Judges 9:1-6: Abimelech's Conspiracy To Become King

My dad did two things in the final hours of his life. First, he expressed that he was disappointed and had regrets, saying, “This isn’t fair!” If only he could have said with Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (1:21) Second, my dad made the family promise that there would be no fighting among us after he was gone. (James 4:1-2)

I mention these things because at the end of Judges 8 we read a lot about the death of Gideon. (8:28, 31-32)

• As Gideon approached the day of his death, would he have regrets?

• Did he call his children, all 70 of them, and make them promise they’d get along?

In Judges 8:28 we are told that the land had rest for forty years ‘in the days of Gideon’. After Israel’s victory over the Midianites Gideon lived 40 years and then died at a good old age. (32) Verse 28 reminds us that, like the other judges, Gideon will not live forever. Verse 28 primarily sets us up for verses 29-31 where we are given a summary of some things that characterized Gideon’s life during those 40 years. Sadly, like my dad, these things may have caused Gideon a lot of regret.

We began to see this in Judges 8:27 when he created an ephod. The Holy Spirit emphasized this sin before these things in 29-31 our spiritual life effects everything else in life. Gideon made an ephod because he wanted to be instructed by the LORD. Through this Gideon, his family, and all of Israel were led astray. This happens to us when we fail to know the Word of God, or add to it, or neglect it!

In verses 29 Gideon returns to Orphah and lived ‘in his own house’. Gideon probably built a very large home with the gold he’d been given. (8:24-26) The house was big enough that Gideon could have many wives and enough room for all 70 children. (probably more with daughters!)

Instead of going to the Tabernacle to worship the LORD, as the Law had instructed, Gideon went to Shechem. This was a city of idolatry. It had its own temple for Baal-berith which means, “lord of the covenant”. (9:4) In Shechem Gideon had a concubine and she bore him a son that he named Abimelech which means ‘my father is a king’. Observation: This city not only wanted religious power but they could easily be persuaded to desire political power. (Judges 9:1-6; Prov. 29:12)

We don’t read anywhere in these verses that Gideon dedicated his house to the LORD as David in Psalm 30. {Exhortation: Would we do things differently if we dedicated our home to the LORD as David did in Psalm 30? Would we honor the LORD with our time, money, talents, daily habits more?}

It doesn’t appear that Gideon had done this because he wasn’t the husband of one woman, he did not raise his children in the LORD (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), there is no mention that Gideon submitted to the ministry of the Levites, and we are not told that Gideon went to Shiloh to worship at the Tabernacle.

When we come to Judges 8:32 we begin to read about Gideon’s death, “And Gideon the son of Joash died in a good old age and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, at Orphah of the Abiezrites.” Then Verse 33 speaks of it again when we read, “As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned again and whored after the Baals and made Baal-berith their god.”

We are not told if Gideon had the same concerns that my dad had when he drew close to the day of his death. Gideon could have, or should have, had regrets because of the things that we read about in Judges 8? If Gideon did have regret for these sins, I hope that he turned to God in repentance and put his faith in God as David had in Psalm 30. We can assume that Gideon may have repented because he is mentioned in Hebrews 11:32. I hope that Gideon laid aside every weight and sin which so easily entangles and ran the race marked out for him. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Observation: In Judges 8 the Holy Spirit emphasizes the sins of Gideon. The Holy Spirit did not choose to give us any details regarding any repentance by Gideon. Therefore we wonder, did Gideon repent? We are not told, but this silence does not mean that Gideon didn’t do this. I tend to think that since Gideon is highlighted in Hebrews 11:32 he may have displayed the characteristics found in Hebrews 12:1-2 because God disciplines his children.

There are a several reasons we might have hope that Gideon did repent. First, when Gideon died the people did not continue to worship this ephod. Maybe this means that it was gone. Sadly, however, Israel’s hearts were inclined to evil so they turned away from God and made Baal-bertith their god. (8:33)

Secondly, as with other judges, during Gideon’s life he provided some righteous restraint among the people. (8:33)

Third, in Judges 9:16-20 Jotham confronts these men for the evil that they had done to Gideon’s family. In no way does the text justify what had been done. What I mean is that the killing of Gideon’s family was not judgment from the LORD for the sins mentioned in Judges 8. No, these things were condemned by the LORD and these men would endure the consequences. On the contrary, we are told that God would judge those who acted against Gideon and his family.

Forth, In Judges 8-9 Gideon is spoken very highly of by God at every opportunity that comes along. (8:35, 9:16-21, 9:56-57)

When my dad approached his death he had a concern that my brother and I would not get along. Did Gideon have concerns that his family would fight after his departure? As you begin to read Judges 9 we quickly realize that he should have been concerned about this. We read in Judges 9:1-6, “Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother's relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother's family, ‘Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.’

And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself. And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.”

In Judges 8 the people wanted to make Gideon their king but he declined their offer, but in Judges 9 one of his sons comes with his resume in hand to be made Israel’s king. On Abimelech’s resume you would not find any good qualifications that he should be king. He was not called by the LORD, no prophet like Samuel was told to make him king, he has no business experience, political experience, or military experience that would qualify him to be king. He is deceitful, arrogant, prideful, presumptuous, bitter, and murderous.

Because Abimelech lacked any legitimate qualifications to become king the only way he could get his foot in this door is to go to his his mothers relatives, to the whole clan, and to deceive them into believing that he ought to be king. He would convince them by portraying his half-brothers in an unfavorable way.

Abimelech makes two arguments to his family. First, he says, “Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?” Abimelech is arguing that there are to many cooks in the kitchen and fewer would be far better. There are to many chiefs who are wanting to rule over the people.

Secondly, Abimelech says, “Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” Abimelech is arguing that he is family, they are connected by familial bonds and if they will make him king he will treat them well. After all, blood is thicker than water. Abimelech will prove all of this by killing all of the sons of Gideon in Orphah.

I would imagine that Abimelech did not have to work very hard to convince his family to do this. All he had to do was lie to them and convince them that all of Gideon’s sons had ambitions to rule over them. He had to convince them that it is an ‘us verses them’ situation.

Consider: How often we see family bonds be the excuse to justify sin, wickedness, compromise. Jesus says to be His disciple we must be willing to follow Him and leave all these things. (Luke 14:26)

The outcome of this meeting with his family could not have gone better. Abimelech’s family agreed to speak to the leaders of Shechem. Note: If past experience with the leadership in the towns in Israel holds true this will not end well for Gideon’s sons. Remember Judges 8:4-9 and the cities of Succoth and Pennuel? Those towns would not support Gideon. Gideon’s mission was righteous and good; and yet, they would not help. But now, Abimelech is doing something evil and these leaders will obey his desires. We read, “And his mother's relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” (3)

These leaders do not pray or investigate to see if Abimelech’s story is true. No, Abimelech is proposing something that is in alignment with their own wicked hearts so that they are inclined to support this. They will provide an investment because they are convinced it will pay off for them in the end. Therefore, they take seventy-pieces of silver from the house of Baal-bertith and give it to Abimelech. Exhortation: We should search our heart to see what our motives really are when we choose to sin.

What did Abimelech do with this money? We read, “...Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. And he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone.” (5)

Summary: We have seen that Abimelech will be made king even though he did not…

• have any influence. He had to send his family to the leaders for their approval.

• have any resources. He had to be given the money that he needed.

• Have any loyal friends supporting him prior to this. He had to hire reckless and worthless men.

In the end, after this plan was carried out, there was only one survivor. Jotham survived because he hid himself, “But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.” (5) Our text ends with these words, “And all the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem.” (6) Note the contrast between verses 4&5. Jotham’s brothers have been murdered and those who did this celebrate and make the mastermind of this plan king!

If you were Jotham, how would you respond in this moment? How would a Christian deal with a tragedy like this in a biblical God pleasing way? To answer these questions lets consider Psalm 12. This psalm it sounds like it could have been written by Jotham. It begins with these words, “Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.” (12:1) Gideon, the godly one was gone, and now the faithful have now vanished.

The psalmist says in verse 2, “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.” Was not all of this true in our text? Lies were spoken and believed. The people who had forgotten the LORD would soon be judged by Him because the LORD knows what has gone on. So many today do not remember God, but that does not mean there is not a reckoning coming in a temporal sense, but also in an eternal sense.

It is in the hope of this truth that Jotham will confront Abimelech and those who have anointed him as their king after he did these evil things. Therefore Jotham could say with the psalmist in v. 3&4, “May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, ‘With our tongue we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us.’”

Suppose that you, like Jotham, had just experienced an injustice like this. Jotham just witnessed 70 of his brothers get murdered on the same rock. Many would curse God on a day like this. Many would question and accuse God if this happened to them. Do you have the knowledge of God’s word and the faith in it to hear God say on a day like this what the LORD says in verse 5? We read, “‘Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise’, says the LORD; ‘I will place him in the safety for which he longs.’”?

The psalmist them says in verse 6, “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” This evil world is filled with so many lies but the word of the LORD is true. They have been tested and found to be perfectly pure. Yet, these people love lies and have given 70 pieces of silver to Abimelech to kill Gideon’s sons. They did this because they reject God’s Word which is more valuable than silver.

Because the Word of the LORD is true Jotham will be able to say with the psalmist in verses 7-8, “You, O LORD, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever. On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among the children of man.”

At this time in Jotham’s life evil seemed to be winning. Yet we will see next week that Jotham will entrust himself to the LORD and to His Word. He has to flee and hide himself from danger to live. But most of all he entrusts himself to the LORD as vileness is exalted among the people. The enemy came, conquered, and was exalted, but the LORD would preserve, keep, and guard the righteous. We know this to be true even more in our day. God has been faithful in all generations and continues to be.