Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Judges chapter 9 verses 1 through 16:
Now Abimelech son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s kinsfolk and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family,2‘Say in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem, “Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?” Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.’ 3So his mother’s kinsfolk spoke all these words on his behalf in the hearing of all the lords of Shechem; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ‘He is our brother.’4They gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the temple of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. 5He went to his father’s house at Ophrah, and killed his brothers the sons of Jerubbaal, seventy men, on one stone; but Jotham, the youngest son of Jerubbaal, survived, for he hid himself. 6Then all the lords of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar* at Shechem.
7 When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, ‘Listen to me, you lords of Shechem, so that God may listen to you.
8 The trees once went out
to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree,
“Reign over us.”
9 The olive tree answered them,
“Shall I stop producing my rich oil
by which gods and mortals are honoured,
and go to sway over the trees?”
10 Then the trees said to the fig tree,
“You come and reign over us.”
11 But the fig tree answered them,
“Shall I stop producing my sweetness
and my delicious fruit,
and go to sway over the trees?”
12 Then the trees said to the vine,
“You come and reign over us.”
13 But the vine said to them,
“Shall I stop producing my wine
that cheers gods and mortals,
and go to sway over the trees?”
14 So all the trees said to the bramble,
“You come and reign over us.”
15 And the bramble said to the trees,
“If in good faith you are anointing me king over you,
then come and take refuge in my shade;
but if not, let fire come out of the bramble
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”
Yesterday a high ranking Dallas city councilman confessed to taking bribes in exchange for votes. The day before a New York congressman was indicted on insider trading.
Though the guilt of the congressman has not been proven, the allegations against him along with the councilman’s confession are deeply troubling and call into question the good faith and trust our citizenry has placed in its public servants in the highest spheres of federal government on down to the local.
Who is leading us? What is their character? What is their motivation? What lines are they willing to cross to serve themselves rather than the public good?
Today’s Lesson tells of all the great trees of the forest who refuse to be anointed king. Left only is the worthless bramble bush — a tangled, prickly shrub with nettles which sucks life from the ground and adds quick-burning fuel to a forest fire. The bramble bush eagerly says yes to the anointing. The forest knows it’s in trouble.
Pray for our leaders. Pray also for the future of our country. Without quality leaders we will slip further into democratic crisis and cleptocracy. We need honorable public servants, people willing to serve others and not just themselves. We need to encourage and even plead with the olive and fig and even the mighty oak trees to consider running for office. For if we keep getting bramble bushes, not only will the public be in greater danger of being pilfered, but the whole 242-year-old American forest will be at risk of being lost.
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