The Conspiracy of Abimelech
Abimelech was the son of Gideon’s concubine in Shechem. Over this story could be written the words of Numbers 32:23 “Be sure your sins will find you out.” He was a self-styled, self-raised judge.
Gideon had disobeyed God by associating with a woman from Shechem, a Canaanite, this being expressly forbidden. Punishment by way of chastisement had been meted out by God (Judges 2:2) because they failed to obey – “…. you shall make nocovenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ In 2:1 God had said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you.
So, whilst God remains faithful His people often fall into disobedience and as a consequence God has to chasten us. The specific commands were given in Deuteronomy 6 and 7 together with the reasons for those commands, and the blessings which would follow obedience to it. God’s word never leaves us short. If we are told to do something, there will always be a reason and if we do it, blessing will follow.
Let’s look at Deuteronomy 7:2-9 “…You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son.For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the LORD will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.But thus you shall deal with them: you shall destroy their altars, and break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images, and burn their carved images with fire.
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;but because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments….”
Gideon, who showed obedience to God and a desire know Gods will, failed in his association with a Canaanite woman. We see once again the evils of polygamy. Whilst it is clear from the words of Jesus that from the beginning it was God’s will that a man should leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, quoting Genesis 2:24. In Matthew 19. The bible recounts over and over that even the most faithful of God’s servants often yielded the temptations and lust of the flesh. Their actions are never condoned because the consequences are always clear – disappointment, depression, disaster and defeat.
In this chapter we see the results of the sin of Gideon, the sin of Shechem and the sin of Abimelech. We also see Jotham’s effort to remind the people as to who The True God is; and how God permitted a demon to repay them for their sin.
Whilst Abimelech may have had a godly father in Gideon, it is evident that his mother is still part of ‘the enemy’. (note v1 and v3 – the words, ‘his mother’s brethren’ ‘all the family of the house of his mother’s father’. The divide is still there. The same thought reveals itself later in the life of Samson.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the LORD. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”“I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”
The unbeliever has connections and interests totally alien to those of the Christian. The Canaanites were idol worshipers, God was not their god – the people of Shechem were Canaanites. Shechem had no excuse for not following the True God if they had remembered their history. In Genesis 35:4 Jacob persuaded the people of Shechem to give up their idols after Shechem who had raped Jacob’s daughter had been put to death by Jacob’s sons. Joshua’s covenant with all the tribes of Israel was made at Shechem (Joshua 24:1). Further the bones of Joseph were buried at Shechem. All these were surely enough to remind them of God’s mighty acts (Joshua 24:32).
Abimelech went to his mother’s family and persuaded them to make him king, using the persuasive political manifesto that surely it Is better to have one of your own than seventy who are not really your own to rule over you (better the devil you know than the one you don’t).
They agreed, ‘after all he is our brother’(v3). The divide is still obvious. Having been to his mother’s house (v1-3) he went to his father’s house (v5), and having gathered together an army of mercenaries (v4). The people gave him ‘money’ and he went out and hired vain and light persons which followed him. ‘Vain and light’ suggests idle, worthless vagabonds, scum of society, who had nothing to lose and much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement. Abimelech and his mercenaries then slew his brothers, all seventy, but this was a ‘round number’ because one, Jotham escaped death by hiding (v5). This is the first mention of such barbaric atrocity which is an increasingly common occurrence one son killing off the natural legitimate heirs.
This can be personal for us. We often want position and glory and people are often prepared to walk on and stand on and even remove anyone who gets in the way. This must never be the case with Christians. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be followers of me”, but he didn’t stop there because that would seem to indicate that it was him who we should follow, he continued, “Even as I also am of Christ.”. That’s the answer! Who are we following? Another human being? Are we following wisely? Or are we following like a mercenary who has to be ‘hired’. Jesus Christ has paid the price in full for our redemption, we are not our own, we are bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ, therefore He is the one to follow and we should glorify God in our bodies and spirit, they belong to Him, He bought them. Let us do it willingly and not be like these vain and light worthless vagabonds. The same sort of men can be seen later in chapter 11 where Jephthah gathers similar men to him.
All the men of Shechem (v6) and Millo (or Beth Millo) crowned Abimelech king. This is the first instance of anyone being crowned king in the Bible)
Jotham came out of hiding (v7-21) and reproached them publicly by ways of a parable. He stood in the mount Gerizim and shouted his message out aloud. Gideon was reduced in numbers, now Jotham stands alone against a ruthless enemy and his wicked followers as well as the priests of Baal (the men of Beth Millo). He cried out, “Listen to me so that God may listen to you.”
Surely, we who have the truth contained in the Word of God can also speak with such authority. He was afraid perhaps that’s why he stood on the side of the hill which rises sharply and overlooks the city. It was vantage point and the people would be able to hear him. His story went, ‘The trees went to anoint a king. The Olive tree turned it down, likewise the fig tree and the vine. The bramble answered in another parable – If in truth you anoint me king then come and put your trust under my shadow: if not let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
He reminded them of all that Gideon had done for them, risking his own life for them. “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—for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;” (v16,17)
“But you have risen up against my father’s 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—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.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!” (v19-21)
Jotham ran away, afraid but having bravely spoken his message, and he went to Beer on the northern boundary of Jerusalem and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. He had shouted his message and left sharpish!
We are often tempted to get revenge on others for the wrongs they do to us or those close to us. Jotham could have done that but for the fact that he was really afraid. The Bible says, “Vengeance is mine I will repay says The LORD.” (Romans 12:19; Deuteronomy 32:25) “Avenge not yourselves, rather give place to wrath.” (leave room for God’s wrath).
Note the words of Nahum 1:2,3 “God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; The LORD avenges and is furious. The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, And He reserves wrath for His enemies; The LORD is slow to anger and great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked.” ‘God’ or ‘The LORD’ appears five times, no mention of man.
When man seeks revenge someone always wants revenge on them and so it never ends.
God is absolutely just, and He will see to it that the wicked are repaid. “Don’t be deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that shall he reap.” (Galatians 6:7) It may seem that man gets away with his wrong, but it will not be so. And it is not for us to repay it.
Point out the wrong by all means, but unless given by the authority of God – e.g. rulers, governors, Magistrates etc to punish evil doers and law breakers, parents in chastising their children, which is as far as we can go. We must leave the rest to God.
Jotham spoke the parable, leaving it to them to decide whether they acted honourably (v16) when it was quite clear they didn’t, but told them what the consequences would be for failure. I like his words in v19 and 20 “….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.”
This is very much like the gospel message we preach today. We cannot force people into submission to Christ, it must come from them. We hope they will be happy (rejoice), but if not, and this is the difference – we know that Christ Jesus is The Only Way, the consequences are absolute disaster.
Three years passed and Abimelech ruled over Israel for that time, but God’s clock never stops and does keep perfect time. No doubt, complacency had set in – ‘Looks like Abimelech was right after all!’ But in v 22 God moves, and the citizens of Shechem show their true colours. What did we note at the very beginning – (i) Worldly associations lead to unrighteousness; (ii) the fruit of unfaithfulness tests us. God uses heathen nations to test us.
The world cannot be trusted; sooner or later it will sting you; make allegiance with it at your peril.
We meet treason against Abimelech. God repaid the evil done to Gideon. It is His prerogative and He loves His people so much that He will not allow them to suffer and the perpetrators of it go unpunished. Be sure your sin will find you out.
Gaal, the son of Ebed came with his brothers into Shechem (v26) and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. How fickle human nature is, only three years ago they put their trust in Abimelech, now it’s all change.
As Christians we must beware of putting our trust and confidence in man, rather we must put our trust in God who is the same yesterday, today and forever, who will never let us down.
The world (and sadly Christians sometimes) flit around from one person’s ideas to another, we often follow the ‘in crowd’, do the ‘in-thing’ and get carried away with ‘every wind of doctrine’. Let us beware of the popular ‘in-things in our churches. The Bible warns us of false teachers, false gospels, even false Christs, in the last days. We must test the spirits whether they are of God. We must stick to The Word of God, not man’s ideas or revelations or visions, all those are extras.
Civil War results here, all traced back to sin – the sin of disobedience – to have dealings with the Canaanites who occupied the land. Remember that God appoints leaders whether good or bad, all for our own good. We are to obey those in authority except when it disobeys God. Abimelech had reigned over Israel for 3 years. We are not told whether he was a bad leader or good. We do know, however, that he obtained ‘the crown’ by wicked means. But jealousy, distrust, secret dissatisfaction and disaffection brought with it rebellion and not for the first time.
The men of Shechem still did not worship the true God (v27), “They made merry and ate and drank in the house of their god and cursed Abimelech.”
The world has very short memories sometimes – Gaal tries, partially successfully, to play on this by leading a rebellion against Abimelech (v28) – “Who is Abimelech and who is Shechem that we should be subject to him? Don’t forget that he is Jerubbaal’s (Gideon’s) son …. serve Hamor, Shechem’s father.” Let’s go back to the old days and return to Shechem’s ancestry. Similar argument to Abimelech when he persuaded the men of Shechem to follow him. Don’t forget that Abimelech, though he did evil initially, was raised up by God as a judge of the people, to teach Israel a Lesson of the dangers of mixing with heathen nations. Even Gideon had failed in this and Abimelech and his treachery was a result. It also shows the insecurity of trusting in man
Civil War takes place between the followers of Gaal and those of Abimelech. Abimelech captured the city (v45) and destroyed it. The citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the temple of El-Berith and Abimelech set fire to it. The tower would be usually the last refuge, on a hill – a strong tower or fortress but also it was the temple of their god and about 1,000 died there.
Abimelech next went to Thebez, near to Shechem and besieged and captured it. (v50). Again, within that city there was a strong tower and as he attempted to do the same with this tower, a woman dropped a millstone from the roof, and it landed on his head and fractured his skull. To avoid the shame of being slain by a woman, he ordered his armour bearer to run him through with his sword and he obediently obliged (v54). What a strange way to end!! “When the Israelites saw Abimelech was dead, they went home.” No mention of them finishing off the people in the tower at Thebez, they just left off and went home. Their heart wasn’t really in it, it appears to me.
Is our heart in what we do?
God repays the wickedness of Abimelech and Shechem and the curse of Jotham came upon them. (v56,57) Maybe they really knew that they had not been true and sincere in making Abimelech king nor dealt deservedly with Gideon and his sons (v16-20) thus they don’t mourn for Abimelech so their rejoicing in him couldn’t have been very great. God judged not only Abimelech but the people of Shechem for making him king.
