Good day dear friends.
Here is our study guide for today:Monday: Judges 9, 10, 11How would you apply Jotham's parable (Judges 9:7-15) to a comtemporary political scene?
Most people will automatically say that Saul was the first king of Israel. Saul was the first true king of Israel, but there was a pretender king in the person of Abilmelech, born to Jerub-Baal and his maid-servant. As this versions says he hires some "riff-raff" to be his army and he sets himself up as king over Israel. Thus we find the parable in Judges 9:7-15: The trees want a king over them. They approach first the olive tree, who balks at such a suggestion saying that what it did in providing olives was more important than just "waving over trees." The trees then approached the fig tree and it said the same thing. As did the vine. Finally the trees asked the tumbleweed if it would consider being the king. Note what the tumbleweed says, "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
If you've ever traveled much through the panhandle and West Texas, you're familiar with the tumbleweed. When our oldest was a toddler, Nellie Maria had her own sound for a tumbleweed, a sort of a yell whistle combination. As we traveled in West Texas or New Mexico, whenever we saw one we would tell her and she would make her sound. It isn't made to give shade and certainly has little with which to wave. The parable is clear: Abimelech wasn't meant to be king; he set himself up with no direction or connection with God. He ruled over Israel (or part of it) for three years, fought another series of battles and found himself dying from a wound received from a millstone dropped on his head by a woman. He was still concious enough to ask one of his soldiers to kill him because he did not want it to be at the hand of a woman by which he died.
What is it God has given you to do right now? Are you doing the best you can in that? When God wants you and guides you to bigger responsibilities and roles, you will propser and be blessed. But if you seek your own selfish desires without the prodding of God, you will soon realize God was not involved or guiding you. If Abimelech is your hero in this story, please think again. His quest was not to serve God and God's people, it was to seek power and to abuse that power for personal gain. God will raise us up if we seek to be God's servant leaders.
PRAYERS: Loving God, guide me to faithfulness. Let me serve You and Yours the best way I can where I am. As I am guided, let me see Your hand upon me to let me still be Your servant. I ask this in Christ Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Here is our study guide for today:Monday: Judges 9, 10, 11How would you apply Jotham's parable (Judges 9:7-15) to a comtemporary political scene?
Most people will automatically say that Saul was the first king of Israel. Saul was the first true king of Israel, but there was a pretender king in the person of Abilmelech, born to Jerub-Baal and his maid-servant. As this versions says he hires some "riff-raff" to be his army and he sets himself up as king over Israel. Thus we find the parable in Judges 9:7-15: The trees want a king over them. They approach first the olive tree, who balks at such a suggestion saying that what it did in providing olives was more important than just "waving over trees." The trees then approached the fig tree and it said the same thing. As did the vine. Finally the trees asked the tumbleweed if it would consider being the king. Note what the tumbleweed says, "If you're serious about making me your king, Come and find shelter in my shade. But if not, let fire shoot from Tumbleweed and burn down the cedars of Lebanon!"
If you've ever traveled much through the panhandle and West Texas, you're familiar with the tumbleweed. When our oldest was a toddler, Nellie Maria had her own sound for a tumbleweed, a sort of a yell whistle combination. As we traveled in West Texas or New Mexico, whenever we saw one we would tell her and she would make her sound. It isn't made to give shade and certainly has little with which to wave. The parable is clear: Abimelech wasn't meant to be king; he set himself up with no direction or connection with God. He ruled over Israel (or part of it) for three years, fought another series of battles and found himself dying from a wound received from a millstone dropped on his head by a woman. He was still concious enough to ask one of his soldiers to kill him because he did not want it to be at the hand of a woman by which he died.
What is it God has given you to do right now? Are you doing the best you can in that? When God wants you and guides you to bigger responsibilities and roles, you will propser and be blessed. But if you seek your own selfish desires without the prodding of God, you will soon realize God was not involved or guiding you. If Abimelech is your hero in this story, please think again. His quest was not to serve God and God's people, it was to seek power and to abuse that power for personal gain. God will raise us up if we seek to be God's servant leaders.
PRAYERS: Loving God, guide me to faithfulness. Let me serve You and Yours the best way I can where I am. As I am guided, let me see Your hand upon me to let me still be Your servant. I ask this in Christ Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
