The Conspirators Turn Against Each Other

Abimelech had staged a coup, murdering his half brothers, and seizing power as king over Israel.  His youngest brother had escaped being killed, and he warned that the coup dishonored Gideon, and would not turn out well, in Judges 9:16-20.  “Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands; (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;) If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.”

 

The men of Shechem had supported Abimelech’s coup because he was related to themand they thought he would give them special favors.  When he was not as free with his favors as they had hoped, God caused them to turn against him, as Judges 9:22-24 describes.  “When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren.”

 

It is important to understand that most people who got by with something tend to do the same things again.  The very men who had helped Abimelech kill his brothers were now plotting against him, to take the kingdom from him, as Judges 9:25-29 describes.  “And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.  And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.  And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.  And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?  And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.”

 

Gaal was promising the things they had expected from Abimelech, so some of them  switched their loyalty to him, but the mayor of Shechem was still loyal to Abimelech, warning him of their efforts to overthrow him, and suggesting a plan to defeat them, in Judges 9:30-33.  “And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.  And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold, they fortify the city against thee.  Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field: And it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion.”

 

Abimelech took Zebul’s advice coming to attack him, and when Gaal saw some of them Zebul told him he was just seeing shadows and imagining things, in Judges 9:34-36.  “And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.  And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait.  And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men.”

 

When Gaal insisted he was seeing real people, Zebul mad fun of him for bragging about what he would do to Abimelech and daring him to go out and do what he had said, in Judges 9:37-39.  “And Gaal spake again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim.  Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.  And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

 

Abimelech and his army defeated Gaal’s forces, but Zebul locked them out of the city so that they could not take refuge there.  The next morning, when they opened the gates to Shechem, Abimelech and his forces destroyed the city, as Judges 9:40-45 describes.  “And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.  And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and they told Abimelech.  And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.  And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were in the fields, and slew them.  And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people that was therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.”

 

Realizing they could not hold the city, the rebels retreated into a temple  devoted to the god Berith, in hopes that they would be able to hold it.  Rather than trying to break through the walls, Abimelech decided to burn them out, as Judges 9:46-49 describes.  “And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house of the god Berith.  And it was told Abimelech, that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

 

And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmon, he and all the people that were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people that were with him, What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done.  And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.”

 

It was the first part of the curse Jotham had placed on those who had murdered his brothers in judges 9:19-20.  “If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.”