Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000515
00:17 Hello, ad welcome back to HIS WORDS ARE LIFE.
00:19 I'm Kelly Mowrer, and we've been reading the story of Gideon. 00:22 When we were last together, we read about Gideon's death and 00:26 how his son who remained decided to choose Abimelech 00:32 to reign over them. One of his sons was Abimelech. 00:35 Whereupon Abimelech killed all the rest of the sons, 00:39 except for the youngest, who escaped. 00:41 The youngest being named, Jotham. 00:43 And we were reading a speech that Jotham was making, 00:47 a parable that he was telling, saying if you are happy, 00:51 saying this to the people, if you are happy, 00:53 that Abimelech is reigning over you and believe he has dealt 00:56 fairly with you, in killing all the rest of Gideon's sons, 00:59 except for myself; then enjoy his rule. 01:02 And we're going to pick up now in Jotham's parable, or rather 01:06 his speech; but before we do let's pray. 01:09 Dear Lord, thank you for this time apart to read your word. 01:14 Please remove from our mind, the distractions of anything that 01:19 would stand between us and the hearing of your voice 01:23 to each one of us through this story. 01:26 Please send the Holy Spirit to bring to our hearts and our mind 01:29 the lessons you want us to learn. We love you so much, 01:32 and thank you for loving us. Amen. 01:35 We're picking up Jotham's speech and we're in the book of 01:40 Judges, chapter 9 and verse 20. 01:43 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour 01:49 the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, 01:51 and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the 01:54 house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 01:56 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, 02:00 and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother. 02:03 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 02:08 then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech 02:11 and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt 02:14 treacherously with Abimelech: that the cruelty done to the 02:18 threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, 02:21 and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, 02:25 which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him 02:29 in the killing of his brethren. And the men of Shechem 02:32 set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, 02:35 and they robbed all that came along that way by them: 02:39 and it was told Abimelech. And Gaal the son of Ebed came 02:44 with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men 02:47 of Shechem put their confidence in him. And they went out into 02:51 the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, 02:54 and made merry, and went into the house of their god, 02:57 and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 03:00 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is 03:05 Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son 03:08 of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor 03:12 the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 03:15 And would to God this people were under my hand! 03:19 Then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, 03:23 Increase thine army, and come out. 03:25 And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal 03:30 the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. And he sent messengers 03:34 unto Abimelech privily, saying, Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed 03:38 and his brethren be come to Shechem; and, behold 03:42 they fortify the city against thee. Now therefore up by night, 03:46 thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait 03:50 in the field; and it shall be, that in the morning, as soon as 03:54 the sun is up, thou shalt rise early, and set upon the city: 03:57 and, behold, when he and the people that is with him come out 04:01 against thee, then mayest thou do to them 04:04 as thou shalt find occasion. And Abimelech rose up, 04:09 and all the people that were with him, by night, and they 04:12 laid wait against Shechem in four companies. And Gaal 04:16 the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering 04:19 of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and 04:22 the people that were with him, from lying in wait. 04:24 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, 04:28 there come people down from the top of the mountains. 04:31 And Zebul said unto him, Thou seest the shadow 04:35 of the mountain as if they were men. And Gaal spake again, 04:39 and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, 04:42 and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim. 04:46 Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, 04:50 wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, 04:53 that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast 04:57 despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. 05:01 And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought 05:06 with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled 05:10 before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, 05:13 even unto the entering of the gate. 05:16 And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah: and Zebul thrust out Gaal 05:21 and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem. 05:24 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people 05:27 went out into the field; and they told Abimelech. 05:30 And he took the people, and divided them into three 05:33 companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and behold, 05:37 the people were come forth out of the city; 05:39 and he rose up against them, and smote them. 05:42 And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, 05:45 rushed forward and stood in the entering of the gate of the city 05:50 and the two other companies ran upon all the people that were 05:53 in the fields, and slew them. And Abimelech fought against 05:58 the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew 06:02 the people that was therein, and beat down the city, 06:05 and sowed it with salt. And when all the men of the tower of 06:10 Shechem heard that, they entered into an hold of the house 06:13 of the god Berith. And it was told Abimelech, that all the men 06:17 of the tower of Shechem were gathered together. 06:18 And Abimelech gat him up to mount Zalmmon, 06:23 he and all the people that were with him; 06:24 and Abimelech took an ax in his hand, and cut down a bough 06:27 from the trees, and took it, and laid it on his shoulder, 06:30 and said unto the people that were with him, 06:31 What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do as I have done. 06:36 And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, 06:40 and followed Abimelech, and put them to the hold, 06:43 and set the hold on fire upon them; so that all the men 06:47 of the tower of Shechem died also about 1,000 men and women. 06:50 Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez 06:54 and took it. But there was a strong tower within the city, 06:57 and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, 07:01 and shut it to them, and gat them up to the top of the tower. 07:04 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, 07:09 and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 07:12 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone 07:17 upon Abimelech's head, and all to brake his skull. 07:21 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armour bearer, 07:24 and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, 07:27 that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man 07:32 thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw 07:37 that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man 07:40 unto his place. Thus God rendered the wickedness 07:44 of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying 07:48 his 70 brethren: And all the evil of the men of Shechem 07:52 did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse 07:57 of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal. 08:00 We're continuing to read in the book of Judges, 08:04 chapter 10, and this is the King James Version. 08:07 And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel, Tola the son 08:15 of Puah the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in 08:20 Shamir in mount Ephraim. And he judged Israel 23 years, 08:25 and died, and was buried in Shamir. 08:28 And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel 08:33 twenty and two years. And he had thirty sons 08:36 that rode on 30 ass colts, and they had thirty cities, 08:40 which are called Havothjair unto this day, 08:43 which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died, and was buried 08:48 in Camon. And the children of Israel did evil again 08:52 in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, 08:56 and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, 08:59 and the gods of Moab, and the gods of 09:02 children of Ammon, and the gods of 09:04 the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. 09:08 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold 09:14 them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands 09:18 of the children of Ammon. And that year they vexed 09:22 and oppressed the Children of Israel: eighteen years, 09:26 all the children of Israel that were on the other side Jordan 09:30 in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 09:33 Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight also 09:38 against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house 09:42 of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. 09:45 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, 09:49 We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken 09:54 our God and also served Baalim. And the Lord said unto the 10:00 children of Israel, Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians, 10:04 and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the 10:08 Philistines? The Zidonians also, and the Amalekites, 10:12 and the Maonites, did oppress you; and ye cried to me, and I 10:16 delivered you out of their hand. Yet ye have forsaken me, 10:19 and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more. 10:24 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; 10:27 let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. 10:30 And the children of Israel said unto the Lord, We have sinned: 10:34 do thou unto us whatsosever seemeth good unto thee; 10:38 deliver us only, we pray thee, this day. 10:41 And they put away the strange gods from among them, 10:44 and served the Lord: and his soul was grieved for the misery 10:50 of Israel. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together, 10:53 and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled 10:57 themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. 10:59 And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, 11:03 What man is he that will begin to fight against the children 11:07 of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. 11:11 Continuing in the book of Judges, chapter 11 11:15 this is the King James Version. Now Jephthah the Gileadite 11:21 was a might man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: 11:25 and Gilead begat Jephthah. And Gilead's wife bare him sons; 11:31 and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, 11:35 and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father's 11:37 house; for thou art the son of a strange woman. 11:40 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land 11:44 of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, 11:48 and went out with him. And it came to pass in process of time 11:52 that the children of Ammon made war against Israel, 11:56 And it was so that when the children of Ammon made war 11:59 against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah 12:04 out of the land of Tob: And they said unto Jephthah, 12:07 Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children 12:10 of Ammon. And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, 12:15 did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? 12:19 and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? 12:23 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, 12:26 Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us 12:30 and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head 12:33 over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said 12:38 unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight 12:41 against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them 12:44 before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead 12:50 said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, 12:53 if we do not so according to thy words. Then Jephthah 12:57 went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head 13:00 and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words 13:04 before the Lord in Mizpeh. And Jephthah sent messengers 13:08 unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, 13:10 What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me 13:13 to fight in my land? And the king of the children of Ammon 13:17 answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel 13:20 took away my land, when they came out of Egypt, 13:22 from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: 13:26 now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. 13:30 And Jephthath sent messengers again unto the king of the 13:34 children of Ammon: And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, 13:37 Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land 13:40 of the children of Ammon: But when Israel came up from Egypt, 13:43 and walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, 13:46 and came to Kadesh; Then Israel sent messengers unto the king 13:50 of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: 13:54 But the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. 13:56 And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: 14:00 but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh. 14:04 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed 14:07 the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east 14:10 side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side 14:13 of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: 14:16 For Arnon was the border of Moab. And Israel sent messengers 14:21 unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; 14:24 and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, 14:27 through thy land into my place. 14:29 Please join me again next time as we read this story together. 14:33 Goodbye. |
Revised 2014-12-17