JUDGES LESSON 10
We will begin this lesson in Judges 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,"
Abimelech was Gideon's son by a concubine from Shechem. Gideon
was of the tribe of Manasseh. There had been bad blood between the
descendents of Ephraim and Manasseh. Abimelech's mother was from the
tribe of Ephraim. This meeting with his mother's brethren was to put
Abimelech in as king.
Judges 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."
It seems the 70 sons of Jerubbaal were ruling over Shechem at
this time. Abimelech was their half-brother. He was jealous of them.
He plants the idea in the ears of the men of Shechem, that he should
be king, instead of his brothers. He is related to these people.
Judges 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."
All the men of Shechem decided they wanted Abimelech for their
king. His close relatives convinced all of the other men that
Abimelech should be their leader.
Judges 9:4 "And they gave him threescore and ten [pieces] of
silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain
and light persons, which followed him."
Baal-berith was a version of Baal worship. The collections of
silver had come from the worshippers of Baal. These 70 pieces of
silver {probably shekels} would be enough to hire these evil men to
help him kill his brothers.
Judges 9:5 "And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and
slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, [being] threescore and ten
persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son
of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself."
They actually killed 69 of his half-brothers, so he could take
over as king. Jotham, the youngest of the brothers, hid himself and
was not found. This stone was like a place of execution, where he
killed them one after another. To get the control of the people, he
has wiped out the great portion of his family.
Judges 9:6 "And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all
the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of
the pillar that [was] in Shechem."
Millo was a strong fortification near Shechem. It seems that, it
was here they made Abimelech king.
Judges 9:7 "And when they told [it] to Jotham, he went and stood
in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and
said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may
hearken unto you."
Jotham, who is the youngest of the 70 brothers, hid and lived,
when Abimelech killed the others. When Jotham heard that his brothers
were dead and that Abimelech was made king, he went to the mountain
top of Gerizim and cried out to these evil men of Shechem. He calls
God's attention to their evil act.
Judges 9:8 "The trees went forth [on a time] to anoint a king
over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us."
Judges 9:9 "But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my
fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be
promoted over the trees?"
The trees, in this, are speaking of the men who had tried to get
Jerubbaal [olive tree} to reign over them at the end of the battle.
Jerubbaal refused. The olive trees make the oil for the offerings to
God, and for the anointing of men.
Judges 9:10 "And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, [and]
reign over us." Judges 9:11 "But the fig tree said unto them, Should
I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over
the trees?"
This is the very same thing. The people wanted to be ruled by
Gideon, but he told them their only king was God. He did not want to
rule, nor his sons.
Judges 9:12 "Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, [and]
reign over us." Judges 9:13 "And the vine said unto them, Should I
leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over
the trees?"
Again, this is the same. All three of the trees above, were good
for God and man. The vine is the same as the olive and the fig tree.
Judges 9:14 "Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou,
[and] reign over us."
The son of Gideon by the concubine {Abimelech} is the bramble. He
had no right to rule, but he would take it.
Judges 9:15 "And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye
anoint me king over you, [then] come [and] put your trust in my
shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the
cedars of Lebanon."
This is showing, again, that the bramble is of no use but to
burn. If Abimelech could not lead the men of Shechem, he would destroy
them.
Judges 9:16 "Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely,
in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with
Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the
deserving of his hands;"
Abimelech wanted the benefits of being Jerubbaal's son. He did
not, however, recognize his 70 true sons. Jotham is telling them here,
if they have done the correct thing with Jerubbaal's family and have
truly chosen Abimelech as king, it is alright.
Judges 9:17 "(For my father fought for you, and adventured his
life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:"
Jerubbaal {Gideon} had won the war with the Midianites for them,
as well as for his own people. The tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were
benefited by Gideon's victories.
Judges 9:18 "And ye are risen up against my father's house this
day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one
stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over
the men of Shechem, because he [is] your brother;)"
In this act, they had shown great disrespect for Gideon and his
family. The son of the maidservant had no rights above the 70 sons of
Gideon by his wives.
Judges 9:19 "If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with
Jerubbaal and with his house this day, [then] rejoice ye in Abimelech,
and let him also rejoice in you:"
He is willing to accept their decision, if they have dealt truly
and sincerly with the house of Gideon.
Judges 9:20 "But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and
devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come
out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour
Abimelech."
Jotham speaks a curse on Abimelech, Shechem, and Millo, if they
are dealing treacherously. He wants them to turn on each other and
destroy each other. This is usually what happens among treacherous
people.
Judges 9:21 "And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and
dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother."
After he had stood on the ledge above the city and shouted all of
this to Abimelech and to all of Shechem, he ran and hid to keep
Abimelech from killing him.
Judges 10 Questions
1. Who is Abimelech's father?
2. Who was his mother?
3. Gideon was of the tribe of ___________.
4. Abimelech's mother was of the tribe of ___________.
5. What was the meeting with his mother's brethren for?
6. What does he whisper in their ears?
7. The men of Shechem were inclined to follow __________.
8. How many pieces of silver was given to Abimelech to hire men to
help him?
9. Where did the money come from?
10. What kind of people did he hire?
11. He went into his father's house, and ________ his brothers.
12. How many brothers did he have?
13. Which brother hid and saved his life?
14. Where did the men of Shechem gather, and make Abimelech king?
15. What did Jotham do, when he heard this?
16. Who are the trees in verse 8?
17. Who does the olive tree symbolize?
18. What did the fig tree say to the trees?
19. The vine is the same as what?
20. Who was the bramble?
21. What is the only thing the bramble is good for?
22. What does Jotham remind these men of in verse 17?
23. In verse 20, Jotham speaks a __________ on Abimelech.
24. After he finished speaking, Jotham did what?
25. Why did he do this?
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