Judges 6:1-10
Conditions in Israel
Judges 6:11-24
The Commission of Gideon
Judges 6:25-40
Destroying the Pagan Altar
Judges 6:30-40
Confirming the Will of God
Judges 7:1-15
Who is on the Lord’s Side?
Judges 7:16-25
The Defeat of Gideon’s Foes
Judges 8:1-12
The Surprise Attack
Judges 8:13-23
Gideon’s Sense of Justice
Judges 8:24-35
The Concluding Days of Gideon
Judges 9:1-15
The Renegade Who Lusted for Power
Judges 9:16-29
The Troubled Reign of Abimelech
Judges 9:30-41
The Destruction of Shechem
Judges 9:42-57
Abimelech Wanted to Get Revenge
Judges 10:1-9
Servitude Under the Philistines and Ammonites
Judges 10:10-18
The Repentance of Israel
Judges 11:1-17
Jephthah’s Call to Leadership
Judges 11:18-28
Jephthah’s History Lesson
The Renegade Who Lusted for Power
Judges 9:1–15
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We should run the Christian race with sobriety, for our eternal life is at stake. Let others pursue for enjoyment what they will, but in our race everything vital is at stake. The eternal consequences of ... More
It is interesting to note that after Judges 8 Gideon’s name per se is never mentioned again. In Judges 9 he is always called Jerubbaal! He took many wives and raised a family of seventy sons for which his family would suffer bitterly. God had warned future leaders through the law about taking many wives (Duet. 17:17). His marriage to a concubine resulted in the birth of a wicked son, Abimelech.
As Abimelech grew up, he began to plot how he would promote himself to the position of king. He gained the support of the men of Shechem largely because he was the son of Gideon and he acted with the vigor characteristic of his father, but without his father’s scruples. He persuaded the people of Shechem to follow him in the raid against his brothers at Ophrah where he murdered seventy of them. By this evil act, Abimelech became the undisputed leader of the Schechemites and they immediately made him their king (vv. 1-6).
People with selfish desires often seek to fulfill them in ruthless ways. Examine your ambitions to see if they are self-centered or God centered. Jotham, Gideon’s youngest son was the only one who escaped the slaughter of his older brothers. He daringly stood on one of the lower ledges of Mt. Gerizim and challenged the people to reconsider this choice of a king. He did it in parable form which was both a protest against the shameful treatment given to the house of Gideon and a prophecy of what will happen to Abimelech’s rule (vv. 7-15).
Application
When I go against the principles laid down in God’s Word, I will suffer the consequences just as Gideon did. I need to discuss these principles with my family.
Judges 9:1-15 (English Standard Version)
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