8/5/26

How quickly mankind becomes a fool.

Gideon had been a judge over Israel and had rid the nation of Baal worship. Yet when he dies, we see a temple built almost immediately. In Shechem, there is a temple built to a false god, Baal-berith. Our text says, Judges 9:4 NASB95: They gave him seventy pieces of silver from the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, and they followed him.

A son of Gideon by a concubine attempts to take control of Israel, not as a judge like his father, not by ridding the nation of idols like his father, not by obedience to the Lord, but by killing all of his brothers, except one who escaped, and then using money from an idol temple to hire an army. Of course, the foolish people fell for it. It didn't take long, and they forgot they needed to follow God. It didn't take no time, and they were attempting to create a false god by their own hands. They didn't follow legitimate sons but a son of a concubine. They listened to the foolish talk of Satan to quickly turn them against the people who desired to join with them in service of the Lord. Sin causes us to act so foolishly so quickly. It makes us act like a person running the race where you run down the track, put your forehead against a baseball bat on the ground, and spin in circles 10 times and then try to run back. You are so dizzy that you are running sideways and can't get yourself back steady to head in the right direction. This is similar to the effects of sin on us. We lose our sense of direction, and we think we are headed toward the finish line, but instead we are running parallel to, or away from it. Yet we are so disoriented that we honestly believe we are headed in the right direction.

Abimelech, the son of Gideon and a concubine, continued to lead the people in the wrong direction, and they followed like fools. Jesus gave a warning against this in Matthew 15:14 NASB95: “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The citizens of Schechem had blindedly built a temple to a false god. Then they blindly followed a illegitimate son of a good man. The good man and judge, had led the people away from false gods to the Only God. The good man's name was Gideon. He was later called Jerubbaal for destroying the temples of the false god Baal. Yet Gideon had sinned and had a child by a concubine. Instead of following a true child who follows God, they blindly follow an illegitimate child who blindly follows a false god. They ran sideways until Abimelech finally killed them. Yet the same thing happened to Abimelech. He was killed also. Both died in their sin.

Do not be foolish and blindly follow sin. It doesn't bring you to the finish line; it leads you sideways until you fall into the pit of Hell.

Instead, follow the Word of God and the only begotten Son of the Father. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Him!

Love Brother Scott