Good afternoon, everyone!
Today I read Judges 8-9.
In today's reading, Gideon messes up. As we all do.
After one of his battles, he demands gold earrings for spoils, and creates an ephod, and takes it to his city, where all of Israel "played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household" (Judges 8:27).
Still, Israel has 40 years of peace while Gideon is alive.
But when he dies, one of his sons, Abimelech, decides to rule over his people. He kills his brothers, seventy in total (Gideon had many concubines), and rules for a time.
However, Abimelech did evil in the sight of God, and ruled only 3 years before God sent an evil spirit to come between him and the men of Shechem, who then betrayed Abimelech. He went to take a city, but a woman dropped a stone out the window of the tower where the people had taken refuge, and his skull was crushed. He asked his armor bearer to kill him so that people wouldn't say he was killed by a woman (Judges 9:54).
Judges 9:56-57 - Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he had done to his father in killing his seventy brothers. Also God returned all the wickedness of the men of Shechem on their heads, and the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal (Gideon) came upon them.
God repays wickedness. It might not be right away, but He does. God does not allow His people to remain in slavery and oppression. When we cry out to Him, He will deliver us. Always. Even if it isn't right away, because He has a bigger purpose.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Judges 10-12.
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