According to the Book of Judges, Abimelech, the son of Gideon, hired worthless and reckless men to follow him. (See Judges 9.) Together, they murdered all his brothers, except one who escaped. Abimelech did this to gain complete political power over Israel. Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon, escaped from the murderous band, but he found a provocative way to broadcast a message to all of them. Jotham’s parable in Judges 9 teaches us about the dangers of what we might call the Abimelech Effect. As believers answer the call to step up into leadership, they can restrain or reverse the Abimelech Effect.
Jotham broadcast a warning about the serious dangers of the Abimelech Effect that still applies today. The city of Shechem (now called Nablus) sits in a natural amphitheater between Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. When
Abimelech and his band of murderers gathered below, Jotham delivered his message from Mount Gerizim. And, to get his point across to those gathered below, he chose to use a parable. This story raises a serious question about Gideon’s influence over his son Abimelech.1 And it teaches us about our influence in our families and in our government. Jotham began his message with this intriguing statement: “Listen to me, you men of Shechem that God may listen to you!” Those who pay attention to God’s words can use those words to appeal to God. Jotham stands in a long line of messengers who have taught mankind that simple truth.
In Jotham’s parable, the trees of the forest were looking for a leader to be the king over them, and, to the trees in the parable, the natural leader seemed to be the olive tree. But, when asked, “the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?’” (Jdg 9.9) The olive tree was honoring God and helping men; why should it seek to take political leadership over others? Next, the trees of the forest asked the fig tree and the vine to reign over them. But the fig tree’s answer summed up both of their responses: “the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over trees?’”
Listen to me… that God may listen to you!
Most believers think of themselves like the fig tree, believing they are fulfilling their purpose and providing for others so they question why they should take part in governing others. Maybe you think that way. You work hard, pay your taxes, and try to live a quiet and peaceable life to honor God. But something is going terribly wrong in the society around you. And that society desperately needs your influence.
In the Book of Judges, the nation faced many outside threats. But, as one author noted, “This account is not concerned with an external threat but a problem of internal politics.”2 The biggest problem God’s people faced was the people leading them.
You work hard, pay your taxes, and try to live a quiet and peaceable life to honor God. But something is going terribly wrong in the society around you. And that society desperately needs your influence.
In 1867, the English philosopher John Stuart Mill said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass [achieve] their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”3 Mill went on to explain what he meant:
He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply, because he will not trouble himself to use his mind on the subject . . . attending to and looking into public transactions, and on the degree of information and solid judgment . . . whether the conduct of the nation . . . shall be selfish, corrupt, and tyrannical, or rational and enlightened, just and noble.4
To use Mill’s expression, will you trouble yourself to use your mind on the public policy issues of our day? Or will you look on the current political situation and do nothing? Will you continue to pay taxes while allowing wrong to be committed in your name? Or will you investigate the way that taxpayer funds are being used to be sure that they are fulfilling “rational, enlightened, just and noble” purposes?
He is not a good man who, without a protest, allows wrong to be committed in his name, and with the means which he helps to supply
One mayor I interviewed pointed out that, in his region, five mayors and a county sheriff had resigned in recent times. All of those were due to charges of corruption, substance abuse, or moral issues. By default, those are the types of people who will be in government when God-honoring people refuse to take leadership. That mayor was very encouraged by the way the people in a neighboring county had begun to confront their school board over moral issues. He was delighted to report that two Christians were running for seats on that school board. Will you trouble yourself to get involved, or will you choose to allow corruption to continue?
Please don’t show disdain for what God has ordained. Be willing to take leadership. When it comes to governmental leadership, use your influence: vote with your values, and don’t let others abuse what God may use. As you prepare to take leadership, remember the bountiful blessings of the Beatitudes. When you take a stand for righteousness, men may revile you and persecute you.
One writer, who is somewhat skeptical of the way that Christians have been involved in politics, wrote,
I fully support the right, and indeed the responsibility, of Christians to get involved politically: in moral crusades such as abolition, civil rights, and anti-abortion, Christians have led the way. And I believe the media grossly exaggerate the “threat” posed by the religious right. The Christians I know who are involved in politics bear little resemblance to their caricatures.5
When it comes to governmental leadership, use your influence: vote with your values, and don’t let others abuse what God may use.
In Jotham’s parable, the trees of the forest, after being rejected by worthier trees, turned to the bramble. The bramble accepted their offer to reign over them. “Ironically it was the plant with absolutely nothing positive to contribute to human or divine life who accepted the proposal.”6 This is the Abimelech Effect. When God-honoring men and women refuse to take a leadership role in government, then the worst of society will rule over them.
You can see the parallels when you are called upon to serve as a poll worker, on a school board, or on the county council. Because godly people have avoided taking leadership, brambles abound. What will you do to restrain the Abimelech Effect? Reckless men rule, and they are wrecking the economy, the military, and the legal and social order. School boards, city governments, and township associations are being ruined by the fraud, waste, and incompetence of the brambles.
Turn to any sector of today’s news, and you will find reports of arrests for voter fraud or financial embezzlement. The state of Virginia alone recently discovered that nineteen thousand dead people were still registered to vote!7 I have interviewed conscientious Christians who began to investigate fraudulent voter rolls, and they made a difference.
Does the Bible give you examples and guidance as to how to use your vote? Yes! Immediately after the death of King Saul, Israel crowned Saul’s son Ishbosheth as the new king. (2 Sam 2:8–10) Meanwhile, David ruled over Judah. Two years later, when Ishbosheth was murdered, Israel had a decision to make: who would be the next king? The tribes of Israel traveled to Hebron to declare their allegiance to King David. (2 Sam 5:1–2; 1 Chr 12:23) In essence, those tribes were voting for David to be their new ruler.
Does the Bible give you examples and guidance as to how to use your vote? Yes!
When you exercise your right to vote, the description of one of those tribes gives you wisdom: “the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” (1 Chr 12:32) Each believer could be like the men of Issachar: studying the issues, understanding the times, and voting conscientiously. This is how you reverse the Abimelech Effect.
What is the great need of the hour? Is it not for people to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? To concentrate on other God-honoring tasks yet fail to vote is to place brambles in leadership. Why not attend the meetings of your local political party to search for worthy men and women to place in leadership? Or start attending the meetings of your city or county council to let your leaders know that you are paying attention to their use of public funds. Why not consider taking a leadership role on your school board or county council?
What is the great need of the hour? Is it not for people to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world? To concentrate on other God-honoring tasks yet fail to vote is to place brambles in leadership.
As believers answer the call to step up into leadership, they can restrain or reverse the Abimelech Effect. Do you want the Lord to do a mighty work in our day? Then don’t forget the way Jotham introduced his parable: “Listen to me . . . that God may listen to you.” Yes, you may be serving the Lord and others, but would you consider stepping up to a new level of leadership? There will always be men like Abimelech who hire worthless and reckless men to do their bidding. But isn’t it time that you became the salt and light in your city and state? If you will, you can make a difference in this crazy, mixed-up world by reversing the Abimelech Effect.
© Gordon A. Dickson, www.LiveServeLead.com
This is an excerpt from the book “12 Ways You Can Make a Difference in This Crazy, Mixed-up World” now available on Amazon and Audible.
- The name Abimelech means “my father is king.” Gideon was not a king but a God-ordained judge. Why did he give his son this name, and did Abimelech think he was supposed to succeed Gideon as a king?
- Daniel Isaac Block, The New American Commentary: Judges, Ruth, vol. 6 (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 309.
- John Stuart Mill, “Inaugural Address Delivered to the University of St. Andrews,” February 1, 1867, online via Wikisource.
- Mill, “Inaugural Address.”
- Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing about Grace? (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), 229, Kindle.
- Block, Judges, Ruth, 318.
- Warner Todd Huston, “Shock as State Discovers Large Number of Dead People Registered to Vote,” The Western Journal, April 20, 2023.