Contemplative Bible Reading

Judges 9:1-6 (New International Version)

¹ Abimelech son of Jerub-Baal went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan, ² “Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”

³ When the brothers repeated all this to the citizens of Shechem, they were inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” ⁴ They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, and Abimelech used it to hire reckless adventurers, who became his followers. ⁵ He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-Baal. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-Baal, escaped by hiding. ⁶ Then all the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered beside the great tree at the pillar in Shechem to crown Abimelech king.

Let’s start by reviewing the list of names:

• Jerub-Baal – another name for Gideon, the man who won a great battle with only 300 men and torches, pitchers, and trumpets.
• Abimelech – one of 70 sons of Jerub-Baal, a.k.a. Gideon.
• Jotham – the youngest of 70 sons of Jerub-Baal, a.k.a. Gideon.
• reckless adventurers – mercenaries who followed Abimelech for money.

Gideon had ruled God’s people as a judge for 40 years. After his death, there was a vacuum of leadership of sorts. Actually, there were a bunch of leaders – Gideon’s 70-or-so sons.

Abimelech steps forward. “Why have so many leaders?” he reasoned. “Wouldn’t it be better to have just one leader?”

Abimelech was probably right in his thinking, but boy was he ever wrong in his approach. He hired the reckless adventurers (what a great title) and they killed all his brothers with only the youngest one – Jotham – escaping alive. This  was crazy; this was hard to believe. Abimelech killed about 70 brothers, sons of his own father.

I could stretch this a bit, but just a little bit, to show that we do similar things today. Greedy, overly ambitious people start corporations, hire modern-day reckless adventurers, and pillage and plunder the marketplace with evil intent. There is no desire to provide good products and services to the public, only a desire for money and power. Maybe that isn’t much of a stretch; it may be too close to reality for us to admit.

Reckless adventurers – I guess we still have them with us today.