Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Judges 9:16-29. Let’s go!
Judges 9:16-20 (NIV)
16 “Now if you have acted honorably and in good faith when you made Abimelech king, and if you have been fair to Jerub-Baal and his family, and if you have treated him as he deserves–
17 and to think that my father fought for you, risked his life to rescue you from the hand of Midian
18 (but today you have revolted against my father’s family, murdered his seventy sons on a single stone, and made Abimelech, the son of his slave girl, king over the citizens of Shechem because he is your brother)—
19 if then you have acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-Baal and his family today, may Abimelech be your joy, and may you be his, too!
20 But if you have not, let fire come out from Abimelech and consume you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and let fire come out from you, citizens of Shechem and Beth Millo, and consume Abimelech!”
On verses 16-20: Here Jotham calls out Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem on how they treated his father Gideon and his whole family. He spotlights how in return for Gideon risking his life to save the Israelites from the hand of Midian, Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem murdered all but two of Gideon’s sons. Jotham shows how wicked, unjust and dishonorable their actions were. In a diplomatic way, Jotham gives Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem both a conditional blessing and a conditional curse. He says that if Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have acted honourably and in good faith, may Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem have a joyful relationship together (v19). But if they have not acted honourably and in good faith, may they end up turning on each other and burning one another (v20).