Abimelech Leads Israel

Think of two people. One waited, did their job right, and one day was called to lead. The other did not want to wait: they pushed, lied, stepped over whoever was in front, and took the place.

Both reached the same place. But they are not the same thing.

Today's story is in Judges 9, and it is the story of a man who rose up on his own. His name was Abimelech. And it teaches a truth we need to learn early: God sees everything we do, and He does justice.

I — The son who wanted the crown

Gideon was a great judge of Israel. After the victory, the people wanted to make him king — and Gideon said no. He understood something important: the one who rules over Israel is the LORD, not him (Judges 8:23). Nor did he pass the throne on to his sons.

Gideon died leaving seventy sons. And one of them thought differently from his father.

Abimelech went to the city of Shechem, where his mother's family lived, and made a proposal to the people: "what is better for you — seventy men ruling or just one? And remember that I am your relative." The men of Shechem liked the idea. They took silver from the temple of an idol in the city and placed it in his hands.

With that silver, Abimelech hired idle men, went to his father's house, and took the lives of his seventy brothers. Only one escaped: Jotham, the youngest, who managed to hide. After that, the people of Shechem proclaimed Abimelech king.

The Bible does not tell this to scare anyone. It tells it to show how far a heart goes when it has decided to climb at any price. Notice the whole path: a conversation that divided the people, the money of a false god, and, in the end, a family destroyed. Ambition without God does not stop on its own.

🌿 Did you know? — his name. Abimelech means "my father is king." He carried a title in his own name. Except Gideon never agreed to be king — and his son spent his life chasing a crown that his father had refused.

II — The parable of the trees

Jotham found out that Shechem had crowned Abimelech. He climbed to the top of the mountain, shouted from up there for the whole city to hear, and told a short story — the parable of the trees (Judges 9:7-15). It is one of the cleverest stories in the Bible. Pay attention to it:

The trees decided to choose a king. They went first to the olive tree, asking it to reign over them (Judges 9:8). The olive tree answered: "But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’" (Judges 9:9). In today's language: "am I going to stop giving olive oil just to boss others around?"

They went to the fig tree, which gave sweet fruit. It also said no (Judges 9:11). They went to the vine, and the answer came in the same tone: "But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’" (Judges 9:13).

Three trees, three refusals — and always for the same reason: they were not going to give up the fruit God gave them in order to hold a crown.

Then the trees went to the thornbush. A thornbush gives no fruit, gives no real shade, and even hurts anyone who gets close. And the thornbush accepted right away. It accepted and even threatened: "But the thornbush replied, ‘If you really are anointing me as king over you, come and find refuge in my shade. But if not, may fire come out of the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon.’" (Judges 9:15).

Did you get the message? The only plant that wanted the position was justamente the one that had nothing to offer. Jotham was telling Shechem to their face: "you chose the thornbush. It is not going to protect you — it is going to burn you."

And look at what the parable teaches you, right now, in the place where you are: the olive tree was content giving olive oil. The fig tree, giving figs. Staying in the place where God put you, bearing your fruit there, is no small thing — it is the opposite of the thornbush, which only wanted the title.

III — God was watching the whole time

Abimelech reigned for three years. On the outside, it worked. He had the throne, he had the men, he had the city.

Except God was watching.

After that time, divisions arose between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, and those very men who had crowned him turned against him (Judges 9:22-23). A war broke out between the two sides — the king against the city that made him king. After Shechem, Abimelech went to the city of Thebez. The people there took shelter in a strong tower, and when he came near the door, a woman dropped a piece of a millstone from above — and right there his reign ended.

Three years on the throne. A piece of a millstone. The end.

The Bible itself explains what happened, in a sentence worth keeping: "In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers." (Judges 9:56). And Jotham's warning, which no one had taken seriously, was fulfilled in full (Judges 9:57).

⚙️ Did you know? — the millstone and the towers. The millstone was a hard, round, flat stone used to grind grain and make flour. It was in every family's home — it was an everyday tool, not a weapon of war. And the tower was a common structure in ancient cities: it served for protection, defense, watchkeeping, and attack, and it was where the people ran when there was danger.

Two sentences from the Bible explain this whole story:

• "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18). Pride is the arrogance that makes a person think they are above everyone else. That was what Abimelech had — and that was how he fell.
• "Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return." (Galatians 6:7). Whoever plants beans reaps beans. Whoever plants evil reaps evil. No one fools God.

❤ For the child's heart. Have you ever seen someone do something wrong and come out "on top"? It makes you angry, doesn't it? Keep this in mind: justice belongs to God, not to you. You do not need to get back at anyone, or retaliate, or scheme against anyone — God sees what no one sees and settles accounts in His time. And when something serious happens, or something that scares you, tell a trusted adult: your dad, your mom, your teacher, your pastor. The adult handles it; you let them know. That is not tattling — it is the right and safe way to act.

Christ in the Lesson

Keep the two crowns of this lesson side by side.

Abimelech's crown. He took it on his own, paid for it with the evil done to his brothers, and wore it for three years. A crown that hurt everyone around him — including himself.

Jesus' crown. Jesus is the true King, the King who existed before all kings. He did not need to take anything from anyone: the throne was already His. And even so, when He came into the world, He did not climb over anyone. He came down. He said to the disciples: "It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, … just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:26,28).

And notice the detail that closes the lesson. In the Bible, the thorn is a sign of the earth ruined by sin (Genesis 3:18) — it is the plant that wounds. Well, it was that very plant that they put on Jesus' head: "And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”" (Matthew 27:29).

Abimelech put thorns on others to be king. Jesus let the thorns be put on Him to save us.

That is why today's lesson does not end with "be a good kid." It ends with Jesus. He is the King who serves, the King who hurts no one to rise, the King who paid the price in our place. And when we surrender our lives to Him, our heart changes — and then the rest follows.

Practical Application

Stay in your place and bear your fruit. The olive tree did not give up its oil for a crown. Being a good son or daughter, a good student, a good friend, helping at church: that is not a small thing. "The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life." (Proverbs 16:17).

Do not climb by stepping on anyone. No gossiping to make yourself look better, no speaking badly of the one who was chosen, no scheming to make someone else fall. That is the way of the thornbush. If you were not chosen this time, truly cheer for the one who was.

Leave justice to God. "They do no iniquity; they walk in His ways." (Psalm 119:3). If someone does you wrong, do not pay them back in the same coin — pray, do what is right, and, if it is something serious, tell a trusted adult. God leaves nothing hidden.

Closing Prayer

Lord, You are the true King, and Your way is the way of serving. Thank You because You see everything and do justice — we do not need to get back at anyone. Guard the heart of each child in this class from the pride that steps over others, and teach each one to bear their fruit in the place where You have put them. Thank You for Jesus, who accepted the crown of thorns for us. In His name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Essence of the class

There is a difference between the place God gives and the place we snatch from others — and God sees both.

Map of the class

Time	Stage
0–4 min	Opening (the crown on the table)
4–12 min	Point 1 — The son who wanted the crown
12–20 min	Point 2 — The parable of the trees
20–27 min	Point 3 — God was watching the whole time
27–36 min	Class activity "The theater of the trees"
36–40 min	Christ + wrap-up + challenge + prayer

Start like this

Bring a paper crown (you can make one with a strip of yellow poster board) and leave it in the middle of the table before class starts. Do not explain anything. When everyone is seated, ask: "If I told you that today one of you is going to wear this crown, what would go through your head?" Let three or four answer. You will hear "I want it," "pick me," "why him and not me?" Hold on to those answers and say: "Today we are going to meet a man who wanted a crown very badly. He got it. And it was the worst thing he ever did."

Point 1 — The son who wanted the crown

• In the quarterly: the topic that introduces Abimelech, son of Gideon, the deal with the men of Shechem, the silver from the idol's temple, and the escape of Jotham, the youngest brother.
• What to teach: Gideon refused to be king because he knew that the one who rules over Israel is the LORD. Abimelech wanted the opposite: he went after the throne on his own, bought support with silver from a false god, and took the lives of his seventy brothers. Only Jotham escaped. Tell it in a direct and brief way — without graphic details, without dramatizing the violence — and go straight to the reason why: ambition without God does not stop on its own.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "They do no iniquity; they walk in His ways." (Psalm 119:3).
• Key question: "Why do you think Gideon said no when they wanted to make him king?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "because he was humble," "because he was afraid," "because God didn't tell him to." Go deeper: "And what did his son do? He went chasing what his father had refused."
• If no one speaks: share first. "Have I ever badly wanted something when it wasn't my turn? Yes. And when we want something too much, we start making up ways to get it."

Point 2 — The parable of the trees

• In the quarterly: the topic with the parable Jotham told — the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine refusing the kingship, and the thornbush accepting.
• What to teach: the good trees did not give up the fruit they bore in order to hold a crown. The thornbush, which gives neither fruit nor shade, accepted right away — and even threatened with fire. Jotham was warning Shechem: you chose someone who has nothing to give.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’" (Judges 9:9).
• Key question: "What is your fruit — the thing you already do well in the place where you are?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "I help my mom," "I'm good at drawing," "I tell my friend about Jesus." Go deeper: "And is that a small thing? The olive tree thought it was so important that it refused a crown so it wouldn't stop."
• If no one speaks: point out one fruit of each child out loud, warmly and without comparing — "so-and-so sings," "so-and-so helps tidy up the room." Then ask again.

Point 3 — God was watching the whole time

• In the quarterly: the topic about the three years of reign, the revolt of the people of Shechem, the march to Thebez, the tower, and the end of Abimelech — and the quarterly's "Did you know?" box about the millstone and the towers of ancient cities.
• What to teach: for three years it looked like it had worked out. It had not. God brings back upon a person the evil they have done, and Jotham's warning was fulfilled in full. Tell the end of Abimelech in one calm sentence, without acting it out and without scaring anyone, and move straight to the meaning: whoever sows evil reaps evil.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers." (Judges 9:56).
• Key question: "When someone does something wrong and no one sees it, did Someone see it anyway?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): "God saw it," "God sees everything." Go deeper: "And if God sees everything, do you need to get back at anyone? Whose is the justice?"
• If no one speaks: show the millstone with your hands — "a flour millstone, the kind kept in the kitchen, ended the reign of the most powerful man in Israel. God does not need an army."

Class activity

• Goal: to reinforce Jotham's parable by making it with their hands and speaking it with their mouths.
• Materials: green and brown poster board or colored paper (or white paper with colored pencils), blunt-tip scissors, glue, and a pen. Nothing else.
• Step by step: (1) Divide the class into four groups; each group cuts out the treetop in green and the trunk in brown and puts together one tree: olive tree, fig tree, vine, and thornbush. (2) On the back of each tree, everyone writes today's verse (Psalm 119:3). (3) Act out the parable: you do the voice of the "trees looking for a king," and each group holds up its tree and says its line — "I am not going to stop giving olive oil," "I am not going to stop giving figs," "I am not going to stop giving grapes." (4) The thornbush stays in the teacher's hand — you are the one who says its line, not a student. No one in the room becomes "the thornbush"; the plant is the illustration, not the child. (5) Repeat a second round, swapping the trees among the groups, so everyone gets to speak.
• Wrap-up (back to the text): "Three trees said no to the crown because they had fruit to give. Only the one that had nothing to offer accepted right away. God wants you to bear your fruit in the place where He put you."

If they ask you this

• Question: "Why does the Bible tell such a sad story?" Short answer: Because the Bible is honest. It records what goes right and also what goes wrong, so that we can learn without having to repeat it. The goal of the lesson is this: God judges evil and does justice (Ecclesiastes 3:17).
• Question: "Did God tell that woman to strike Abimelech down?" Short answer: The Bible does not say she received any order. It tells the result: "In this way God repaid the wickedness that Abimelech had done to his father in murdering his seventy brothers." (Judges 9:56). The story shows God's justice — it is not an invitation for anyone to take revenge. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us (Romans 12:19).
• Question: "Could Abimelech have been forgiven?" Short answer: He could have. God forgives everyone who repents and confesses (1 John 1:9). Abimelech's problem was not a lack of forgiveness in God — it was that he never wanted to turn back.
• Question: "Does someone who does evil suffer right away?" Short answer: Not always right away. Abimelech stayed on the throne for three years. But nothing stays hidden from God, and He settles accounts in His time. Our part is not to plant evil (Galatians 6:7).

Wrap-up + challenge of the week

• Wrap-up: "Abimelech took a crown by stepping over everyone, and it lasted three years. Jesus is the true King and did the opposite: He took nothing from anyone — He let the crown of thorns be placed on His head to save us. God's way is downward, serving. And it is that way that ends up on top."
• Challenge: make your paper crown — a simple strip, the size of your head. This week, once, give up the front spot on purpose: let someone else go ahead of you in line, pick the toy or the team first, or speak before you. Do it without complaining and without bragging afterward. On the back of the crown, write the name of the person who went ahead of you and what happened. On Sunday, come back with the story.

Teacher's kit

• Before: read all of Judges 9 and the topic in the quarterly; make the paper crown for the opening and cut the poster board strips for the children's crowns.
• Bring: a Bible, the paper crown, green and brown poster board or paper, blunt-tip scissors, glue, pens, and the strips for the challenge crowns.
• Pray beforehand: ask God that no child in this class grows up thinking they need to step over someone else to be worth something.

Homework

Your mission for the week

Make your paper crown: a simple strip, the size of your head, glued at the ends. Now the main part — this week, once, give up the front spot on purpose. Let someone else go ahead of you in line, pick the toy or the team first, or speak before you. Without complaining and without bragging afterward. On the back of the crown, write the name of the person who went ahead of you and what happened.

Why

Abimelech stepped over everyone to grab a crown — and it did not last (Judges 9:56). The olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine refused the crown so they could keep bearing their fruit. And Jesus, who is the true King, said: "It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant," (Matthew 20:26).

How to know you did it

The crown is ready and has a name written on the back — the name of the person who went ahead of you.

On Sunday, come back with the story

Bring your crown in your hand. Next class starts with whoever shares what happened when they let someone else go ahead.