9:22-24 Footnote:
Abimelech was the opposite of what God wanted in a judge, but it was three years before God moved against him, fulfilling Jotham's parable. Those three years must have seemed like forever to Jotham. Why wasn't Abimelech punished sooner for his evil ways?
We are not alone when we wonder why evil seems to prevail. God promises to deal with sin, but in his time, not ours. Actually it is good news that God doesn't punish us immediately because we all have sinned and deserve God's punishment. God, in his mercy, often spares us from immediate punishment and allows us time to turn from our sins and turn to him in repentance. Trusting God for justice means 1. we must first recognize our own sins and repent, and 2. we may face a difficult time of waiting for the wicked to be punished. But in God's time, all evil will be destroyed.
"God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who acted treacherously against Abimelech."
9:23 Footnote:
This evil spirit was not just an attitude of strife, it was a demon. It was not Satan himself, but one of the fallen angels under Satan's influence. God used this evil spirit to bring about judgment on Shechem. First Samuel 16:14 records how God judged Saul in a similar way.
10:1-5 Footnote:
In these verses we read about two men who judged Israel for a total of 45 years, yet all we know about them besides the length of their rules is that one had 30 sons who rode around on 30 donkeys. What are you doing for God that is worth noting? When your life is over, will people remember more than just what was in your bank account or the number of years you lived?
10:11-16 Footnote:
These verses show how difficult it can be to follow God over the long haul. The Israelites always seemed to forget God when all was well. But despite being rejected by his own people, God never failed to rescue them when they called out to him in repentance. God never fails to rescue us either. We act just like the Israelites when we put God outside our daily events instead of at the center of them. Just as a loving parent feels rejected when a child rebels, so God feels great rejection when we ignore or neglect him. We should strive to stay close to God rather than see how far we can go before judgment comes.
Keep reading -- 285 days left!
All footnotes taken from the Life Application Study Bible, NIV
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