AS YOU SOW SO SHALL YOU REAP

PROCLAMATION

“And he went unto his father’s house … and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone; notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.”  Judges 9:5 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These are the words of God which were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Prophet Samuel.  Gideon, the mighty man of valor, had many wives who altogether bore him a total of seventy sons.  His concubine who was from Shechem also bore him a son who was called Abimelech. (Judges 8:29-31)  Gideon was called Jerubbaal (or Jerub-Baal), which means let Baal plead his own cause, after he demolished Baal’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. (Judges 6:27-32)  When Gideon died, his son Abimelech went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem to seek their support for him to be king rather than any of his seventy brothers. (Judges 9:1-3)  They gave him money which he used to hire some reckless scoundrels to be his followers and do his dirty work, like killing all but one of his seventy brothers. (Judges 9:5)  After the people crowned Abimelech king, his younger brother Jotham, who hid and was not killed, led an effort to have Abimelech overthrown. (Judges 9:5-21)  The people turned against him after he had been king for three years. (Judges 9:22-25)  Gaal son of Ebed moved into Shechem along with his clan and they led an unsuccessful rebellion against Abimelech. (Judges 9:26-41)  After driving Gaal out of Shechem, Abimelech attacked the people of Shechem.  During one of these attacks Abimelech was struck in the head by a millstone thrown from a tower by a woman which cracked his skull.  He asked his armor-bearer to kill him because he was mortally wounded and did not want it said that a woman killed him. (Judges 9:42-57)   

 

APPLICATION

As you sow, so shall you also reap. (Galatians 6:7)  Those who live by the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:52)  Abimelech had his brothers all killed on the same rock (Judges 9:5) and it was a rock that killed him. (Judges 9:52-53)  We should be very careful how we treat people.  As you give to others, so shall it be given unto you. (Luke 6:38)  As Christians we are taught to do unto others as we would have them to do unto us. (Matthew 7:12)