Sat.’s Devo - God Always Has the Last Word

Read: Judges 9:22-10:18; Luke 24:13-53; Psalm 100:1-5; Proverbs 14:11-12
God said that vengeance was his and he would repay. It was time to repay Abimelech and the men of Shechem for killing his 70 brothers. God sent an evil spirit to stir up animosity between Abimelech and the men of Shechem. They started robbing the people. A newcomer, Gael came to town to live with his brothers and the people started trusting in him to help them. Gael got drunk at a party and started bragging about taking Abimelech down, but one of Abimelech’s people heard it and told Abimelech to gather his troops that night and attack Gael in the morning. They did and drove Gael and his brothers out of Shechem.
The next day, Gael attacked from the fields. Abimelech surrounded them and ended up taking the city and burning it to the ground and putting salt over it.
The citizens of Shechem had been hiding in the tower of Shechem. Abimelech torched it killing about a thousand men and women. Then they went to Thebez and the people fled to the temple of El-Berith. It was also a tower. Abimelech went to set it on fire when a woman threw down a millstone and hit Abemelech on the head and busted his skull. When Abimelech’s men saw he was killed they scattered.
Jotham had cursed the city with fire and that is exactly what happened. God revenged the city and Abimelech for what they had done to Gideon’s 70 sons.
We have all had evil done to us by other people, but this story is our reminder that God sees everything and He will punish evil. We are not to do it ourselves. His ways are much better, but they come in His timing.
In Luke, we have the two men on their way to Emmaus. Jesus had died and they were discussing it. Jesus joined them and hid his identity. He explained to them that the cross had been foretold in scripture. He began in Moses and led them through the prophets showing them the scarlet thread that wove through the Bible up to Jesus death. I wonder if from this conversation we don’t get the book of Hebrews. Who knows? He did reveal himself to them when he broke the bread. Then he disappeared. Today, they say when a Jewish person becomes a believer in Jesus his eyes are opened when they take the Seder.
These two men turned around and ran back to Jerusalem (7 miles) and told the disciples what they had witnessed. As they were talking, Jesus appeared and told them the same thing he had told the two men. Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them to stay in the city and wait for a gift the Father was going to send them. He blessed them and was taken up to heaven.
Lord, help us to wait on your answer and your redemption.