Sermon Tone Analysis

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Theme: Israel should have condemned Abimelech’s treachery, but instead they coronated him as king.

This is what happens when a nation becomes anesthetized to evil, and refuses to judge it as evil.

Theme: Israel should have condemned Abimelech’s treachery, but instead they coronated him as king.

This is what happens when a nation becomes anesthetized to evil, and refuses to judge it as evil.

Date: 08/06/17 File name: Judges_09.wpd

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Date: 08/06/17 File name: Judges_09.wpd

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Last Sunday evening we looked at Gideon’s sad legacy.

A man who began as a fearful farmer, became a faithful warrior, but morphed into a frightful leader.

But, if you know the story, his legacy is not finished.

In chapter nine we encounter the story of his son Abimelech.

He is the son of Gideon by a mistress Gideon has stashed away in the city of Shechem.

Shechem is important in many ways.

It’s a commercial hub sitting at the confluence of several important trade routes.

It’s the place where “Jacob’s Well” is located, and it’s the burial place of Joseph who insisted that his bones be taken “home” whenever the Hebrews left Egypt.

It’s at Shechem where Joshua establishes a covenant with Israel, and put in place the statutes and laws of God just before he dies.

It’s also a city that was never conquered by Joshua, and thus the Canaanite population had remained intact and had intermarried with the Jewish population.

Last Sunday evening we looked at Gideon’s sad legacy.

A man who began as a fearful farmer, became a faithful warrior, but morphed into a frightful leader.

But, if you know the story, his legacy is not finished.

In chapter nine we encounter the story of his son Abimelech.

He is the son of Gideon by a mistress Gideon has stashed away in the city of Shechem.

Shechem is important in many ways.

It’s a commercial hub sitting at the confluence of several important trade routes.

It’s the place where “Jacob’s Well” is located, and it’s the burial place of Joseph who insisted that his bones be taken “home” whenever the Hebrews left Egypt.

It’s at Shechem where Joshua establishes a covenant with Israel, and put in place the statutes and laws of God just before he dies.

It’s also a city that was never conquered by Joshua, and thus the Canaanite population had remained intact and had intermarried with the Jewish population.

When Gideon dies Abimelech makes his move — he goes to Shechem to convince his uncles that he is the more logical choice to rule over them than any of the legitimate heirs of Gideon.

They agree, and Abimelech assembles what can only be called a rabble of thugs, who help him in his quest for power.

Like a ruthless dictator, Abimelech did what he thought he had to do to get ahead, and then to stay ahead.

The story of how his rise to power is found in the first six verses of chapter nine.

“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.”

(, NIV84)

These murders are systematic and serial — one at a time on one stone, an astonishing slaughter took place.

It’s a gory scene.

One after another, Gideon’s legitimate sons were herded toward their inevitable doom.

ILLUS.

Abimelech takes a chapter out of Machiavelli’s The Prince, where Machiavelli writes, “Whoever seizes a crown, unjustly and violently, must, if cruelty be necessary, exercise it to the full at once, in order to avoid the necessity of beginning it anew every day.”

After this gruesome event is complete, another ceremony takes place: the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo gathered ... to crown Abimelech king.

Last week the title of the message was When Leaders Fail.

I suppose tonight’s message could be When Followers Fail.

The citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo made a colossal error of judgment in choosing Abimelech as their king, and, if you know the story, their decision comes back to bite them.

, , .

All of Israel should have been morally outraged.

Unfortunately, all of Israel had become morally anesthetized.

The story of Abimelech is not so much the story of an individual's quest for power at all costs — it is that, but it's more — it's the story of a society that lost it's ability to make value judgments about individuals based on their conduct and character, because it had abandoned God's Word as its guide and authority.

I. NOT ALL JUDGING IS BAD

1. this obviously flies in the face of everything society is currently trying to tell us about judging

judging

2. what does Jesus mean when he says, judge not?

a. does He mean that Christians should never have any opinions?

a. does He mean that Christians should never have any opinions?

b. does He mean that Christians should always take a middle-of-the-road position so as not to offend anyone?

as not to offend anyone?

c. does He mean that Christians must be tolerant of all views in all situations regardless of how morally repugnant they may be?

regardless of how morally repugnant they may be?

d. does He mean that we should view all religions as equally authoritative, all behaviors as equally authentic, all attitudes as equally credible?

behaviors as equally authentic, all attitudes as equally credible?

3. when Jesus says judge not, many people have interpreted that to mean we are not to engage in any form of analysis or evaluation of others — particularly their moral lives

engage in any form of analysis or evaluation of others — particularly their moral lives

ILLUS.

This is ridiculous because we make evaluations and judgments every day.

We choose one restaurant over another.

We choose one product over another.

When you got married you made a judgment — this person exceeds any other choice I could have possibly made.

choose one restaurant over another.

We choose one product over another.

When you got married you made a judgment — this person exceeds any other choice I could have possibly made.

a. this idea of non-judgmentalism forbids us from opining that another’s conduct, views, or attitudes might in any way be wrong, and something we just don’t want to be a part of

views, or attitudes might in any way be wrong, and something we just don’t want to be a part of

1) this is the one passage of Scripture known by every reprobate and enemy of Christianity, and they beat the Church and God’s people over the head with it

Christianity, and they beat the Church and God’s people over the head with it

2) they may know nothing else of the Bible, but be assured they know this one “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

“Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

3) it is used as a weapon by the worldly, the lukewarm, the trouble-makers, unbelievers and false teachers in an attempt to disarm the children of God

unbelievers and false teachers in an attempt to disarm the children of God

4) we are told that condemning sin is judging ... that reproving, rebuking and exhorting is judging ... that preaching the exclusivity of the Gospel is judging

exhorting is judging ... that preaching the exclusivity of the Gospel is judging

A. THE SCRIPTURES COMMAND US TO JUDGE

A. THE SCRIPTURES COMMAND US TO JUDGE

1. Jesus commanded righteous judgment

“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”

NASB95

a. the same Jesus who tells his hearers, Do not judge, or you too will be judged, (, NIV84), tells his disciple in to judge with righteous judgment

(, NIV84), tells his disciple in to judge with righteous

judgment

b. when we make value judgments about another person or group, that judgment must be based on true, honorable, upright and incorruptible standards

must be based on true, honorable, upright and incorruptible standards

1) these incorruptible standards amount to righteous judgment

c. but that begs the question — what does it mean to judge with righteous judgment?

1) Jesus gives us the answer in John’s Gospel

“I can do nothing on My own initiative.

As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." (, NASB95)