In the last post, I briefly mentioned the period in Israel’s history when they were led by judges appointed by God. This past week, I decided to re-read the book of Judges in the Hebrew Scriptures. To be honest, reading Judges is a bit messy – political chaos, cycles of rebellion, flawed leaders. Sound familiar?
One story tucked away in this chaos is a short fable – told not by a prophet or a priest, but by a guy named Jotham, the lone survivor of a political massacre.
Here’s the setup: the Israelite leader Gideon had died. Against the Israelites’ desire, he had refused to be made king during his lifetime. “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you,” he told the people (Judges 8:23). But his son Abimelek had other ideas. Hungry for power, Abimelek orchestrated the murder of his seventy brothers to seize control. And the citizens of the city of Shechem went right along with it.
Jotham was the only brother who escaped. And what did he do? He climbed Mount Gerizim, lifted his voice, and told a story (Judges 9:7-15):
“One day, the trees went out to anoint a king over them…”
They asked the olive tree to rule. The olive tree said no, “Why would I stop producing what’s valuable to rule over trees?”
They asked the fig tree next. Same story. The fig tree declined – why give up sweet fruit for political power?
Then the vine, the source of wine and cheer, also said, “No thanks.”
Finally, the trees turn to the thornbush, the bramble, the kind of thing that tears clothes and starts brushfires. Like buckthorn in the Midwest regions of America.
And the bramble said, “Sure. Come sit in my shade (even though I don’t really have any). But if you don’t obey me, fire’s coming that will consume the great cedars of Lebanon.”
This fable is more than ancient storytelling. It’s a story for the ages.
The good, fruitful trees knew their role. They were content bearing what God made them to bear. But the thornbush – useless, prickly, fire-prone – was eager to rule. And the people went along with it.
Sound familiar?
We live in a world where ambition often overshadows virtue. Where fruitless voices shout the loudest. Where charisma trumps character, and we forget that who we follow shapes who we become.
Jotham’s fable isn’t just about Abimelek. It’s about us. About what kind of leaders we honor. About the way we confuse authority with fruitfulness. About how easily we trade substance for spectacle.
And here’s the kicker: Jotham ended his speech with a warning. If their choice of Abimelek was made in good faith, fine. But if it wasn’t – fire will come from the bramble. (Judges 9:16-20)
Spoiler alert: It does.
This fable was a cautionary tale to the Israelites and their desire for an earthly king to replace God as King (see Choosing Kings: The Anarchy of Rejecting God). It’s also a bit of a cautionary tale to us today about the temptation to look to thornbushes for shade.
Something ponder worthy…
If we turn to thornbushes for shade, we shouldn’t be surprised when things around us catch fire.
Practical Theology Today 