Gideon & Abimelech

A. Review of the time leading up to the Judges:

1. Deuteronomy 20:16-18: Israel is commanded to eliminate the “giants” from the promised land.
2. By the time of Gideon, Israel was into their sixth or seventh generation since the Exodus from Egypt.
3. The “judges” were scattered throughout the promised land and battled different foes.

B. This passage of Judges can be divided into five main sections:

1. Gideon’s follow-on battle with the Midianites (8:1-21)
2. Gideon’s ephod and his death (8:22-35)
3. Abimelech’s conspiracy and rise to power (9:1-21)
4. The downfall of Abimelech (9:22-57)
5. Two other judges ruled for a period of 45 years (10:1-5)

C. Key passages in this section of Judges (8:1-10:5)

1. Gideon defeats the Midianites and then creates an ephod (8:22-28)
2. Soon after Gideon’s death the Israelites “forget their God” (8:33-35)
3. Jotham is used to place a curse on Abimelech and his supporters. It is later fulfilled (9:19-21; 9:52-57)

D. How do I apply this passage to my life today?

1. Remember your God. Do not forget what He has done for you (Judges 8:34).
2. Just as God rightly avenged Abimelech (Judges 9:52-57), God will one day rightly avenge all the wrongdoing on this earth (Jeremiah 51:6; Romans 12:19). It is His task. Leave that job to Him. We are to continue to love as He calls us to.
3. We must resist the temptation to be ruled over or taken care of (Judges 8:22-23). Our dependency needs to be in God alone.
4. There is to be no mixture in our lives. We are to drive out all the “giants” in our land (Deut. 20:16-18).