Abimelech (אֲבִימֶלֶךְ) is one of many bad characters whose story is told in the Bible. His name means my father is king. He staged a bloody coup against his ruling stepbrothers. He killed seventy of them. Only his youngest stepbrother, Jotham (יוֹתָם), survived. Jotham’s name means Yahweh [the Lord] is perfect. [1]
Jotham told a parable of trees against the men of Shechem who helped Abimelech to massacre his brothers. In the parable, the trees wanted to anoint one from among them to be their king. They asked the olive tree, but olive replied, “Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?” They asked the fig tree, but fig replied, “Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over trees?” They asked a vine, but vine replied, “Should I cease my new wine, which cheers both God and men, and go to sway over trees?” Finally they asked the bramble. Bramble, who was a thorn in everyone’s side, agreed, but warned that if they betrayed him, fire would come out from him and destroy them. [2]
Jothan protested his countrymen’s betrayal of Gideon his father. The Lord had used Gideon to bring about a mighty deliverance for the nation. Jotham predicted that Abimelech would destroy those who installed him as king and he would destroy them. [3]
“After Abimelech had reigned over Israel three years, God sent a spirit of ill will between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the crime done to the 70 sons of Jerubbaal might be settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brothers.” [4]
The Lord sent a spirit of ill will between the conspirators. They consumed each other. On the one hand, I pray for those who are sabotaging nations to repent and be saved from hell because hell is horrible place, and it is forever. On the other hand, I pray for them to be replaced with good leaders. Rotten people destroy people. Good people seek to save people.
In any case, God does what is right: “Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his 70 brothers. And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned on their own heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.” [5]
It is good when bad people get their comeuppance. But wait what about you and me? Have we ever taken advantage of someone? Are we hiding anything? Have we been faithful to the Lord? What did the people in the Bible do to the Lord after He delivered them from their enemies? The answer is, “They forsook the Lord and did not serve Him.” [6]
Bad things happen when we allow distance to grow between us and the Lord. Thankfully, God allows U-turns. When things got so bad, the people “cried out to the Lord, saying, ‘We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!’” [7]
Perhaps, we don’t serve Baal whose name means owner or lord, but if we are not serving the Lord, who are we serving someone. Who is it?
Let’s focus on those who ARE serving the Lord! The apostles had an excellent resolve. They said, “We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” And as a result, “The Word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.” [8]
Prayer and ministry of the Word are vital for our souls. Jesus urged us to pray for laborers for the harvest field. [9] He is looking for intercessors! To pray that the people would be delivered from deceivers, and from being deceivers themselves! To pray that indulgers of self will become deniers of self for God’s glory and for the salvation of others. Stealers will become givers! Adulterers will become covenant cherishers! Haters will become lovers.
The world needs more servants like Stephen and less kings like Abimelech. “Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. They were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.” They, “saw his face as the face of an angel.” [10] Indeed, anyone that lives for God must rely on God’s Spirit to do so. And thus, yes, the Lord shines through them. An angel is God’s messenger. “Lord of the harvest, please raise up more laborers like Stephen, and may I one of them for You.
[1] Judges 9:1-6
[2] Judges 9:7-14
[3] Judges 9:15-21
[4] Judges 9:22-24
[5] Judges 9:56-57
[6] Judges 10:6
[7] Judges 10:10
[8] Acts 6:4, 7
[9] Matthew 9:37-38
[10] Acts 6:8, 10, 15
No comments:
Post a Comment