Deeper Reflection
THE CONCUBINE OF GIDEON bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech (Judg 8:31). After his father’s death, Abimelech went to his mother’s hometown, Shechem, to rally support from “all the leaders of Shechem” to appoint him to rule over Israel as king, instead of letting any of Gideon’s seventy sons succeed their father (Judg 9:1-2). Having secured their support, Abimelech went on to kill his brothers, all seventy of them but one (Judg 9:3-5). Abimelech became king and “ruled over Israel for three years” (Judg 9:6, 22). Then, Abimelech died. The way Saul died was similar to Abimelech. Both kings were severely wounded in the battlefield (Judg 9:50-53; v.3). Both asked their armourbearers to kill them to save them from disgrace (Judg 9:54; v.4). And for both, their death was judgment from God (Judg 9:56-57; 1 Sam 28:19). But there was a major difference between the two kings. Saul was anointed by God, but not Abimelech. Saul was a servant of the Lord for a divine purpose (1 Sam 9:15-16). But Saul was unfaithful to God and failed to be God-seeking (1 Chron 10:13-14). In the final analysis, Saul turned out to be no different from Abimelech. There is always the danger for us as followers and servants of Jesus to derail from God’s purpose for us. “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:61-62). Let our discipleship motto be: Forward ever, backward never.