Book of Judges Review Part Four (Chapters 9-12)

 Chapter 9
Abimelech is Gideon’s son by a concubine. One key thing to know is Abimelech was NOT a Judge. In fact, some wonder why this episode is even included in the Book of Judges. The story is somewhat of an antithesis of the previous three chapters. Gideon was a man raised up by God to be a Judge, and then he served the LORD in order to deliver his people from oppression. Contrast this with Abimelech, who was born into privilege, appointed himself as a leader of God's people and then served only his own personal lust for power in order to oppress his people.

Abimelech rallies his Canaanite family to rise up and support Abimelech as their leader. Abimelech murders his brothers. The people of Shechem make Abimelech their king. One of Gideon’s son (Jotham) is not slain. Jotham gives a fierce warning to Abimelech and Shechem about what will happen to them. He gives this warning in the form of a parable using trees. The olive, fig and vine refuse to be rulers. 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.

Jotham applies the parable: the city of Shechem will be repaid for choosing such a worthless man. Then Jotham escaped and fled, and went to Beer and remained there because of Abimelech his brother.

Abimelech rules over Shechem for three years. Then an evil spirit arises between the men of Shechem and Abimelech. The men of Shechem set an ambush against Abimelech. 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.

The men of Shechem choose a new leader, Gaal the son of Ebed. Gaal says he will defeat Abimelech. Zebul the leader of the city relays a message to Abimelech to come to Shechem and rout the city of Gaal. Abimelech defeats the rebellion of the men of Shechem. Abimelech attacks the citizens of Shechem and conquers the city.

The men of Shechem flee to the city’s tower. When Abimelech heard about the movements of the town's leadership, he took counter measures. He led his men to a nearby hill which had a dense growth of fir tress. He and his men chopped off branches, brought them to the temple-tower now packed with the upper crust of Shechem, laid the branches against it and then light them on fire. The greenness of the branches would have made for a horrible smoking while it burned through the wooden door and wooden roof which were standard for that time. Thus, many were killed as they sat huddled together. Over 1000 men and women were killed at the base of El's temple.

Then Abimelech went to Thebez. Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it. Abimelech used fire to force those who took refuge in the tower to come out or die by smoke and fire. But, this time, there was a different result. Abimelech approached the side of the tower to take hateful revenge by personally setting the branches against it which were lit on fire. A woman on the roof flung an upper millstone over the edge, striking Abimelech on his head and crushing his skull.

Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.


Chapter 10
Two minor judges:
Tola: Chapter ten begins by briefly introducing us to two of the five so-called "minor" judges. There is relatively little detail about either person. We are told Tola saved Israel, but that is about it. He ruled them for twenty-three years. He was from the tribe of Issachar; however, he lived in the hills of Ephraim.

Jair: Jair is only identified as being from Gilead. He judged the area for 22 years (one less than Tola before him). He held sway over 30 cities, each one governed by one of his thirty sons.

(Judges 10:7-9): LORD sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the sons of Ammon.

(Judges 10:10-14): Israel calls to the LORD; God's response to Israel.

(Judges 10:15-16): Repentance from Israel, mercy from God. They put away their foreign gods from among them.

(Judges 10:17-18): Israel gathers, but without a leader.
Verse 17 changes course and describes two armies. One was Ammon's army who assembled in Gilead in the Trans-Jordan. The other army was Israel's which was more of a militia. They assembled at Mizpah on the west side of the Jordan River. The time for confrontation between Israel and its eastern oppressor was at hand. But something was missing. Israel did not have a field general.

Chapter 11
Jephthah and the Ammonites

(Judges 11:1-3): Jephthah's background before his rise to leadership.
Jephthah the Gileadite was a valiant warrior, but he was the son of a harlot.
Illegitimate children of harlots were the lowest of the low in Israelite society (and most other societies as well). They were ignored and scorned, had no rights, received no schooling and were social outcasts. They lived miserable poverty stricken lives. Jephthah was kicked out of his father’s house. He leaves and lives in the land of Tob.

(Judges 11:4-8): The elders of Gilead call upon the leadership of Jephthah.

(Judges 11:9-11): Jephthah's response to the leaders of Gilead. Jephthah agrees to be Gilead’s leader on the condition he is made their leader.

(Judges 11:12-13): Jephthah negotiates with the King of the Ammonites. Jephthah sends messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon and tries to make the case the Ammonites never had claim to Israel’s land.

(Judges 11:29): Jephthah gathers troops and advances courageously on Ammon. The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.

(Judges 11:30-31): Jephthah makes a rash vow. Jephthah believes he can seek God's favor if he vowed to the LORD a sacrifice from the first thing which walks through the doors of his house to greet him when he returns home from battle after defeating the Ammonites.

(Judges 11:32-33): God grants Israel victory over the Ammonites.

(Judges 11:34-35): A difficult vow to fulfill. When Jephthah arrives home, his daughter comes out the door to greet him. Jephthah is devastated because he feels he can not go back on his vow to God since God had indeed given Israel victory.

(Judges 11:36-40): Jephthah fulfills his vow to God. Jephthah's daughter makes it clear she understood her father had no choice in the matter. She tells him to do what he has vowed he would do. In verse 39, we are told after a two month reprieve, her father followed through with his promise to God.


Chapter 12
Jephthah and the Ephraimites conflict

(Judges 12:1-3): The men of the tribe of Ephraim are angry with Jephthah. The tribe of Ephraim was the firstborn of the sons of Israel. They did not come to war when they were first called. Ephraim and Jephthah are very upset with each other. War breaks out.

(Judges 12:4-6): The Gileadites (led by Jephthah) overwhelm the people of the tribe of Ephraim. The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan opposite Ephraim.

Shibboleth: Apparently the Ephraimites had lost their ability to pronounce the letter sheen, which is the "sh" sound. Instead, they could only say it was an "s" sound. This dead giveaway proved to be fatal.

Jephthah's army devastated the Ephraimite army and killed 42,000 men, many because they could not make an "sh" sound, which prevented them from escaping across the river. This would have no doubt for many years greatly curtailed Ephraim's ability to both protect itself and to project its power over others. So, its status would have diminished for a time as a result of its arrogance which led to this ill-conceived and completely unnecessary battle with Jephthah and the highly insulted men of Gilead who had done such a good service for Israel.

(Judges 12:7): The remainder of Jephthah's time as a Judge. Jephthah judged Israel for six years.

Three minor judges:
(Judges 12:8-10): The Judge Ibzan. The era of Jephthah is over. After him came Ibzan. Almost nothing is said of him. We are not even sure of his tribal affiliation. He had thirty sons and thirty daughters. He judged Israel for seven years.

(Judges 12:11-12): The judge Elon. Elon was from the tribe of Zebulun.

(Judges 12:13-15): The Judge Abdon. Next came Abdon who had 40 sons and 30 grandsons. These sons rode on donkeys. This was a very royal and aristocratic family. Having so many children indicates Abdon had many wives and very well had 40 or more daughters in addition to all his sons. He most likely also ruled during a time of peace and prosperity. The time from his anointing to his death was a mere eight years.