His Words Are Life

Judges 9:20 - Judges 11:19

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Kelly Mowrer

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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.


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Revised 2014-12-17