Judges: 10-Day Devotional Reading PlanSample

Abimelech is anointed king by his Shechem relatives, but what sort of king will he actually be? He not only manipulated his way to power, he murdered his own brothers to get it. Abimelech is not the sort of leader God’s people—or any people—can generally profit under. 

God has designed things in such a way that evil breeds the seeds of its own destruction. We see that clearly here. 

Reflection:

Abimelech slaughtered his brothers and manipulated his Shechem relatives in a play for power. But his evil came back on his own head—literally! What we learn from the story is that evil is often consumed by the same kind of evil. It’s a pattern we see all through Scripture. Take a look at Psalm 7:14–16; Ezekiel 11:21; Obadiah 15; Galatians 6:6–7; and Revelation 17:15–17 for a sampling. 

As we realize that God has hardwired this sort of judgment into the ways of the world, reflect on how we can be both warned and comforted. Which of the two—warning or comfort—most grabs hold of your heart and why?