What Goes Around Comes Around

Lessons from Judges 9: The Rise and Fall of Abimelech

The story found in Judges 9 is a fascinating yet sobering account of ambition, self-promotion, and their devastating consequences. It highlights how unchecked desires for power can blind us to the well-being of others, even our own family. The narrative reveals the extent to which humanity is willing to harm others to achieve personal goals.

However, this story is also a powerful reminder that careless and selfish living has inevitable consequences. What goes around often comes around. This principle is vividly demonstrated in Abimelech’s life, where the seeds of treachery he sowed eventually brought about his downfall.

Interestingly, the story also reflects on the complexities of human relationships: even acts of kindness are not always reciprocated. Gideon, Abimelech’s father, had been a selfless leader who delivered Israel from its enemies. Yet, his legacy of kindness was overshadowed by Abimelech's ambition and the people’s treachery, leading to violence and strife.

Which story am I referring to?

In Judges 7–8, we read about Gideon’s God-given victories over the Midianites. Gideon dies in old age, leaving a leadership void. Rather than waiting for God’s appointed judge, the men of Shechem take matters into their own hands and support Abimelech’s rise to power. Here’s a summary of Judges 9:

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Abimelech's Conspiracy (Verses 1–6)

Abimelech, Gideon’s son by a concubine, persuades the leaders of Shechem to make him king. He argues that it’s better to have one ruler (himself) than Gideon’s seventy sons. With their financial support from the temple of Baal-Berith, Abimelech hires mercenaries and murders all seventy of his brothers, except for Jotham, the youngest, who escapes.

Jotham's Parable (Verses 7–21)

Jotham delivers a powerful parable from Mount Gerizim, likening Abimelech to a thornbush—an unworthy and destructive leader. He warns the leaders of Shechem that their alliance will lead to mutual destruction. After his speech, Jotham flees to safety.

Abimelech’s Tyranny (Verses 22–41)

Three years into Abimelech’s reign, God stirs up discord between him and the leaders of Shechem. The Shechemites rebel, but Abimelech crushes their uprising, destroying the city and sowing it with salt to symbolize its utter desolation.

The Siege of Thebez and Abimelech's Death (Verses 42–57)

Abimelech’s reign ends at Thebez. While attacking a tower where people sought refuge, a woman drops a millstone on his head, mortally wounding him. To avoid the shame of being killed by a woman, Abimelech orders his armor-bearer to finish him off with a sword.

God’s Judgment (Verses 56–57)

The story concludes by affirming that God repaid Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem for their wickedness. Jotham’s curse was fulfilled as both Abimelech and Shechem suffered divine justice.

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What Stands Out?

For me, the most striking lesson is this: what goes around, comes around.

It’s ironic that Abimelech murdered his brothers “upon one stone” (possibly an altar), yet his life ended by another stone—a millstone. Even more interesting is that his death blow came not from a mighty warrior but from a woman.

Abimelech likely never anticipated that a woman would be his downfall. His reaction reveals his pride and embarrassment—he was horrified that his so-called strength and authority could be shattered by someone he likely deemed insignificant.

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God’s Ways Are Humbling

This story demonstrates that God can use the humblest things to humble us. In Abimelech’s case, it wasn’t a sword or a man that ended his tyranny, but a simple millstone and a woman’s courage.

If we act treacherously toward others, we should not be surprised when evil repays us in kind. Yet, God often sends Jothams into our lives—people who warn us of the consequences of our choices. The question is whether we will listen to those warnings and turn back to God.

If you’ve made mistakes, take heart: God is merciful and willing to help you out of the mess if you confess and seek His guidance. But God will not force us to change. If we harden our hearts and persist in wrongdoing, we must also be prepared to face the consequences.

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May we learn from Abimelech’s story to pursue humility, integrity, and dependence on God, rather than ambition and self-promotion. Remember, what goes around, comes around—but God’s grace is always available to those who turn to Him.

5 Bible Verses To Keep Me Going

   Different moments, experiences, challenges, and joys in my life have caused me to latch onto specific verses in Scripture.

   I have either studied or memorized these verses. Because let's face it when you're in a crisis and you need help right away, the Bible is so big it can be hard to know which specific verse to turn to!

   We should daily seek to take time to study the Scriptures, but committing a few verses to memory can really help you in your moment by moment struggles.

   The following 5 verses are some of my go-to verses for comfort, strength, hope, and exhortation. I'd like to challenge you to either memorize these verses or go ahead and make your own list of verses to memorize!

1. Forgiveness

1 John 1:9, 2:1-2
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

ALL of us struggle every now and then under the weight of sin. That load of guilt can be rather heavy if you don't take God at His Word. According to this verse, all you have to do is confess. That's a simple, but vital step. You can then claim God's forgiveness and cleansing!
Jesus is our Advocate before the Father. And that's the reason why we can come boldly to God's throne to receive forgiveness and cleansing.

2. Purity

Psalm 51:10
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me."

This verse has been around in my memory hall since the time I started speaking. It's a powerful request, asking God for purity of heart, mind, and soul. This is a quick arrow you can use against Satan's temptations to entice you to lust.

3. Fear

Exodus 14:14
"And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

What is your "Egyptian"? What is your "Goliath"? Tell yourself: Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today!

4. Peer Pressure

Psalm 1:1-3
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law doth he meditates day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."

Yes, your buddies' activities may look pleasurable, but their way cannot prosper. It is only by delighting in the Lord and His Word that you can be successful in life.

5. Evangelism

Isaiah 55:11
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

   When being mocked for preaching God's Word, whether it be on the pulpit, in the streets, or on social media, God has promised that His Word will accomplish the task He intended for it to do -- save humanity. Preach His Word faithfully and you can claim this promise!

   Those are some of the verses that have greatly impacted my life and helped me grow spiritually.

   Which verses would you add to this list?
Which of these verses mentioned above would you like to commit to memory? How would that verse change your life if you really believed it and acted upon it?

3 Simple, Underrated Ways to Evangelize

1. "God still loves you"
- This statement may seem cliche, but we all need to be reminded of this every now and then.

• You could text this statement to someone, or
• You could write it on a piece of paper and stick it on your car door window, or
• Leaving sticky notes on someone's desk or on their coffee mug is also a winner.

- This statement could also be replaced with an encouraging Bible verse. You take your pick.

2. "May I pray with you?"
- It's one thing to pray for someone, but it's so much more of a refreshing experience to pray with someone.

• It could be a friend who relates their personal struggles to you. 
• If they talk to you via text message, ask them if you could give them a quick call,  at which time you pray for them, or
• If you feel a call is too personal/space-invading (introverts ;) then type out your prayer and send it to them. 

This is a good way to prove to them that you really do care and that you really are praying for/with them.

3. "May I help you?"
- Some people don't like it when you ask them this question. However, some do. You could make someone's day, put a smile on their face, and possibly help them with a heavy task they need to complete.

• Offering your help to an older lady ("with her heavy groceries") would probably seem taboo to do these days. Do it anyway. With a smile on your face and God's love in your heart, let her know that you are only there to help - no strings attached.
• Or, instead of going to the grocery store to look for an old lady, ask your mom or dad, your brother,  sister or friend. Remember that they're also souls that need to be won for the kingdom.

Difficult? No way!

You don't have to be a qualified theologian to share a Bible verse, pray with someone, or go out of your way to help another. You may even take my simple three suggestions and create something even more beautiful and spectacular!

Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God - and not for your own selfish ambition. 

Christ came all the way from heaven to accomplish one goal:

"for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10

He accomplished this goal through simple methods (e.g. healing Peter's mother-in-law of a small fever) and through extraordinary methods (e.g. walking on water). Either way, Christ reached out to people's needs first. He befriended them and won their trust with kind deeds. Then only did He bid them, "Follow Me." Christ will not ask us to do to something that He hasn't already done Himself.

Your small, simple, seemingly insignificant methods, may just be the stepping stone that brings someone closer to Christ. So don't stop evangelizing! 

Cold Showers

   Winter...
   Winter, where I live, is defined as cold and dry. Everything frosts early hours of the morning. The grass frosts, the cars frost, the water pipes frost!

   One morning, when I happily went for a shower, I was confronted with a very stubborn hot water tap. The knob would not turn as easily anymore, the water would not come gushing out as per usual! But can you guess which tap was working; this tap is ALWAYS working - the cold tap.

   I figured that I needed to wait. Wait, and leave the tap turned on. I've done this before and usually after two or three minutes we're good to go. But five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes passed - no water! Normally when this happens during winter it is an indication that the pipes may just be frozen for a little while. Or at least that's what I was told.

   I was crunched for time but because it's cold I decided that I would wait a little longer for that warm water that I wanted so badly. I started getting a bit impatient and considered taking a cold shower. However, if that cold pipe wanted to play Mr Stubborn, I was going to play Ms Stubborn. And so I crossed my arms as I waited another few minutes for that hot water.

It then dawned on me...
   This pipe, a nonliving object, with no intellect, was not fulfilling it's intended purpose. In fact, it was doing the very opposite; all because of the cold surrounding it.

   Human beings are sometimes hard and harsh to fellow humans. They have negative attitudes and influence others to have the same. Negative attitudes never made anyone happy. Negative attitudes don't help you fulfil your God-given purpose.

   We often judge these "horrible" humans. We don't take into account that maybe, just maybe, they're cold because of their circumstances, their surroundings, and their upbringing's. This is no excuse for their behaviour, but it is a contributing factor to be considered before you make a conclusion about someone. Negative attitudes stem from all the bad in this world. If all was good, there would be no need for negativity.

   Before sin, God said "It was very good" He spoke of His creation. Yet, even in this "very good" state, Lucifer started indulging negative thoughts, which led to negative feelings and negative actions. So even in a perfect world, the temptation to think negatively was there. But how do we go about overcoming our "coldness."

   We are told in Scripture that we ought not to be conformed to this world - to it's thinking, ideologies and theories. But we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). A renewed mind is brought about by accepting the Holy Spirit into our lives. He gives us new tastes, desires, thoughts and feelings. Positive acts, positive attitudes then follow. (Read Jn 3:1-6) (Jn 4:13-14) (Rom. 8:1) (1Cor 6 (Phil. 4:8)

   After waiting for another five more minutes for that hot water, I decided that I would take that cold shower. That pipe couldn't change unless it's environment changed.

But I could.
 
   I could use my God-given ability of intellect and change my thought process. Those cold waters could be showering down on my parade, I was determined that it would not deter me from my goal to shower.

You can have this mindset too!
   When life throws you with cold showers all you have to do is allow the Spirit to warm you up. That cold shower actually ended up rejuvenating me. I never felt so alive! When people give you "cold showers, " take it. Use that negative energy to drive you towards your goals. Be determined to stay focused and not discouraged. Because you can do all things through Christ which strengthens you! (Phil. 4:13)

   One of my favourite verses advises: "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." (Prov. 15:1)
If both you and your opponent is going to be cold and stubborn, that will not help anyone. In fact, coldness and stubbornness will only hurt and hurt divides.

   Next time life throws you cold showers, what will you do?

   You can choose not to remain cold and stubborn, despite your circumstances and upbringing. And God has promised to help you.