March 5– Judges 9:26-33

March 5– Judges 9:26-33

²⁶ And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. ²⁷ And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. ²⁸ And Gaal the son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? ²⁹ Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”

³⁰ When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. ³¹ And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly, saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up the city against you. ³² Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. ³³ Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them as your hand finds to do.”

Once again we see a power struggle. Abimelech is to be overthrown and more blood is to be shed. Plans are made to stop Gaal. No where in this passage do we see anyone involved cry out to God. Their thirst for power is fueling their every thought.

The pursuit of power can be so dangerous. In this passage, it appears that more blood will be shed and no one will rest easy until they are in power. How much easier would life be if God had been sought and God’s plan had been followed by all involved? Think about the dynamics of your life. Is there someone, perhaps a boss or co-worker or even some member of your church , that wants to be in charge? Ask God today to make His way clear so that peace may prevail and the presence of God be felt. 

Dear Heavenly Father, help me to keep You in charge and always remember that any words I speak on Your behalf should be from You and not what I”think” You want me to say.  Help me not desire to be in control, but desire what You desire and give control of my thoughts, words, and actions to You.  Anytime I mess up, its because I have tried to do it on my own, just like in today’s verses.  Help me to seek You and Your guidance in all things and remember You alone are worthy of being in charge.

In Jesus’ name.

Amen!