Daily Lesson for April 1, 2020

Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Judges chapter 9 verses 8 through 14:

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 honored,
        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.’

This chapter tells the story of Abimelech, who wrested power over Israel by force of cruelty and surrounded himself with what the Bible calls “worthless and reckless fellows” who contributed to a time of lawlessness and mayhem.

It was the Wild West before there was the Wild West. And once empowered by the people, the bramble bush did what bramble bushes are bound to do — grew wild and, like a West Texas tumbleweed, ultimately beyond control.

This is the book of Judges’ warning against demagoguery — the rule of the rabble. The demagogue does many things the people desire — Abimelech did much to hedge Israel from its enemies. But in the end, the bramble overreaches, and is felled from a most surprising place — the mighty strength of a woman.

May those with ears to hear let them understand.

NOTE: We are reading through the whole Bible this year. Tomorrow’s Lesson will be from Judges 10 through 12.