It was quite evident therefore that Jephthah was guilty of the greatest rashness in his vow. Yet was God behind and above all; and God, deigning to employ even such a man, at such a time, and under such circumstances, to accomplish, or at least to begin, the deliverance of His people. If this be so, the captivity might be the Assyrian, and not that of the Philistines. (1.) But where was there such devotedness in doing His Father's will? With a little exertion of voice, he could easily have been heard by the people of the city; for the hill so overhangs the valley, that a person from the side or summit would have no difficulty in speaking to listeners at the base. They were filled with thoughts of destruction against Benjamin, and the remembrance that he was their brother had not even entered their minds before. The descent is great, when one bearing the name of the Lord slights His word and seeks a path of his own. Not so: they took the insult patiently; and these were persons who were called to be the witnesses of earthly righteousness. WebThe bramble said to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the There is no difference as to form. With the help of some worthless Shechemites, Abimelech killed all his brothers (except one who escaped) and established himself king in Shechem. Judges 9 Commentary Explaining The Book But that which does good to every saint and to every soul is the unqualified confidence in God and His word, which, if it does not reproduce itself in hearts purified by faith, at least deals with the consciences of all others till utterly blinded by Satan. There was the plainest proof of what God could be, even where there was but one man to work by; but this very fact showed to what a depth was Israel now sunk. It seems to me then that the reserve of the Holy Spirit is as strikingly according to God as the rashness of Jephthah is a solemn warning to man. The truest deliverance from self is in that work where all was judged, and evil put away for ever. That those who are advanced to honour and dignity are in great danger of losing their fatness and fruitfulness. . His kingdom probably consisted only of Shechem and a few towns round about (9:1-6). Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place. Judges 9:10 Then Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city; and the other two companies rushed upon all who were in the fields and killed them. There was no occasion at all for the trees to choose a king; they are all the trees of the Lord which he has planted (Psalms 104:16) and which therefore he will protect. Acts 2:38 tells the ONLY WAY one receives the gift of the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins is at adult full immersion Baptism. This indeed becomes distinctly the moral of the tale. (1.) He would destroy all the people of Shechem, both those who went out to work in the fields and those back in the town who took shelter in the city stronghold (42-49). Well, Gideon had probably a concubine in every city and so in Shechem this concubine who had born this fellow Abimelech.Abimelech came to the men of Shechem and he said, "Look, is it better that one man rule over you or seventy that rule over you? And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done. So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women. Nevertheless, I have little doubt that, though the dying hour of Samson brought more honour to God than all his life, its manner was in itself a chastening in its character; and in this, too, may one discern a representation of the condition to which Israel had come similar to what was noticed in the life and person of Samson. Those that bear fruit for the public good are justly respected and honoured by all that are wise more than those that affect to make a figure. But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women; all the people of the city; fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower. Should we not then rejoice in the Lord? It has been already said to have been an early fact in the history of the "Judges," and not chronologically near the close of the book. WebCHAPTER 9. But God was about to magnify Himself and His own ways. Here he told a parable to rebuke the men of Shechem for their choice of Abimelech as a king. ( Judges 9:28 ). Most of the resources below are newer works (written after 1970) which previously were available only for purchase in book form or in a Bible computer program. Jotham may have hidden in some empty well for a long time (cf. His secret was to keep his hair uncut, with all strength annexed to it. This latter view is the more probable, from the Shechemites ( Judges 9:24 ) aiding in it. . In senseless fury Abimelech carried his attack to other towns, but his uncontrolled rage and lack of caution soon brought about his own death. Judges 9 He who could imbrue his hands in the blood of his brethren in order to get into power, was not likely to stop at any means to retain that power when possessed. What difference does it make? Undoubtedly the iniquity was beyond measure on the part of the men of Benjamin, and an utter disgrace to God or even to Israel. Either they could not reach him or they were so far convinced that they would not add the guilt of his blood to all the rest. There is something about the elastic atmosphere of an Eastern clime which causes it to transmit sound with wonderful celerity and distinctness [Hackett]. This was an ungodly leader given to an ungodly people, who first rejected Gods leadership over the nation and then embraced a cruel and brutal man. The law was right there, but Israel refused to read or heed it. Now; in Abimelech's history we see that he had begun with the most intense selfishness taking an utterly reckless advantage of those who had a better claim to represent their father than himself. And so Abimelech led a group of vain fellows and they came to the houses of Gideon's sons and they wiped them all out with the exception of just one of his sons, Jotham. Web3 When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelek, for they said, He is related to us. 4 They gave him seventy shekels[ a] of * Yet there is little reason to suppose that the exile of the land means Shalmaneser's, but rather under the Philistines; for it was merely all the time the house of God was in Shiloh. O what a mercy it is to have God to take care of our walk! But, for fear of Abimelech, he lived in exile, in some remote obscure place. gat them up to the top of the tower--The Canaanite forts were generally mountain fastnesses or keeps, and they often had a strong tower which served as a last refuge. (The Shechemites were a group of Canaanites who lived peaceably among the Israelites; see Genesis 12:6; Genesis 34:1-31; Joshua 24:32.) Bright contrast between Samson and the man that overthrew Satan on that cross where He Himself reached the very climax of weakness! The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them This is an apologue or fable, and a very fine and beautiful one; it is fitly expressed to answer the design, and the But God reserved great things for his death. Judges 9:8 Yet there is a more secure tower than the tower of Shechem. It does not matter what the line taken may be, no good end will ever be owned by God unless the way be according to His word and righteousness. exceedingly necessary for us to learn the fact that the dismally wretched condition that we have seen throughout all the Judges was true even from early days; and therefore the Spirit of God giving us this as a sort of supplement, or a conclusion, but with such marks of time as show that it was of a comparatively early date (and this can be proved before we have done with the book), is, I think, of considerable interest and importance. Judges 9 Commentary - Commentary Critical and See Psalm 58:9. if ye in trust anoint me king over you; suspecting they were not hearty and cordial in their choice and call to the kingly authority over them: then come and put your trust in my shadow; promising protection to them as his subjects, requiring their confidence in him, and boasting of the good they should receive from him, as is common with wicked princes at their first entering on their office; but, alas! Before Abimelechs sole surviving brother went into hiding, he uttered a protest against Abimelech that predicted the effect of his rule. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. So they all cut down the boughs, and he came to the tower and he laid these boughs around, and set fire to them ( Judges 9:40-49 ); And actually cremated the people who had sought refuge there in the tower. I am far from doubting that God wrought in him whom He had made the champion of His people. It was ordered of God that it should spring from that tribe, which was more than any other marked, not merely by a weakness that portended danger to themselves, as we shall see, but by a moral laxity which would finally afford a suited subject, as indeed from the beginning it had been intimated prophetically in the last words of their father Jacob a-dying, for the fatal result of departure and apostasy from God. WebJudges 9:8. The children of Israel were in no way responsible for it. Perhaps I am mistaken, and he is not a prophet. In all ordinary cases a Nazarite was one who had taken a peculiar vow of separation to God, but lasting only for a short time. With the advantage of their superior position, Abimelech and his soldiers drove out Gaal and his men. His parable is very ingenious--that when the trees were disposed to choose a king the government was offered to those valuable trees the olive, the fig-tree, and the vine, but they refused it, choosing rather to serve than rule, to do good than bear sway. And the children of Israel enquired of Jehovah, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days.". "Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon." is this the tribe that men praise? . It was a shame that they needed to be put in mind of this. It was bad enough when Gideon had only three hundred that God would employ. And be assured that if the people of God fail in their responsibility to God, they are not to be trusted elsewhere. If God permits him for a season to do his own will, what shame and pain he must reap ere long! As man then was so prominent before their minds, so also their revenge was merciless to the bitter end. a. If I have spoken strongly, it is only, I trust, what becomes every believer. WebJudges 9:15 Commentaries: "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from "So they came to the fig trees and said, "Rule over us." II. If, therefore, they took him for their king, they might rest assured that desolation and blood would mark the whole of his reign. The bramble was too low to give shelter to any tree; and so far from being able to consume others, that the smallest fire will reduce it to ashes, and that in the shortest time. Most likely, when we talk about parables, our thoughts immediately go to the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the yeast, the pearl, the sower etc. be consumed; Psalm 58:9, Or ever your pots be made hot with thorns; Ecclesiastes 7:6, the crackling of thorns under a pot.. i. ABIMELECH IS MADE KING BY THE SHECHEMITES. Phinehas, we know, was alive during the days of the wilderness, being the leader against Midian before Moses died, and one of those that crossed the Jordan. Thus we may find the most striking manifestations of power in men as disorderly as the Corinthian Christians; but the same persons are a plain proof that it is a far harder thing to do the will of the Lord, and harder still to suffer according to God, than to work any miracles whatever. The evidence is stated here very clearly. There was at this time, as at every other, ample space for occupying here and there; and if the reason why they did not move was because they cared not for the word of God, they must take the consequences of their unbelief. It was a great way about, and extremely inconvenient. The olives are among the most beautiful trees that grow in the Holy Land. Their keenest feelings were in favour of the Levite and his concubine, wounded to the quick by the abominations of the men of Gibeah; and therefore, whatever of human affection may be in evidence, we certainly learn how little faith Jehovah could then find in the land of Israel. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. There he is. The ANSWER is: "Practice makes Perfect!" They had not done to him according to the deserving of his hands,Judges 9:16; Judges 9:16. So Abimelech and all the people who were with him rose by night, and lay in wait: Abimelech agreed with and followed the plan suggested by Zebul.
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