Gideon - Part 7 - The Parable Of The Trees

Reading Time: 9 Minutes

The Coronation of Abimelek

After killing his brothers, Abimelek returned to his mother’s town. All of Shechem gathered at “the great tree” for Abimelek’s coronation. Suddenly, there was an interruption!

By God’s grace and to everyone’s surprise, Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, had escaped the massacre and appeared on Mount Gerizim which had a natural cliff near “the great tree” of Shechem. He courageously and loudly prophesied over the people.

To get the most from this post read: Judges 9:1-57

The Parable Of The Trees

“Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’ But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’” Judges 9:7a-9 NIV

“Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king.’ But the fig tree answered, ‘In order to govern you, I would have to stop producing my good sweet fruit.’” Judges 9:10-11 GNT

“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You, come, reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I give up my new wine, which cheers God and mankind, and go to wave over the trees?’” Judges 9:12-13 NASB

“So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches. Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’” Judges 9:14-15 NET

Jotham continued, “Now make sure you have acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelech your king, and that you have done right by Gideon and all of his descendants. Have you treated him with the honor he deserves for all he accomplished? For he fought for you and risked his life when he rescued you from the Midianites.” Judges 9:16-17 NLT

“But you have risen against my father’s house today and have murdered his sons, seventy men, on one stone, and have made Abimelech, son of his maidservant, king over the people of Shechem, because he is your relative—” Judges 9:18 AMP

“If you are sure that you have done right by Gideon and his descendants, then may you and Abimelech have a long and happy life together. But if you have not been fair to Gideon, then may Abimelech destroy the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo; and may they destroy Abimelech!” Judges 9:19-20 NIV

Jotham’s Prophesy Fulfilled

Jotham escaped. Abimelek reigned for three years until the people became frustrated with him and he, in turn, became paranoid of them. Abimelek began to attack his own people. He started a death tour, going from town to town, killing everyone. When the people of Thebez took cover in their strong tower, Abimelek and his men charged toward the tower with a wicked plan to kill them all. Abimelek was astonished by what happened next.

Abimelech came and attacked the tower. When he approached the entrance of the tower to set it on fire, a woman threw an upper millstone down on his head and shattered his skull. He quickly called to the young man who carried his weapons, “Draw your sword and kill me, so they will not say, ‘A woman killed him.’” So the young man stabbed him and he died. When the Israelites saw that Abimelech was dead, they went home. Judges 9:52-55 NET

Jotham’s “prediction” was fulfilled.

The Message of the Parable of the Trees

I have not found evidence that the Israelites tried to select a king after Gideon died. They rushed to set up idols to the god of Baal but it seems that they did not even mourn over Gideon’s death or express their sympathy to the family.

They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them. Judges 8:35 NIV

For 40 years, Gideon had not set an example of how an “olive tree” should lead. So there was an entire generation left uninformed, uneducated, untrained and unprepared to stand against their enemies.

The “fig tree” was asked to rule but declined because he would have to give up his sweet fruit. Then the “grape vine” was approached but made excuses as well. Nobody came forward willing to give up their lives to take the place of leadership needed desperately at that time. And because no good candidate was willing to “rule over the trees,” the people were left with a terrible choice. They asked a thornbush, a wicked scoundrel to rule over them.

A Selfish Forest of Trees

Israel had experienced 40 years of prosperity and peace but they had no one to lead them in the ways of the Lord. I’m guessing the Israelites continued producing wheat and were able to plant orchards of olive trees, figs and vineyards. No doubt the common person enjoyed the fruit of their labor and were able to prosper. Gideon wanted to be worshiped, and Israel set their sights on God’s blessings instead of the Lord Himself.

The nation had forgotten the horrors of slavery to such an extent that they were unprepared for the future. They were not in relationship with the Lord, so they could not perceive the warning signs. With no spiritual leadership in the land, the people became selfish and self-serving. Israel was captured and subdued from within– by one of their own!

Gideon’s Son, Abimelek

Abimelek, the son of Gideon’s concubine, was rejected, shamed and disrespected by his family and community. I can imagine Abimelek grew up hearing stories about his brothers who lived on the family estate. No doubt, Gideon’s other 70 sons had everything they needed to live comfortably and enjoy life. They were the rich family of the hero of Israel, celebrated by everyone. But Abimelek was not included. He and his mother lived in Shechem, away from the rest of the family.

Abimelek’s father was revered in Israel. It must have hurt deeply that he was not honored as Gideon’s son. Maybe as a child he dreamed of becoming a mighty warrior like his father. But over time, Abimelek became enraged over his mistreatment and bent on revenge. He wanted the respect he felt he deserved.

This part of the story saddens me. I feel sorry for Abimelek because his mother was used, rejected and shamed. Abimelek didn’t deserve the treatment he received as a child. That was no excuse for committing cold blooded murder, but as far as we know, there was no one there to help him overcome his feelings of hatred. Abimelek needed a Godly person in his life to tell him about the mercy and love of God.

Gideon’s Son Jotham

Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, is a bit of a mystery to me. The spiritual insight in Jotham’s parable and the prophetic-like warning he spoke, however, make me think he would have been a wonderful Judge of Israel. Of course, it is God who raises up rulers and dethrones them. But I wonder how he grew in the knowledge of the Lord.

With Gideon living such an ungodly lifestyle, Jotham couldn’t have simply followed his example. But maybe Gideon told the story every year. Did Jotham learn about his father’s encounters with he Lord from other sources– his grandfather, his oldest brother, the soldiers, Gideon’s armor bearer, the men of Ephraim? We don’t know. But somehow Jotham had learned enough about the Lord and bravely chose to warn the people of Israel to choose their leader wisely.

In Times of Grief

How Jotham handled grief in a time of deep tragedy was opposite to his father. Gideon became enraged when he found out his brothers had been killed and nearly traumatized his firstborn boy’s life. He never sought the Lord about whether he should rule Israel. But the saddest part is that he lost his relationship with the Lord.

Jotham, on the other hand, after witnessing his seventy brothers being killed, must have turned to God in prayer. I believe the Lord told Jotham this parable and commissioned him to warn the people. Unlike his father, Jotham went “in the strength that he had” to perform God’s will, even in the depths of his grief. Jotham rushed to the coronation sight, delivered a Word from God, the parable of the trees, and miraculously escaped– the second time! “The Lord was with him!”

Pour Out Your Oil

As children of God, we are like olive trees, anointed by the Holy Spirit for His service. Not everyone is called to serve in government or full-time ministry. God’s plans for each of us are unique and He has placed us in strategic places for His glory. And because the Lord lives inside us we have authority to rule over the powers of the enemy for the sake of those He places in our path.

The “olive tree” that chooses to be unselfish and serve in the Kingdom of God will lose some things in this life, but gain so much more! Are you willing to pour out your oil for the sake of the Kingdom? What is the Lord asking of you? Whether the calling seems small or huge to you, go in the strength that you have, mighty warrior, and remember that the Lord is with you!

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mark 8:35-37 NIV

Gideon – Part 8 – Olive Trees for Life

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Gideon – Part 7 – The Parable Of The Trees