Judg 9:5 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter is a sequel to the last verses of the previous chapter. There mention is made of a renewed deviation from the LORD. Here we read about a further leaving Him. The result is slavery and humiliation. Here, however, slavery is not the result of hostile power from the outside, but from the inside. The previous lessons are about the attitude of the people toward their enemies. The lesson we see in the history of Abimelech has to do with the relationships within the people of God. In Abimelech we meet someone who, instead of fighting the enemies, rules over God’s people. The longest chapter of this book is dedicated to him and his behavior, a chapter of no less than fifty-seven verses. Abimelech is not a deliverer of Israel, but someone who represent a principle that we also see in the case of a certain Diotrephes. Diotrephes is mentioned in the third letter of John. He is the one “who loves to be first among them” ( ). He is one who presumes authority, to the exclusion of others, as John further says of him: “He does not accept what we say.” He does not tolerate competition. This practice is illustrated in Abimelech. What is striking is that he does not mention the name of God one time. He is also one of those dark figures who in the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of the man of sin, the antichrist. This is something we should also think about when we are dealing with his history. Most importantly, however, is that he shows something of what is present in the heart of each of us. To be the first, the most important one, is in the blood of all of us. What we need is to look at the Lord Jesus Who has emptied Himself and became the Servant of all. He Who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” ( ). He has not only said it, but also done it. Therefore He can say to His disciples, if they argue about who of them should be the greatest (so it was in them as well): “But [it is] not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines [at the table] or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines [at the table]? But I am among you as the one who serves” ( ). When thinking about Abimelech’s performance, let us always pay attention to the contrast with the performance of our Savior. From Abimelech we do not read that he is called judge. Nor is he raised up by God to deliver Israel. Perhaps because of the meaning of his name – his name means ‘my father is king’ – he got the idea of claiming dominion on the basis of succession. His father was the leader of the people, he would be too. In any case, he comes to claim what his father has refused ( ) and thus starts ”lording” over God’s people (cf. ). He is the one Paul speaks of when he says to the elders of the church in Ephesus: “From among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” ( ). He is a Diotrephes. Abimelech is the type of people who run the church as managers run their business. Such a person will always try to gather people around him in order to realize his ideas about being a church and to implement changings. He will do this by giving favors, by which one feels obliged to him. His recruitment campaign is running well and his language is popular. Abimelech acts as if he wants to stand up for the interests of his family and cleverly connects to their feelings, while pushing aside his seventy half-brothers. He does not present himself as the son of Gideon, but takes on the character of his mother. Gideon undoubtedly raised his seventy sons in his own home, while Abimelech grew up in Shechem. With Abimelech there is no respect for his half-brothers. Once he is chosen, he kills them. For this he pays per person a silver piece to unworthy people who capture and control the entire club of seventy men, while Abimelech kills them one by one on one stone. Perhaps this was the stone Joshua set up in Shechem as a witness against the people ( ). The fact that the money comes from the idol temple does not bother him at all. Abimelech wants to exalt himself and resembles the person described in Daniel 11 ( ). Reference has already been made to the agreement between Abimelech and the antichrist. The characteristics of the antichrist are described, among other places, in 1 John 2, 1 John 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2 ( ; ). The antichrist works as Abimelech does. He too will be able to win the favor of the people with soothing words ( ; ). In Absalom, a son of David, we also find this characteristic, the use of flattery. We read of him: “So Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel” ( ). This is what Abimelech does here. One man escaped the massacre (cf. ). That’s Jotham. His name means “the LORD is perfect”. He is a true witness to his name. God will never be without a witness. Jotham gives his testimony in the following verses. He is a true Antipas ( ), which means ‘one against all’. He represents the faithful remnant that God preserves in all times according to His gracious choice ( ). Abimelech is the first person to be declared king in Israel. He completely disregards the demands of God, which He has had written down in the law for this ministry ( ). Ironically, the celebration takes place near the tree by Shechem where Joshua wrote the words of the covenant in the book of God ( ).

‏ Judges 9:5

Introduction

This chapter is a sequel to the last verses of the previous chapter. There mention is made of a renewed deviation from the LORD. Here we read about a further leaving Him. The result is slavery and humiliation. Here, however, slavery is not the result of hostile power from the outside, but from the inside. The previous lessons are about the attitude of the people toward their enemies. The lesson we see in the history of Abimelech has to do with the relationships within the people of God.

In Abimelech we meet someone who, instead of fighting the enemies, rules over God’s people. The longest chapter of this book is dedicated to him and his behavior, a chapter of no less than fifty-seven verses. Abimelech is not a deliverer of Israel, but someone who represent a principle that we also see in the case of a certain Diotrephes. Diotrephes is mentioned in the third letter of John. He is the one “who loves to be first among them” (3Jn 1:9). He is one who presumes authority, to the exclusion of others, as John further says of him: “He does not accept what we say.” He does not tolerate competition.

This practice is illustrated in Abimelech. What is striking is that he does not mention the name of God one time. He is also one of those dark figures who in the Old Testament are a foreshadowing of the man of sin, the antichrist. This is something we should also think about when we are dealing with his history.

Most importantly, however, is that he shows something of what is present in the heart of each of us. To be the first, the most important one, is in the blood of all of us. What we need is to look at the Lord Jesus Who has emptied Himself and became the Servant of all. He Who “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).

He has not only said it, but also done it. Therefore He can say to His disciples, if they argue about who of them should be the greatest (so it was in them as well): “But [it is] not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant. For who is greater, the one who reclines [at the table] or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines [at the table]? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Lk 22:26-27). When thinking about Abimelech’s performance, let us always pay attention to the contrast with the performance of our Savior.

Seizure of Power

From Abimelech we do not read that he is called judge. Nor is he raised up by God to deliver Israel. Perhaps because of the meaning of his name – his name means ‘my father is king’ – he got the idea of claiming dominion on the basis of succession. His father was the leader of the people, he would be too. In any case, he comes to claim what his father has refused (Jdg 8:22-23) and thus starts ”lording” over God’s people (cf. 1Pet 5:3). He is the one Paul speaks of when he says to the elders of the church in Ephesus: “From among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).

He is a Diotrephes. Abimelech is the type of people who run the church as managers run their business. Such a person will always try to gather people around him in order to realize his ideas about being a church and to implement changings. He will do this by giving favors, by which one feels obliged to him. His recruitment campaign is running well and his language is popular.

Abimelech acts as if he wants to stand up for the interests of his family and cleverly connects to their feelings, while pushing aside his seventy half-brothers. He does not present himself as the son of Gideon, but takes on the character of his mother. Gideon undoubtedly raised his seventy sons in his own home, while Abimelech grew up in Shechem.

With Abimelech there is no respect for his half-brothers. Once he is chosen, he kills them. For this he pays per person a silver piece to unworthy people who capture and control the entire club of seventy men, while Abimelech kills them one by one on one stone. Perhaps this was the stone Joshua set up in Shechem as a witness against the people (Jos 24:25-27). The fact that the money comes from the idol temple does not bother him at all.

Abimelech wants to exalt himself and resembles the person described in Daniel 11 (Dan 11:36). Reference has already been made to the agreement between Abimelech and the antichrist. The characteristics of the antichrist are described, among other places, in 1 John 2, 1 John 4 and 2 Thessalonians 2 (1Jn 2:22 ; 1Jn 4:3; 2Thes 2:3-4). The antichrist works as Abimelech does. He too will be able to win the favor of the people with soothing words (Psa 55:21; Dan 11:32). In Absalom, a son of David, we also find this characteristic, the use of flattery. We read of him: “So Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel” (2Sam 15:6). This is what Abimelech does here.

One man escaped the massacre (cf. 2Chr 22:10-12). That’s Jotham. His name means “the LORD is perfect”. He is a true witness to his name. God will never be without a witness. Jotham gives his testimony in the following verses. He is a true Antipas (Rev 2:13), which means ‘one against all’. He represents the faithful remnant that God preserves in all times according to His gracious choice (Rom 11:5).

Abimelech is the first person to be declared king in Israel. He completely disregards the demands of God, which He has had written down in the law for this ministry (Deu 17:14-20). Ironically, the celebration takes place near the tree by Shechem where Joshua wrote the words of the covenant in the book of God (Jos 24:26).