Judges ch 8-9 Ephraim is angry because Gideon didn’t call them for battle, but saved them for the end. When he explains that their tribe was greater and had most important part (God gave them victory over the commanders Oreb and Zeeb), their anger subsided. Gideon then crosses the Jordan with his 300 men, and asks the people of Succoth for food to feed his men. They tell him they will give them food after they catch Zebah and Zalmunna. Gideon responds by telling them when he capture the men, he will come back and tear their flesh with the briers and thorns from the wilderness. He then goes to Penuel, but they tell him the same thing. Gideon tells them when he returns with Zebah and Zalmunna, he is going to tear their tower down. Gideon takes an alternate route and catches Zebah and Zalmunna off guard at Karkor. Only 15,000 of the 120,000 men are left, so Gideon and his men capture them. Gideon then captures a young man from Succoth and makes him write down the name of the 77 officials and leaders. He then returns to Succoth with Zebah and Zalmunna and punish the elders of the city with the biers and thorn from the wilderness. They also tear down the tower in Penuel and kill all the men in the city. Gideon then explains to Zebah and Zalmunna why he was going to kill them; the men they slew in Tabor were Gideon’s brothers. He then tells Jether, his oldest son to kill them, but he was afraid. Zebah and Zalmunna tells Gideon to do it himself, so he kills them and take the royal ornaments off of their camels. The Israelites ask Gideon and his sons to rule over them, but he refuse. He tells them the Lord will rule over them. He does ask each man to give him a gold ear ring from the plunder they collected and makes a sacred ephod out of it. The ephad was taken to Ophrah (his home town), and became a snare to Gideon and his household when the people started worshiping it. Gideon returns home and all his wives together bore him 71children. One was Abemelech, the son of his concubine in Shechem. God gives Israel peace for 40 years and then they rebel again. After Gideon’s death, his son Abemelech rises to power after he has 69 of his brothers killed. Jotham (youngest) is the only one that escapes. When he finds out Abemelech has been appointed king over Israel, he climbs Mount Gerizim and pronounce a curse on the people (Abemelech, Shechem, and the house of Millo will destroy each other). After 3 years had passed, the Lord sent an evil spirit to stir the people up. Gaal and his brothers turned the men of Shechem against Abemelech. Abemelech and Shechem go to war, and Abemelech and his men destroy the city. The survivors ran and hid in the temple of Berith, but Abemelech and his men set it on fire killing 1,000 people. He then captures Thebez and tries to set their tower on fire, but a woman drops a millstone on his head. As he is dying, he asks his armor bearer to kill him so it would not be said he was killed by a woman. After his armor bearer killed him, Abemelech men disbanded and went home. The curse of Jotham was fulfilled. Lessons being taught: 1. Pride is very destructive. The Lord had given Gideon a brilliant plan to defeat the enemy, but Ephraim were angry because they were brought in at the end. When Gideon explained that Ephraim was greater than his tribe so they were given the most important part, their anger subsided. The men also had a lot of pride when it came to death. Zebah and Zalmunna did not want to die at the hand of Gideon’s son because he was young. Abemelech asked his armor bearer to kill him because he didn’t want the people to know a woman cracked his skull with a millstone. 2. God punishes us when we disobey him. As Gideon and his men pursued their enemy they became exhausted and asked Succoth and Penuel for food. Both refused and told Gideon they would give them food after they captured Zebah and Zalmunna. Once the commanders were captured, Gideon taught the men of Succoth a lesson with the briers and thorns from the wilderness. They also tore down Penuel’s tower and killed all the men in the city. 3. Words are powerful. After Abemelech and the men of Shechem kills 69 of his brothers Jotham pronounce a curse over them; Abemelech, Shechem, and the house of Millo will destroy each other. Three years later the curse is fulfil. Abemelech was killed and Shechem was destroyed. 4. Whatever we give our attention to becomes our god. Gideon refused to become ruler over Israel but makes a sacred ephod with the gold ear rings and put it in Ophrah (is home town). The people began to worship it, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household. Seventy of his 71 sons were killed and Shechem was destroyed. 5. God can use anybody or anything to accomplish his purpose. As Abemelech prepared to torch the tower in Thebez, a woman drops a millstone and cracks his skull. God is not a respecter of person; he is looking for willing vessels.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Apr 2014 22:46:21 +0000
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