Judges 9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
For People or For Yourself
I suspect that most of us have had our fill of politicians for the next four years. It is not that we don’t want leadership; we just don’t want to be manipulated in someone else’s grab for power.
When you look at Judges 8-9, you see a real contrast between a leader and someone who just wanted power. There is a profound difference. One was pushing people and one was leading people. Gideon was the leader, a reluctant leader. At the end of his life, Gideon said to people who wanted to make more of him than he intended, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you. The Lord shall rule over you.”
Now Gideon may not have had any desire for power for himself, but his son, Abimelech, certainly did. I don’t know what complexes or aspirations drove Abimelech, but he wasn’t serving people; he was serving himself. You see that throughout his life.
Abimelech manipulated people. Verse 2 tells us that he went to his mother’s family and said, “Do you want to be run by all the sons of Gideon or by just one? Don’t forget that I am your flesh and bone.” He was appealing to their selfish interests.
He also used bribery. Verse 4 says, “And he gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons.” He was bound and determined to have power. He manipulated people by pandering to family ties. He bribed people, and hired vain and light persons.
Then again, Abimelech forced people. Verse 5 says, “And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone.” Later, the one brother who escaped, Jotham, gives a parable. The point of the parable was that those who want to serve their people do so; those who just want to rule their people serve themselves and use others. Gideon was a man who served his people by leading them. Gideon was not in it for himself. In contrast, Abimelech was pushing people from start to finish by manipulation, bribery, and force. He had no interest in serving people, but in serving himself and using others.
Whether you are a president, a father, a mother, or someone working a counter, you lead best when you are serving others.