Gideon may have said that he and his sons and grandsons
would not rule over the people but Abimelech had a different idea. His mother was a Shechemite so his plan was
to rally this people around the idea of his leadership. When you have seventy rivals you only need a
smallish percentage following you to have strength because none of them can
rouse such a constituency. Apparently Abimelech
killed so many men, so many of his half-brothers, that he lost count and failed
to recognize that there were only sixty-nine men dead. One, Jotham, escaped and when he heard that
the Shechemites had made Abimelech king, a first for Israel, he showed himself
and called out their motives. Notice that
he points out that Abimelech's mother was Gideon's servant. Jotham's mother was more than a servant, he
is saying his claim is superior. Now, as
the sole survivor, he has the majority of the people behind him.
What did the servants think was the purpose of filling the
water jars to the brim? Mary had told
them to do whatever Jesus asked. She apparently
had the authority to command them and then she delegated that to her son whose
response to the need for more wine was to ask them to get a large amount of
water ready for purification rites. Then,
He commanded them to draw off some of this water and take it to the master of
the feast. How ridiculous they must have
felt walking the water to the master and then, suddenly, he proclaimed it the
best wine yet served. Water turned into
wine. Does this miracle signify that the
old has been fulfilled, there is no need for purification when Jesus is in the
house? Rejoicing and celebration are the
order of the day, these jars can no longer hold only water and they instead
contain an incredible amount of the best wine.
His disciples, if no one else other than the servants, recognize what
has just happened. Did Mary have an
inkling that the time had come?
The council had evidence of their eyes, "they perceived that they were uneducated,
common men, they were astonished. And they recognized
that they had been with Jesus. But seeing
the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in
opposition." They had no way to
respond to what had been done so they went with the hope of intimidation. If you have seen a man crucified and then
spend time with him after he has been miraculously raised from the dead you
pretty much don't fear being kicked out of a club, Judaism, as much as you once
did. You might not fear death, even a
painful one, as you formerly did. Peter no
longer fears. They walked away rejoicing
and praying for even greater boldness, based in a new understanding of Psalm 2.
The leaders made a mistake similar to
Abimelech. If you're going to kill a man
to try and stop his work, make sure he stays dead. If he doesn't, you might want to reconsider
your opinion of Him.
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