Abimelek was finally killed by the hand of a woman.
That story follows in our lesson today. I don't know all of the details; but I'll bet God was guiding her hands as she threw that huge millstone down on top of his head.
Am I advising you to go out and end the life of all evil rulers?
Certainly not!
One huge thing has changed the world completely since the days of Abimelek. Evil still prevails; but we have a Messiah who lived and died for us. This means we will still battle evil; but in a spiritual way as opposed to the ancient physical ways of old. Christians must remain vigilant and keep fighting evil, though it often looks hopeless and seems to cover our lands.
I'm simply telling you that vengeance belongs to God.
Our great God does look down on our suffering. He sees the troubles of our people today. The day is coming when He will return and set everything and everyone straight.
DESTRUCTION OF GOD'S ENEMIES
Until then, our life should be a lot like this woman who was at the top of a burning tower with no escape. Our job is to keep doing exactly what God commands us to do; even to the point of death.
Jesus commanded us to be overcomers!
We should destroy these enemies of our God however He directs us to do so. One reason for such action (after the fact that we should simply always be obedient to God) is that our future generations can live and not have to suffer by their hands anymore.
Many evil plotting men have been destroyed simply by a great turn out at the voting booth. That is one way to end the evil that prevails. It is legal and it is lawful.
There is no need to use physical violence as in the days of Abimelek's death. Today's Christians must learn how to fight powerful battles on their knees in prayer. God sends help from multitudes of angels to do his bidding on this earth, but we must ask for them to come. This happens whenever His people bow their heads and pray.
God will defend us.
We ARE His people and He loves us in spite of our fallen ways. Those who repent and turn will always have the ear of God.
WELCOME
Welcome to the COME AS A CHILD BIBLE STUDY. This study takes place on the pages of this blog every Thursday. Just click the "submit" button at the top of the page to receive email posts of all of our articles.
We've been walking through the bible together from cover-to-cover. At this time we are studying The Book of Judges. It is our delight to have you with us on this adventurous journey.
Our goal is to come before our Father with the heart of an adoring child and let Him teach us what He wants us to know from the scriptures. For this study, we have put away our previously programmed thoughts and ideas. We've given God the freedom to renew each passage of scripture to us, as if we were hearing them for the very first time.
Our eyes have been opened to many things.
We have been studying the reign of Abimelek during the times of the Judges of Israel. Today's lesson is taken from Judges Chapter 9.
THE LAST DAYS OF THE MEN OF SHECHEM
As we mentioned in our last lesson, the men of Shechem had originally supported and held up the reign of Abimelek, but they turned on him. The story comes to the time that a certain group of the men from Shechem were running from Abimelek, who wanted to destroy them. These men of Shechem were hiding as they lived in a stronghold with a pagan temple called El-Berith.
When Abimelek discovered where they were hiding out, he and his men went up to Mount Zalmon. Once there among the trees, Abimelek took his ax and cut off some branches, lifted them up on his shoulders, and ordered his men to do the same. They too cut branches as Abimelek had done.
Abimelek then led his men to pile the branches up against the stronghold of the tower where the men of Shechem were hiding. Then Abimelek and his men set the piles of branches on fire.
When Abimelek's army committed this terrible act of terrorism; all of the men from Shechem who were in the tower (as well as up to a thousand other men and women) died.
TERRORISM IN THEBEZ
After Abimelek finished terrorizing the stronghold at El-Berith, he went to Thebez.
He captured and besieged that city.
The city of Thebez contained a strong tower. All of the people of the city fled to the tower in order to escape being captured by Abimelek's army. They locked themselves inside and climbed up to the roof of the tower.
THE LAST DAY OF ABIMELEK
Abimelek ordered his men to attack the tower.
Again; they approached the tower to set it on fire. This time a woman at the top of the tower dropped a millstone down upon the head of Abimelek. This millstone cracked his skull.
As he lay dying, Abimelek called to his armor-bearer. He commanded him to draw his sword and kill him. Abimelek did this to TRY to keep the world from saying he was killed by the hand of a woman. Abimelek's servant ran a sword through him, and he died.
When the rest of Abimelek's army saw that he had died, they left the battle and went home.
JOTHAM'S CURSE COMES TRUE
This was how the scriptures record that God repaid Abimelek for the harm he had done in killing his seventy brothers. The men of Shechem who had originally backed Abimelek up also suffered defeat and death.
Thus; we know that Jotham's curse finally took effect. His fable became truth. Gideon's honor had now been avenged.
All of this sad story of Abimelek's reign over Israel is dark and violent. This is what happens when people forget God, allow pagan ways into their country, and take matters into their own hands instead of following God.
KINGS WITH BAD CHOICES
America seems to be living in such times today. Abimelek was the king of bad choices. We have leaders today who constantly make bad choices which place our country under the judgment of God.
Have you noticed how God always sends a prophet in these times?
The prophet will give some shocking stories that reflect the current culture, such as the story/fable/parable that was spoken out by Jotham.
America has many prophets who have spoken truth and offered suggestions as to what is happening to our nation and the American culture. One of the greatest of today's prophets is a man named Jonathan Cahn. God has given him stories that reveal the prophecies of our times. This was exactly what Jotham was doing in Israel.
A CULTURE LACKING TRUTH
Direct confrontations involving uncomfortable truths are usually cancelled out by government overreach and the devil's helpers. It happened in the days of Jotham, and it still happens today. The people reveling in their own selfish ambitions and self-inflicted chaos don't want anyone to know the truth that confronts us daily.
So; many prophets of today still have their messages hidden inside stories, fables and parables. Sometimes these are so much more effective in revealing the truth of a situation. It was an effective tool that Jesus also used.
ACTIONS WITH CONSEQUENCES
As it was in the days of Abimelek; if we continue to silence the truth, ignore God's ways, and do whatever we like; there will be consequences.
Abimelek met with his consequences.
Not only did he experience death at the hand of a woman, the scriptures made sure it was recorded for everyone to know forever.
You can't escape your bad choices and wrong ways.
Unless repentance happens and a turning from evil makes things different; all men will be judged by a God of true justice.
A judgment is coming to all of the evil rulers who keep wreaking havoc upon this earth we are trying so hard to preserve.
TRUE PRESERVATION
The key to preservation of the earth isn't at all about climate control or changing the eco-system from which we receive what we need daily for sustaining life.
It isn't about finding new ways to change everything through polotics.
No.
The true preservation of good people is ALWAYS about turning to The One True God and following His ways.
He is the only One who knows all the answers.
A GOD OF JUSTICE
This story of the end of Abimelek hardly ever mentions God, or His ways, except for the end of Chapter 9 when the scriptures speak of God's justice.
The men of evil were all destroyed.
They turned on one another.
This is what evil does to people.
God's chosen leaders (in this case Gideon and his 70 sons who were murdered by Abimelek) are avenged.
We don't have to worry about how to bring vengeance in today's world. The theory is the same every time from ancient times to the present.
"Vengence is mine" sayeth the LORD.
A day of reckoning is coming.
May our new King of Kings rule and reign in peace forever!
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