Unholy Alliances
By Matt Watson
We've all experienced a bad leader. Whether they were commanding officers who made poor strategic choices, or a manager who wouldn't take ownership and blamed others for poor performance, we've felt the burden of poor leadership.
Leadership is crucial; as leaders go, so do the nation, state, city, and family. The influence of leaders trickles down to all levels of society. That's why we are so focused on the men at The Well. Husbands, fathers, and single men may have varying degrees of leadership responsibilities, but they all have them (as do wives, mothers, and single women, but in a different way). Because of their unique biblical calling in the family, as husbands, fathers, and men go, so goes the family, the city, the state, and the nation.
Matthew Henry, the great Puritan pastor and commentator, said,
“A church in the house will contribute very much to the prosperity of the church of God in the nation... If there were a church in every house, there would be such a church in our land as would make it a praise throughout the whole earth. We cannot better serve our country than by keeping up religion in our families. ”
That's why we constantly beat the drum that men must lead their homes.
Abimelech's Ambition
There is a lot at stake. Therefore, choosing good leaders is important, something we learn in Judges 9 as we read about evil ambition. Abimelech was smart, strong, capable, and ambitious. But he was also conniving and ruthless. He made a pact with the men of Shechem to become king and hired mercenaries to kill his 70 siblings (Jdg 9:3-4). Like his father Gideon, Abimelech was a warlord straight out of a Viking novel.
Labeled an 'anti-judge' by some scholars, Abimelech twisted the judge's role into something unrecognizably self-serving and malevolent. Much like antiheroes in fiction, Abimelech lacked the character needed to rule in a way that honored God.
An Unholy Alliance
But God wasn't silent through Abimelech's reign of murder. One of Abimelech's siblings survived, Jotham, who proclaimed judgment upon the covenant between the anti-judge and the people of Shechem, an alliance that would end in fire and holy retribution (vv. 7-21).
And wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what happened. God sent an evil spirit to cause division between Abimelech and those he had allied with, resulting in open war (vv. 22-52) and death for both parties. The people of Shechem burned down in a tower fortress (v. 49), while Abimelech had a millstone dropped on his head by a woman with remarkable upper-body strength, and then he had his armor-bearer put him out of his misery (vv. 53-55). An ignoble end.
What can we learn from Abimelech?
Choose the right leaders. Choose wisely who you are allied with and who you follow. Do they follow the Lord's will, or their own? The compass they follow will determine the course they take. And woe to any leader who doesn't care for those whom they lead (Jer 23:1-4).
Bad leaders invite divine retribution. While this may seem like karma, it's not. It's just godly wisdom. If you choose to live apart from God's Word, will, and ways, then you will die apart from it too.
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”
Likewise, seek the Lord in everything you do, in all your choices, and in all your actions, and he will make straight your steps (Prov 3:5-6).
God is in control, even when you are stuck with a bad leader. Bad leaders still answer to God (Rom 13:1-7). Pray for your leaders, including your parents, pastors, bosses, and state and national officials. Pray that they may honor God and that things will go well for you.
Maybe that's hard to do. Maybe you've been hurt by a leader or a parent. Maybe your elected official hates the Lord. Praying for your enemies is loving them. If you're stuck with a bad leader, pray to the one who isn't. Maybe he'll save them, or maybe he'll cast a millstone on their head.
Be like Christ, not like Abimelech. Sure, Abimelech had the makings of a good leader, but in the end, his godless leadership led to his destruction. Men, don't confuse being smart, strong, or capable with being a good husband, father, or Christian. Those things help, and you should pursue them, but they only matter if you are in Christ. In Christ, your strategic planning finds direction. In Christ, your mental, moral, and physical strength endures. In Christ, you can fight sin and fulfill the mission God has given you.
Go forth and lead to the glory of God.
This article was originally published by Matthew Watson with Awake! Put on strength!, and is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.