April 2, 2017

Insights on Today's Reading

Judges 8 - After the initial victory over the Midianites there was still the matter of hunting down the two kings of Midian and their men.  Eventually they were found and executed.  Gideon was approached by the Israelites and they wanted to anoint him king over the land, but Gideon responded that God was their king and the people should acknowledge that.  After Gideon's death the cycle of Judges continues - the people turned away from God and worshiped idols. 

Judges 9 - This chapter speaks of the sad outcome of Gideon's indiscretion of fathering a child out of wedlock with a concubine.  This child, Abimelech, would grow up and chose to do what Gideon wouldn't: he accepted the role as king of the land and in response he had all of his half-brothers executed except one, Jotham.  Jotham called down a curse on Abimelech and his mother's family which is fulfilled as this chapter comes to a close.