Judges 8 completes the tale of Gideon and the Midianites.  Two rulers fled after the battle.  They were pursued, but other Israelites would not help Gideon and his men capture them.  He made promises of how he would reward them once his job was finished.  He followed through on those promises.

Gideon is one of those Jewish judges that show what happens when men try to follow God’s will.  He declined a leadership role but accepted payment from the people.  That payment became a stumbling block for the Hebrews.

After his death, forty years later, the Israelites turned away from Jehovah again and followed a foreign god.  The cycle continues.

Abimelech is the son of Gideon.  Judges 9 tells of his treachery to claim kingship over Shechem.  His father had declined this offer.  Sixty-nine other sons are murdered to prevent their claiming a right to the crown.  The surviving son tries to challenge his brother to no avail.

Abimelech is not a good leader.  Read the story of how he eventually destroyed the city and murdered more innocent people.  God avenged the city as well as the children of Gideon with a millstone that is dropped from a tower.  These stories of inhumanity are common in our country as well as the Bible.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger