Ask all the citizens of Shechem, 'Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-Baal's sons rule over you, or just one man?' Remember, I am your flesh and blood. – Judges 9:2

Today's Scripture Reading (May 3, 2025): Judges 9

In contemporary times, the hereditary passing of leadership seems so simple. We know who will come to the throne of England regardless of what happens. When Elizabeth II died, it wasn't a surprise that Charles took her place. Maybe it was a bit of a surprise that he chose to reign as Charles III, especially with how the reigns of Charles I and II ended, but we knew that Charles would ascend to the throne of the British Empire. When Charles dies, we expect William to ascend to the British throne, maybe as King William V, although his regnal name could be something different. 

In the past, it hasn't always been so straightforward. I spent some time trying to unravel the intrigue of the Jacobite rebellion and the demise of the House of Stuart, and I admit that I don't quite understand the Jacobite claims or why George I rose to the throne of England. But for a while, there were deep questions over the person the people believed should be sitting on the English throne. Maybe we should concede that there was a rationale over why a pretender should be placed on the throne, even if we don't quite understand what that rationale might be. 

Jerub-Baal, another name for Gideon, has died. And there were some significant questions about the idea of succession. We must note that while the first-born male often succeeded to the throne in ancient times, that was not always what happened in Israel. Abimelek, the son of Gideon, has decided that he wants to become King of Israel. His claim to power is that he is the son of Gideon, and even though Gideon never claimed the title of King, the people did offer it to him. Dear old Dad may not have wanted the title, but Abimelek does, so he intends to take the title and the throne of Israel, becoming the nation's first King. 

However, there are problems with Abimelek's claim. First, he is not the only claimant. Gideon had seventy sons, meaning there were sixty-nine other claimants to the throne. Second, of the seventy claimants, it does not appear that Abimelek had the strongest claim. But even more importantly, while the people may have wanted a King, God has not ordained that action. Abimelek is not God's choice for King of Israel. So, if Abimelek is to take the throne, he will need the power of man to do it.

So, Abimelek starts with his people, or more precisely, his mother's tribe. He hopes they will support his claim so that Abimelek can move on to the next stage of his plan to become King.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Judges 10