And the ladies would come and just pour their wheat in the little groove and as the millstone would go by and it'd grind the wheat into flour. You come and reign over us! WebJudges 9:8 - Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible A parabolical discourse, usual among the ancients, especially in the eastern parts; wherein, under the names of trees, men are represented. It was ordered of God that it should spring from that tribe, which was more than any other marked, not merely by a weakness that portended danger to themselves, as we shall see, but by a moral laxity which would finally afford a suited subject, as indeed from the beginning it had been intimated prophetically in the last words of their father Jacob a-dying, for the fatal result of departure and apostasy from God. When Abimelech had reigned three years--His reign did not, probably at first, extend beyond Shechem; but by stealthy and progressive encroachments he subjected some of the neighboring towns to his sway. What an honour when Israel are permitted to take up only the cause of God! The case before us, in Judges 17:1-13; Judges 18:1-31, is one where God was openly, deliberately, and systematically dishonoured. They looked upon this hold as both a fort and a sanctuary; but it saved them not. (Trapp). 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. And the men of Judah said, Why are ye come up against us? There is no difference as to form. I can stand on the stage and drop a pin and you can hear it sitting up there in the amphitheater with several hundred people. This again makes the case of Israel still more clear, because it might have been supposed that surely the Amorite must be put out of the way, seeing that that most wicked race was devoted expressly to destruction. And go to sway over trees? What a picture of the true state of things! Of this tribe Samson was born. The fact was that some other races and peoples had dispossessed the Ammonites of these lands. "As they did unto me, so have I done unto them." i. And he looked, and there were the people, coming out of the city; and he rose against them and attacked them. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. That God may listen to you! But, (2.) (2.) Even his father and mother knew nothing about their son's movements. With the help of some worthless Shechemites, Abimelech killed all his brothers (except one who escaped) and established himself king in Shechem. Judges 9:8 - Niobi aka Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes ', To report dead links, typos, or html errors or suggestions about making these resources more useful use the convenient, Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament, Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. It is at least certain that the whole business was heinously evil, and none the less because Micah settles down with the persuasion, "Now know I that Jehovah will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest" (ver. Nor should we wonder at it. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. That, which they hoped would have been for their welfare, proved a snare (f) Abimelech will destroy the nobles of Shechem. That those who are preferred to places of public trust and power must resolve to forego all their private interests and advantages, and sacrifice them to the good of the community. Who's Abimelech? Either they could not reach him or they were so far convinced that they would not add the guilt of his blood to all the rest. But God reserved great things for his death. The descent is great, when one bearing the name of the Lord slights His word and seeks a path of his own. So in this rash vow says Jephthah, "it shall be that whatsoever," etc. And the angel of Jehovah appeared unto the woman" with the promise that a child should be born, at the same time enjoining that she was to drink no wine nor strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing; and that, when the child was born, no razor was to come upon his head. . . More he knew not, nor wished to learn. This graphically fulfilled the warning of Jotham earlier in the chapter (Judges 9:19-20). Trust in his shadow!--more likely to be scratched if they came near him--more likely to be injured by him than benefited. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Changes will take effect once you reload the page. Most likely, when we talk about parables, our thoughts immediately And I don't know what phenomena it is that creates it but sound would have to carry for Jesus to be able to address such large multitudes of people.Even down by the beach there is Caesarea right near the Mediterranean in an amphitheater that is there that was built by the Romans. Judges 18:1-31 shows that the moral condition, especially of the priest-Levite, was as bad as the religious state. The contrast between the Israelites commitments in Joshua 8, 24 and this passage must be one reason the writer included Abimelechs story in Judges. The truth of all we find in our Lord Jesus. Joatham . With which they honor God and men, (Judges 11:1-40). [2.] There is not a man that sympathizes with him, not even in Judah; yet Judah, we know, was the royal tribe in the purpose of God from the beginning, as in fact its type followed in David. They went and made Abimelech king: It is almost hard to tell who was worse; Abimelech who did the murdering, or the men of Shechem who approved of it. In other words, let there come strife between the men of Shechem and Abimelech. Note, Those who expect God to hear their prayers must be willing to hear reason, to hear a faithful reproof, and to hear the complaints and appeals of wronged innocency. But that which does good to every saint and to every soul is the unqualified confidence in God and His word, which, if it does not reproduce itself in hearts purified by faith, at least deals with the consciences of all others till utterly blinded by Satan. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Jotham may have hidden in some empty well for a long time (cf. The ruin of Christianity was when two systems so distinct got confounded. And so he said if you would just commit yourself to me I would remove Abimelech. [3.] His abortive rule, however, ran roughshod over the divine requirements for that office. (Wolf), ii. Let no man question that Samson was in prison or that he lost his eyes for nothing. WebCHAPTER 9. We have had the power of God acting in deliverance, but man alone is incapable even of a safe vow to Jehovah; and who could fail to foresee the bitter fruit of rashness here? And they would often hook an oxen to it and they had this stone groove that went around in a circle. Bright contrast between Samson and the man that overthrew Satan on that cross where He Himself reached the very climax of weakness! How triumphantly has it been done in Christ our Lord, but in how different a way! Having decided out of their own heads, they then turn to God, and ask Him to bless them in their efforts to exterminate Benjamin. Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and cried out. It may often be doubtless that we are obliged to wait, and a wholesome thing too for our souls it should be. And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them." . 13). Abimelech slew his brethren on one stone, either by dashing them from one rock, or sacrificing them on one stone altar, in revenge for the demolition of Baal's altar by their father. I speak of course of David, the son of Jesse. "And so he convinced the men of Shechem that they should come against the sons of Gideon and wipe them all out. And he said to God the people were under my rule, because I can really do a good job here, you know. Now when Jotham heard that they had made Abimelech king, he went to the top of mount Gerizim ( Judges 9:5-7 ). And here we confront not simply the old offence repeated, and in the grossest form of fleshly corruption, but along with it an infatuation as extraordinary as his degradation. And they have tracks in which the millstone rolls. But where was there such devotedness in doing His Father's will? All the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women: With this, Abimelech massacred the last survivors of the city of Shechem, killing about a thousand men and women. Hey, no he wasn't so meek and mild. So he took his people, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field. Really he said, "Put a millstone on her neck, throw him in the sea." "The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.". Samson is now absolutely isolated on the rock Etam. The olives are among the most beautiful trees that grow in the Holy Land. "For the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.". Which cheers both God and men, And he was sore athirst, and called on Jehovah, and said, Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant: and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised? Picture in imagination, if you can, how God could descend more to meet a degraded people; yet was it just then that the outward exploits against the foe were so brilliant. If the Amorite got them from Ammon in the first instance, as was no doubt the fact, this was an affair not between Israel and Ammon, but between Ammon and Sihon. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? is this the tribe that men praise? 3. But did he heed the lesson conveyed in the fact himself? And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains, And Zebul said, No that's just an illusion, [that's just the sun rising and the sun coming down, it looks like people,] just an illusion that you see. One man who is your brother who comes right of Shechem, who understands your needs and all or all of the sons of Jerubbaal? "Then the Spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon. Alas! I have taken no ground beyond your own, my brethren; but surely this is a ground that calls you to assert the very same inestimable privilege that I boast as by grace a man of faith. i. Jehovah listens, and His angel appears to the woman, who summons her husband, when both see the angel as he repeats his message with its solemn injunction. It does not throw a veil, as man loves to do, over that which is uncomely and distressing in those that bear the name of the Lord; especially as the very object the Spirit of God has here in view is to show the frightful results of a vow so little weighed before God, not at all drawn from His guidance. I am not speaking of what men of the world may be, for they may be conscientious and honourable in their own way; but it is different with God's people. Now when all the men of the tower of Shechem had heard that, they entered the stronghold of the temple of the god Berith. You said, you know, if he were just here I'd handle him.". Thanks. It was quite evident therefore that Jephthah was guilty of the greatest rashness in his vow. It's an interesting thing to me how far sound travels over there in that land. A stronger proof there could not be desired, that the people, as a whole, were far from God. And the evil that he did against Gideon's sons was sort of recompensed. "And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. Gaal the son of Ebed and his brothers have come to Shechem; and here they are, fortifying the city against you. (Psalm 61:3). . The man thus went forth in the confidence of his strength, and to outward appearance did things just to make the enemy feel what he could do, with as little exercise toward God as could well be found in one that feared Him. In judgment He must have righteousness; but He remembers mercy. Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . If through the unction from the Holy One we know all, it is equally true that we all are but learners. Still this became their relationship, yet the children of Israel have the answer from Jehovah, "Go up against him." Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem--The idolatry which had been stealthily creeping into Israel during the latter years of Gideon was now openly professed; Shechem was wholly inhabited by its adherents; at least, idolaters had the ascendency. "Art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? three thousand men of Judah! Judges 9 Commentary So, heres the secret the end of Judges chapter 8 here shows us how Israel did wrong to God. Difficulties, where they exist for us, would only exercise faith in God. WebIn Judges 9:8-15, Jotham conveys a message about the trees speaking amongst themselves while seeking a king. But the olive tree said to them, Man is as weak and erring as God is mighty and good: these two things characterise the book from beginning to end. The story of Abimelech connects directly with the story of Gideon. . Again we see the man, and his character in its weakness is before us, even at that solemn moment. With a little exertion of voice, he could easily have been heard by the people of the city; for the hill so overhangs the valley, that a person from the side or summit would have no difficulty in speaking to listeners at the base. WebJotham imputes the slaying of his brothers to the citizens of Shechem, as a crime which they themselves had committed ( Judges 9:18 ), because they had given Abimelech money out of their temple of Baal to carry out his designs against the sons of Jerubbaal ( Judges 9:4 ). a. Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it: After his brutal victory at the tower of Shechem, Abimelech probably thought he was an expert at attacking towers. So low were things now in Israel, that even this man becomes an instrument of God's deliverance; and so evidently in all this was God stamping on the people His moral sentence of their state. i. As ever you hope to obtain God's favour, and to be accepted of him, give me a patient and impartial hearing." He created us. They had no faith in the promise on God's part to Abraham or to his seed. Then I would remove Abimelech. So he said to Abimelech, Increase your army and come out!. Their keenest feelings were in favour of the Levite and his concubine, wounded to the quick by the abominations of the men of Gibeah; and therefore, whatever of human affection may be in evidence, we certainly learn how little faith Jehovah could then find in the land of Israel. And he found a new jawbone of an ass and put forth his hand, and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith. This, at least, was right. For what can be more humiliating than that one's death should be more important than one's life? But scripture claims always to be the word of God never the word of Isaiah or Ezekiel, of Peter or Paul (1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Peter 3:15-16); for, whatever the instrument may be, it is as truly God's word as if the Holy Ghost had written it without a single instrumental means. But there is one thing that God's Spirit always assumes the perfect goodness and the unswerving holiness of God. a. By contrast Abimelech is like a bramble: he can give neither shelter nor protection.