Tuesday 17th June Judges 9.1-21

Qn. 1

…And they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem (6): Abimelech was the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) (Judges 8.35), whose mother originated from Shechem. Shechem was a famous place in the Scriptures; a) It’s where Jacob buried foreign gods (Gen. 35.4); b) Joshua set up there a big stone to serve as a witness for the covenant between God and the Israelites (Joshua 24.26); c) Shechem was one of the cities of refuge during Joshua’s time (Jos. 20.7); d) Shechem was a city given to the Levites, the offspring of Aaron the priest, for them to inhabit (Jos. 21.21). It’s awful for Sheckem as a famous city, to also be a place of origin for a malicious man like Abimelech, who killed his 70 brothers because of power scramble, thus disgracing his parent Samson who had strived to redeem the people of Israel (5). In actual fact, God’s pleasure is for a brother to be born for adversity (Prov. 17.17). Consider: Christians must see to it that they become a blessing to their family and place of origin, and their nation at large. Song 74 (Praises).