Judges 9: Abimelech
Thursday, June 27, 2024
“The fable, one of two examples of that genre in the Bible (see also 2 Kings 14:9; 2 Chronicles 25:18), is strongly antimonarchical. It illustrates both the folly of kingship (only the worst and least qualified aspire to it) and its dangers (it destroys those who place their reliance on it). The bramble offers scant shade but is a prime cause of fire (v. 15). A monarchy founded on murder can come to no good and inevitably will destroy those who support it. Jotham’s call for the mutual destruction of Abimelech and the Shechemite leaders (v. 20) anticipates their fate”. (Mays 232)
The Old Testament is full of brutal stories and in nearly all of them – if we can be patient and read far enough – we watch the antagonist implode on him or herself. In God’s plan and in God’s way the faithful will always be vindicated. Suffering will take place, violence will happen, but a remnant will remain and goodness will always rise from evil. Our task is to keep our eyes on Christ who will lead us home. Our work is to live in the Spirit, for in the Spirit we will struggle, but we will never fail.
This week in Phyllis Tickle’s THE DIVINE HOURS: Prayers for Springtime, this is the prayer we read three times a day. It is apt for today’s Noontime as we ask God to keep us safe from harm in our brutal and confusing world. She writes in the first person singular, but when we change to the plural, we might pray it together. (Tickle 599)
Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep us, we pray, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Tickle, Phyllis. THE DIVINE HOURS: PRAYERS FOR SPRINGTIME. New York: Doubleday, 2001. Print.
Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 232. Print.
Images from: https://www.amazon.com/Global-Gallery-GCS-280190-22-142-Abimelech-Brethren/dp/B01K1WDK8K and https://www.amazon.com/Jotham-Tissot-1836-1902-French-Jewish/dp/B00PIGV3WA
A Noontime from May 17, 2011.
The Noontimes 