Judges 9:22-29 – Seek to only fulfil God’s agenda

Abimelech gained power through strife. He had to kill 69 of his brothers in order to get into power. Soon he would feel the effect of his ill-gotten power. Though it was said that he ruled over Israel, in reality, he only had control over a limited area i.e. the area of Shechem. Besides, his reign only lasted three years and soon troubles began to surface. It was apparent that God didn’t allow his wicked deed to flourish. So, Judges 9:23-24 describe for us what happened. “…God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech so that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood might be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers.”  Perhaps what baffles most people will be the fact that the evil spirit was said to have been sent from God. The question most would ask is: will God ever dispense evil spirit to deal with his people?   

Let’s think about what it actually means that God was the one who had sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the people of Shechem. We have no doubt that God is in sovereign control over both of the physical and spiritual realms. Know it or not, all spirits, even evil ones, must operate within God’s allowable limits. No evil spirit can do a thing to any of God’s people without His permission. This assures us that there is a limit to the havoc an evil spirit can wreck in a believer’s life. If God does not allow the evil spirit the right of access to anyone, it has no power to do anything to a person. This means that we are always covered and protected by the sovereign power of God. If He doesn’t allow any negative event to happen to us, there is nothing any evil spirit can do to us. Secondly, we also learn from this incidence that what happens in the physical realm can be traced to a spiritual cause. Thirdly, it could well be that the evil spirit referred to in verse 23 is by way of personifying a negative human attitude. Fourthly, the two words “evil spirit” may not be referring to something moral but something troubling. Here God allowed a spirit of discontent to bring about unrest between Abimelech and the people of Shechem.  Whatever the case, we know that God is in control of every circumstance in our life.

In verse 26 we are introduced to a new character by the name of Gaal. He and his family moved to Shechem and was able to gain the confidence of the people.  For the people, there were looking for someone whom they could rely upon to protect them from Abimelech. So, when Gaal came, they found someone whom they thought they could depend on. Hence, they were ready to break the tie with Abimelech. During the grape harvest, grapes were gathered and made into wine. They drank and celebrated. Emboldened by the wine, Gaal then rallied the people of Shechem to challenge the power of Abimelech. He cursed the king and challenged him to a showdown.               

However, we may choose to conclude from this passage, that what begins in strife will always beget strife and continue in strife. God used the situation to turn them against each other to correct the wrong that had been promulgated. Abimelech was dealt with treacherously by the people of Shechem for the treacherous ways he dealt with Gideon by killing his sons to gain the throne. Disloyalty always invites disloyalty. And that was what Abimelech received for the way he had shown disloyalty to Gideon. The people of Shechem waylaid and robbed travellers and merchants along the busy road and ambushed them. The purpose was to discredit the rule of Abimelech. They were seeking to make it seemed that he was incapable of governing and ensuring safety and civil order. God was using Abimelech’s subjects to deal with him and what they did bring unrest to the otherwise peaceful existence. No scheme of man will ever prevail over God’s, no matter how creative or clever it may seem. Remember what Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” So, we must seek to fulfil only God’s agenda in our life.