Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal [Gideon] went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, "Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember that I am your own flesh and bone." And his mother's brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother." So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. Then he went to his father's house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. Abimelech has a little conspiracy going on here. Instead of doing things God's way, he takes matters into his own hands with logical--not Godly--solutions. I mean, logically, Abimelech is right, isn't he? How can all 70 sons reign? That would be confusing. And that's exactly what the sons thought--they completely fell for his trickery. I think this is a huge lesson for us to see today. We need to be very careful about what we say and how we say it. In our world today, it seems like half-truths, cunning and derisive remarks, and pushing one's way to the top by bulling over others is the norm. But this isn't the way we're supposed to act as Christians. Jesus said that we must be servants of all (Mark 9:35). What has happened to servant leaders in our nation, our cities, our churches, and our families? The world's way and its logic will only last so long. Remember that Jesus is coming and the old ways, the ways of the world, will cease. Do things His way; use the gifts that He's supernaturally given to you to really make a difference while you're still on this earth. It starts with you... today. Be a person who will say and do things God's way. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love" (Ephesians 4:11-16). "And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all" (Mark 9:35).Today's Devotion
From Mike MacIntosh
Judges 9:1-5
