Immerse: Kingdoms Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 71
9:11-25
J u dges
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But the fig tree also refused, saying,
‘Should I quit producing my sweet fruit
just to wave back and forth over the trees?’
“Then they said to the grapevine,
‘You be our king!’
But the grapevine also refused, saying,
‘Should I quit producing the wine
that cheers both God and people,
just to wave back and forth over the trees?’
“Then all the trees finally turned to the thornbush and said,
‘Come, you be our king!’
And the thornbush replied to the trees,
‘If you truly want to make me your king,
come and take shelter in my shade.
If not, let fire come out from me
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’”
Jotham continued, “Now make sure you have acted honorably and in
good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right
by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor
he deserves for all he accomplished? For he fought for you and risked
his life when he rescued you from the Midianites. But today you have revolted against my father and his descendants, killing his seventy sons on
one stone. And you have chosen his slave woman’s son, Abimelech, to be
your king just because he is your relative.
“If you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Gideon and his
descendants today, then may you find joy in Abimelech, and may he find
joy in you. But if you have not acted in good faith, then may fire come out
from Abimelech and devour the leading citizens of Shechem and B
eth-
millo; and may fire come out from the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo
and devour Abimelech!”
Then Jotham escaped and lived in Beer because he was afraid of his
brother Abimelech.
After Abimelech had ruled over Israel for three years, God sent a spirit
that stirred up trouble between Abimelech and the leading citizens of She
chem, and they revolted. God was punishing Abimelech for murdering
Gideon’s seventy sons, and the citizens of Shechem for supporting him in
this treachery of murdering his brothers. The citizens of Shechem set an
ambush for Abimelech on the hilltops and robbed everyone who passed
that way. But someone warned Abimelech about their plot.