Day One--The Boasting of Gaal (Judges 9:22-33)

1/26/2010 7:49 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Day one—the boasting of Gaal

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 9:22-33

 

            Message of the verses:  “22 ¶  Now Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23  Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24  so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25  The men of Shechem set men in ambush against him on the tops of the mountains, and they robbed all who might pass by them along the road; and it was told to Abimelech. 26  Now Gaal the son of Ebed came with his relatives, and crossed over into Shechem; and the men of Shechem put their trust in him. 27  They went out into the field and gathered the grapes of their vineyards and trod them, and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech. 28  Then Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is Zebul not his lieutenant? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29  "Would, therefore, that this people were under my authority! Then I would remove Abimelech." And he said to Abimelech, "Increase your army and come out." 30  When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger burned. 31  He sent messengers to Abimelech deceitfully, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem; and behold, they are stirring up the city against you. 32  "Now therefore, arise by night, you and the people who are with you, and lie in wait in the field. 33  "In the morning, as soon as the sun is up, you shall rise early and rush upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you shall do to them whatever you can.’”

            In verses 22-24 it is told that Abimelech ruled for three years, but then the Lord began to work to remove him because of what he had done to his brothers, both he and the men of Shechem.

            Now in verses 25-33 the first day of what will happen to Abimelech is described.  The people of Shechem were feed up with Abimelech so they began to rob the caravans that were crossing near the city.  Now Abimelech was living in Arumah, not in Shechem and because of the robberies he was loosing money because no tariffs were being paid to him.

            In steps a man named Gaal who stirred up the people of Shechem saying that because Abimelech had a Jewish father that they should not be faithful to him any longer.  This was the very thing that helped bring Abimelech to power in the first place.

            Abimelech had a man in the city of Shechem named Zebul who ran and told him about all that Gaal was planning to do and so Abimelech and his army waited outside the city of Shechem to attach Gaal and the men of Shechem in the morning.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem “Retribution” says:  “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small.”  God is equitable and one day everyone will get what they deserve, not more and not less, and in the case of Abimelech it took three years for the justice of God to move against him, but it did move against him.

            When wrong things happen to me, like the stealing of my retirement money, there will come a day when those who took part in this will receive their reward from the Lord even as both of them are in prison for their crimes.  However I as a believer in Jesus Christ who has worked planed for me to accomplish for the cause of Christ in eternity past must be about that work and not be slowed by sin in my life or else I will not receive the rewards that I could earn for living a life pleasing to the Lord.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service for today and ask the Lord to search my heart for unconfessed sin.
2. Trust the Lord to give me the right words to say to Paul, but also that I will remember Proverbs 10:19 “When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise.”

 

1/26/2010 8:42 AM