Abimelech

1
Abimelech

• Judges 822 957

2
Background

• You know the story of Gideon
• Tested God with the fleece
• Tested army with how they drank water
• Won the battle with pitchers and torches
• But the story does not end there
• This is the story of Gideon and his son, Abimelech

3
THE PLOT

• Gideon was asked to become their king
• Judges 822-23 22 Then the men of Israel said to
  Gideon, "Rule over us, both you and your son, and
  your grandson also for you have delivered us
  from the hand of Midian." 23 But Gideon said to
  them, "I will not rule over you, nor shall my son
  rule over you the Lord shall rule over you."
• He lived away from Shechem at Ophrah

4
THE PLOT

• Gideon was asked to become their king
• Judges 824 Then Gideon said to them, "I would
  like to make a request of you, that each of you
  would give me the earrings from his plunder." For
  they had gold earrings, because they were
  Ishmaelites.
• Gideon made an ephod (garment of the high priest)
• The people of Ophrah used it as an object of
  worship (idol).
• It became a snare to Gideon.

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THE PLOT THICKENS

• Gideon had 70 sons from many wives
• Judges 830-31 30 Gideon had seventy sons who
  were his own offspring, for he had many wives. 31
  And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore
  him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
• Abimelech decides he should be king.
• Kills all his 70 brothers except one to
  become king
• Judges 95 Then he went to his father's house at
  Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons
  of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the
  youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he
  hid himself.

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THE FABLE

• Judges 97-15
• Will the Olive tree be king?

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THE FABLE

• Judges 97-15
• Will the Olive tree be king?
• Will the Fig tree be king?

8
THE FABLE

• Judges 97-15
• Will the Olive tree be king?
• Will the Fig tree be king?
• Will the Grape vine be king?

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THE FABLE

• Judges 97-15
• Will the Olive tree be king?
• Will the Fig tree be king?
• Will the Grape vine be king?
• Will the bramble bush be king?
• Abimelech was the bramble bush
• Reigned for 3 years

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THE PLANS

• Now Shechem regrets making him king
• Judges 922-24 22 After Abimelech had reigned
  over Israel three years, 23 God sent a spirit of
  ill will between Abimelech and the men of
  Shechem and the men of Shechem dealt
  treacherously with Abimelech, 24 that the crime
  done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might be
  settled and their blood be laid on Abimelech
  their brother, who killed them, and on the men of
  Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his
  brothers.

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THE PLANS

• Judges 946 Now when all the men of the tower of
  Shechem had heard that, they entered the
  stronghold of the temple of the god Berith.
• Abimelech and his men laid branches around and
  burned the tower killing 1,000 men and women.
• Next town was Thebez
• Judges 952 So Abimelech came as far as the tower
  and fought against it and he drew near the door
  of the tower to burn it with fire.

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THE END

• Judges 953-54 53 But a certain woman dropped an
  upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed
  his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young
  man, his armorbearer, and said to him, "Draw your
  sword and kill me, lest men say of me, 'A woman
  killed him.' " So his young man thrust him
  through, and he died.
• Abilelech is dead. His great plans died with him.
• Many in Shechem died at the hands of their
  bramble bush king.

13
THE END

• Judges 956-57 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness
  of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by
  killing his seventy brothers. 57 And all the evil
  of the men of Shechem God returned on their own
  heads, and on them came the curse of Jotham the
  son of Jerubbaal.
• God punished Abimelech
• The wicked men of Shechem were punished
• The curse of Jotham came on them
• Judges 920 Jotham said, Let fire come from
  Abimelech and devour the men of Shechem and Beth
  Millo and let fire come from the men of Shechem
  and from Beth Millo and devour Abimelech!"

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THE LESSONS TO LEARN

• Good things can become bad Gideon's ephod

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THE LESSONS TO LEARN

• Good things can become bad Gideon's ephod
• Bad things can become evil Abimelech killed his
  brothers

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THE LESSONS TO LEARN

• Good things can become bad Gideon's ephod
• Bad things can become evil Abimelech killed his
  brothers
• If not stopped bad becomes worse.

17
THE LESSONS TO LEARN

• Good things can become bad Gideon's ephod
• Bad things can become evil Abimelech killed his
  brothers
• If not stopped bad becomes worse.
• God is still in control.
• Daniel 425b till you know that the Most High
  rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to
  whomever He chooses.