One of the people who set their minds to do evil and brutally accomplished it in the Bible is Abimelek. He was cruel, heartless, evil, brute, wicked and lacked empathy and common instincts. The story of Abimelek is recorded in Judges 9. He was the son of Gideon, a judge who was used by God to save the people of Israel at some point. After his successful campaign over the Midianites, the Israelites wanted to make Gideon a king but he refused: “The Israelites said to Gideon, “Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.” But Gideon told them, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” (Judges 8:22-23). Gideon made a golden ephod which he placed in Ophrah, his town and all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:27). Gideon had seventy sons of his own, from his many wives and his concubine, who lived in Shechem, also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelek meaning “my father is king.” Abimelek conspired with his relatives in Shechem and killed sixty-nine of his brothers. Only Jotham, the youngest, escaped. As if this was not enough, Abimelek and the people of Shechem became enemies after three years (instigated by God because of their evil). With cruelty, wickedness and evil Abimelek dealt with the Shechemites until one woman silenced him. Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull. (Judges 9:52-53) The poignant smell of Abimelek’s evil against his own brothers rose to God and Heaven responded. The Schechemites were wrong to sponsor the murder of the sons of Gideon. We could blame Gideon for raising an idol and naming his son Abimelek (my father is king) but it does not take the fact that Gideon obeyed God and through him, the Midianite were defeated. Abimelek was running wild with no one to tame him. He destroyed cities, burnt fields, destroyed homes and killed people without remorse. He was power drunk, and his aim was to clear his path of any seemingly enemy no matter what it takes. There are miniature Abimeleks in the world now. They are brute, evil and without any sense of love. Their vision is to steal, kill and destroy just like their master the devil (John 10:10). Their swords are sharp and their arrows are full of poisonous snares. May God deliver us from such people. Abimelek was unstoppable and whole cities fled from his presence. He cared less for anyone other than himself. In one of his campaigns, to annihilate the people of Thebez by setting them on fire inside their city tower, another warrior intercepted him. He didn’t know what was in store for him. “Abimelek went to the tower and attacked it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire, a woman dropped an upper millstone on his head and cracked his skull.” (Judges 9:52-53) The wicked Abimelek was badly wounded by an unnamed woman, a warrior with no history, a silent but determined warrior. She did not miss the target. In his frustration, Abimelek hurriedly called to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can’t say, ‘A woman killed him.’ ” So his servant ran him through, and he died. When the Israelites saw that Abimelek was dead, they went home.” (Judges 9:54-55). The bloody campaigns of Abimelek was stopped by a woman. The Bible does not even give the name of this woman. She was obviously harmless and afraid for her life while she hid in the tower. But, at a moment, she realized that she could either perish with the rest of the city or she could kill Abimelek and rescue the city. She chose the latter and she saved her city. She was probably celebrated in the city and her legacy have been documented as a reminder of how one woman stopped a ravaging serial killer. Abimelek’s tantrums were calmed and peace was restored once again. The warrior had just a millstone. The unnamed woman who ended the evil reign of Abimelek, son of Gideon reminds us that no one is too insignificant for battle. Moses had an ordinary staff, and God used it for extraordinary purposes. The unnamed woman had a millstone and it cracked the skull of the villain. You have the Godhead and you still see yourself as the least? Be empowered, be ready, hold your sword, and as you fearlessly prepare with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11), strategically position yourself to drop some spiritual ballistic missiles on your enemies. We are too equipped to lose this battle. We are made for more!
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