt. 5:5). Secondly, notice the principle of
sowing and reaping. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap (Gal.
6:7). Abimelech sowed a seed when he killed his seventy brothers upon
a stone. So he reap what he sow, when a stone fell upon his head. He
wanted to be crowned, and was indeed crowned, but with a millstone.
Conclusion:
Abimelech was not a judge of Israel but his story is recorded here because of
the following reasons:
To reveal the growing tendency toward Monarchialism in Israel. As
Israels disobedience grew, the theocratic government of God became
more unworkable and a monarchial form of government became more
desirable.
To reveal the widespread practice of Baalism in Israel.
To reveal the root cause of troubles in Israel; and that is because both
Israelites and Canaanites are living together in a state of co-existence.
To teach us the following lessons:
a) We (unlike Gideon) should strive to be good role-models to our
children.
b) We (like Jotham) should watch for opportunities to speak out against
evil.
c) We (unlike the Shechemites) should be careful in choosing our
leaders.
d) We should always remember that we reap what we sow.