Abimelech The Usurper

INTRODUCTION-- Every Bible reader knows the exploits of Gideon, and many sermons have been preached about him.
  1. He was a reluctant warrior, but an obedient one.
  2. He won a great victory over the Midianites, using divine tactics.
  3. After the victory, the people wanted to make him king. "Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also; for thou hast saved us out of the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you." Judges 8:22-23
    1. God had said that the kings must come from the tribe of Judah, but Gideon was of the tribe of Manasseh.
    2. His answer was, "God shall rule over you."
  4. But Gideon had an ambitious and selfish son. (Compare Ezekiel 18.)
LESSON--
  1. Gideon had 70 sons, and Abimelech was the son of a concubine who lived in Shechem. Judges 8:30-31
    1. After Gideon died, two situations marred the peace of Israel.
      1. The people returned again to the worship of Baal, forgetting the work of their judge and savior. 8:33-35
      2. Abimelech determined to reverse his father's decision to be ruler.
        1. He first recruited his friends and relatives in Shechem. 9:1-4 "And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mo-ther's brethren, and spake with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, that all the sons of Jerubbaal, who are threescore and ten persons, rule over you, or that one rule over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother. 4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light fellows, who followed him."
        2. He then made sure that he had no competition. 9:5 "And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: but Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself."
          1. Later kings of Israel followed this practice. 1 Kings 15:25-30 tells how Baasha rebelled against Nadab, son of Jeroboam, then killed all of Jeroboams descendants.
          2. The female usurper of the throne of Judah, Athaliah, daughter of Ahab of Israel, killed all the "seed royal," but failed, like Abimelech, to murder one who later became King. 2 Kings 11
  2. The Coronation of Abimelech was not as joyful as it might have been, because of Jotham. 9:6-21 "And all the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
    7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive-tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 10 And the trees said to the fig-tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig-tree said unto them, Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 12 And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my new wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to wave to and fro over the trees? 14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have dealt truly and uprightly, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands 17 (for my father fought for you, and adventured his life, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18 and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maid-servant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother); 19 if ye then have dealt truly and uprightly with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 but if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother."
    1. This is one of the "parables" of the Old Testament.
    2. Jotham's curse, at the end of the parable, came true.
  3. God caused Bad blood to come between the men of Shechem and Abimelech.
    1. Abimelech reigned three years before God caused strife between him and his supporters, in punishment for his fratricide. 9:22-25
    2. The Shechemites found a substitute leader in a man name Gaal. 9:26-34
      1. Gaal was a braggart, causing Abimelech to seek his revenge.
      2. Abimelech ambushed Gaal and his followers, and won. 9:35-41
      3. With superior tactics, Abimelech then attacked the men of Shechem, and destroyed their city. "And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 43 And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; And he rose up against them, and smote them. 44 And Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that were therein: and he beat down the city, and sowed it with salt." 9:42-45
      4. Those who escaped this slaughter fled to a tower, but Abimelech burned the tower, and about 1000 men and women in it. 9:46-49
  4. Motivated by his success against Shechem, Abimelech besieged Thebez.
    1. The tower within the city was stronger than the one he destroyed, so he was destroyed by his over-reaching ambition. "And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and drew near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armorbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56 Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; 57 and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal." 9:52-57
    2. God had the last word, and the final judgment.
APPLICATION--
  1. The sins of Abimelech were many, and deserved the judgment of God.
    1. He dishonored the stand of his father, be desiring to be king.
    2. He also dishonored God, who was not yet ready to give Israel a King. Several generations passed before the kingdom was established.
    3. He had no family loyalty, and selfishly killed his brothers.
    4. His hand was against every man, and his supporters suffered for it.
    5. When the bloodlust was on him, his murderous attitude outran his good judgment.
    6. He was humiliated in his death by a woman who cast a millstone on him.
    7. He died at the hand of one of his servants (King Saul's servants refused).
  2. The sins that can come with selfish and cruel ambition will ultimately destroy all who follow that way. No friends, only enemies and the judgment.