READ:
Judges 9
Chapter 9 tells us the story of Gideon’s son,
Abimelech. We are told at the end of the previous chapter that Gideon was a man
of many wives, and also had a concubine (a lesser wife, probably a servant). It
was with this concubine that he fathered Abimelech, thus bringing much woe to
his family and his tribe.
Abimelech was not a judge. Never was he appointed
by God or anointed with the Spirit; yet his story is in the book because he did
rule over the people of Israel for three years, and his life teaches a valuable
lesson. There really is nothing good about Abimelech. He coerces his relatives
into making him “king” (he was never a true king, though, since he was not
appointed by God, nor did he rule the entire nation) and killing his own
brothers, he hangs out with a sordid crowd, and he brutally destroys a city for
the sake of his own pride. Jotham – the only one of Gideon’s sons to escape the
slaughter – is the only good guy in the story, while Abimelech, Gaal and Zebul
are nothing but meatheads trying to prove their power and status. At the end of
the day, much blood is shed for nothing. Jotham’s fable (v 8-21) becomes fate:
Abimelech (the bramble) is rejected by Shechem (the trees), and the leaders of
Shechem are destroyed by the fire of Abimelech (v 46-49).
It really is a sad story. Abimelech’s selfish
actions sow discord among his family and his tribe. Perhaps we see the stamp of
generational sin here as well. Gideon had said
“no” to the offer of kingship, but his actions showed that he accepted the
role anyways, at least to some degree. Such lack of integrity was emulated by
his son, who saw being king as something worth killing for. It is evident that
Gideon did not train his child in godliness, and that his own issues – his
hunger for power, and retaliation on his enemies – affected his son in a most
terrible way. Generational sin is a very real thing (see Ex 34:6-7, Je 32:18).
If not confessed and dealt with, the sins and weaknesses of one generation can
be passed on to the next. We see this throughout Scripture: Abraham had a lying
problem that spread to the next three generations. David’s sins of adultery and
murder had grave effects on his offspring. Gideon did some good things for
Israel, but those good things didn’t cover over the sin in his life or the effect
of his sin. Our goodness can never make up for our sinful nature. Thank God
that we can put our faith in Jesus and repent of our sinful ways, and He will
save us by His great grace and mercy!
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Generational sin and bondage is very real. The
enemy uses whatever means possible to steal, kill and destroy from mankind, but
through Jesus we can find abundant life (Jn 10:10)! Right now, ask the Holy
Spirit to speak to you during this time – to reveal things in your family that
you may not know of, or that you may have forgotten.
Write down the names of your birth (or
adopted) parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.
a. What are some of the problems, weaknesses and
areas of sin that seem to be reoccurring in your family tree, or very serious
in certain family members? (See list below – this list is not exhaustive, but
may trigger other things that you will need to mark down.) Write down those
things that you see as issues in your family line, whether or not you see them
in yourself.
- Health: Cancer; migraines; mental or physical disabilities; depression; eating disorders; diabetes; heart trouble; post-traumatic stress; traumatic pregnancies or births; mental illness; allergies; etc.
- Severe Trauma: committed or attempted suicide; tragic deaths (accidents, untimely death, murder, etc.); traumatic events with effects passed onto family (ex. drowning resulting in a fear of water among family members); committed or participated in an abortion; miscarriages; abandonment; etc.
- Attitudes & Behaviours: anger; lying; jealousy; lust; negativity; pride; materialism; hatred; unbelief; argumentative; judgemental; laziness; perfectionism; self-pity; unforgiveness/bitterness; etc.
- Addictions: alcohol; drugs; smoking; pornography; excessive computer use; eating disorders; credit cards; gambling; idolatry; media/TV; etc.
b. Take your list before Jesus. In prayer, thank
Him for you who are as His child. Thank Him that you belong to Him and that He
has authority in your life.
c. Take the list of sins and struggles that you
wrote down and confess these things to God on behalf of you and your family. In
Jesus’ name, take authority over the powers of darkness that have been at work
in your family.
d. Ask God for His forgiveness, His protection, and
His victory in your life and the lives of your family members. Ask Him to bring
freedom and healing to you and your family.
2. Ask God to make you aware of who is watching you
(kids, co-workers, family, etc.). Ask Him to help you to influence people for
His kingdom today.
