Judges 9:50-55 Killed on a Stone, Died by a Stone!

 50Then Abimelech went to Thebez, encamped against it, and captured it. 51But there was a strong tower inside the city, and all the men, women, and leaders of the city fled there. They locked themselves in and went up to the roof of the tower.

52When Abimelech came to attack the tower, he approached its entrance to set it on fire. 53But a woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 54He quickly called his armor-bearer, saying, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’ ”

So Abimelech’s armor-bearer ran his sword through him, and he died. 55And when the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they all went home.

“After his brutal victory at the tower of Shechem, Abimelech probably thought he was an expert at attacking towers. He went to Thebez and attacked the city and the tower there.” (Guzik)

This was probably a stone used to grind grain by hand. “Such hand-stones averaged ten to fourteen inches long and weighed five pounds or more.” (Wood)

“Abimelech considered it manlier to be killed by his own armor bearer; but he was still dead afterward. Proud even in death, he then had to answer to God for his wicked actions.” (Guzik)

“Yet long after his death, the credit continued to be given to the woman (cf. 2 Samuel 11:21).” (Wolf)

“But commentators observe it for a just hand of God upon Abimelech, that upon one stone he had slain his seventy brethren, and now a stone slayeth him: his head had stolen the crown of Israel, and now his head is smitten.” (Trapp)😳

Killed on a stone, died by a stone!

Hebrews 10: 30For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

2 Timothy 4: 1I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom: 

Brethren, if you aren’t washed with the blood 🩸 of Jesus Christ how will you pay the penalty of sin? A stone for a stone as Abimelech?

Blessings 

Judges 9:46-49 Fort and a sanctuary!

 46On hearing of this, all the leaders in the tower of Shechem entered the inner chamber of the temple of El-berith.j 47And when Abimelech was told that all the leaders in the tower of Shechem were gathered there, 48he and all his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Abimelech took his axe in his hand and cut a branch from the trees, which he lifted to his shoulder, saying to his men, “Hurry and do what you have seen me do.”

49So each man also cut his own branch and followed Abimelech. Then they piled the branches against the inner chamber and set it on fire above them, killing everyone in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women.

“Though Abimelech was an ungodly and violent man, he did understand some basic principles of leadership. He understood the importance of leading through the example of one’s own actions. He could tell his troops to do as I have done, and they did.”

“With this, Abimelech massacred the last survivors of the city of Shechem, killing about a thousand men and women. This graphically fulfilled the warning of Jotham earlier in the chapter (Judges 9:19-20).” (Guzik)

“This was as if a man should run into a stack of straw or barrel of gunpowder, to secure himself from a raging fire. Their covenant with Baal, that image of jealousy (Ezekiel 8:3), was the cause of their ruin. They looked upon this hold as both a fort and a sanctuary; but it saved them not.” (Trapp)

temple of El-berith, (El-berith  was another name for Baal-berith ; see verse 4.)

4So they gave him seventy shekels of silverb from the temple of Baal-berith,…

Baal-berith couldn’t save them! But look at our God!

Proverbs 18: 10The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

the righteous run to it and are safe.

Psalm 61: 3For You have been my refuge,

a tower of strength against the enemy.

Is the Lord your strong tower, your refuge and your strength?

Blessings 

Judges 9:42-45 Violence begets Violence!

42The next day the people of Shechem went out into the fields, and this was reported to Abimelech. 43So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.

44Then Abimelech and the companies with him rushed forward and took their stand at the entrance of the city gate. The other two companies rushed against all who were in the fields and struck them down. 45And all that day Abimelech fought against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.

“With the resistance of Gaal defeated, Abimelech would find it easy to establish his control over the city of Shechem again. Both outside and inside the city, they effectively attacked and killed the people of Shechem (even those not directly involved in the rebellion).” (Guzik)

The people, apparently confident that the matter was concluded, went out into the fields as usual to engage in their daily occupations.” (Cundall)

“Indeed, Shechem was not rebuilt until the reign of Jeroboam I, almost two centuries later (1 Kings 12:25).” (Wolf)

“This shows the problem of following a man who comes to power through violence. Commonly, it is only a matter of time until the same violence is turned against those who helped him come to power.” (Guzik)

Reminds me of a Proverb!

Proverbs 4:

A fathers instruction

14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

15Avoid it; do not travel on it.

Turn from it and pass on by.

16For they cannot sleep

unless they do evil;

they are deprived of slumber

until they make someone fall.

17For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

Violence begets violence!

Matthew 26: 52“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him. “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

Turn from violence! Ask yourself WWJD? What would Jesus do?

Blessings 

Judges 9:34-41 Gloating

 34So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

35Now Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelech and his men came out from their hiding places.

36When Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the mountains!”

But Zebul replied, “The shadows of the mountains look like men to you.”

37Then Gaal spoke up again, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land,h and one company is coming by way of the Diviners’ Oak.i”

38“Where is your gloating now?” Zebul replied. “You said, ‘Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?’ Are these not the people you ridiculed? Go out now and fight them!”

39So Gaal went out before the leaders of Shechem and fought against Abimelech, 40but Abimelech pursued him, and Gaal fled before him. And many Shechemites fell wounded all the way to the entrance of the gate. 41Abimelech stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his brothers out of Shechem.

“Abimelech agreed with and followed the plan suggested by Zebul.”

“Zebul deceived Gaal, allowing Abimelech’s troops to take position. With the advantage of their superior position, Abimelech and his soldiers drove out Gaal and his men.”

“When Zebul knew that Gaal was at a disadvantage, he could not resist rebuking him for his proud, arrogant words against Abimelech, an enemy he could not defeat.” (Guzik)

“Gaal probably was not prepared for a siege; so he had little choice but to leave the city walls behind and confront Abimelech out in the open.” (Wolf)

Gloating 

The Lord our God doesn’t like a prideful person and gloating is a result of pride.

Jesus said in Luke 18: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed,a ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and pay tithes of all that I acquire.’

13But the tax collector stood at a distance, unwilling even to lift up his eyes to heaven. Instead, he beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

May we all be like the tax collector in saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner!’”

Blessings 

Judges 9:30-33 With a Surprise Attack!

 30When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31He sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and they are stirring up the city against you. 32Now then, get up during the night, you and the people who are with you, and set up an ambush in the field. 33Then in the morning, at sunrise, you will get up early and rush upon and attack the city; and when Gaal and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them [d]whatever you can.”

“Zebul, the “city manager” on behalf of Abimelech, told Abimelech all about Gaal and this rebellion. Zebul advised Abimelech to come and attack the city.” (Guzik)

With a surprise attack!

Recently in the news there was a surprise attack in Israel that supposedly was a year in the planning.

From studying the Old Testament we learn that every time the Israelites turned from the one true God that He would allow evil armies to rise up, attack and destroy their cities and lead them into captivity.

Brethren, we are drawing closer to the end times as predicted in the Bible.

Please pray for peace. 🙏 

Blessings 

Judges 9:26-29 Drunken parties and openly cursing!

26Meanwhile, Gaal son of Ebed came with his brothers and crossed into Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27And after they had gone out into the fields, gathered grapes from their vineyards, and trodden them, they held a festival and went into the house of their god; and as they ate and drank, they cursed Abimelech.

28Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? You are to serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem. Why should we serve Abimelech? 29If only this people were under my authority, I would remove Abimelech; I would say to him, ‘Muster your army and come out!’ ”

“The men of Shechem lost their confidence in Abimelech, so they chose a new leader named Gaal, the son of Ebed.”

“The men of Shechem were so confident that their new leader Gaal could protect them against Abimelech that they started throwing drunken parties and openly cursing Abimelech and challenging him to a fight (“Increase your army and come out!”).” (Guzik)

Drunken parties and openly cursing!

“mistakes, and jealousies, and dissensions, and heart-burnings, which would end in civil wars and mutual ruin.” (Poole)”

Buckle in, here it comes! To be continued!

Ephesians 5:18 BSB Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

5:18 AMP Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him.

James 3: 8But no one can tame the human tongue; it is a restless evil [undisciplined, unstable], full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God. 10Out of the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. These things, my brothers, should not be this way [for we have a moral obligation to speak in a manner that reflects our fear of God and profound respect for His precepts]. AMP

Brethren, the Bible has a lot to say about wine (alcohol) and about the tongue (cursing). When it comes to consumption and our words we can guard ourselves from the devil with a simple acronym, WWJD? What Would Jesus Do?

Dear Heavenly Father, please help us become more in the image of Your Son. Help us all to stop and think, WWJD. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Blessings 

Judges 9:22-25 Commission

 22After Abimelech had reigned over Israel for three years, 23God sent a spirit of animosity between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem and caused them to treat Abimelech deceitfully, 24in order that the crime against the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come to justice and their blood be avenged on their brother Abimelech and on the leaders of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.

25The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.

reigned: “is unique to the book and is perhaps chosen to distinguish Abimelech’s ill-fated rule from that of the true judges. Abimelech was more like a tyrant than a king.” (Wolf)

“The extent of Abimelech’s kingdom was very limited; only Shechem, Beth-millo, Arumah (Judges 9:41) and Thebez (Judges 9:50) are mentioned as under his jurisdiction and it is unlikely that it extended beyond a portion of western Manasseh.” (Cundall)

“God gave the devil commission to enter into or work upon their minds and hearts; knowing that he of himself, and by his own inclinations, would fill them with mistakes, and jealousies, and dissensions, and heart-burnings, which would end in civil wars and mutual ruin.” (Poole)

“Prompted by the spirit of ill will, the men of Shechem set ambushes on the mountain roads, hoping to disrupt the trade routes that profited Abimelech.” (Guzik)

“This would have the effect of reducing the number of travelers and caravans in such a troubled area, thus emptying the pockets of Abimelech as well as hitting at his pride, for he could not guarantee the safety of travel in his domain.” (Cundall)

Commission 

Poole uses an interesting description in his commentary on what God allowed the devil to do. 

God gave Satan commission over Job due to him being “a man who is blameless and upright, who fears God and shuns evil.””

Job 1: 12“Very well,” said the LORD to Satan. “Everything he has is in your hands, but you must not lay a hand on the man himself.”

God gives Satan commission for His purposes, be it mutual ruin of sinners or to test a blameless and upright person like Job.

It’s hard to wrap your mind around it, isn’t it?

Dear Heavenly Father please give us the faith to withstand any test, be it by man, the devil or commissioned by You. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Blessings