Jotham’s thorn bush fable(Judges 9:7-21)

Jotham’s thorn bush fable(Judges 9:7-21)

7 When Jotham was told about this, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, “Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ 9 “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’ 10 “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’ 11 “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’ 12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’ 13 “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’ 14 “Finally all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘Come and be our king.’ 15 “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ Intro) Let’s see what today text mean through verse 16-21 is. 16 “Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves? 17 Remember that my father fought for you and risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian. 18 But today you have revolted against my father’s family. You have murdered his seventy sons on a single stone and have made Abimelek, the son of his female slave, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is related to you. 19 So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too! 20 But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelek and consume you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, the citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelek!” 21 Then Jotham fled, escaping to Beer, and he lived there because he was afraid of his brother Abimelek.   2. There was a person called Abimelech, which was son of Judges Gideon. He was a bastard son of 72 sons. So he couldn’t get equal treatment as his other siblings get. The other Jotham was Gideon's youngest son. Jotham's brother, Abimelech, tried to seize power by killing all of his own brothers. Jotham escaped and was the sole survivor. Jotham pronounced judgment on Abimelech and the Shechemites by telling a parable of the trees, while standing on Mount Gerizim (Judges 9:7-20). In fear of his life Jotham fled to Beer. Jotham disappears from the Bible, and no more is recorded of him. But the judgment he placed on Abimelech and the Shechemites was fulfilled three years later.    Body) The message Jotham gave is metaphorical fable. His fable is about how trees picked their own king. In the story there were 4 trees, which are Olive tree, fig tree, vines, and thorn bush. Trees went up to 3 trees, olive, fig, vines tree to ask to become a king of theirs, but they refused saying fruiting is more important than serve as a king. So, trees went to see thorn bush to ask him to become a king, he accepted it, but he warned them as well 15 “The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’ In the fable fruit trees are Gideon, and thorn bush is Abimelech. People of Israel were trees, they asked Gideon to become his king, but when he refused they went to Abimelech. Abimelech is cold blooded man, but his reign didn’t last long. People of shechem who helped Abimelech rose against Abimelech due to how unfair their king is. This happening was occurred by God.  22 After Abimelek had governed Israel three years, 23 God stirred up animosity between Abimelek and the citizens of Shechem so that they acted treacherously against Abimelek. 24 God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-Baal’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers. 25 In opposition to him these citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelek. 26 Now Gaal son of Ebed moved with his clan into Shechem, and its citizens put their confidence in him. 27 After they had gone out into the fields and gathered the grapes and trodden them, they held a festival in the temple of their god. While they were eating and drinking, they cursed Abimelek. 28 Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-Baal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek? 29 If only this people were under my command! Then I would get rid of him. I would say to Abimelek, ‘Call out your whole army!’” One day there was soldier name Gaal, he came to Shechem to motivate people to rise against their king. once king heard about this he destroyed Shechem’s castle.   30 When Zebul the governor of the city heard what Gaal son of Ebed said, he was very angry. 31 Under cover he sent messengers to Abimelek, saying, “Gaal son of Ebed and his clan have come to Shechem and are stirring up the city against you. 32 Now then, during the night you and your men should come and lie in wait in the fields. 33 In the morning at sunrise, advance against the city. When Gaal and his men come out against you, seize the opportunity to attack them.” 34 So Abimelek and all his troops set out by night and took up concealed positions near Shechem in four companies. 35 Now Gaal son of Ebed had gone out and was standing at the entrance of the city gate just as Abimelek and his troops came out from their hiding place. 36 When Gaal saw them, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from the tops of the mountains!” Zebul replied, “You mistake the shadows of the mountains for men.” 37 But Gaal spoke up again: “Look, people are coming down from the central hill,[c] and a company is coming from the direction of the diviners’ tree.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your big talk now, you who said, ‘Who is Abimelek that we should be subject to him?’ Aren’t these the men you ridiculed? Go out and fight them!” 39 So Gaal led out[d] the citizens of Shechem and fought Abimelek. 40 Abimelek chased him all the way to the entrance of the gate, and many were killed as they fled. 41 Then Abimelek stayed in Arumah, and Zebul drove Gaal and his clan out of Shechem. 42 The next day the people of Shechem went out to the fields, and this was reported to Abimelek. 43 So he took his men, divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose to attack them. 44 Abimelek and the companies with him rushed forward to a position at the entrance of the city gate. Then two companies attacked those in the fields and struck them down. 45 All that day Abimelek pressed his attack against the city until he had captured it and killed its people. Then he destroyed the city and scattered salt over it. 46 On hearing this, the citizens in the tower of Shechem went into the stronghold of the temple of El-Berith. 47 When Abimelek heard that they had assembled there, 48 he and all his men went up Mount Zalmon. He took an ax and cut off some branches, which he lifted to his shoulders. He ordered the men with him, “Quick! Do what you have seen me do!” 49 So all the men cut branches and followed Abimelek. They piled them against the stronghold and set it on fire with the people still inside. So all the people in the tower of Shechem, about a thousand men and women, also died.   50 Next Abimelek went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it. 51 Inside the city, however, was a strong tower, to which all the men and women—all the people of the city—had fled. They had locked themselves in and climbed up on the tower roof. 52 Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, 53 a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. 54 Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his servant ran him through, and he died. 55 When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home. 56 Thus God repaid the wickedness that Abimelek had done to his father by murdering his seventy brothers. 57 God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-Baal came on them. Sin has consequences. Book of Judge chapter 9 has few moral lessons. British evangelical pastor, Charles Simeon once said “uselessness people swipe by ambition, wise and good people avoid fame.” He also said work hard to be righteous not big.” Gideon was man of God, and humble man. He did so much for people of Israel, but he refused. We have to accept any work if it’s what God gave us. Today’s biggest lesson is ‘sin has price tag, and God will punish us if the price gets heavy.’ This is true if we look at how many people died from chasing ambition and sinned.    Not far future Christ will come back again, and final judgment day will come as well. So, we must not have forgotten how Justice of Christ will always punish sinner. Author of book of Psalm, figured many of rich people who don’t serve God live decent life even at the end. (Psalm 73:4-5), so he started to question about what’s the point of serving God if it’s so much of hardships and troubles.  (Psalm 73:3-14).   Author realized about hell that sinner will go when he entered God’s Sanctuary. Psalm 73: 17-19 says ‘17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;     then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;     you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed,     completely swept away by terrors!’ After entering God’s sanctuary he could accept it and lose his doubts and fix is relationship with God. Con) How’s our life nowadays? Are we doing God’s work as we told? Or are we following ambition to enjoy the world better? We shouldn’t be someone who hurt others and ignore the help, but share the fruit and energy when others needed. Now it is the time to think about what line am I on, and what should I do to be the man of God. Let us pray.