Brotherly Hatred

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study meeting August 3 to study Judges 9:1-21.  This is the account of how Israel treated the house of Gideon.  It's another sad tale, I'm sorry to say.

Read the whole chapter to get a sense of the entirety.  We're only looking at the first part, which accounts for only a third of the chapter.  It's a long, convoluted story.  But one of the things which we'll be looking at is the only "fable" in Scripture.  A fable is like a parable which Jesus used, except plants and/or animals are used in the story for people as the characters. 

For this one, I encourage you to find a good commentary, if only because it will be humorous to see how they struggle with this (if they even mention that).  Matthew Henry is available on the Blue Letter Bible site, and has a long article on this.  But he doesn't distinguish between a parable and a fable.

After you have gone through this passage with various translations, made your own notes and questions, read through a commentary or two; then go back through with the questions below:

• Abimelech goes to his mother's relatives in Shechem.  Read about its history within Israel, but keep this in mind, it was never conquered by the people when they entered the land, but simply made the seat of Joshua's government.  It seems it was already Israelite before the exodus.  With such a good history, why do you think it was after the people gain Canaan that it falls to idolatry?
• Abimelech goes to the whole clan of the father of his mother, and he asks them some odd questions.  Why would they believe that Gideon's seventy sons would rule over them?  Gideon has said they wouldn't, and there's no indication that any of them, but Abimelech, has any interest in doing so.  What do you think is going on here?
• The family of Abimelech passes on this question to those of Shechem.  There seems to be some difference of opinion in how to translate the second audience.  In the NASB and ESV, they are the "leaders" of Shechem.  In the HCSB and NRS they are the "lords of Shechem".  In the NIV and NLT they are called "citizens", and the NKJV and KJV calls them "men of Shechem".  The word can be found here on the Blue Letter Bible site.  This isn't all that uncommon a word for who these people are.  But what do you think that leaders of any sort would be called "baal"?
• These "leaders" were inclined to follow Abimelech because he was their relative.  Why do you think they would set aside what they should know for what Abimelech says?  
• They pay Abimelech with seventy silver, and with it he hires a wonderful band of quality men...not exactly.  Why do you think Abimelech hires such men?
• They execute all seventy men on one stone, a detail repeated again in verse 18.  Why do you think this detail is important?
• One escapes, the youngest, named Jotham.  He hears that Shechem is anointing Abimelech king, and goes there to pronounce a judgement over them.  Why not gather an army, blow the trumpet, go to war?  Jotham probably has a good enough story to make a good case against Shechem and Abimelech.  Why do you think he didn't?
• Jotham tells them a fable.  Look up the definition of a fable here (especially b.). Like a parable, these have a point that is supposed to help people understand a foundational truth.  But unlike a parable, fables were used to point out the folly people using plants or animals as characters.  What does it tell you about Jotham that he knew what a fable was, knew how to form one, and was so skilled at using it with Shechem and Abimelech?
• The basic element of the parable is four attempts by the trees to make one a king over them.  They ask a olive, the fig, and the vine.  Look at each response of these trees.  What do you think of the elements repeated in each response?  What is it they prefer over ruling?
• He gets to the fourth "tree", which is a thorn bush.  What is so different about this response?  There are a lot of elements different, jot down each in turn.  Why shelter in its shade?  How much shade would there be?
• If they do not "deal in truth" in making the thorn bush king, then may fire come out and consume the "cedars of Lebanon".  Why do you think this element was added at the end?  Why those trees?
• Jotham then interprets the fable to his audience.  And they let him.  Why do you think they let Jotham speak so much?
• Jotham escapes to "Beer", a place of which there is no record.  It is a desert-people's reference to a well or oasis.  Why do you think Jotham chose such a place?

That should keep us busy for a while.  Remember to look for what God is telling you through these characters.  Try and identify with each set or person.  What sorts of changes is God asking you to make?

See you Thursday!