After the death of Gideon, the people of Israel went after strange gods again (Jud. 8:33). Israel had quickly forgotten what the Lord had done for them, and the victory that Gideon wrought. Israel’s lack of spiritual leadership was proving to be futile.
Gideon had served Israel as a judge, not as a king. After his death, Israel’s void for a leader needed filled. History has shown that sons follow in their father’s footsteps, whether willingly or reluctantly. But that may not always be God’s will. The role of judge in Israel wasn’t one of a dynasty. But that didn’t stop Gideon’s son, Abimelech. It was his life’s ambition to be the leader, though that certainly wasn’t God’s plan. His plot was to go to his mother’s kindred in Shechem and become their king.
Abimelech sought out people who agreed with him (Jud. 9:1-2). Did the people want seventy sons of Gideon overseeing them? Or did they want just one strong-willed man as their leader? Of course they chose Abimelech.
As we have seen early on in Judges, everyone did what is right in their own eyes (Jud. 21:25). That is certainly the case with Abimelech. God hadn’t anointed him to be Israel’s judge, so he secured allegiance from the men of Shechem, and became their assumed king. To make matters worse, he killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Gideon at Ophrah (Jud. 9:5-6). Thankfully, one of Gideon’s son survived (Jud. 9:5).
Abimelech believed himself to be a noble tree offering shade to feeble souls. But in reality, he was nothing more than a weed (Jud. 9:7-20). God wasn’t going to have someone like that to be Israel’s leader. God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, and brought about quick judgment.
What can we learn about Abimelech? First, you can always find sympathizers, no matter how wrong you might be. There will always be weak-minded people who will listen to your complaints and negativity. Beloved, you should avoid people like Abimelech. They will only cause you more harm than good. Second, it’s dangerous to think more highly of ourselves than we should (Rom. 12:3). God has a purpose for each person’s life. But we should wait and pray for God to call and anoint us for a given task or role. It’s better to be a servant in God’s kingdom, than to be a king in your own bedlam.