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AN OVERTURE FROM ABIMELECH, SON OF GIDEON

Text: Judges 9:1-21
1 August 2011

AN OVERTURE FROM ABIMELECH, SON OF GIDEON

1. Overture to the city of Shechem Judges 9:1-2

a) To have the sons of Gideon to rule over Shechem

b) To have Abimelech to rule of Shechem

c) Partisan appeal (Abimelech was from Shechem)

2. Response of Shechem Judges 9:3

a) Abimelech’s half-brothers supported him

b) Shechem decided to appoint Abimelech as their ruler

3. Abimelech’s ruthlessness Judges 9:4-6

a) He was given money from the temple of Baal Berith

b) He hired reckless and worthless gangsters

c) He went to Ophrah and there killed almost the entire family of Gideon

d) Only the youngest son, Jotham, escaped this massacre

e) Abimelech made ruler of Shechem

THE TAUNT OF JOTHAM

1. Addressees
The city of Shechem Judges 9:7

2. The Parable of the Trees Judges 9:8-16

a) The Olive tree declined the offer to rule over the trees

b) The Fig tree also declined

c) The Vine also declined

d) The Bramble Bush accepted the offer to be made ruler of the tree kingdom

3. Accusation of Jotham

a) Folly of making Abimelech the ruler of Shechem Judges 9:16

b) An attempt to recall what Gideon did for Shechem Judges 9:17

c) Assassination of the sons of Gideon Judges 9:18

d) Pronouncement of a curse Judges 9:19-20

4. Jotham fled after he made this impassioned speech Judges 9:21

SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS IN ISRAEL

1. Murder and mayhem

2. Abimelech’s murderous route to become king of Shechem

3. The work of Gideon did not have any lasting effect