Judges 9:22 – 29 “After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.
The leaders of Shechem set an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.
Then Gaal 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? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’”
When you compare Abimelech with his relatives from Shechem, it’s difficult to know who was worse. Abimelech was a greedy, power – hungry tyrant, but then there were his uncles. Had Abimelech’s uncles been righteous men, when he came up with the crazy idea of seizing power, they would have laughed and told him to go home and forget it. Gideon’s seventy sons would still have been alive and the entire course of history in that area would have been different. But Abimelech and the uncles were cut from the same bolt of cloth. It’s quite likely that Abimelech shot off his mouth a few too many times, insulting his relatives. And when supporting Abimelech didn’t pay off as expected, the men of Shechem began systematic armed robbery of all the travelers on the hilltops where the paths were narrow and easily barricaded.
This bunch of deplorables found themselves a new leader in Gaal, son of Ebed, who showed up with some of his brothers. Gaal was another big talker, making threats about Abimelech, and the men of Shechem were fed up with Abimelech.
APPLICATION: The big mistake the men of Shechem made in the first place was that they turned their backs on God and worshiping Him. Once these men plunged into baal worship with its orgies and its drinking bouts, they simply lurched from one bad leader to another. Being driven by lusts, these men had no clue what their tribes actually needed, nor did they realize the destruction that would eventually come upon them. There was no thought given to the things that would protect families and help their area develop.
Today, many people have made the same mistake as the foolish men of Shechem. Driven by a sense of entitlement, many people flout traffic laws, cheat on school work, steal from companies, and do as little work as possible while on their jobs. But actions still have consequences.
It was George Santayana who said that ‘”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Today there are many people who are attempting to rewrite history to suit particular agendas. But truth has a nasty habit of coming out, no matter how hard one tries to suppress it. There are many parts of human history that make grim reading; however, if we refuse to learn from the past, we will definitely repeat mistakes that could have been avoided.
The men of Shechem refused to worship God, settling for something easier and more convenient. But in turning away from the One True Living God, those men set themselves and their families up for disaster.
Times have changed, but human nature has not. We all are still sinners in need of a Savior. And there is no other way to salvation apart from Jesus. Christ. You are free to choose to follow Christ or to ignore Him. But at the end of time, you will still face Him.
PRAYER: Father God, please let everyone who reads these words take them to heart. Help them to know how much You love them and how much You long for them to love You. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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