Judges 10:7-9 He Sold Them!

 7So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites, 8who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.

9The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress.

He Sold Them!

“If Israel wanted to serve the gods of the Philistines and the Amorites, God would allow them to do so. He allowed them in the fullest sense, by selling them into servitude to the Philistines and Amorites.”

“Of course, Israel was never blessed when they served these other gods. Instead, they were harassed and oppressed; they were severely distressed - but God gave them what they wanted.” (Guzik)

I find it interesting that the LORD “sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites,” because of their grave sins of worshipping other gods. 

This should give us cause for reflection, to examine our lives for other gods! 

What have we given higher priority that the Lord? Television, sports, politics, social media, alcohol, drugs, pornography….. _________, (fill in the blank).

If we have been sold into servitude, remember it’s from our own choosing!

Blessings 

Judges 10:1-4 Book of Life

 1After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose up to save Israel. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim.

2Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir.

“We are not told much about the career of the judge Tola; only that his service as a judge lasted a relatively long time (twenty-three years).” (Guzik)

3Tola was followed by Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4He had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys. And they had thirty towns in the land of Gilead, which to this day are called Havvoth-jair.

5When Jair died, he was buried in Kamon.

“We also know little about Jair’s service as a leader of Israel. We do know that he served for about the same number of years as Tola before him (twenty-two years).” (Guzik)

Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns: This shows that Jair was a polygamous man, and a man of wealth and prestige. His many sons had fancy transportation and their own territory to rule. Jair never took the title of king, but it seems that he acted like one. (Guzik)

Ecclesiastes 1: 4Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.

When we are young, life seems to go on and on, forever. But when we grow old and we experience those we love die off, the realization hits us that life is short! We don’t know what tomorrow brings, another death? It’s the choices we make here and now that last for an eternity. 

My salvation rests in Jesus Christ so that I know where my home is.

Brethren, we will not be written about in the Bible like these two judges but if you are in Christ, your name is written down in the Book of Life! 

Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

I have a “lake of fire” insurance policy underwritten by Jesus Christ, do you?

Blessings 

Judges 9:56-57 Rejecting God’s Warnings!

 56In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father [Jerubbaal] in murdering his seventy brothers. 57And God also brought all the wickedness of the men of Shechem back upon their own heads. So the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal came upon them.

“We can be certain that God will repay wickedness, either in this life or the life to come. Often God finds a way to do it both in this life and the life to come.” (Guzik)

“God had warned the men of Shechem through Jotham. Yet they rejected the warning of God, and therefore came to ruin.” (Guzik)

With the warning, repentance should have followed! Many times in the Bible we have examples of God’s warnings followed by repentance.

2 Samuel 12:1 Amp And the LORD sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him, “There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor. 

Read the chapter for the full story. David confessed his sin of adultery and murder.

“We should each consider if God is warning us about something in the present time. The story of Abimelech, the men of Shechem, and Jotham shows us that there is a real and terrible price to pay for rejecting God’s warnings.” (Guzik)

John Newton, a former slave trader who also wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace,” said, “I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”

Brethren, no mater how great your sin is, repent and leave it at the foot of the cross!

Is Christ your great Savior, or are you going to pay the terrible price for rejecting God’s warnings?

Blessings 

https://aboutbibleverses.com/bible-verse-about-gods-warnings/

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