1. Unfaithfulness & treachery from within (8:29-9:6)

a) Gideon rightfully refused to rule over Israel, knowing this was the Lord’s prerogative. Unfortunately, he lived like other kings: 70 sons with many wives (v30), a son by a concubine in Shechem whose name meant “my father is king.” After Gideon died at a ripe old age, Israel played the harlot with the Baals again (v33). They were spiritually unfaithful to the Lord, making a covenant with a local baal.

b) Apparently Shechem had a population that included Canaanites. Abimelech assumed his 70 brothers aspired to be king as he did. He appealed that it was better to have one king than 70 & that he was of their bone & flesh (rather than a pure Israelite). They used money from the treasure of their Baal temple to hire worthless & reckless men to kill Gideon’s 70 sons on one stone. Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, escaped this massacre.

c) The men of Shechem (& surrounding territory) made Abimelech king at Shechem: spiritually significant events happened there (Gen. 12:6-7, Joshua 8:30-35, 24:1,22-26).

d) Unfaithfulness to God combined with selfish greed causes God’s people to become their own enemy.

2. Confrontation with a curse (9:7-21)

a) Jotham stood on top of Mt. Gerizim where blessings were pronounced (Deut. 11:29) to pronounce a curse upon Abimelech & the Shechemites (v7).

b) An allegorical story: The trees wanted to anoint a king over them. They approach the olive & fig tree & then the vine to reign over them. Each declines since they have other great purposes to fulfill. Desperate to have a ruler the trees approach the bramble. The bramble answers if they are sincere to take refuge in its shade (Bramble offers no shade. The trees are better off without it.) If not, may fire come out from the bramble (easy occurrence) & consume the cedars (lofty trees).

c) Using conditional statements, Jotham pointed to all Gideon did for their benefit & their subsequent treachery. Since they had not dealt in truth & integrity, he called for fire mutually to consume Abimelech and Shechem.

3. The curse of turning on one another (9:22-57)

a) Abimelech’s 3 year rule was likely not over all Israel, but this was their first attempt to have a king. This was not a theocracy, but a monarchy that did not welcome God’s rule (I Sam. 8:7). “God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech & the men of Shechem” (v23) to bring justice for their violence (v24).

b) Shechem set men in ambush in the mountains to rob those passing by (v25). With such a reputation, caravans would avoid the area & limit Abimelech’s revenue. A local rogue leader, Gaal, won Shechem’s trust (v26). At a pagan grape harvest celebration, he promoted himself & challenged Abimelech (v28f).

c) Zebul, the local leader of Shechem, remained loyal to Abimelech. He informed Abimelech’s of Gaal’s rebellion & called him to set an ambush for Gaal’s forces. Abimelech divided his forces into 4 companies (v34). Zebul helped delay Gaal’s response. Then Abimelech’s forces overwhelmed Gaal’s forces up to the entrance of the city. Zebul drove Gaal out of the city.

d) The next day, the people of Shechem thought the fighting was over went to work in the fields. Abimelech sought further revenge, slew many, captured the city, killed its inhabitants, razed the city and sowed it with salt (total destruction, v45). The leaders of the city fled to the temple of El (likely same structure- v4) for refuge, Abimlech burned them to death killing 1,000 people. Jotham’s curse was being fulfilled. These were citizens under Abimelech’s rule.

e) Abimelech traveled about 10 miles NE to Thebez who apparently also rebelled against his rule. The people fled to their strong tower & gathered on the roof. When Abimelech went to burn down that tower, a woman threw an upper milestone (⁓10 inches long) on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. This vain man had his armor bearer kill him so people wouldn’t say a woman killed him (2 Sam. 11:21).

f) Israel’s attempt at a monarchy failed miserably – people returned home. The woman’s throw was not luck. “God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech” (v56), fulfilling the rest of Jotham’s curse.

The wrong kind of leader makes things far worse. When God’s people deal treacherously with one another, God’s discipline/judgment might for them to consume one another.