Gideon had a son called Abimelech with a concubine from Shechem (v31). Abimelech means ‘my father the king’, so although Gideon said he didn’t want to be king, this name states otherwise. After Gideon’s death, Abimelech seeks the help of the men of Shechem in order to be king and to do so he kills the seventy sons of Gideon (v1-6).

Jotham, one of Gideon’s sons escapes and using a parable of the trees and plants Jotham belittles and calls on judgement on Abimelech through conflict with his own people of Shechem (v7-21).

Abimelech rules for three years but the Lord stirs up conflict with the people of Shechem (v22-25) and then a man called Gaal comes to turn the people away from Abimelech (v26-29). This leads to more conflict (v30-57) and in the Abimelech is injured by a woman dropping a millstone from a tower on his head and he gets his armour-bearer to kill him rather than it be said he was killed by a woman (v53-54).

This story of Abimelech is very messy and shows what happens when a man goes his own way striving for power rather than as was Gideon’s case against the Midianites, relying on the Lord and His ways. Do we strive to advance in our live sin our strength and in our ways, or do we in faith trust in the Lord and His ways?