Things were going from bad to worse! The people of Israel had forgotten ‘the Lord their God’ (Judges 8:34). ‘The enemy’ was ready to ‘come in like a flood’ (Isaiah 59:19). Abimelech - Gideon’s son by ‘his concubine who was in Shechem’ (Judges 8:31) - was very unlike his father. Gideon had pointed away from himself to the Lord (Judges 8:23). Abimelech was eager to draw attention to himself. He murdered his seventy brothers, paving the way for himself to become king (Judges 9:1-6). Abimelech spelt trouble! Things were only going to get worse with Abimelech. There was ‘an evil spirit’ at work among God’s people (Judges 9:23). Where was God in all this? - ‘Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct’ (Romans 1:28). What kind of person are you becoming? Each of us must choose!

Things were going from bad to worse!  The people of Israel had forgotten ‘the Lord their God’ (Judges 8:34).  ‘The enemy’ was ready to ‘come in like a flood’ (Isaiah 59:19).  Abimelech - Gideon’s son by ‘his concubine who was in Shechem’ (Judges 8:31) - was very unlike his father.  Gideon had pointed away from himself to the Lord (Judges 8:23).  Abimelech was eager to draw attention to himself.  He murdered his seventy brothers, paving the way for himself to become king (Judges 9:1-6).  Abimelech spelt trouble!  Things were only going to get worse with Abimelech.  There was ‘an evil spirit’ at work among God’s people (Judges 9:23).  Where was God in all this? - ‘Since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct’ (Romans 1:28).  What kind of person are you becoming?  Each of us must choose!