he fell, as did Adam at the beginning, and all since save one Christ. And in Thebez there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women, fled to the tower there in Thebez. i. The olives are among the most beautiful trees that grow in the Holy Land. You can check these in your browser security settings. (3.) 7. he . 2018 David Guzik No distribution beyond personal use without permission. Jephthah proves in the most triumphant way that the right was all on their side. This latter view is the more probable, from the Shechemites ( Judges 9:24 ) aiding in it. Then come and take shelter in my shade; Web8 From there he went up to Peniel[ a] and made the same request of them, but they answered as the men of Sukkoth had. There he is. go out, now, and fight with them ( Judges 9:29-38 ). We come to look at a parable, the parable of the trees. WebLet us read the parable. . Gideon had left many sons that were an honour to his name and family, and these they had barbarously murdered; one son he had left that was the blemish of his name and family, for he was the son of his maid-servant, whom all that had any respect to Gideon's honour would endeavour to conceal, yet him they made their king. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life." It is an instance of the same thing that we have often seen before in other forms. Nevertheless they were beaten the next day; for they must be disciplined before the Lord before He could use them to deal with their brother. And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok.". You shall rise early and rush upon the city: Zebul advised Abimelech to organize a surprise attack against the rebels of Shechem. (f) Abimelech will destroy the nobles of Shechem. He decided to teach his subjects a lesson. b. Zebul said to him, You see the shadows of the mountains as if they were men: Zebul deceived Gaal, allowing Abimelechs troops to take position. "And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. If unveiling the fact at all, he would have apologized for it, denounced its evil to clear himself, spoken much perhaps of God's permitting and overruling. In order to have communion, we must have some good which is shared together. Eastern people are exceedingly fond of parables and use them for conveying reproofs, which they could not give in any other way. This again leads to a bitter vengeance of the Philistines on those of Timnath who had served him so ill the very fate befalling them at last, to escape which at first the woman had lent herself to the basest treachery. Now Mount Gerizim is a pretty good, you know, climb to get up to the top of the mountain and he knew that he had a good running distance on the guy. Nothing justifies departure from the word of God. And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably." No way. His kingdom probably consisted only of Shechem and a few towns round about (9:1-6). There was no occasion at all for the trees to choose a king; they are all the trees of the Lord which he has planted (Psalms 104:16) and which therefore he will protect. Yet is the victory won by God's Spirit, without anything in the hand; but it is by direct antagonism to the enemy, not by guilty connection with his instruments. The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). The circumstances also were highly remarkable. i. The danger was incomparably greater where the trial was to stand to the truth fully revealed and to walk in the Spirit, and not subjection to commandments and ritual observances. God does not permit Israel, because this one or that is an enemy, to take the place of enemies to them. It was quite evident therefore that Jephthah was guilty of the greatest rashness in his vow. Where was their humiliation and grief before the Lord? His preface is very serious: "Hearken unto me, you men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you,Judges 9:7; Judges 9:7. Samson was afterwards about to put a riddle to the Philistines from this lion. Obviously the bramble represented Abimelech, the trees and vine more noble individuals, and the cedars of Lebanon the upright leaders of Shechem. But then, how can he claim that God will listen to the people if they listen to him (Jotham)? Not that God did not work mightily afterwards, and even more in his death than in his life. But where was there such devotedness in doing His Father's will? ABIMELECH IS MADE KING BY THE SHECHEMITES. It is not here meant that there is any special difficulty in that which has been the occasion of these general remarks; still less is it implied that he who speaks makes any pretension to know anything as he ought to know, more than those he sees around him. It is in no way a carrying forward of the history. One very brief definition that may help is to describe a parable as an earthly story that speaks beyond itself.. From the answer of the olive tree we learn that usefulness is better than honour. Contrariwise it was courted and continued down to the captivity. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. They need not be at the trouble. In Samson's case, tested in a seemingly little sign but a sign of entire subjection to God, and this in separation from all others, it was obedience; not so in our case, where we have the highest treasure in earthen vessels, but obedience in everything, and this formed and guided by the Spirit according to the written word, now set in the fullest light, because seen in the person, and ways, and work, and glory of Christ. It is only another proof of what we have always to assume in reading the Bible that not only the things given are divine, but that the arrangement, even when they look somewhat disorderly, is just as divine as the communication itself. And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is done among you? Here he told a parable to rebuke the men of Shechem for their choice of Abimelech as a king. It's an interesting thing to me how far sound travels over there in that land. And go to sway over trees? By the Holy Spirit only can we enter in and enjoy. WebScripture: Judges 9:8-15 Denomination: Baptist Abimelech: Whos In Charge Series Contributed by Bruce Rzengota on Dec 25, 2009 based on 4 ratings | 8,646 views ABIMELECH TYPIFIES THE PURSUIT OF OUR WAY RATHER THAN GODS WAY. He took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt: Abimelech then turned his fury against the people of Shechem, and killed as many of them as he could, and he demolished their city. "Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon." What avails the show of Jehovah's name, or form of consecrating a Levite to be priest? However this may have been, we may notice first the quarter whence deliverance was to come: "There was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites." The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. ii. And so he called to Abimelech and said, Increase your army. The king of the Ammonites did not speak candidly. There is little moral elevation in Samson, little in any way to command respect or love. But if God's people have got into subjection to the world, none are so heartless about, if not bitter against, him who breaks fully with the enemy. WebWhen the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, his cords were loosed: where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and those are free indeed who are thus set free. But it need surprise none that the proper history of this judge terminates according to the mind of God here; for what has the Lord to tell in the next chapter? Abimelech was no doubt the son of a concubine; but here we descend lower still. They have no shame nor resentment on their part at this accusation of treachery. He did this, but in a way that they never imagined he hired worthless and reckless men to kill all his brothers, making certain there would never be a challenger to his leadership. We have here the only testimony that appears to have been borne against the wicked confederacy of Abimelech and the men of Shechem. And Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder; then he said to the people who were with him, What you have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done. So each of the people likewise cut down his own bough and followed Abimelech, put them against the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire above them, so that all the people of the tower of Shechem died, about a thousand men and women. In due time the child was born, "and the Spirit of Jehovah began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol." It makes wise the simple; it enlightens the eyes. It may often be doubtless that we are obliged to wait, and a wholesome thing too for our souls it should be. Judges 9 NIV - Abimelek - Abimelek son of Jerub-Baal - Bible "Then the Philistines went up, and pitched in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi. So they all cut down the boughs, and he came to the tower and he laid these boughs around, and set fire to them ( Judges 9:40-49 ); And actually cremated the people who had sought refuge there in the tower. (1.) The top of Gerizim is not so high in the rear of the town, as it is nearer to the plain. But how perfectly He stood, though tried as none ever was or could be but Himself! They had been at length brought down to their right place before God; they had taken the shame to themselves; the Lord had chastised them, and they had needed and deserved it righteously. Still more is what follows; for God fails not to deal with us on our own ground. One could understand three thousand men of the Philistines; but to what a deplorable pass in Israel were things come, when three thousand men of the worthiest tribe were thus obedient to the Philistines, and joined against the strong deliverer to hand him over, bound a prisoner, to the tender mercies of those that hated him and despised them! says Jephthah, "Jehovah God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?" . The condensed moral of the whole fable is this: Weak, worthless, and wicked men, will ever be foremost to thrust themselves into power; and, in the end, to bring ruin upon themselves, and on the unhappy people over whom they preside. (Clarke). Commonly, it is only a matter of time until the same violence is turned against those who helped him come to power. So it was pressed on Israel then. But all of the other sons of Gideon were killed. Go out, if you will, and fight with them now. So Gaal went out, leading the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. "And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place." "So now." Now they could deal with guilty Benjamin. Moreover they spontaneously burst into flames in hot weather and sometimes caused much damage consequently (Judges 9:15). (1.) He aggravates their unkindness to his father's family. Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him--idle, worthless vagabonds, the scum of society, who had nothing to lose, but much to gain from the success of a revolutionary movement. Ceremony is easy and attractive to the flesh, and there may be the more, as there usually is, where there is least power or reality. Joshua 8; Joshua 24). 28-45. would to God this people were under my hand--He seems to have been a boastful, impudent, and cowardly person, totally unfit to be a leader in a revolutionary crisis. The reference to the men of Shechem (Judges 9:2) is literally the baals of Shechem, the word having here its original meaning of lord or owner. (Cundall). [3.] Hence the very transitory mirth of fools is said to be like the cracking of thorns under a pot. Meanwhile the man, morally speaking, is ruined his testimony to His name being worse than lost. His history is of interest primarily because of the light it throws on this period of Israels national life and the continuing decline in Israel. They said to the olive tree, Be our king. 9 But the olive tree answered, On human grounds there might be a just right of conquest; but all this would not do for God, who must decide everything even in the battles of His people. Who doubted the unfriendliness of Moab and of Edom? (Compare Psalms 78:60-61) Such are the prominent points of instruction in this appendix. . 8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. This is exceedingly instructive. Thus Beth-millo may be identical with the tower of Shechem. (Cundall). On them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal: God had warned the men of Shechem through Jotham. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. His secret was to keep his hair uncut, with all strength annexed to it. This was an ungodly leader given to an ungodly people, who first rejected Gods leadership over the nation and then embraced a cruel and brutal man. made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar--rather, "by the oak near a raised mound"--so that the ceremony of coronation might be conspicuous to a crowd. Degraded to the utmost, Samson becomes their sport as well as their slave. Carried away by his uncurbed feelings (to whatever end God might turn all, for He always governs), he was mighty to act; but as to intelligence, little more than an unconscious instrument. Now, broken down before God who had ordered their defeat, they are made to feel for their brother, guilty as he was, no doubt. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother. Judges 9:8 A watchman of His Word, Interesting, how can me know the words of God to the fullest. The Parable of the Bramble :: Andrews University And as I say, from the top of Gerizim you've got a good lead on anybody that might want to chase you. i. He got an opportunity of speaking to them from the top of Mount Gerizim, the mount of blessings, at the foot of which probably the Shechemites were, upon some occasion or other, gathered together (Josephus says, solemnizing a festival), and it seems they were willing to hear what he had to say. Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father by killing his seventy brothers. . The first and gravest departure is that Jehovah could be so forgotten and so shamelessly dishonoured as to set up in His name a rival; and the more seriously it was set about, so much the worse. He hereby applauds the generous modesty of Gideon, and the other judges who were before him, and perhaps of the sons of Gideon, who had declined accepting the state and power of kings when they might have had them, and likewise shows that it is in general the temper of all wise and good men to decline preferment and to choose rather to be useful than to be great. Still the overt thing to Samson seems to have been that they were his enemies. If Ammon could or would not seek to recover it previously, they had no title to claim now from Israel. And he said to them: Listen to me, you men of Shechem, But Jotham hid himself. The top of Gerizim is not so high in the rear of the town, as it is nearer to the plain. 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. Such hand-stones averaged ten to fourteen inches long and weighed five pounds or more. (Wood). "And in those days the tribe of the Danites." Of course, that's where Jesus was addressing so many people, and also they're at the Temple Mount where Jesus addressed so many people.So this Jotham, son of Gideon, the one that Abimelech didn't kill, went up to the top of Mount Gerizim, and here is Shechem down below. His heart was glad of a better living and of a larger sphere (verses 19, 20), as he goes off from the house of Micah with the lawless children of Dan to blot out Laish with fire and sword, and call their new city after their own name, where the graven image was set up, and a succession that failed not till the day of the captivity of the land; for error takes root faster, and bears fruit more luxuriantly as well as permanently than the truth. Judges 9:8 Ah! God's Word is the Truth see John 17:17). 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. i. We have come to the close as far as the sequence of persons and of events is concerned. The Shechemites who supported him were also destroyed, as Jotham had predicted (50-57). Start you journey by obeying God's First Commandment given to New Testament Believers in Christ found in Acts 2:38. More he knew not, nor wished to learn. Judges 9:8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. even when God gave them one in a man after His own heart, we then trace greater abominations under the lines either of those who broke off in self-will or of those who turned the line of promise to nothing but corruption. If you have acted in truth and sincerity: Jotham raised this just for the sake of argument. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? In the latter case it is nothing but flesh, which becomes manifest in the long run; but even in the case of him who is truthful, whatever is carnal, whatever lets out that nature which is already judged, the confession of whose judgment is the very starting-point of a Christian, but which it is his calling to act upon and treat as a dead and condemned thing to the end if he forgets this, then, in the measure in which he does so, it brings in that which the Lord must infallibly deal with. 26. And the Sea of Galilee, same thing, the sound really carries. "And so they came to the bramble and said, "Come rule over us." 2. WebHebrews 8:7-9 Commentary Hebrews 8:10-11 Commentary Hebrews 8:12-13 Commentary Hebrews 9:1-2 Commentary Hebrews 9:3-5 Commentary Hebrews 9:6-7 Commentary Hebrews 9:8-10 Commentary Hebrews 9:11-12 Commentary Hebrews 9:13-14 Commentary Hebrews 9:15-17 Commentary Hebrews 9:18-20 Commentary Judges 9 A work begun under the name and influence of the devil is not likely to end to the glory of God, or to the welfare of man. (Clarke). And the children of Israel enquired of Jehovah, for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days.". Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. But commentators observe it for a just hand of God upon Abimelech, that upon one stone he had slain his seventy brethren, and now a stone slayeth him: his head had stolen the crown of Israel, and now his head is smitten. (Trapp). And it shall be, as soon as the sun is up in the morning, that you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may then do to them as you find opportunity.. WebThe bramble said to the trees, If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the Then all the trees said to the bramble, These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Planted in orchards they look not unlike apple trees, but the leaves are slender like willow leaves and silvery as they are turned up by the wind. 2 Samuel 12:1-4; 2 Kings 14:9-10). 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. This shows the problem of following a man who comes to power through violence. 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. Perhaps I am mistaken, and he is not a prophet. and where such a sufferer? And be assured that if the people of God fail in their responsibility to God, they are not to be trusted elsewhere. One test of the character of a man is to see how he treats those who disagree with him. The acoustics are quite interesting in many areas of the land. a. Judges 9:15 Commentaries: "The bramble said to the Should we not then rejoice in the Lord? Indeed, Shechem was not rebuilt until the reign of Jeroboam I, almost two centuries later (1 Kings 12:25). (Wolf). WebJudges 9:15 Commentaries: "The bramble said to the trees, 'If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from And Abimelech chased him, and he fled from him; and many fell wounded, to the very entrance of the gate. From the temple of Baal-Berith: Abimelech received his pay from the temple dedicated to Baal. All promise, no performance. . Then Abimelech the Son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem: Abimelech was the son of Jerubbaal (another name for Gideon given in Judges 8:35), but he was not the clear successor to his fathers place of leadership. is not this the people that you have despised? But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. Judges 9 Commentary Explaining The Book So Abimelech fought against the city all that day; he took the city and killed the people who were in it; and he demolished the city and sowed it with salt. WebThe Book of Judges Chapter 9 Chapter Overview: Abimelech usurps the government at Shechem, ver. It has been already said to have been an early fact in the history of the "Judges," and not chronologically near the close of the book. None could "reign" in Israel, except by rebellious usurpation; and hence the reign of Abimelech is expressed in the original by a word signifying "despotism," not that which describes the mild and divinely authorized rule of the judge. Since I understand Jotham to be a prophet, he is presumably relaying a message from God. The king of Ammon might assail the Israelites, and renew the arbitrament of the sword, but he was unrighteous in demanding the land from Israel. 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. Whatever might have been his low state through unchecked animal nature, whatever his delinquencies before, so long as he kept his secret with God, strength never failed him from God, be the strain what it might. * It is possible that verse 30 may be one of those later additions which Ezra or one of the prophets was inspired to make in putting together at a subsequent epoch the books of Scripture. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron." The ruin of Christianity was when two systems so distinct got confounded. "To the church of" and "He who has an ear let him hear" Yes indeed God is ever present both as a protector and also as a Judge for we each make our own bed and we must all sleep in the bed we make for ourselves! That God may listen to you! And the fig tree said unto them, "Should I forsake my sweetness, my good fruit? And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah." So Gaal spake again and said, Look there are people coming down by the middle of the land, another company is coming along the plain of Meonenim. "And it came to pass when their hearts were merry that they said, Call for Samson, that he may make us sport. why did not the strong man learn wisdom in the fear of Jehovah, as he again visited the place where his first lesson was given? Thus in fact Sihon had assailed the Israelites against their will, who had taken the land from him. Alas! a. Outwardly indeed he was separate. 23. Undoubtedly the iniquity was beyond measure on the part of the men of Benjamin, and an utter disgrace to God or even to Israel. However, Beer may not have been the name of a town. And this, I need scarce say, is still more due on the score of brotherly relation and divine love, not merely on the ground of that which we might expect for our own souls. 89-95.]. Whatever might be wrought now was but the beginning of deliverance for Israel. Nor was there any occasion for Israel to talk of setting a king over them; for the Lord was their king. The king of Ammon had forgotten, or had never enquired after the real righteousness of the case. We know that men make it a question for ingenious minds to speculate on. Phinehas, we know, was alive during the days of the wilderness, being the leader against Midian before Moses died, and one of those that crossed the Jordan. Come and put your trust in any shadow The vain boast of the would-be sovereign; and of the man who is seeking to be put into power by the suffrages of the people. ". b. Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us?" a. The lands might be good pasture, the temptation great, the provocation given by Moab or Ammon very considerable. These verses contain the interpretation of the fable. "He judged Israel twenty years," is the repetition of the word at this point. But no "Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. 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. And so Abimelech came to the tower, he fought against it, he was up against the door trying to burn it with fire. And so the men of Shechem began to set an ambush for him and the top of the mountains, or for the people, and they robbed all of those that were going along that way and it was told to Abimelech.And then this guy Gaal, sort of a big mouth kind of a guy, said to the men, he came with his brothers and he went over to Shechem. Jephthah takes the greatest pains to prove, when he comes forward, that he has clear right on his side. i. 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. The same word means whosoever. The Parable of the Trees: Intro (Judges 9:8-15) ., p. And be assured, brethren, that in an evil world patience is morally much beyond power. Here then we have certain facts, apart from the historic course, introduced in these words: "There was a man of mount Ephraim." c. Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, A woman killed him.: Abimelech considered it manlier to be killed by his own armor bearer; but he was still dead afterward. Scripture does not in any way vouch for the immaculateness of those even who wrought in faith. My object being no more than a sketch, as most of you know, I desire to say but a few words on such of the chapters as bear a similar character to that which has been already pointed out in the early portion of the book. The curse On his unshorn locks hung his invincible might by divine will. 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. They help ius to translate the great concepts of faith into practical action. Let us not forget that we have got a nature exempt from nothing we deplore in Samson, and the person that does not believe it may live to prove it, especially if a believer, who should know himself better; whilst he who does take it home to his soul is thereby enabled to judge himself by the Spirit before God.

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