Jesus' Birth: Bethlehem, the Shepherds and the Magi

Bethlehem
Throughout the Gospels, we are told Jesus was born in Bethlehem. What's the importance of this city?

Bethlehem translated from the Hebrew means "house of bread". What better place for the "bread of life" to be born than in the very place with the same name! ("Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst'" John 6:35.)

Bethlehem also had to be the place of the birth of Messiah to fulfill prophecy set forth in Micah 5:2: "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. He goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity."

After Jesus, one of the most mentioned men in all the Bible also claimed Bethlehem as his hometown--King David! ("Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil ad go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons'" 1 Samuel 16:1.)

David, Israel's second king, was a man after God's own heart. Although he was not a perfect man, he sought the LORD constantly. For David's faithfulness, he was promised that one of his offspring would rule forever. ("When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever" 2 Samuel 7:12-13.) For this reason, the title "Son of David" was coined a Messianic title.

On a number of occasions in the Gospels, Jesus is called the "Son of David". Matthew calls Jesus the "Son of David" in the very first sentence of his Gospel. "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1). Six times in the Gospel of Matthew, it records people calling Jesus the "Son of David" (Matthew 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, and 21:15). Jesus never denied that he was the "Son of David". Therefore, one can see how David's hometown of Bethlehem and Jesus' birthplace are intertwined to emphasis that Jesus is Messiah--Jesus is the Son of David.

Lastly, Bethlehem was the setting for the incredible love story written about in the Book of Ruth. Ruth, a young girl from Moab, marries an Israelite. The man dies. His mother, Naomi, decides to leave Moab and return to her native land, Bethlehem. Ruth accompanies Naomi. Upon gleaning in the fields to obtain sustenance, Ruth meets one of Naomi's husband's kinsmen, a man named Boaz. Boaz and Ruth fall in love. Ruth gives birth to a child called Obed. Obed fathers Jesse. Jesse fathers king David (Ruth 4:22).

Again, we have the city of Bethlehem tied to King David and to the messianic line. But, more importantly, we have a story about a Gentile woman who through her faith is accepted into the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ruth leaves her Gentile ways behind and worships the one true God, the God of Israel. One of the most beautiful professions of faith can be found in Ruth 1:16-17: "But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me."


Shepherds in the Field
Shortly after Jesus' birth, an angel appears to shepherds in a field near Bethlehem. "In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the LORD suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born to you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:8-11).

The shepherds in the fields near Bethlehem were important players in the temple sacrifice system. Bethlehem was the place in which the lambs were raised for the temple. Migal Eder, the Tower of the Flock, was the place where the lambs destined for the temple were born and raised. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy and set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem.

By God sending an angel to these shepherds, it was as if He was saying, "Come My shepherds who raise the lambs for God and come see THE Lamb of God." This would be quite fitting considering Jesus is called the "lamb of God". ("The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world'" John 1:29.)

Additionally, Jesus also speaks of Himself as a shepherd. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11).


The Magi/Wise Men/Kings
Whenever the subject of the magi comes up in conversation, I am amazed at how many times people will insist that there are "three" magi. I am amused as Scripture never proclaims the number of magi. Rather, it simply states that there were three GIFTS given--myrrh, frankincense and gold.

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him...After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was--the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh" (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11).

The magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word "magi" is the plural of the Latin "magus", borrowed from the Greek "magos" which is used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew. The Greek "magos" is derived from Old Persian "magus" from the Avestan "magauno". "Magauno" is the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born. The term refers to the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism. As part of their religion, these priests paid particular attention to the stars. They gained an international reputation for astrology, which was at the time highly regarded as a science. Their religious practice and use of astrology caused derivatives of the term "magi" to be applied to the occult and led to the English term "magic" (although Zoroastrianism was in fact strongly opposed to sorcery).

Although the magi are commonly referred to as "kings", there is noting in the account from the Gospel of Matthew which implies they were rulers of any kind. The identification of the magi as kings is linked to the prophecies which describe the Messiah being worship by kings in Isaiah 60:3, Psalm 68:29 and Psalm 72:10 ("Yea, all the kings shall fall down before Him: all nations serve Him").

The term "from the east" is more correctly translated as "from the rising of the sun". This is the only information Matthew provides about the region from which the magi came. The Parthian Empire, centered in Persia (or modern-day Iran), occupied virtually all the land east of Judea and Syria. Though the empire was tolerant of other religions, its dominant religion was Zoroastrianism with its priestly magos class.

Although Matthew's account does not explicitly cite the motivation for their journey (other than seeing the star in the east), the Syriac Infancy Gospel provides some clarity by stating in the third chapter that they were pursuing a prophecy from their prophet, Zoroaster.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh
The three gifts given by the magi carry various meanings. They are prophetic about Jesus' life, death and burial. All three gifts are ordinary offerings and gifts given to a king. Myrrh was commonly used as an anointing oil, frankincense as a perfume and gold as a valuable. The three gifts are often associated with a spiritual meaning--gold as a symbol of kingship on earth, frankincense (an incense) as a symbol of deity and myrrh (an embalming oil) as a symbol of death. The interpretations are alluded to in the verse of the popular carol "We Three Kings" in which the magi describe their gifts. The last verse includes a summary of the interpretation: "Glorious now behold Him arise King and God and sacrifice." Another interpretation of the gifts is gold symbolizes virtue, frankincense prayer and myrrh suffering.

The Syrian King Seleucus II Callinicus is recorded to have offered gold, frankincense and myrrh (among other items) to Apollo in his temple at Miletus in 243 B.C. This might have been the precedent for the mention of these three gifts in Matthew's Gospel.

Gold
Gold has been associated with wealth since nearly the beginning of time. God first mentions gold in Genesis 2:12: "And the gold of the land is good: bdellium and onyx stones are there." The word gold appears in the King James Version of the Bible 417 times. It is associated with both holiness and evil. In the Book of Exodus, the children of Israel make a golden calf to serve as an intermediary between the people and God (Exodus 32). Also in Exodus, Moses is instructed to cover the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant with gold (Exodus 25:13).

Gold is often associated with kingship as many countries boast about their wealth via the amount of gold they possess. "Hezekiah listened to them, and showed them all his treasure house, the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious oil and the house of his armor and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them" (2 Kings 20:13). "For Tyre built herself a fortress and piled up silver like dust, and gold like the mire of the streets" (Zechariah 9:3).

Gold also is mentioned in Scripture as something that is strong; it is a substance which can withstand high heat and can be purified. "The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold. But the LORD tests the hearts" (Proverbs 17:3). "But He knows the way I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

Frankincense
Frankincense was one of the consecrated incenses described in the Torah used in ketoret ceremonies--an important component of the services in the Temple in Jerusalem. It was offered on a specialized incense altar in the First and Second Temple. It was one of the ingredients used in the incense of the sanctuary (Exodus 30:34). It was also used as an accompaniment of the meal offering (Leviticus 2:1, 2:16, 6:15 and 24:7)

Frankincense was also mentioned as a commodity in trade from Sheba (Isaiah 60:6 and Jeremiah 6:20). When burned, frankincense emits a fragrant odor; the incense was a symbol of the Divine name (Malachi 1:11; Song of Solomon 1:3). It is also an emblem of prayer (Psalm 141:2). Moreover, frankincense is often associated with myrrh (Song of Solomon 3:6, 4:6).

Myrrh
Myrrh is mentioned several places in Scripture. In Genesis 37:25, the Ismaelite traders to whom Jacob's sons sold their brother Joseph had "camels...loaded with spices, balm and myrrh." In Exodus 30:23-25, the text specifies that Moses is to use 500 shekels of liquid myrrh as a main ingredient in the sacred anointing oil.

Additionally, myrrh is an ingredient in Ketoret, the consecrated incense used in the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. An offering was made of the Ketoret on a special incense altar and was an important component of the temple service. Myrrh is also listed as an ingredient in the holy anointing oil used to anoint the tabernacle, high priests and kings.

Oil of myrrh is used in Esther 2:12 in the purification ritual for the new queen to King Ahasuerus:
"Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet odors and with other things for the purifying of the women)."

Myrrh is mentioned in the Gospels as being present at Jesus' death and burial. Jesus was offered wine and myrrh before His crucifixion (Mark 15:23). According to John's Gospel, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea bought a one hundred pound mixture of myrrh and aloes to wrap Jesus' body (John 19:39).

The Light of the World: Jesus' Birth

As we explore the Scriptures surrounding the birth of our Messiah, it can be very easy for us to gloss over many important facts and tidbits laid forth in the text. It can be easy to allow ourselves to be lead astray by common errors which, when Scripture is examined closely, are a misconception of the verses. In this study, I hope to shed some light on some of the events which surrounded the birth of our LORD and Savior.

Mary's Prayer
Perhaps one of the most magnificent prayers in all the Bible, the prayer Mary, the mother of Jesus, utters in the Gospel of Luke chapter one verses 46-55 is one treasured by many. Unknown to many readers, Mary's prayer is actually a proclamation of her faith and knowledge of Scripture. Mary's song of praise closely mirrors another woman's exultation to God...a faithful servant of the LORD called Hannah.

Barren for many years, Hannah is married to her husband, Elkanah (1 Samuel 1). Unfortunately, Elkanah also has another wife named Penninah. Penninah had many children. And let's recall to mind that children in ancient times were an insurance that the family would continue to live on in future generations. Inheritance was passed down through sons. A woman who did not have children was destined for poverty. Upon her husband's death, no one would care for the wife. Without a welfare system, the wife would be forced to live as a beggar.

Hannah prayed to God for a son and promised to give the child back to the LORD. Upon giving birth and raising the child until he was weaned, Hannah dedicates her son, Samuel, to the LORD. Hannah makes the journey to the Tabernacle and places her son in the custody of the high priest, Eli. Hannah then gives a tremendous song of thanksgiving to the LORD.

1 Samuel 2:1-10:
"Then Hannah prayed and said,
'My heart exults in the LORD;
My horn is exulted in the LORD,
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is no one holy like the LORD,
Indeed, there is no one besides You.
Nor is there any rock like our God.
Boast no more so very proudly,
Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
For the LORD is a God of knowledge,
And with Him, actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are shattered,
But the feeble gird on strength.
Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But she who has many children languishes.
The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.
He raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the ash heap
To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S,
And He sets the world on them.
He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
For not by might shall a man prevail.
Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered;
Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
And He will give strength to His king.
And He will exalt the horn of His anointed.'"

I wish I had the technological skill to do a side-by-side comparison of Hannah's song of praise and Mary's prayer of thanksgiving, but I do not seem to possess this talent. Instead, I urge you to do your own comparison of these two passages of Scripture. It is amazing to see all the parallels between the two prayers.

Many often attribute Mary as a woman of great faith. However, we can truly see this in the words Mary utters to our LORD. She knows Scripture and uses Hannah's prayer as a foundation for her own words of praise. Mary is an excellent example for us. We should know and use Scripture in our own prayers. The Bible is full of numerous songs of praise and prayer. In fact, there is an entire Book called Psalms which has verse after verse of prayers and supplications. We should be like Mary and know the text so well that when we send prayers up to God, we can quote Him His own words in our prayers.


Joseph Putting Away Mary
As we continue exploring the texts surrounding Jesus' birth, we come to the following passage:
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly" (Matthew 1:18-19).

At first glance, one may assume that Joseph, when he found our Mary was pregnant, did not want to be burdened with having a harlot for a wife. One can assume that Joseph was trying to divorce Mary in a way in which her family's reputation would be tarnished as little as possible. However, Joseph wanting to send Mary away privately (and thus divorcing her) was indeed a very righteous act.

In Torah, there are strict guidelines in which a husband could follow in the event he questioned the virginity of his bride.

"If any man takes a wife and goes in to her and then turns against her, and charges her with shameful deeds and publicly defames her, and says, 'I took this woman, but when I came near her, I did not find her a virgin,' then the girl's father and her mother shall take and bring out the evidence of the girl's virginity to the elders of the city at the gate. The girl's father shall say to the elders, 'I gave my daughter to this man for a wife, but he turned against her; and behold, he has charged her with shameful deeds, saying, "I did not find your daughter a virgin." But this is the evidence of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the garment before the elders of the city. So the elders of that city shall take the man and chastise him, and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give it to the girl's father, because he publicly defamed a virgin of Israel. And she shall remain his wife; he cannot divorce her all his days.

But if this charge is true, that the girl was not found a virgin, then they shall bring out the girl to the doorway of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death because she has committed an act of folly in Israel by playing the harlot in her father's house; thus you shall purge the evil from among you" (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).

As one reads the Torah, the punishment for a bride being found to not have been a virgin was to be stoned to death. Moreover, her father's house was defamed when the stoning took place on the doorstep of her father's home. Joseph did not want to bring this disgrace upon Mary or her family. We see what a noble and honorable man Joseph was when he discovered Mary's pregnancy, for which the punishment for the non-virgin bride was to be stoned to death.

Moreover, Joseph was a man of great faith because he believed the words an angel spoke to him. "But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins...And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus" (Matthew 1:20-21, 24-25).

Joseph could have simply dismissed the angel and the words uttered. However, Joseph believed the angel. Furthermore, Joseph was probably well versed in Scripture and knew the prophecy proclaimed in Isaiah 7:4: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." Perhaps when the angel spoke to Joseph, Joseph made the connection that his wife, Mary, was the chosen one to bring forth the Messiah. Perhaps, this, in addition to the words of the angel, persuaded Joseph to remain with Mary and proceed with the marriage. Either way, Joseph believed God, and he was rewarded with his actions by being Jesus' earthly father.

 

Judges Chapter 9 Part Six (Verses 26-33)

Lessons learned in regards to ruling over a nation
It is interesting Abimelech knew he could not FORCE himself upon the people of Shechem. Instead, he had to convince them to CHOOSE him. Abimelech did not march into Shechem with an army and take the city. He did not threaten the city with violence if they refused. Rather, he asked the people to make him their king because he convinced them it would be to their benefit. He made promises to them which sounded good to their ears. No one considered his true character even after murdering 69 of his siblings. Shechem was convince they wanted Abimelech to be its king.

It is self-evident not every last citizen of Shechem agreed with the choice of Abimelech to be king. Not every citizen participated in the mass murder of Gideon's sons. Not every citizen wanted a king. Yet, centuries before there was even the concept of democracy, the majority often ruled. That is exactly what happened here. The majority can exert tremendous peer pressure to twist the arms of the minority to go along with them. In tribal societies, going against the will of the majority could be a matter of keeping or losing your livelihood, your family and even your life!

Even though it is likely many within Shechem did not choose Abimelech, they went along with the crowd and accepted his rule. (We do not read of any opposition in the text.) As we see in this story, those who did NOT choose Abimelech suffered and died alongside those who did. From a spiritual standpoint, there would be no distinction. All would share in the fate of the nation's choice of leadership and in the results of that leader's decisions.

People born under a king or a dictatorial ruler have little or no choice in the matter of national leadership. They all live and die by the choices made by their leader. Those who have true freedom to choose their leaders (as we do in the USA and in many Western democracies) carry the utmost responsibility for not only its choice of leaders but in regards to their decisions and actions. We are not able to choose a leader and then divorce ourselves from his policies and actions. Never in history had there been a freer, more open system of choosing national leadership than what exists in the USA. We have legal means to remove leaders who have violated the laws of the land.

Shechem ceased to exist as a national entity for a long time after they unwisely chose the amoral and ungodly Abimelech to rule over then.


2. (Judges 9:26-29) The men of Shechem choose a new leader
Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? Would therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out."

Gaal the son of Ebed: About this time, a new character enters the scene. His name is Gaal, the son of Ebed. This was not the man;s real name; rather, it was a cruel nickname in which he became known at a later date. The name means "the abhorred son of a slave".

Gaal led a band of men who bore no allegiance to any particular tribe or king. Rather, they were like pirates who would sail into an area they wanted to control and took charge of it. They were like a hired mercenary army and would do the bidding of a king or a group of people if there was sufficient gain in it for themselves.

Under God's providential guidance, this group of thugs arrives in Shechem at the time of the grape harvest and the accompanying festival. Since we now understand the rather amoral character of the residents of Shechem, Gaal and his bunch fit right in. The people of Shechem trust Gaal.

They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them and held a festival: Gaal showed up at a very auspicious time: the Great New Year event of the pagan Mystery Babylon religious. The event of this celebration was the gathering of grapes, fermenting their joice into wine and then having a long drinking party in honor of Baal. Its counterpart in Israel was Sukkot, aka the Feast of Tabernacles.

If we look at the original Hebrew in verse 27, where is says in English, "they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank" (depending on your translation), what it actually says is that they went to the house of their god to "give hillulim"; this means praise offerings. It is directly connected to the Hebrew word hallel which means praise. (It is where we get the phrase hallelujah (praise God).) Praise is the central theme to the Feast of Tabernacles. So, here we have words reserved for describing the singing of praises to God, but they are being used to sing praises to Baal!

Under the influence of the Canaanites, Sukkot melded with the pagan New Year wine feast. It became nothing more than an over-indulgence drunken gathering; it lost all its spiritual meaning. Does this sound familiar? As we enter the holiday season in which Christians choose to commemorate the birth of our Savior, but it has been heavily influenced by secular ways. Top the majority of the population, it is simply a party time with no spiritual meaning. It is filled with fir trees, ornaments, lavish parties, Santa Claus and reindeer. People go into debt to buy unneeded but desired possessions. This all melds with praising God for sending His Messiah. How very strange and sad. It seems there is little different between how our Messiah's advent is celebrated today by most of His followers and what we are witnessing in verse 27 of Judges chapter nine. The Israelites represented the majority of the population in Shechem. However, the felt perfectly justified in adopting these pagan practices in lieu of the God-ordained ones Moses gave the people.

Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him: At this time of feasting and drinking, Gaal uses the moment to challenge the people of Shechem to openly revolt against Abimelech. He says, "Who is Abimelechm...that WE should serve HIM?" After all, Abimelech is nothing more than the son of Jerubbal. Remember Jerubbal is a nickname for Gideon. It means Baal fighter.

Here we have the people of Shechem having a drunken bash in honor of Baal, and Gaal says, "Why should we have a king over us who is the son of a man who hates Baal and broke down his altar?"

Serve the men of Hamor, the father of Shechem: Gaal goes on to say that if they were to have a ruler, he ought to be from Hamor, the father of Shechem. Remember Hamor was a Hivite king who founded the city of Shechem. So now whereas Abimelech used his Cannanite (Hivite) blood as a reason for the people of Shechem to invite him to be their king, now Gaal is reminding the people that Abimelech is also half Hebrew. So, Gaal is using Abimelech's Hebrew blood line against him. Oh what a tangled web we weave when we decide to deceive.

Would therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech: Gaal throws out a not so subtle hint that if he were in control of the people, he would get rid of Abimelech. In other words, Gaal is saying to the people, if you will agree to help me dispose Abimelech, then I will become your leader. Gaal continues by challenging Abimelch to come to Shechem with whatever loyal army he has and fight.


3. (Judges 9:30-33) The role of Zebul, the ruler of the city
When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. He sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shcehem; and behold, they are stirring up the city against you. Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can.

When Zebul the ruler of the city heard: When Zebul, who is loyal to Abimelech, hears this challenge by Gaal, he sends a message to Abimelech to come out and lie in wait for Gaal. Zebul was able to continue on in the face of this growing rebellious minset due to the divided nature of Shechem. Just as there was no consensus in choosing Abimelech three years earlier, there is no consensus now to revolt against him.

Zebul suggests to Abimelech to get his army together, com to Shechem under the cover of darkness and then lie in wait in the fields which surround the city. When the dawn breaks, Abimelech should attack. Gaal's men are bound to respond. In drawing them out from behind the city walls into the open, if Abimelech is properly prepared, he should be able to defeat Gaal. Abimelech acts in accordance with Zebul's advice.

Judges Chapter 9 Part Five (Verses 22-25)

C. Jotham's warning fulfilled

1. (Judges 9:22-25) A spirit of ill will between Abimelech and Shechem
Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. The men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech.

Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years: Verse 22 explains for three years Shechem followed Abimelech despite Jotham's warning. Now the judgment of God which had been patiently suspended begins to descend. The Shechemites turned against their newly appointed leader. It is interesting that even though the wicked plans of evil men can be hidden from people for a time, eventually it all comes to light. Furthermore, it is only a three year period of time which passed before the Shechemites realized they were deceived. Now, they wanted a change in leaders. In the future, it is going to take three years from the time of his coronation as king of the world, swept into office by an adoring public willing to turn everything over to him, before the world finds out the true intentions of the Anti-Christ.

Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem: It appears Abimelech did not live and rule from Shechem. Rather, he appointed an overseer to govern named Zebul to deal with Shechem. Zebul lived in Shechem, guided the city and made regular reports to his boss, Abimelech. Abimelech choosing to live in Arumah was a great insult to those who made his reign possible. His very own family lived in Shechem and put their own reputations on the line to get Abimelech coronated. There was an implied agreement which stated Shechem would be the seat of government over Abimelech's kingdom.

But after three years, the people of Shechem caught on to Abimelech and realized his only agenda for power mattered, and they were just a means to an end.

The trouble which started was a direct result of God's intervention. It was God who sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the baals (leaders) of Shechem. God was using a demon to bring about the demise of Abimelech and his so-called kingdom.

Does it surprise you that God would order a demon, an evil minion of Satan to cause treachery among men? And it was all to serve His purposes? Do not be surprised. We will see it again in the other parts of the Bible. As a result of a demonic attack (at God's command), the citizens of Shechem began to plot against Abimelech. There would have been practical reasons for the citizens of Shechem to go after Abimelech (at least in their minds there was), but in the end, the LORD used a demon to foment it. What was the reason for the LORD doing this? Verse 24 explains that it was necessary to avenge the blood of the sons of Jerubbaal (Gideon).

If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death at the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. You shall not take ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to live in the land before the death of the priest. So you shall not pollute the land in which you are, for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel. (Numbers 35:30-34)

So that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother: Remember one of the God-principles established in the Torah is murder (blood) must by dealt with by executing the murderer. The reason is blood (unjust killing) pollutes the land spiritually. The only way in which spiritual pollution ends is when the blood of the killed is spilled. Otherwise, the land is under the curse of the law. So, God takes the matter in these lawless times into His own hands and arranges for the circumstances to bring the perpetrator (Abimelech and his henchmen) to justice.

They robbed all who might pass them along the road: The people of Shechem made plans to counter Abimelech's efforts as a first step towards deposing him. Among those plans was the one stated in verse 25 where they stationed liers in wait on the mountaintpos above Shecehm. In other words, they put some willing men upon the twin mountains of Ebal and Gerizim so they could look down upon the main trade highways running through Shechem which connected the east with the west and the north with the south. They then robbed the caravans which passed through the area.

Not only did this give these robbers a boost in their personal incomes, it caused a great deal of trouble for Abimelech, which was the intent. The kings of this era forced taxes and tolls from the traders and merchants who traveled the trade routes which ran through their territories. Part of the reason these traders agreed to pay the tolls was so they received the king's protection from thieves and nomads. If the local king failed to provide security and the thievery got too out of hand, the traders would avoid the area. The king would lose a major source of funds for his treasury. Abimelech soon learned of this, understood immediately what was happening and the stage was set for a showdown.


Brief Recap
Gideon had 70 sons by his legal wives and one son (Abimelech) by a Canaanite woman from the city of Shechem. Having so many wives and sons meant Gideon had became very wealthy and lived a kingly lifestyle. Gideon's legal wives were Hebrew women. His concubine (Abimelech's mom) was the exception. As Abimelech matured, he became ambitious and wanted to begin his own kingdom. He strategized and decided the best place to start was with the ethnically mixed city of Shechem, his mother's family's hometown.

Shechem was a city which called Baal its god. There was a temple to Baal built there. Both the Canaanites and the Hebrews who lived in Shechem bowed down to this god. Abimelech convinced his mother's family to back him in approaching the townspeople for a proposition: let me by your king. They agreed. Abimelech was accepted because he appealed to both major ethnic groups since he was half Canaanite and half Hebrew.

With this step of his plan accomplished, Abimelech took a deceptive approach to obtaining and maintaining his hoped for power and authority by hiring thugs from Shechem to help him murder all 70 of his brothers. However, one brother, the youngest, escaped. The surviving son was named Jotham. When Jotham found out the people of Shechem intended to crown Abimelech as their king, he climbed up Mount Gerizim, which overlooked the city and shouted out a prophetic parable of warning to the naive citizens.

The parable consisted of the story of a forest of trees (representing a group of people) who were looking for a king to rule over them. The trees approached an olive tree, who refused the offer. Then, a fig tree also refused. Then, a grapevine also refused. Each had the same reason for their refusal of what seemed like such an amazing honor and rise in status--God had created them for their own special purposed. They were each bearing the fruits of that purpose and to abandon their divine purpose merely to rule over other trees was a misuse of their God-ordained gifts.

As a last resort, the trees approached the loathsome bramble. This was a stick-bush which grew upon the soil as a carpet lies on the floor. It was low to the ground and was nothing but a menace, serving no good use. The bramble jumps at this opportunity to rule over these mighty trees. However, it adds a not so subtle warning: it expects the trees to fully submit to it and to fully depend upon its goodness and mercy as it sees fit. If the trees do not submit, the bramble will destroy the trees.

Jotham then ended his parable with a curse. As a result of Abimelech's murder of Gideon's sons, God will intervene and cause Abimelech to destroy the people of Shechem, and the people of Shechem will do the same to Abimelech.

After three years under Abimelech's selfish and oppressive rule, the people of Shechem had enough. The friction between their king was reaching a point of combustion.

Up to chapter nine, we saw the problem for Israel was not just a lack of leadership, but it was also a lack of leaders. What few leaders they had did not lead; they only enjoyed the benefits of their positions, in which most of the leaders obtained by birthright and not by their own merit. Thus, the essentially leaderless Israelites would follow their own human nature, which was to pull away from God and His commands, and to adopt the attractive gods and customs of their neighbors. In response to this, God would send some foreign nation to oppress Israel, the Israel would call out to God and finally the LORD would raise up a Judge to deliver Israel from their oppression. That Judge would rule over Israel for a time. Then, the Judge died, and Israel went right back in to idolatry.

The various Judges (all God appointed) generally provided godly, albeit imperfect, leadership over Israel for some number of years during which time Israel prospered and enjoyed peace. However, here in Judges chapter nine, a small portion of Israel found itself under self-appointed leadership. Abimelech was not God's chosen leader for Israel. Gideon's sole remaining son used his own cunning and violent ambitions to gain power. In this, we learn some valuable lessons about leadership, especially in regards to ruling over a nation.

Judges Chapter 9 Part Four (Verses 7-21)

B. Jotham's warning

1. (Judges 9:7-15) The parable of the trees
Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted his voice and called out. Thus he said to them, "Listen to me, O men of Shechem, that God may listen to you. Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us!' But the olive tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?' Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come, reign over us!' But the fig tree said to them, 'Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?' then the trees said to the vine, 'You come, reign over us!' But the vine said to them, 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?' Finally all the trees said to the bramble, 'You come, reign over us! 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 our from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.'"

Now when they told Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim: In verse seven, when the surviving son, Jotham, heard of his half-brother's coronation, he took a very strange action. He climbed up to Mount Gerizim and from there shouted a prophetic parable as a curse upon Abimelech and the people who made him their king. Recall Shechem lay at the base of the twin mountains, Ebal and Gerizim. So, Gerizim was an appropriate place for this oracle. Almost two centuries earlier, Joshua stood on this same spot and reconfirmed Israel's covenant with God. Now, Jotham would use it as his pulpit.

Listen to me, O men of Shechem: In the second half of verse seven, the wording literally says, "Shema men of Shechem that elohim might shema onto you." Shema is the Hebrew word often translated into English as "hear". But, it has a much, much deeper meaning than this. Shema means to not only hear, but to listen and obey. Shema demands action and is not just passive acknowledgment.

Example 1: A father tells his son to take out the trash. The son remains on the couch playing video games. An hour later, the father says, "Didn't I tell you to take out the garbage." The son replies, "Yeah, yeah. I heard you."
This is NOT shema. The son heard, but he did not do anything.

Example 2: A father tells his son to take out the trash. The son obediently takes out the garbage.
This IS shema. The son heard the command, obeyed and took action.

It is also interesting to note Jotham used the generic word of that day for God, elohim, instead of calling God by his formal name. By doing so, each man could fill in the blank of whom he regarded as his god. Remember, Jotham was talking to an audience of Canaanites, fallen Israelites and people of mixed heritage and spiritual loyalties.

Next begins an interesting parable which would have been easily understood by those who heard him. It was also memorable enough to be accurately communicated to others not present.

Once the trees went forth: The trees represent a group of people. In this case, it is the citizens of Shechem. They decide to anoint a king over them. They invite an olive tree to be their king. It declines. Next, the trees offer the job to a fig tree. It also rejects it. After that, they ask a grape vine to rule over them. It too declines. Having failed at finding one willing to be the king, they approach a bramble. The bramble responds that it would be honored to be their king, but there is a catch.

Olive tree: The olive tree produces oil for the glory of God and for use by men. God created it for this purpose, and it is a high calling. So the olive tree says it will not give up its calling merely to leisurely wave to and fro over some other trees. It would be a waste of its purpose and gifting.

The fig tree: The fig tree explains that God created it to produce wonderful sweet fruit for eating. Figs were the staple food of that region and highly prized. The fig tree says why would it leave its production of sweetness and goodness behind just to rule over some other trees.

The vine: The vine produces grapes. Like the olive tree, it is used to bring joy to God and man. To God, it produces the libation offering (wine) which is necessary for many sacrifices and celebrations. For man, it was the principle beverage in virtually every home. It soothed the stomach, tasted wonderful and brought an extra measure of joy to parties and celebrations. The vine says why should it exchange such a wonderful purpose and privilege simply to be above some trees.

The trees were asking the olive, fig and grapevine to leave behind their God-ordained usefulness in exchange for what men see as a higher social status. Wise men understand to take on a leadership role MUST be the role God intended for them. It should not just be a personal ambition or done with the wrong motives. Furthermore, it is always best and more satisfying to be used for the purpose one was created rather than wishing we were created for another and different purpose which men see as more important. To abandon our God-given gifts and assignment in His kingdom in favor of something which personally pleases us or other men is a terrible misuse of those gifts.

Our value to the Kingdom is and will always be in whom God made us to be. It is not in how the world sees us or how we would prefer to see ourselves in the world. True contentment and peace is to discover those divine gifts and purposes and abide in them all the days of our lives for the good service to God and mankind.

The bramble: The trees of Jotham's parable had thus far failed to find a king. So, they went to what they saw as their last resort: the bramble. The bramble is the lowest grade of plant life. Any position would be considered a promotion. The bramble is hard, full of thorns and stickers and lies like a carpet on the surface of the ground. A bramble produces no fruit and no joy. It is worthless. However, it can cause harm and be a menace to farmers and other plants. It was especially dangerous during the summer months when it turned brittle and dry. It could easily catch fire and spreads at an amazing rate driven by hot winds. When it burns, it can ignite other plants as well.

The bramble agrees to be the trees' king. But they must come down and "take refuge in my shade". Additionally, if they confer kingship on it but will not take shelter in its shade, then the bramble will burn those trees down. Of course, what is portrayed here is an absurdity of sorts. Brambles cling so closely to the ground that they produce no usable shade.

The reference of the parable to the bramble burning down the cedars of Lebanon is that the cedars were considered the grandest and greatest of all the trees in the Middle East. Therefore, the bramble is saying its fiery wrath at those who will not submit to the shelter in its shade is so great that even the greatest of the trees will be destroyed.

2. (Judges 9:16-21) Jotham applies the parable: the city of Shechem will be repaid for choosing such a worthless man
Now therefore, if you have dealt in truth and integrity in making Abimelech the king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have dealt with him as he deserved--for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of the Midian; but you have risen against my father's house today and have killed his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your relative--if then you have dealt in truth and integrity with Jerubbaal and his house this day, rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume the men of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from Beth-millo, and consume Abimelech. Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

If you have dealt in truth and integrity: Next comes the curse. Jotham says if the people have done a righteous thing in anointing Abimelech and have been honest and fair with Jerubbaal's (Gideon's) family and descendants, then all will be good and well. This is how it should be since whether the citizens of Shechem were Canaanites, Israelites or foreigners, Jotham's father Gideon risked his life for their benefit. Everyone in the land of Canaan suffered when the Midianites and Amalekites came and stole the harvests and anything else they could get their hands on.

Of course this was a sarcastic monologue. All who were present understood what had taken place. Jotham reminds the people of Shechem that they were complicit in killing all of Gideon's sons except for himself and Abimelech. Jotham goes on to say that Abimelech was a bastard son, the son of a slave-girl owned by Gideon. The point of all this was an insult. Abimelech's mother was not a slave-girl. Moreover, Jotham says that this bastard king is your (Shechem's) blood relative; so they are responsible for his actions.

Therefore, if everything they and Abimelech did was righteous and good, then they may each enjoy each other. But, if that was not the case, then fire may come out of Abimelech and burn them, and they may in turn come out against Abimelech and destroy him.

Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother: Jotham knows that his life is great danger. He flees to an area called Beer so that Abimelech cannot reach him. Beer was very likely to the south and was probably under Judah's jurisdiction. However, we really do not know where this place was. Beer simply means "well" like in well of water. There are dozens of places in Canaan with that name. Perhaps it was Beer-sheba, which is located in the far south, but that is simply conjecture.

It was not long before the self-serving and wicked Abimelech started having friction with the Shechemites. Such kinds of people who were ruled over who are capable of such heinous acts as callously murdering 69 brothers just so a personal ambition can be realized, do not make easy companions for the long term. Trust would not be the basis of such a relationship.