Tucked away in the Old Testament Book of Judges is an incident and an interpretation that I would like to share with you. Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, went to Shechem, to his mother’s brothers, and appealed to them to make him ruler over them.
He used the ruse of familial connection to deceive and trick them into making him ruler. It was a cruel farce to gain power over them that would have devastating consequences.
He said to them, “Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you? Remember that I am your own flesh and bone.” His mother’s brothers were duped by his ruse of familial connection and not only made him ruler but raided the temple treasury and gave him seventy shekels of silver.
Abimelech proceeded to hire reckless and ruthless men who were loyal to him and not justice, who would follow his every command no matter how immoral and evil it was.
Then Abimelech went to Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone, the Bible says.
But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived because he hid himself. When Jotham was told that they made the conniving, crooked, and corrupt Abimelech king, he then lifted his voice and told this story of satire to the rest of the people.
“The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them. And they said to the olive tree, Reign over us! But the olive tree said to them, should I cease giving my oil, with which they honor God and men, and go to sway over trees?
Then the trees said to the fig tree, you come and reign over us! But the fig tree said to them, should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over trees?
Then the trees said to the vine, you come and reign over us! But the vine said to them, should I cease my new wine, which cheers both God and men and go to sway over trees?
Then all the trees said to the bramble, a prickly, worthless shrub, you come and rule over us! And the Bramble said to the trees, if in truth you anoint me as king over you, then come and take shelter in my shade…”
Jotham lifted up this satire in order to convict and chastise the people who chose a worthless, conniving, corrupt, and cruel shrub to rule over them against their own interest. It was an indictment over people who listen to prevarication as if it is truth and who would rather choose mendacity over meaning.
Beloved, the Bible is not a book of history or science, but the bible is a book of faith. And the Bible anticipates us. The lesson of the bramble reminds me of another story.
“Truth and lie were walking together down the road. Lie said to truth, let’s have a contest and see who can swim to the bottom of the lake and back up first. Truth said okay. They stood on the bank as Truth took off his clothes and jumped in, but Lie held back. Lie then took the clothes of Truth and walked into the town. When Truth discovered that he had been tricked by Lie, he looked for his clothes, but no clothes were there except the dirty clothes of Lie. Truth decided not to wear the clothes of a lie and went into town naked. When Truth tried to explain to the people what Lie did, the people rejected him because they would rather hear a dressed-up lie rather than the bare-naked truth.”
I think Judges 9:1-15 and the truth vs. lie story explain a lot of our current events, what do you think?
Be well, Be authentic, and Stay Woke! Uhuru Sassa!
Rev. Dr. John E. Jackson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ-Gary, 1276 W. 20th Ave. in Gary. “We are not just another church but we are a culturally conscious, Christ-centered church, committed to the community; we are unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian.” Contact the church by email at [email protected] or by phone at 219-944-0500.
Rev. John E. Jackson
Rev. Dr. John E. Jackson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ-Gary, 1276 W. 20th Ave. in Gary. “We are not just another church but we are a culturally conscious, Christ-centered church, committed to the community; we are unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian.”