Losing the Kingdom (Judges 9:50-57)

1/29/2010 7:12 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                              Focus:  Losing the kingdom

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  Judges 9:50-57

 

            Message of the verses:  “50 ¶  Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he camped against Thebez and captured it. 51  But there was a strong tower in the center of the city, and all the men and women with all the leaders of the city fled there and shut themselves in; and they went up on the roof of the tower. 52  So Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it, and approached the entrance of the tower to burn it with fire. 53  But a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head, crushing his skull. 54  Then he called quickly to the young man, his armor bearer, and said to him, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that it will not be said of me, ’A woman slew him.’" So the young man pierced him through, and he died. 55  When the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, each departed to his home. 56  Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57  Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal came upon them.”

            This section describes the ending of Abimelech’s life as he took his army about ten miles to Thebez and decided that since all of the people had gone to a tower in the city in Shechem which was in “the temple of El-berith,” and he burned them that he could do the same thing here in Thebez.  This time it did not word so well as Abimelech got to close to the tower and a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and crushed his skull.  Although he asks his armor bearer to kill him he is remembered as being killed by a woman:  “’who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez?”  (2 Samuel 11:21A)  

            In verse 56 the Lord explains why all of this happened, and that it was prophesied by Jotham, or I guess it was a curse that Jotham made against Abimelech.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  God cannot turn His face from the killing of innocent people:  “"So innocent blood will not be shed in the midst of your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, and bloodguiltiness be on you.”  (Deu 19:10).  So what does that mean for this country when almost 50 million babies have been killed in their mother’s wombs?  I pray that the Lord will turn our nation around so that it will avoid the coming wrath of the Lord on this country.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. I believe that the Lord has a plan for me as I continue to study the book of Ephesians, that He will use this study for His glory.

 

1/29/2010 8:34 AM