Judges 9:19-25: Waiting Upon The LORD To Fulfill His Word

Last week we saw how Jotham was given a word from the LORD. This word was meant to confront the sin of Abimelech and Shechem and give them an opportunity to repent. Their hearts were inclined toward evil and not towards repentance and faith. There was another purpose for this word. It was to comfort the faithful who desired to see justice. This word could strengthen their faith until justice was done by the LORD.

Let’s read Judges 9:19-25 states, “...If you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.And Jotham ran away and fled and went to Beer and lived there, because of Abimelech his brother. Abimelech ruled over Israel three years.”

In Judges 8 we were introduced to Abimelech. Since we were introduced to him it would seem that everything that Abimelech does is successful. This is ironic because when we first met Abimelech he would not have had the qualifications that would have ensured success like this. He had no leadership experience, no resources, and no loyal band of like-minded people around him.

Despite all of this, everything he has done has been successful. For example,

• Abimelech’s initial talk with his family about his plan went well. (9:1-2)

His families talk with the leaders of Shechem was very successful. (9:3)

• The leaders of Shechem bought into Abimelech’s plan and agreed he should be king. (9:4)

• The leaders of Shechem invested significant money into Abimelech’s plans. (9:4)

• With this money Abimelech was able to hire wicked people to carry out this plan. (9:4)

• After carrying out this plan the people of Shechem made Abimelech king. (9:6)

Despite all of this success, there was one thing that has not happened according to plan. The one thing that did not go according to plan was that they did not kill all of Gideon’s sons. Jotham, Gideon’s youngest son, was able to escape from them twice. His first escape happened on the day that the massacre took place. (5) Jotham was the lone survivor that day. Second, when Jotham heard that Abimelech was being anointed king he came out of hiding and confronted everyone who participated in these things. (7-21) In the end, after speaking to them he had to escape again and flee for his life.

When Jotham stood before them and spoke to them he was calm and composed. He did not go there to express his own words and feelings, but he went there to speak a prophetic word from the LORD. I would imagine that Jotham knew that there would be only one of two responses to what he had said. First, this was a call to repent and to return to the LORD. Secondly, those who heard these words could harden their hearts and their consciences and not repent. This is what happened because in the end Jotham had to run away and flee to Beer because of Abimelech his brother. (22)

While Jotham hid out at Beer he probably would have hoped that there would be immediate evidence that the blessing of God was not upon Abimelech and the people of Shechem. And yet, on top of all of the other success that Jotham enjoyed, it seemed as though from that day on Abimelech continued to experience great success. In the beginning it seemed like Abimelech would reign primarily over Shechem and the surrounding area (6); however, during the next three years his reign seemed to increased and spread more throughout all of Israel. In Judges 9:22 we read that ‘Abimelech ruled over Israel’. (9:22)

So imagine that you are Jotham. You have lost everything and the people who are responsible for this seem to be flourishing. You had stood before them and told them that if they had done these things with faith and integrity (16) that they should rejoice. But you had also told them that if they had not acted in faith and integrity that fire would consume them all. They do not respond well to this message and so you have to flee and hide. Then every time you hear about these people they seem to be prospering and experiencing things that they can rejoice in.

Note: Jotham’s message was that if they had done these things in faith and integrity they should rejoice. It was not that if they experienced some success in the days ahead they should rejoice. In the day’s ahead Jotham would need to consider carefully the things the LORD had said and respond in faith to that message. Jotham knew that they had risen up against Gideon and his family and had done a great injustice. (18) Any future success would be temporary. Soon, in three years, justice would come upon these same people. (22-24,56-57)

Because of all this success you would assume that Abimelech, and those associated with him, could very easily discount and dismiss the prophetic word that the LORD had spoken through Jotham. We can assume that the words that Jotham spoke would be scoffed at, ridiculed, and publicly mocked. Soon they would forget what had been spoken to them. (Judges 9:1-6)  The fact that the faithless forget these things should not surprise us. (8:34) The faithless do not remember God’s promises, His commands, or His warnings. But even if they did forget this word that had been spoke, the LORD would not forget it. No, all of His words would come to pass and they would not see it coming. 

The faithful are not like the faithless who so quickly forget the Word of the LORD! And yet, when you are going through the things that Jotham is experiencing our faith in God’s word is greatly tested and in some seasons of life it may seem to be greatly weakened. When the wicked prosper it appears that they have escaped God’s justice. (Psalm 44:23-24) It can be hard for the faithful to see the wicked prosper while they are made to suffer. (Psalm 73:13)

In Judges 9:1-22 it appears that the wicked prosper and the righteous do not. In this text it seems like nothing goes wrong for the faithless and godless, but the righteous suffer many trials and difficulties. While Jotham hides Abimelech is traveling around freely and growing in power, prosperity, and popularity.

During this time Jotham may have said with the psalmist, “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?” (Psalm 13:1-2)

During this time, when his faith was strong, he would have had confidence that God’s words would one day be proven true. (9:20) However, on those difficult, discouraging, and disappointing days he would have wondered if the day of judgment that was promised would ever come. Like you and I, Jotham’s faith would be prone to shift away from the LORD and what He had said. Therefore, during this trial Jotham would need to learn to walk by faith and not by sight. As difficult as this can be we know that in the end his faith would grow strong. (James 1:2-4; Romans:4:16-24)

What would happen if Jotham did not grow strong in his faith during this time? Well,I think that he would find himself battling two extremes. First, he would be prone to experiencing fear, panic, and dread. Secondly, he would struggle with being bitter, angry, and vengeful. During this time Jotham would either be paralyzed by fear or planning Abimelech’s downfall. Question: Are we walking by faith? Are we paralyzed by fear or plotting against our enemies?

Observation: In Judges 9:1-6 we saw that the faithless people displayed both of these extremes. Abimelech provoked the peoples fears and then they all plotted together to kill Gideon’s sons. This is how the faithless live, not God’s faithful people.

Let me ask two questions. First, during these difficult and depressing days did Jotham need a new word from the LORD? This appears to be what made Gideon make an ephod. He tried to come up with a way to receive the Word of the LORD. Second, was the word that was given in 9:7-20 sufficient for Jotham?

I think it is right to say that Jotham did not need a new word from the LORD to get him through this difficult season in life. That message that was spoken by him that day contained enough grace to preserve and make his faith strong and steady. During this time Jotham, and anyone else who desired justice, needed to daily affirm the words that were given by the LORD in Judges 9:7-20. Note: As they did this they would be different from the godless and faithless people who forget the LORD, His Word, and all He has done. (8:33-34)

Observation: What a blessing it was for Jotham to have been the instrument through which the word of the LORD came. How difficult Jotham’s life would have been if he did not have this Word to sustain him. (Ps 42:1) Having this word Jotham could wait patiently in faith for it to come to pass.

When we read Judges 9:22-25 we see that God fulfilled the word spoken by Jotham. Abimelech and the people of Shechem only enjoyed this period of time for three years. After that the LORD brought to pass everything that He had spoken through Jotham three years prior. We read, “Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountain tops, and they robbed all who passed by them along the way. And it was told to Abimelech.”

All of the success that Abimelech and the people of Shechem seemed to enjoy was short lived. Abimelech ruled for three years and during that time his reign may have been considered as a great success. When his rule came to an end it was not because he was a bad leader. No, this text says that his rule would come to an end because God fulfilled his word. To do this, the LORD would send an evil spirit. This spirit, like their master Satan, comes to kill, steal, and destroy.

I would like to close by looking at a psalm that will show us how to endure times such as these. To see this, let us look at Psalm 52. In this psalm David is experiencing something similar to what Jotham was. David has been anointed as Israel’s king but Saul is still on the throne. David is forced to run and hide from Saul. Often times it seems that David is only one step ahead of Saul and his life is always in danger.

During that time a wicked and wreckless man named Doeg speaks evil of David and those who have helped him. As a result, all of the men who helped David with provisions are killed by Saul. Tragically, in the end almost 90 innocent men were killed by Saul. Like our story in Judges there is only one son, Abiathar, who survives and he returns to David and tells him what has happened.

It was upon this occasion that David wrote this psalm. Verse 1 begins with these words, “Why do you boast of evil, O mighty (warrior, hero) man?” At this time David is on the run and his enemies are continually boasting of evil. How easily such boasting can capture our attention and shift our faith away from the LORD and His Word. So where should our attention stay? Verse 1b shows us what David chose to focus upon during this time, saying, “The steadfast love of God endures all day.” During this time David would place his faith upon the steadfast love of God all day long. In those times that he neglected to do this his faith would shift to other things and he would struggle.

Verses 2-4 describe the evil boast of these people, “Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, your worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.” Whereas David was committed to considering the steadfast love of the LORD all the day long, faithless people have their hearts set upon evil things. In fact, their hearts are inclined to love evil things and from their mouths come plotting, sharp hurtful words, deceitful words, lying words, and destructive words.

Verse 5 says, “But God will break you down forever; He will snatch and tear you from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living.” David’s enemies were ‘mighty’ but the LORD would do four things to them. He would break them down forever. He would do this by snatching and tearing them from their comfortable surroundings. He would uproot them so that they would never be able to return again. This is what God had done to the Midianites when they could raise their heads no more. (8:28)

We read in verses 6-7, “The righteous will see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction.’” When the righteous look to God in faith for justice they can be assured that they will see it come to pass. They are not to seek revenge, but they are to wait upon the LORD till they they see what the LORD does. When they see it they will marvel and experience awe. (Dt.26:5-11) We are told that the righteous will laugh but this does not mean that they will laugh at the misery and suffering of their enemies. We are commanded not to do this in scripture. They will, however, rejoice in the fact that God’s righteous judgment is being seen, experienced, and enjoyed after the wicked are no more. (26:5-11) Light is coming into the darkness.

The future of the faithful is far different than what the wicked and faithless will experience. They will not be uprooted,; rather, they will be ‘like a green olive tree in the house of God.’ Their trust in the steadfast love of God will not be in vain because they will live forever with God. (8) Therefore, they will thank the LORD forever for all that He has done.

The psalmist ends this psalm in verse 9 by saying that because of these truths he ‘will wait’ for the LORD because He is good. He will do this in the presence of other godly people who have had this same experience of God. By patiently waiting in faith through all of these things the psalmist, David, will come to know the goodness of God. It is one thing to know the facts about God, but it is even better to taste and see that the LORD is good. (Psalm 34:8) The LORD is a good God, a good Savior, a good refuge. Therefore, while waiting we trust in the steadfast love of God.

Recap: What can we learn from this Maskil (a psalm intended to teach us God’s Word)?

1. Meditate upon the LORD all the day long and not upon the enemy. (1)

2. Meditate upon the Word of God and not on the words of the enemy. (2-4)

3. Do not love what the enemy loves. Love the LORD and thank him for his steadfast love. (2-4,9)

4. Consider the outcome of the wicked even though now they prosper. (5)

5. Consider the fact that they are not accepted before God as the faithful are. (5)

6. By faith look for the LORD to fulfill His Word and rejoice in these things. (6)

7. By faith recognize the futility of the things the faithless have trusted in. (7)

8. By faith understand that you have every spiritual blessing in Christ and your inheritance is greater than anything in this world. (8)

9. Reaffirm your trust in the steadfast love of the LORD forever. (8)

10. Thank the LORD continually for what he has done and will do. (9)

11. Continue to wait upon the LORD and find encouragement in other faithful people. (9)