The Judges. Day 32, Jotham's Parable Against The Men Of Shechem

Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, escaped the slaughter of his brothers at Ophrah by hiding from Abimelek. Today he preaches a parable against the men of Shechem who supported Abimelek.

Abimelek, the son of Gideon by his Shechemite concubine, has just been crowned king by the men of Shechem. It's important to note that at no time was Abimelek king over all Israel. He was elected only by the people of his mother's hometown. His realm may have included a good portion of West Manasseh, or at least the lower half, but it likely did not extend further than that. The map below shows us that Shechem was located at the lower end of West Manasseh near the border of Ephraim. I very much doubt that the Ephraimites wanted Abimelek as king over them (or even as a judge); the Ephraimites previously harbored some animosity toward Abimelek's father Gideon and could hardly be expected to welcome the idea of having his half-Canaanite son ruling over them. 

Though Abimelek's circle of influence is quite small, Gideon's youngest son Jotham knows that this wicked man, who wiped out all of Gideon's male heirs with the exception of Jotham himself, must be stopped before his circle of influence grows. When Jotham hears that Abimelek has been proclaimed king, he goes to a location in lower West Manasseh where the twin mountains of Gerizim and Ebal create a natural amphitheater. He ascends Mount Gerizim from which he addresses the sinful men of Shechem.

"When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, 'Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.' But the olive tree answered, 'Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?' Next, the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come and be our king.' But the fig tree replied, 'Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?' Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come and be our king.' But the vine answered, 'Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?' Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.' The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!'" (Judges 9:7-15) 

Jotham's parable tells us that worthier men than Abimelek (who are represented by the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine in the parable) were offered the opportunity to become king. We already know from Chapter 8 that the people wanted to make Gideon king after he defeated the Midianites. He refused the crown, though his later behavior indicated he considered himself the closest thing to a king. It's possible that the offer of kingship had been made to judges prior to Gideon or that the offer of kingship was made to several of his sons after his death. But everyone to whom the crown was proffered rejected it because it was not the will of God for their lives or for Israel. They preferred instead to serve the Lord in whatever roles He chose for them. Finally, the crown was offered to Abimelek, who is the thornbush in the parable. Unlike olive trees, fig trees, and grapevines, a thornbush is useful for nothing. 

In this parable Abimelek says to his supporters something like, "I will be a shelter for you. I will protect and provide for you. If you want to enjoy good things, you need to be on my side. If you are not on my side, I will consider you my enemy and my wrath will destroy you!" Though he lacks the power to carry out his threat except primarily against those in his locality, he's saying, "It's my way or the highway! Give your allegiance to me and enjoy the good life with me. Deny me your allegiance and I'll take your life." 

We find Abimelek doing what the author of Psalm 94 says wicked men do: "They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting." (Psalm 94:4) But in tomorrow's study Jotham pronounces a curse upon him and upon the men of Shechem who support him. Then will come true another saying of the psalmist. The Lord "will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them." (Psalm 94:23)