“Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” ‭‭James‬ ‭1:15‬ ‭NASB‬‬

The verse above would be very suitable for this strange chapter. The chapter had no judge and no external enemy. The name of the LORD God was mentioned only once to state the wickedness was properly paid (Judges 9:56). Abimelech, who was Gideon’s lustful legacy, created a series of chaotic events, which included many city-level strife within Israel that began and ended in vanity.

Content Summary

Gideon passed away, and Abimelech was one of his sons from a concubine. Abimelech came back to Ophrah with reckless and worthless fellows to murder almost all seventy sons of Gideon.

While Abimelech was ruling over Israel for three years, a civil war broke out between the men of Shechem, who became discontent with Abimelech’s rule, and Abimelech. Abimelech defeated the insurgents in Shechem, destroyed the tower of Shechem, and captured Thebez. When he walked near to the tower in the center of Thebez, however, he was hit by a millstone thrown by a certain woman and died. Thus, God paid the wickedness of Abimelech.

Escalation of Sin

Gideon took a concubine from Shechem (Judges 8:31), an action that opposed the command of God on kings (Deuteronomy 17:17). Lust was conceived in Gideon’s heart, and the result was Abmelech. Not being content with his current status as an outsider despite being one of Gideon’s sons, Abimelech came back to Ophrah with many worthless and reckless fellows, financed by an idol temple of Baal-berith (Judges 9:4), to slaughter all the rest Gideon’s seventy sons. The word of God through James, “when lust has conceived… when sin is accomplished, it brings death (James 1:15)” literally took place in the household of Gideon with the Abimelech’s killing of the seventy sons.

Incompetence of Seventy Sons

In some perspectives, Abimelech’s killing of seventy sons of Gideon was extraordinary. On one hand, Abimelech must have hired very competent worthless and reckless fellows to implement a quick, efficient murdering of the seventy sons (Judges 9:5). On the other hand, this event also portrayed a collective incompetence of the seventy sons of Gideon who remained in Ophrah. How can all the seventy sons be killed by one son of concubine?

Perhaps, those seventy sons were pampered under Gideon’s “care,” growing up feeble and willy-nilly, not knowing how to defend themselves. Back in Judges 3, God left other nations in order for the new generation of Israelites to learn how to engage in warfares (Judges 3:2). Being able to fight both physically and spiritually was quintessential. Because they were unprepared, when a single man, Abimelech came with a murderous intent, they all paid the ultimate price with their lives.

Meaningless, Meaningless, and Meaningless.

With seventy sons of Gideon dead, Abimelech was the ruler. During Abimelech’s three-year reign, however, the men of Shechem started to deal treacherously with him. Abimelech mobilized, ambushed, attacked and overpowered the insurgents led by Gaal in Shechem, and destroyed the tower of Shechem. Afterward, he camped against Thebez and captured the city. Abimelech’s force was unstoppable. 

Then, when Abimelech approached the entrance of the tower in Thebez to fire it, an upper millstone thrown by an unnamed woman hit him to crush his skull (Judges 9:53). Because he did not want to be known to be the man killed by a woman, he hurriedly ordered his armor bearer to skill him – and the young man did. Ironically, because of this episode, we will forever remember Abimelech as the man slewed by a woman who threw a millstone. 

The three-year reign came to an end with a millstone thrown by a certain woman. 

The death of Abimelech was comical in some sense – and utterly meaningless. 

Conclusion

The chapter vividly depicts the literal effect of lust in the long-term that spanned across two generations. Gideon took a concubine, and their son, Abimelech created much mess in Israel. Nothing in this chapter shows holiness that Israel was supposed to display as a nation called by God. 

Lesson? Let’s guard our heart.