Me, Myself, and Abimelech

Yesterday in the adventures of Judges, I read about Abimelech, who deserves to be called every name in the book (not the Good Book). People in Shechem paid him in silver to kill his 70 brothers (Judas, much?) so that he could rule the city (Judges 9). Eventually he turned on them and killed them all in a horrible manner, then went on to raze other towns.

Abimelech finally met his end when he reached one town that had sought refuge in a defensive tower. As he prepared to set the tower and everyone in it on fire, a woman threw down a stone and hit him in the head. Knowing he would die from the wound, Abimelech told one of his men to run him through with a sword, JUST so the record books wouldn’t say Abimelech was killed by a woman. So much for equality.

Though I do not have plans to imitate Abimelech, I find that sometimes I do think like him on a smaller, non-violent scale: I care too much about what other people think of me, and I am too focused on earthly things. Abimelech KNEW he was going to die, but he was determined to salvage his earthly posthumous reputation with a ridiculous solution. What does it matter? You’ll be dead! Abimelech, if you cared that much, maybe you should have lived differently! [Obviously, there is a difference in caring what people think about your reputation, the way you dress, etc., as compared to caring about what people think when you stand up for God’s principles.]

Abimelech remained focused on this temporal, fleeting life, as if he was not about to meet his Maker and face judgment for his actions. While I know I’m going to heaven, I don’t act like it. I live as though this world is all there is, holding on to my material possessions with a tight grip. (Though hurricanes help loosen that grip.) I don’t fix my eyes on Jesus; I fix my eyes on what I want to buy next for the house. I forget that when Jesus returns, I’ll have to answer for the life I’ve sort of lived for the Kingdom.

I guess we need a good crack on the head every now and then as a reminder.