The Fifth Period of Disobedience

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Chapter 9 records the 5th. Period of Disobedience and the reign of three Judges, Abimelech, Tola and Jair.

1. Their sin:
   As soon as Gideon died, the people of Israel turned to the pagan god Baal. They forgot the Lord who had delivered them from the Midianites.
2. Their servitude:
   They were betrayed by one of their own. The reign of Gideon was handed down to his sons, but he had 70 sons including one by a concubine, and his name was Abimelech. Abimelech went up to Shechem, to his mother's people, and got financial support with which he hired some reckless and immoral men to be his followers. They went to the city of Ophrah to his father's house and killed all of his brothers, but one. Notice they were all killed with a stone. One brother, Jotham, escaped being killed by hiding. Then the people of Shechem made Abimelech their king and proclaimed him King of Israel also.
3. Their repentance:
   When Jotham heard that Abimelech had been declared King of Israel, he climbed to the top of Mt. Gerizim. Now the city of Shechem lay in a valley with Mt. Gerizim, on the south, and Mt. Ebal, on the north. Jotham had climbed Mt. Gerizim and there he shouted to the people of Shechem, "Make sure that you have done the right thing. My father, Gideon, delivered you from the hands of the Midianites, yet you have killed his sons and made the son of a concubine your king. If you are sure that you have done right by Gideon, may you and Abimelech have a long and happy life together but if you have not, may you destroy each other."

   This caused the people to think and in the city a man by the name of Ga'al stirred up the people against Abimelech, but the mayor of the city notified Abimelech and he came down to the city and defeated Ga'al. He them attacked and destroyed the city of Migdol. His next target was the city of Thebez. In the battle for this city, a woman threw down a stone from a roof and crushed the head of Abimelech. In pain he cried out to his armor bearer, "kill me, never let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech." Thus God punished Abimelech and Shechem for the murder of Gideon's sons.

4. Their restitution:
   As the result, God restored His presence to the land of Israel.
5. Their rest:
   There was peace in the land of Israel for 45 years. Tola was the 6th. Judge of Israel and ruled for 23 years. Jair was the 7th. Judge of Israel and ruled for 22 years.

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