Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 15

Judges 15

-After a while from his dysfunctional wedding and the giving away of his wife by his father-in-law, Samson decided to make a visit to his wife with a young goat in the time of wheat harvest. He basically wanted to have sex with her, but her father would not let him enter. He said to Samson, “I really thought that you hated her intensely; so I gave her to your companion.” He did offer his younger daughter to him boasting that she was more beautiful than the older sister, but Samson wasn’t going for it. He proclaimed, “This time I shall be blameless in regard to the Philistines when I do them harm.” Then he went out and caught 300 foxes taking torches to their tails in pairs, tail to tail having the torches right in the middle of them. He set fire to the torches and released the foxes into the standing grain of the Philistines destroying their crops, along with their vineyards and groves (Judges 15:1-5).

-When the Philistines realized what damage had been done, they asked, “Who did this?” It was determined that indeed it had been the vengeful Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, “because he took his wife and gave her to his companion.” Therefore, the Philistines came up and burned Samson’s wife and her father with fire. This brought Samson’s wrath, but he promised to quit after a great slaughter so long as they left him alone. He did cause a great slaughter ruthlessly, and then he hightailed it down to the rock of Etam and lived there in a cleft of the rock. Not leaving well enough alone and probably looking to solidify power in the region, the Philistines went up and camped in Judah spreading out in Lehi, which was south and east of Zorah more towards Jerusalem. The men of Judah wanted to know why they had come up against them, and the Philistines related what Samson had done and what they intended to do with him. They wanted to bind him in order to do to him as he had done to them. This prompted 3,000 men of Judah to go down to the cleft of the rock of Etam and approach Samson on the subject at hand. They told Samson of their plight under the dominion of the Philistines, who currently ruled over them. They feared what was about to happen. But, Samson maintained his cause, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.” Nonetheless, the men of Judah wanted to bind him and give him over to the Philistines. Samson simply made them swear that they would not kill him, and he allowed them to bind his hands with two new ropes. They brought him up from the rock and took him to Lehi, where the Philistines greeted him with a shout. As this happened, the Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily so that the ropes on his arms became as flax that had been burned with fire (very weak and fragile). In other words, he easily snapped out of his bonds. He found a handy weapon nearby, which was definitely providential. It was the jawbone of a donkey that he reached out and grabbed killing 1,000 men with it. Then Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps upon heaps, with the jawbone of a donkey I have killed a thousand men.” He named this place now “Ramath-lehi (the high place of the jawbone).” At this point of near exhaustion, he became very thirsty and called to the LORD for help. He uttered, “You have given this great deliverance by the hand of Your servant, and now shall I die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” However, God provided for him a miracle. He split the hollow place that is in Lehi so that water came out as a spring. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived. Thus this place got the name, “En-hakkore (the spring of him who called).” To sum up, Samson judged Israel for 20 years in the days of the Philistines (Judges 15:6-20).

-*Application* Samson, at this point was at least fulfilling the vows his family had committed to when the angel of the LORD approached them. He was not drinking strong drink or wine, and his hair remained uncut as to the covenant of the Nazirites (Numbers 6:2-5, Judges 13:5). He ate no unclean thing, and God was giving him incredible strength and fortune to deliver His people. God’s Spirit was upon this fallible individual. He still had a weakness for being with women, and his rage seemed insurmountable at times. He would fly off the handle in vengeance. But, God was using him in a special way, and Samson did acknowledge Him as his deliverer and strength. He called himself a “servant” of the LORD (Judges 15:18). From this we see again in Scripture that God understands our imperfections and works with a contrite and broken heart (Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 66:2). Even when we mess up, He can straighten out our paths and still get glory for His Kingdom. This is the lesson of Samson. Let us apply it to our lives when we still have faults and failures.

Verse to Memorize: Judges 15:15

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 14

Judges 14

-The character and tendencies of Samson begin to be revealed as his story plays out in this descriptive chapter. Samson went down towards the west to Timnah as a young adult and saw a woman that infatuated him to the point that he asked his father and mother to get her for him as a wife. His parents’ response was typical within their clan, “Is there not a daughter among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” This was also against their commands given by Moses from the LORD (Deuteronomy 7:1-3). But, she looked good to the young Samson, who was showing his propensity for beautiful women, and his parents eventually consented to the union at his request. Verse 4 tells us that even though his parents didn’t know it, this was of the LORD to begin bringing about the freeing of Israel from the Philistines for at this time these people were ruling over God’s chosen people in the Promised Land (Judges 14:1-4).

-While at the vineyards of Timnah with his parents, a strong young lion came roaring at Samson. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily there to the degree that he tore the lion apart as one would tear a hapless young goat with his bare hands. So, we see his impressive and enormous strength from the Almighty revealed. His parents weren’t witness of this particular event, and he didn’t inform them of what occurred. From there, he went and talked to the woman that he liked, and she “looked good” in his eyes. He returned later to take her as his wife, but on the way back home he observed the dead carcass of the lion he had destroyed. He beheld a swarm of bees and honey in the body of the lion. Unusual. Seeing the opportunity and having courage I suppose, he scraped the honey into his hands and went on, eating as he went. He gave some of the honey to his parents, but he still didn’t tell them of his domination of the lion, nor that he had gotten the honey from its dead body. Then, in the customary tradition, his dad went down to the woman, and Samson made a feast there with 30 of the Philistine companions, which would accompany him. Samson, feeling confident and cocky (another trait that is initially revealed), propounded a riddle for them as a wager. If they could figure out the riddle by the time the feast was over within the seven days, they would get 30 linen wraps and changes of clothes. But if they couldn’t, Samson would get this from them. They accepted the challenge, and here was the riddle: “Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet.” For three days they surmised, but could not come up with the answer. On the fourth day, these “companions” of Samson’s went to his newly acquired wife threatening her to “entice” her husband so that he would tell her the riddle, which she could further relate to them. If she didn’t come through with their request, they told her they would burn her and her father’s house with fire. The reason? They felt like they had been invited to this wedding celebration to be made impoverished. It certainly wasn’t her fault, but the men who accepted the challenge of the riddle were assigning her the blame for their ineptitude. Samson’s wife therefore wept before him calling him a hater and unloving. She wanted to know the answer to the riddle. Samson maintained that not even his parents knew these things he was concealing, but she was persistent. She continued to weep before him seven days while the feast lasted. “And on the seventh day he told her because she pressed him so hard.” This begin to demonstrate the habitual notion that Samson could eventually be persuaded by the whims of a woman. She then told the answer of the riddle to the sons of her people, and they won the beat. On the seventh day, before the sun went down, they gave the answer to the riddle, “What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?” Samson’s anger burned as he responded, “If you had not plowed with my heifer, you would not have found out my riddle.” The Spirit of the LORD came upon him mightily as he went down to Ashkelon and killed 30 men taking their spoil. He fulfilled his end of the bargain giving the changes of clothes to those who had told him the answer to the riddle. Afterwards, still in rage, he went back up into the hill country to his father’s house. “But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend (Judges 14:5-20).

-*Application* Twisted, convoluted, and peculiar. This was a match seemed to be made in hell, but God was at work in it even through the complete depravity of man that we see in this episode. Our character and our traits that demonstrate who we are and what we believe perpetually build and build through the course of our lives. Can a leopard change his spots (Jeremiah 13:23)? Only through the righteousness of Christ can our lives truly be radically altered and transformed permanently. Otherwise our destinies tend to go in a circular pattern of mishaps and destruction in self-repeating dysfunction. So let the LORD do His amazing and gracious work in your life starting today, if it hasn’t happened already. He is beginning to make all things new (Isaiah 48:6, Revelation 21:5). May the Spirit of the LORD come into all of us through our acceptance of the Father’s Son.

Verse to Memorize: Judges 14:2

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 13

Judges 13

-A new period in the history of Israel begins in this chapter as God’s people again did evil in the sight of the LORD with Him giving the disobedient rebels into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years (Judges 13:1). In this setting, God reaches out to a family in the tribe of Dan (the inherited area just to the north of Judah and west of Benjamin, not Tel Dan of the extreme north). The wife of Manoah of Zorah, who was barren having borne no children, is visited by the angel of the LORD. He relates to her that she needs to be careful not to “drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing” for she shall conceive and give birth to a special son who will begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Judges 13:2-5).

-Upon hearing this news, she reported to her husband that this man from God with the appearance like that of an angel, very awesome, had brought this message. She didn’t think to ask where is He was from or what His name was. All she knew was that this boy would be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death. With the hearing of this, Manoah entreated the LORD asking Him for a second appearance of the man of God that He had sent for the purpose of teaching them what to do for the boy who was to be born. God certainly listened to the voice of Manoah and responded by sending the angel back to the woman while she was sitting in the field. Manoah wasn’t with her at the time, but she went to get her husband quickly. He came back with her to meet this special messenger. When Manoah asked if He was the person who had come previously to inform his wife, the angel said, “I am.” Manoah wanted to get information about what to do with the boy that they would be given in terms of his mode of life and vocation. However, the angel simply told them to pay attention to all He had given the woman about not eating anything unclean that comes from the vine, nor drink wine or strong drink, nor eat anything that was unclean. She was to observe all that the angel commanded. With that, Manoah invited the man of the LORD to be detained so that they could prepare a goat for Him to eat. The angel instead told them that if they were to prepare an animal that they should offer it to the LORD. Manoah did not yet know that this was an angel of the LORD. Manoah questioned him as to His name. He wanted to show Him honor when these words came to pass. “But the angel of the LORD said to him, ‘Why do you ask my name, seeing that it is wonderful (pil'iy- incomprehensible, extraordinary)?’” This truly seems to be a Christophany at this point (Judges 13:6-18).

-Now Manoah took the young goat with a grain offering and presented it on the rock to the LORD. The special guest performed “wonders” while Manoah and his wife looked on. “It came about when the flame went up from the altar toward heaven, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar.” Upon seeing this incredible miracle, both husband and wife fell on their faces to the ground. The angel never appeared to them again. But Manoah now knew that this was indeed an angel of the LORD (Judges 13:19-21). Manoah thought that they would surely die because they had seen God. But the wife assured him, “If the LORD had desired to kill us, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering from our hands, nor would He have shown us all these things, nor would He have let us hear things like this at this time (Judges 13:22-23).” The son was eventually born and was named Samson. The child grew up, and the LORD blessed him with His Spirit stirring him in Mahaneh-Dan (the camp of Dan), between Zorah and Eshtaol (Judges 13:24-25).

-*Application* How quick are we to recognize the visitations of the LORD in our lives? Perceptive, open hearts are required to see the miracles of the Almighty when He wants to show up unannounced and unexpected. The LORD is creative in all His ways, but we see the figures and themes of the everlasting story. Think about how Christ is portrayed in this instance: He comes at a point of need when sin and oppression is prevailing, He offers a new and living hope, He makes a call to holiness, He listens to petitions and requests, He is wonderful (incomprehensible, extraordinary), He is the “I Am.” The list could go on and on. God wants to visit our lives in the same way today. Allow His presence to manifest. Take time to cultivate His Spirit in life. Don’t be distracted and consumed with other things. He wants to do a work to begin a deliverance.

Verse to Memorize: Judges 13:5

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 12

Judges 12

-Some finishing events in the time of Jephthah’s judging of Israel is summarized as this chapter begins. The men of Ephraim, who are called “fugitives” involving men of both Ephraim and Manasseh that rose up for no apparent good reason to cross over and fight with Gilead. The LORD allowed Gilead to prevail in this conflict that revolved around Jephthah not calling on them to go to war with them against Ammon. The fugitives of Ephraim even threatened to burn down Jephthah’s house on him, but the Gileadite judge could not understand why they had such animosity. He harkened back to a time of “great strife” with the sons of Ammon. When he had called on them to help in that time, they were unwilling to deliver his enemies from his hand with him. Jephthah recounted how he had to take his own life in his hands to cross over against the Ammonites, and it was indeed the LORD who had given them into his hand. It ended up that the Gileadites fought with the fugitives of Ephraim and took the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim as their possession. It happened when any of the fugitives of Ephraim wanted to cross over, they would test them with a pronunciation of the word “Shibboleth.” A mispronunciation would reveal their true identity; then, they would seize them and slew them there at the fords of the Jordan. An incredible 42,000 some odd Ephraimites fell at that horrific time in Israel’s history. Brother against brother, a civil conflict of immense proportions. Jephthah ended up judging Israel for six years, died and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead (Judges 12:1-7).

-Ibzan of Bethlehem (the city in Zebulun, not the more famous one of Judah where Jesus was born) judged Israel after Jephthah for seven years. He had many sons (30) and daughters (30) that intermarried outside of the family. Nothing more is mentioned of him (Judges 12:8-10).

-Elon, also of Zebulun, judged Israel after Ibzan. He judged Israel for ten years, then died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun (Judges 12:11-12).

-Finally in this litany of judges, we see that Abdon, the son of Hillel the Pirathonite of Ephraim, followed Elon. Abdon had 40 sons and 30 daughters (large family, right?) who rode on 70 donkeys. Abdon judged as ruler for eight years, died, and was buried at Pirathon in the hill country of the Amalekites in the land of Ephraim (Judges 12:13-15).

-*Application* Brotherly conflicts are some of the most agonizing situations to deal with in life. Misunderstandings and miscommunications often get over blown, and then hard feelings develop. Recognize the potential for destructive behavior within our close confines, and do everything we can possibly do to make things better (Romans 12:18). Let the love of Jesus Christ prevail (Proverbs 10:12, 1 Peter 4:8). Only He can truly change a heart.

Verses to Memorize: Judges 12:7, 8, 11, 13

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 11

Judges 11

-The saga of Jephthah, Israel’s 9^th judge, is chronicled in this breathe-taking chapter. Jephthah is first described as a “valiant warrior” as the chapter commences. But, he, like Abimelech, was an illegitimate son, the son of a harlot. Gilead was his father. Gilead’s wife had sons, which drove him away without inheritance in their father’s house since he was not fully of the family. “So Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of Tob; and worthless fellows gathered themselves about Jephthah, and they went out with him (Judges 11:1-3).” Rough beginnings.

-But, it came about in the land that the sons of Ammon and the sons of Israel began to fight, which led the elders of Gilead to reach out to Jephthah, the warrior, for military superiority. They called him to be their chief. This brought Jephthah to say, “Did you not hate me and drive me from my father’s house? So why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” The elders’ about-face was humbling for them indeed, and they ate their crow. But in the end both parties resolved to unite against a common enemy with Jephthah being acknowledged as the head if indeed the LORD would deliver them from the sons of Ammon. These words of verification they all spoke before the LORD at Mizpah (Genesis 31:49, Judges 10:17; 11:4-11).

-Now Jephthah sent his messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon asking why they had come to fight against his land. Ammon replied that Israel had taken their land when they had come up from Egypt and it was rightfully theirs. To this, Jephthah initiated a lengthy response explaining the history of his people in justification for their actions. The LORD had given these kingdoms into their hands for a possession. Jephthah mocked their god, Chemosh, in the reply to their claims. He also said that they had had plenty of time to make their arguments and defenses, but they had not done so. Therefore, they were unjustified in their attempt to make war with his people. He summed it all up with these final words, “May the LORD, the Judge, judge between the sons of Israel and the sons of Ammon.” The king of the sons of Ammon disregarded Jephthah’s retort dispatch, and war became inevitable (Judges 11:12-28).

-“Now the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, so that he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon.” He was gaining strength, but then did a very foolish thing. He made a vow before the LORD, “If You will indeed give the sons of Ammon into my hand, then it shall be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” The battle was actually won by Jephthah and the armies of Israel against the sons of Ammon. They were given into God’s peoples’ hands completely. The LORD struck them with a “very great slaughter” from Aroer to the entrance of Minnith, 20 cities, as far as Abel-keramim. But tragedy occurred upon Jephthah’s return to his home at Mizpah. His daughter, his only offspring, came out to him with tambourines and dancing in celebration of what had been accomplished. His response showed that he had remembered his obtuse vow before the LORD. He tore his clothes saying, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back.” Complete sadness after his greatest victory. She accepted her fate with resilience and courage, “My father, you have given your word to the LORD; do to me as you have said, since the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” She requested to have just two more months of life alone to go and weep upon the mountains because of her virginity along with her companions. Jephthah allowed for this, and she returned as promised after the two months were completed. Jephthah did to her according to the vow which he had so foolishly made. His only child was sacrificed to the LORD, a thing which the LORD never requested or sought. “Thus it became a custom in Israel, that the daughters of Israel went yearly to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year (Judges 11:29-40).”

-*Application* Never after this was anyone in Israel so insensitive as to make a vow of this nature. It teaches us to think about all the possibilities before uttering things out of our mouth. Just watch our current day politicians for examples about ridiculous promises or bravado that can end of making them look foolish. Jephthah, for all his weaknesses, was considered in the hall of faith chapter in Hebrews when the New Testament rolls around (Hebrews 11:32). He did fear the LORD and followed through with his commitments to Him. This shows his moxie, even though he was very impetuous. We need to have wisdom in our vows along with our faith though as this narrative teaches.

Verses to Memorize: Judges 11:32, 35

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 10

Judges 10

-Chapter ten gives a quick word about the next two judges of Israel, Tola and Jair, after the death of Abimelech, the son of Gideon, before a prologue that led up to the next deliver for the nation. Tola was a man of Issachar who lived in the hill country of Ephraim in a city by the name of Shamir. He ruled Israel for 23 years before passing away and being buried there in Shamir. After him, Jair the Gileadite arose in an era that saw leadership come from the eastern side of the Jordan. Jair, interestingly enough, had 30 sons who the Bible describes as having 30 donkeys that they rode on with 30 cities under their control, which became known as Havvoth-jair. Jair ruled for 22 years, and then he died being buried in Kamon of Gilead (Judges 10:1-5).

-Then the prologue with commentary to the condition of the state of Israel is taken up in the rest of this brief chapter. The sons of Israel found themselves going back into evil in the sight of the LORD serving the Baals and Ashtaroth of the Canaanite land, and all the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philista. “They forsook the LORD and did not serve Him (Judges 10:6).” Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against His unfaithful people again, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the sons of Ammon. They “afflicted” and “crushed” the sons of Israel for some 18 years, especially in the land of Gilead of the Amorites to the east of the Jordan. The sons of Ammon actually crossed over and fought against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, which caused Israel as a whole to be “greatly distressed.” Then, as could be predicted by now, the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD confessing their sin against Him, their covenant God. They realized once more that serving the Baals and forsaking the Living God was fruitless and demoralizing. God reminded them at this point of His faithful deliverance from Egypt, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites, and the Maonites who oppressed them. Now He replied, “Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the times of your distress.” In other words, God was telling that they really could have things their own desired way if they wanted. The sons of Israel come back to Him though. They acknowledge their depravity and are willing to accept His punishments for their transgression. They say, “We have sinned, do to us whatever seems good to You; only please deliver us this day.” They put away their foreign gods from among them and decided to serve the LORD. The Word says, as a result, “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer (Judges 10:6-16).”

-The last two verses of the chapter forecast the looming battle that the LORD will use to deliver His people in Gilead. The sons of Ammon were summoned and camped in Gilead, while the sons of Israel gathered together and camped at Mizpah (east of the Jordan near the Jabbok, or Zarqa, River). There, the leaders began to ask, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the sons of Ammon?” Then they concluded, “He shall become head over all the inhabitants of Gilead (Judges 10:17-18).”

-*Application* God has to get tired of the patterns of sin in our lives that tend to be cyclical just like the sons of Israel. We go from sin to slavery (or oppression) to supplication (petition, crying out to God for help) to His salvation. Then, for some strange reason, we hit replay and go back to our junk. His patience can run out, and when that happens we can be left to our own foolish devices. Thankfully, as we see here in the text today, He relents showing compassion and pity on our poor souls when we finally get serious about putting all else aside to be fully devoted to Him. He does not like to bear our misery. Let’s get ourselves serious about following God alone and serving only Him. Put away the foreign gods from our lives that set us back from living the blessed life in Christ Jesus by His Holy Spirit.

Verses to Memorize: Judges 10:6, 10, 13-14, 16

Bible Study Notes in Judges- Chapter 9

Judges 9

-This chapter chronicles the conspiracy and self-proclaimed kingship over a portion of Israel by Abimelech, Gideon’s (or Jerubbaal’s) son through a concubine of Shechem (Judges 8:31). Abimelech went to his mother’s relatives in Shechem and spoke to them, the whole clan of the household of his mother’s father, about being the sole ruler over the region rather than splitting authority between the other 70 sons of Gideon. Idolatry had overtaken their hearts again (Judges 8:33), and the nation was going wayward as we can discern in this narrative. Abimelech’s family spoke to all the leaders of Shechem, and they were inclined to follow a local legend and relative. He was power hungry, over confident, and ruthless, but a qualified tactical planner and organizer. The leaders of Shechem gave him 70 pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith (Baal, lord of the covenant, an idol in substitute for the Living Covenant God of Israel). With this money, Abimelech hired mercenaries, which the Bible describes as “worthless and reckless fellows.” These despicable men followed Abimelech as they went led by the illegitimate son of Gideon up to Ophrah (Gideon’s hometown), and killed all his 70 brothers on one execution stone except one, Jotham, who was the youngest of Jerubbaal (Gideon). He hid himself and survived. Now all the men of Shechem and all of Beth-millo assembled together to make Abimelech their king by the oak of the pillar (a place of idolatry) which was in Shechem (Judges 9:1-6).

-When Jotham was told of what had transpired, he courageously went and stood on the top of Gerizim, the mount of blessing (Deuteronomy 27:12, Joshua 8:33-34), lifting his voice and crying out, “Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you.” He gave a parable of trees representing Gideon’s sons with the bramble representing Abimelech as a worthless person obsessed with power politics, which proves unproductive in the end. He prophesied fire consuming the men of Shechem if they had not treated Gideon and his family, who had fought for them and risked his life and delivered them from Midian, righteously by promoting an illegitimate relative into leadership. Abimelech would consume Shechem and Beth-millo with his fire, and then the reverse would come upon Abimelech from the men of Shechem and Beth-millo if they had done a dastardly deed. If Abimelech was on the up and up, and they had dealt in truth and integrity with Gideon (Jerubbaal), then all would rejoice in peace and tranquility. Then Jotham escaped and fled for his life to Beer and remained there in that safe haven because of his brother, Abimelech (Judges 9:7-21).

-Some three years later, when I am sure the words of Jotham had faded and everyone felt pretty good about things in the idolatrous land, God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. This led the men of Shechem to deal treacherously with Abimelech “so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.” An ambush was set in the mountains against Abimelech by the men of Shechem, and they robbed all who might pass by them on the road. When Abimelech found out and a man by the name of Gaal, the son of Ebed, came with his relatives crossing over into Shechem as a usurper, things got very tense. The inhabitants of Shechem went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards, trod them, and held a festival. They went into the house of their god and ate and drank cursing Abimelech. In the mocking spirit, Gaal ended up saying, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech.” Then he taunted Abimelech to come out with his army increased. Zebul, the ruler of the city under Abimelech, burned with much anger at the hearing of this boast. He sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully (tormah- fraudulent, treachery, deceit), saying how Gaal and his relatives had come to Shechem stirring up the city against him. He advised for Abimelech and the people with him to arise and lie in wait in the field for his enemy. They were to rise the next morning early and rush upon the city to fight them as boldly as they possibly could. Abimelech followed this advice in four different companies of warriors. Now Gaal went out and stood in the gate entrance of the city, and the fight was on. Zebul had a conversation with Gaal before the ruckus wondering where his boasting was now. Gaal thought he saw people coming down the mountains, but Zebul persuaded him it was only shadows on the mountains. He prompted Gaal, with the leaders of Shechem at his side, to go out and fight Abimelech and his men. When he did go out to fight, the battle turned against Gaal and he fled. Abimelech stayed put in a place by the name of Arumah, but his lieutenant Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives so that they could not remain in Shechem (Judges 9:22-41). Now it came about on the next day that the people went out to the field from Shechem. Abimelech was told that they had abandoned their city, so he divided his people into three companies and lay in wait out in the fields. When he looked and saw the people coming out of the city, his company arose and fought against them and slew them. Then they rushed the gate of the city of Shechem and stood in its entrance. The other two companies dashed against their opponents who were in the field and slew them also. Abimelech fought against the city of Shechem all that day. He finally captured it and killed the people who were left in it. “Then he razed (nathats- to tear down, beat down, destroy, overthrow) the city and sowed it with salt (a ritual of that time to symbolize the perpetual desolation of a city, Shechem would not be rebuilt for another 150 years).” Abimelech, in a show of mighty and unyielding force tormented his very own hometown as a sign to all who might oppose him (Judges 9:42-45).

-But the story doesn’t end there. There was a further completion of Jotham’s prophecy of a curse. When the leaders of the tower of Shechem heard of the events, they gathered together in this inner chamber tower of the city known as the temple of El-berith (God of alliance, agreement, or covenant, again a place of idolatry). A thousand people were killed as Abimelech found out that they were in there. He took his people to Mount Zalmon, outside the city, and axed down branches from the trees. He then had them carry down the branches on their shoulders, put them in the inner chamber, and set it on fire. Devastating. Abimelech next went to Thebez, camped against it, and captured it. But there was a strong tower in this city also as there was in Shechem. All the men and women of the city fled there and shut themselves in for protection as best they could, and then they went up on the roof of the tower so as to not be caught in a fire this time. So Abimelech came and fought against the people in the tower attempting to set the structure on fire as he previously had done in Shechem. “But a certain woman threw a millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull.” He quickly called to his young armor bearer to have him draw a sword to kill him so it would not be said that a woman killed him. The armor bearer obeyed, thrust him through, and the disobedient son of Gideon died horrifically. Upon seeing the destruction of this leader, the men of Israel, who had been so deceived and misinformed, each turned and departed back to his home. “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them (Judges 9:46-57).”

-*Application* God observes everything that goes on and will eventually deal righteously with any situation. For God is not mocked, whatever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7-9).

Verses to Memorize: Judges 9:56-57