In completing chapter 9 of Judges, my hope is that you see:
- that the company you keep matters
- that you stay grounded in what God’s blessings are for you and you don’t see ascendence for something not ordained by The Lord
- that you worship God alone; He will have his judgement, justice, and providence despite how things may appear
The final story of Abimelech and how it ends was already foretold by his brother Jotham, but to add to the mix are the life lessons that you must take away about the importance of the depth of your character. Who you are on the inside matters, but how you lead and show your leadership to those who follow you matters so much more. Be it family, friends, church, work, etc.; your character traits will show out eventually. Let the correct traits show through and if you know that there are issues that you need to deal with, do so quicky - God loves repentant hearts and looks for those who will humble themselves before Him.
God bless you all!
The Wry Pastor
ps. Sorry for the raspy voice
Bible References:
Judges 7:18
Judges 8:16-17
Judges 9:4, 20, 30-34
1 Kings 12:10-11
Proverbs 1:11-15
Proverbs 4:14-17
Proverbs 10:18
Proverbs 10:27
Proverbs 11:3
Proverbs 10:7
1 Corinthians 5:33
1 Kings 14:4-11
Shechem Wall: El-Berith
Extra Biblical Reference:
Paul's reference of a secular poet (1 Corinthians 15:33)
The Wry Pastor - Life Lessons, Learned Behaviors, and Legacy (Part 3) - The Abimelech Story