Judges 9: 50 – 57 ”Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.
When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’”
So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died. And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home. In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers. And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.”
Well, it finally happened! Abimelech’s earlier successes went to his head and he decided to extend his conquest to Thebez, a village 9 miles northeast of Shechem. But things didn’t turn out as expected. The citizens of Thebez locked themselves into their huge tower. Abimelech probably was rubbing his hands with glee; all that he and his men had to do was to gather up wood pile it up against the tower and burn them to a crisp just as they had to the people of Shechem.
Evidently the residents of Thebez had already stocked this tower with deadly missiles that could be dropped on attackers. Seizing an upper millstone, one brave lady dropped it on Abimelech’s head. Just as Abimelech had murdered the sons of Gideon on a single stone, now a single stone would prove to be his undoing. The only thing Abimelech could do was to beg his armor bearer to stab him and end his life quickly in a vain attempt to avoid the lady from Thebez being credited with killing him. Fat chance! It’s likely that Abimelech’s body wasn’t even cool before the ladies of Thebez were singing mocking songs about him as they came down the stairs from their tower. Abimelech’s men quietly slunk away into obscurity.
APPLICATION: When the Israelites defeated the tribes east of the Jordan, the Reubenites and Gadites came to Moses and asked permission to settle in that area because they had large herds and flocks and the land was excellent grazing land. Moses gave permission but warned these tribes that they had to commit themselves to helping the other tribes conquer Canaan. Moses further warned them that if they failed to carry out this commitment, God would punish them. Numbers 32:23 says, ““But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
God is merciful and gives us many opportunities to behave righteously. But God is also a God of justice. When Gideon’s son Jotham stood on Mount Gerizim and pronounced curses on the men of Shechem and on Abimelech, he was speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Jotham pronounced doom for Abimelech and for those from Shechem and Beth – millo if they failed to repent.
How does this scripture illustrate God’s mercy? Had these evil – doers repented and sought God’s forgiveness, they would have saved themselves. But Abimelech and his supporters were certain that they could get away with murder and mayhem. When these men chose to massacre the people of Shechem and when they attacked Thebez, they sealed their own doom.
“But what does this have to do with me?” You might ask. “Hey! I’m a good person! I don’t run around murdering people.” But search your heart. Is there anyone with whom you are angry? Anyone at school, at work, or in your family whom you are avoiding because you don’t want anything to do with them? How honest are you?
God does not grade on a curve; sin is sin. And all of us are sinners in need of a Savior. If there were ever even one perfect man or woman who was totally sinless, then the potential would exist for the rest of us to be sinless as well. But while we are appalled at the blood thirstiness of Abimelech, we are unaware of the darkness within our own hearts. The only reason that a just God has not already turned us all into cinders is that Jesus Christ already paid the price for our sins by shedding His blood on the cross at Calvary.
PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins. Help everyone who reads this to turn to you and to beg for salvation. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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