Judges 9
Daily Devotional from Judges 9--
Verse 56
Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.
This whole chapter is messed up. Everyone throwing their weight around, acting all macho and arrogant, acting in anger, treachery and deceit, murdering brothers and rejoicing in the crime. Messed up.
Abimelech began his story hungry for power, control, impact. Interestingly, his name means ‘my father is king.’ But he wanted to be king. And his desire, not submitted to God, drove him to a life of sin, ultimately ending in humiliation. He didn’t want anyone to know a woman had killed him – HA! We know, buddy.
The youngest brother, Jotham, who survived the massacre, and whose name means “Yahweh is perfect” helps us see a better way. He called out what looked like a problem, but realized it wasn’t his role to judge. So he shared his thoughts (via a sort of curse…or was it prophetic?) and left. And God used it (or fulfilled it). We can be self-seeking like Abimelech, and have our sin fall back on us, or we can seek God’s perfect will, and let our sin fall on Christ who bears it for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
Audrey Rogers
Verse 56
Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers.
This whole chapter is messed up. Everyone throwing their weight around, acting all macho and arrogant, acting in anger, treachery and deceit, murdering brothers and rejoicing in the crime. Messed up.
Abimelech began his story hungry for power, control, impact. Interestingly, his name means ‘my father is king.’ But he wanted to be king. And his desire, not submitted to God, drove him to a life of sin, ultimately ending in humiliation. He didn’t want anyone to know a woman had killed him – HA! We know, buddy.
The youngest brother, Jotham, who survived the massacre, and whose name means “Yahweh is perfect” helps us see a better way. He called out what looked like a problem, but realized it wasn’t his role to judge. So he shared his thoughts (via a sort of curse…or was it prophetic?) and left. And God used it (or fulfilled it). We can be self-seeking like Abimelech, and have our sin fall back on us, or we can seek God’s perfect will, and let our sin fall on Christ who bears it for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
Audrey Rogers
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