The Back Story - Judges 9:7-15
Since entering into the promised land, Israel had had a series of leaders but not a King. It was clearly understood that God was their King which made them different from all the other nations, All the other nations had gods and kings. Israel had a God who was their King. After the death of Joshua, it wasn’t long before the people forsook God and served the Baals. This was to be a pattern that would be repeated again and again. When the people rejected God and did what was right in their own eyes, God would give them over to their enemies. Their enemies would defeat them and oppress them. Eventually the people would cry out to God for deliverance and God would raise up a ‘Judge’ to deliver them. They would have prosperity for a while and then they would revert to idolatry again and the cycle would repeat.
Read Judges chapter 2 for context. cf. Exodus 23:20-33 and Joshua 5:13-15 Note: The Angel in Exodus and the Commander of the Lord’s army in Joshua. God’s covenant with Israel to drive out their enemies before them was conditional to them being faithful to Him.
In chapter 6 of Judges we see that the children of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites. When they cried out to God because of their distress, God raised up Gideon. Through Gideon the Midianites were subdued and the nation of Israel was “quiet for 40 years”. Judges 8:22-23. Because Gideon lead them and brought victory, the men of Israel asked Gideon to rule over them. They clearly had in mind a hereditary monarchy because they wanted Gideon and his son and his grandson to rule over them. vs. 22 “You, your son and your grandson also”. But Gideon declined for himself and his progeny. He said ‘I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; The Lord shall rule over you’. Judges 8:23 Gideon had proved himself a man endued with the spirit of God in bringing victory over the Midianites. The people were ready to make him king. This is the first recorded attempt to establish a hereditary monarchy. Gideon’s refusal is consistent with his recognition of the kingship of the Lord, which is the ideal stressed throughout the book of Judges,
After Gideon’s death, Israel again “played the harlot with the Baals” Judges 8:33
Gideon had many wives and many sons (seventy) and his concubine also bore him a son. His name was Abimelech. And Abimelech wanted to be king. So Abimelech killed all the sons of Gideon. But the youngest son Jotham, escaped. When Jotham heard that they had made Abimelech king, he went to the top of Mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and told them a fable/parable. Evidently speaking from this vantage point amplifies the voice and the people were able to hear him.