Judges 8:22:12:15

Wes emphasized the pursuit of the kingship by Abimelech.  He had asked the question early last week "Should one pursue leadership positions?" and we both appreciate the ones who did look at the possible answers and shared them. 

THE FAMILY FEUDS

In a day when ‘every man did whatever he thought was right’ 21:25 it is not surprising to find ambition, jealousy and brutality.  Abimelech son of godly Gideon, sees his father turn down the opportunity to become king.  But unlike father, son will not be denied!  He usurps control of the nation, murders sixty-nine of his 70 brothers, and rules for 3 terrifying years before his life is brought to a premature end by a divinely guided millstone.  By contrast another of Israel’s judges – Jephthah – overcomes a horrible family background to become a zealous commander of God’s people. 

 Gideon refused to be king…reminded the people that the Lord was their King.  Yet, he seemed to have something else in mind for his retirement.  He was quite wealthy…battle spoils and gifts … he had many wives and at least one concubine.  Abimelech means – “my father is a king”.  It seems that Gideon may have even assumed priestly duties as he made his own ephod and may have consulted it on behalf of the people.  He may have made the ephod as a representation of Jehovah to help the people in their worship, but a good motive can never compensate for a bad action.  He knew it was wrong….Exo. 20:4-6 It became a snare to Gideon and his family.  8:22-35

Gideon – a great and Godly man chosen as a deliverer for Israel – WAS a terrible father!!!!  Why would I say that?  Who left questionable “stuff” for his children’s heritage.  Man can take anything good and make evil of it. 

Gone and the good stuff of his life was Forgotten!!!!  Had Gideon practiced Matt. 6:33 subsequent events might have been radically different.  He started out as a servant but it seems that he became an important celebrity. 

Definition: Heritage – “something you will spend your life trying either to live up to or to live down.” 

There are many areas of your life over which you have no control:  your gender and height, the color of your eyes, the wealth of your parents.  All that is part of your heritage from birth.  In most cases, you can do little to change it. But while you had no vote in the matter of your ancestors, you have much to say regarding their descendants because you are one of them!!!  Were you born into a Godly family?  Then be careful.  So was Abimelech.  Were you born into a broken home or under regrettable circumstances?  The take heart, so was Jephthah and God used him mightily.  Our heritage is neither an excuse to hide behind nor a guarantee of future godliness.  But good or bad, it can be a source of bringing great glory to God if you allow Him to make it a springboard rather than a millstone in your life.  Talk to Him!!! About ALL of it!

Abimelech enlisted his Shechem mother’s relatives to finance his evil deed…money from Baal worship and hired worthless loafers who agreed to do whatever he told them to do.  Slaughtered all seventy except JOTHAM, who escaped and hid. 

Abimelech had his wish…he became king of Israel.  Jotham gave the warning! To the people. 

The king and the people destroyed one another!  Battle tactics that worked…a millstone thrown by a woman killed Abimelech.  “Kill me, he groaned to his youthful armor bearer, never let it be said that a woman killed me!” 

The men saw that their leader was dead and they went home.  The curse that Jotham had predicted came true!

Abimelech is not the only Bible character who died an unusual death 9:52-54

Eutycus died by falling out of a window Acts. 29:9  Sisera died from a “splitting headache  Judges 4:17-21  Absalom died while hanging by his hair II Sam 18:9, 14  Lots’ wife died because of a backward glance  Gen 19:26

Chapter 10:

After Abimelech’s death there were two judges of Israel – Tola, 23 years and Jair, for 22 years.  For 45 years, the people of Israel enjoyed peace and security, thanks to the leadership of these two judges.  We know little about them, but the fact that they kept Israel’s enemies away for all those years would suggest that they were faithful men who served the Lord and the nation well.  It would seem that in this period of them, the people demonstrated no gratitude for what He had done for them.  THEN the people of Israel turned away from the Lord AGAIN!! 

A question for thought:  Should we give thanks before or after?...Deut. 8:10  Thanksgiving glorifies God Psa. 69:30 and is a strong defense against selfishness and idolatry. 

COMFORTABLE LIVING OFTEN PRODUCES WEAK CHARACTER!  Character is built when we make right decisions in life, and those decisions are made on the basis of the things that we value most.  Since Israel did not value the things of God, she ended up destrying her own national character. 

Oh, the dizziness of a vicious cycle! 

Not only did the people turn to MANY gods but they no longer worshiped Jehovah at all.  This made the Lord angry and the pattern has begun again that we spoke about last week:  A monotonous and deadly pattern… 1. The people fall into sin 2. God disciplines them with foreign oppression 3. The people cry out in repentance 4. God raises up a deliverer 5. Peace is restored.  The cycle of sin repeats itself a total of seven times in the book. 

Enemies began to torment them for 18 years.  Finally the Israelis turned to Jehovah AGAIN and begged him to save them.  V.10  Jehovah told them to go to the gods they had chosen…let them save you in your hour of distress (v.14)  Repentance and destruction of their foreign gods and worshipping only the Lord began to take place.

Ammonites were coming up against them and they began to look for a leader…Jephthah was a great warrior – his mother a prostitute…legal family ran him away and he living in the land of Tob.  He had a band of malcontents as his followers…living as bandits.  The people turned to him.  They battered back and forth…Why? After rejecting me are you begging me for help?  We need you!  … we will make you king of Gilead.  Ratified before the Lord at a general assembly of all the people.

Jephthah began a dialog with the enemy…it is our land…Israel did not steal the land…he explained what really happened.  V. 23 “so you see, it was the Lord God of Israel who took away the land from the Amorites and gave it to Israel..why should we return it to you?  You keep what your god gives you and we will keep whatever Jehovah our God gives to us.  And this issue is 300 years old…why are you coming now to recover the land?  “but Jehovah the Judge will soon show which of us is right!”

The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and he led his army across the land.  OH, THE SORROW OF A FOOLISH VOW!  “THE 1^ST PERSON COMING OUT OF HIS HOUSE WOULD BE SACRIFICED!”  v.35 “and when he saw her…you have brought me low…you are the cause of great trouble to me”  The Lord did not ask him for such a foolish vow and neither did his precious only daughter. 

Chapter 12…Ephraim picked a fight and Jephthah was furious…  This chapter demonstrates that something will give you away…the people of Ephraim could not pronounce H…one commentary said that it was actually a colloquial pronunciation of the word shibboleth that gave up their identy.    When people are wrong and refuse to accept logical reasoning and confess their faults, they often turn to violence in order to protect their reputation.  This is the cause of most family disagreements, church fights, and international conflicts James 4:1-12.  But Jephthah got the best of the boastful men of Ephraim and killed 42,000 of their soldiers.  After the defeat of Ammonn and the trouncing of Ephraim, the Jews had 31 years of peace and security under the leadership of:

Jephthah – judge for six years

Ibzan – judged for 7 years and made intermarriage a BIG thing.  Elon – 10 years; Abdon 8 years. 

Next week we will deal with Samson!