OVERVIEW:
Abimelech’s rise to power and his subsequent death; the oppression of the Ammonites; Jephthah’s deliverance of Israel and vow to God.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Although Gideon’s fame as a courageous judge of Israel is secured in biblical history (Hebrews 11:32), the inviolable law of sowing and reaping enters the picture as we move into chapter 9 in today’s reading. (Galatians 6:7–8) The seeds of rebellion and pride that we witnessed Gideon sow at the end of chapter 8 (8:27–31) are already beginning to bear some nasty fruit. As we enter chapter 9, God details for us the consequences of what Proverbs 15:25 calls the “house of the proud”. Abimelech, the son of Gideon by his concubine (8:31), is a proud, egotistical, “self-monger” whose whole motive and purpose in life was to gain power! He is determined to set himself up as the king in the kingdom. (9:1–4)
Because the Bible tells us that one of the chief characteristics of those living in the last days will be a preoccupation with and love for “SELF” (2nd Timothy 3:2), much like what is being revealed in Abimelech, we would do well to “examine ourselves” (2nd Corinthians 13:5) to see if there are any areas of our life where, we too, in our pride, might be being driven by the pursuit of prestige, power, and/or position. In other words, are we somehow secretly striving to set ourselves up as a “king” in our own little “kingdom”? We may need to take an honest look at the motive behind our service for Christ to determine whether it is really for Him or for ourselves. Prior to coming to Christ, we were all driven by our pride to the exaltation of SELF. (Mark 8:34) Sadly, many have simply changed the arena from which they seek to exalt self. Whereas it used to be the world, now it is the church. (3rd John 9) God forbid!
Note also, that Gideon’s sin, at the end of chapter 8, also becomes a warning to all parents. The biblical principle that we witness in scripture is that whatever parents do in moderation, their children will typically do in excess. The “minor” exaltation of SELF manifest in Gideon in 8:27, becomes “major” in and through Abimelech. Abimelech is so enamored with SELF that he actually murdered all of his next-of-kin, 70 of his own brethren! The only one that wasn’t murdered was Jotham, and the only reason he escaped was because he hid himself! Oh, may we learn that sin is not to be trifled with! The remainder of chapter 9 simply chronicles the continuation of Abimelech’s ravenous selfishness and self-centeredness. But notice, God always pays his debts and no sin goes unnoticed! By the end of the chapter, Abimelech is killed by a wise woman (Proverbs 1:20–33), who had taken shelter in a strong tower (Psalm 61:3), using a Rock (1st Corinthians 10:4) that she dropped on his big head!
In chapters 10-12, once again, we find Israel in one of their repeated cycles of sin. The real issue is that they were willing to serve any god who would make them happy. They wanted their own way, their desires fulfilled, their ego boosted, and that, my friend, is a collision course for disaster! The choice to serve self is sin, and sin always leads to sorrow and death. (James 1:15) It becomes increasingly difficult to understand, much less to tolerate, the blatant foolishness and rebellion of God’s people, Israel. How could they possibly experience all of His blessings, and repeatedly turn their backs on Him? Yet, how can we, who likewise, have been overly blessed by God, and have even seen the consequences of Israel’s choices, do less than make a final end to our own flirting with the world, the flesh, and the devil? We must, once and for all, make the decision that “It is ENOUGH! I am not my own, I have been bought by the blood of God’s dear Son, and by God’s grace and power, sin will no longer control me!” When we cry out to God, broken by our sin, we can be sure that He will hear us, and deliver us from its dominion. (1st John 5:14–15; Romans 6:12–14)
In keeping with their pattern, in 10:10, Israel cries out to God again; and in keeping with His pattern, once again, God sends them a deliverer. This time it was Jephthah, another incredible picture of Jesus Christ. Jephthah was a mighty man of valor who was the son of a harlot (Judges 11:1), who was rejected by his brethren (Judges 11:2–3), and went away to live in the land of Tob (which means “blessing, joy, beautiful, and righteous”). While he was in Tob, he gathered vain (or “empty”) men unto himself, and was later called home, by Israel during a time of tribulation, to deliver them from their oppressors. He then came back as the captain of their salvation. (Judges 11:6)
Just in case you weren’t connecting all of those dots, check this out:
Jesus, too, was a mighty man of valor who was accused of being the Son of a harlot (John 8:41). He, too, was rejected by His brethren (Luke 19:14), and He, too, went away to a place like Tob, a beautiful place of blessing, joy, and righteousness. (Psalm 48:2) While He is there, He continues to gather vain or “empty” men and women to Himself as worshippers. He will come back, at the end of the Great Tribulation, to deliver Israel and to be the captain of their salvation! (Hebrews 2:10; Revelation 19) Again, I say, this book is absolutely amazing!
Though, to this point, Jephthath had been a beautiful type of Christ, the sad reality is, that like many of the Old Testament pictures of Christ, Jephthah found a way to totally get his life jacked up! He made a horrendous mistake by vowing a vow to God that resulted in him foolishly and sinfully burning his own daughter as a sacrifice, supposedly to God! (Judges 11:34–40) Wow! Though Jephthah’s “mistake” was certainly extreme, his mistake is very common throughout the history of God’s people! Jephthah thought there was something he could DO to EARN the blessing and/or favor of God. He thought that by vowing his vow, He could get God on his side. The crazy irony of it all was that God was already on his side! No human work, or any accumulation of them, can ever earn God’s graciously given favor (Ephesians 2:8-9), or make us the recipient of more of His power. (Acts 1:8) He gives it all to us FREELY! (1st Corinthians 2:12) Oh, may Jephthah’s horrific debacle teach us this invaluable lesson!
Though this is an incredibly sad chapter in Jephthah’s life (not to mention an incredibly sad chapter in the Bible!) it is also a blessing in the fact that God has set His Book apart from every other book in the world because of His honesty regarding its heroes. (Other examples include Noah, Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, Elijah, et al!) God is a straight shooter, who simply tells it the way it is…or was! He doesn’t sugarcoat or mask anything! The Bible is a real book, about real people; people just like me and you! Hallelujah!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
As THE STRONG TOWER – Judges 9:51 (Psalm 18:2, 61:3)
Through JEPHTHAH – Judges 11–12 (see details in “Highlights and Insights” above)