Neville Turley

“Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, always considering others better than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3 (GNT)

The advice Paul gave to the Philippians was not something with which Abimelech, one of Gideon’s seventy sons, would have agreed. Abimelech (Judges 9) was ruthlessly ambitious and determined to rule. He organised hits on his seventy brothers. Only his youngest brother, Jotham escaped his murderous purge.

When Jotham heard that the rulers of Sechem had nevertheless, decided to make Abimelech king, he told them a parable.  “The trees wanted a king to govern them. They approached the olive tree who declined because then he would no longer be able to produce the oil used to honour God and man. So they asked the fig tree, who also refused. He wanted to continue bearing good, sweet fruit. Likewise the vine declined to be made king as it would not then be able to produce the wine that made God and man happy.  So the trees appointed the thorn bush, king.”

Thorn bushes do not provided protection against the sun.  They dry out and can become a deadly fire hazard destroying everything around them. 

Jotham’s parable was a warning and a curse on the people of Sechem.  Electing Abimelech king, would not protect them but be their ruin and downfall.  Jotham was right on the button.  Abimelech reigned for just three years.  Putting down a rebellion, he and his men stormed a tower stronghold.  From the top a woman threw down a millstone which fractured Abimelech’s skull.

Knowing he was fatally wounded, Abimelech asked his armour bearer to kill him, saying, “I don’t want it said that a woman killed me.”

Paul, like King Abimelech also led a tumultuous life and in all likelihood died by the sword.  He was however not driven by selfish ambition and pride, but by his life for Christ and his passion to serve him.  At his life’s end Paul could say, “I have done my best in the race, I have run the full distance, and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day — and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for him to appear.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) 

May that be our destiny too.

Prayer: Father, guide and sustain us that we too may find our journey’s end with Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen