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Saul is recognized as Israel’s first King because he was brought before the people and the Prophet Samuel anointed him as King. Years earlier, when the judges ruled in Israel, a man by the name of Abimelech made himself King of Israel.
Abimelech was the son of the Judge Gideon and a slave girl, who lived in Shechem. The people of Israel had asked Gideon to be their King, but he declined. Gideon felt God should be their King. Unfortunately Abimelech did not hold this point of view.
Actually the only city that really recognized Abimelech as their King was Shechem. He ruled the rest of Israel by force. He was able to win Shechem’s confidence with the help of his uncles (Mother’s brothers).
Once Abimelech had an army he went to Ophrah, where his seventy half brothers lived.
He had all of them put to death, but Jotham, Gideon’s youngest son, was able to escape. Jotham climbed to the top of Mt.Gerizim and pronounced a curse upon Abimelech.
In his curse Jotham told a story about some trees who sought a King. First they ask an olive tree, but he declined. And then they approached a fig tree and he also declined.
The story was the same with the vine. Finally they asked a thorn bush and he promised to give them shade. But if they ever disobeyed him they would be burned. In this story the thorn bush is Abimelech and the trees are Shechem. Jotham was predicting the wrath of God on both.
For three year Abimelech ruled Israel with Shechem as his headquaters. By now the people of Shechem was tired of him and there was a rise in the crime rate. Also at this time a man named Gaal and his brothers moved to Shechem. He was able to get the peoples support and held a great feast for them. Zebul, Governor of Shechem, pretended to support him, while sending messages to Abimelech of Gaal’s activities.
One day Gaal notice that a group of people were appraoching. Zebul tried to convince he was only seeing the shadows of the mountains. But Gaal continued to look, until he recognized Abimelech was approaching with an Army. Gaal realized that Zebul was trying to trick him and rounded up the men of Shechem to face Abimelech. But he failed in his attempt and Gaal, along with his brothers, left Shechem.
Even though Gaal had been defeated Abimelech sought vegeance on the people of Shechem. The next day as they were working in the fields, Abimelech attack them from three different directions. Afterward he torn down the city and had salt put on the ground.
Many of the people of Shechem were put to death.
Once Shechem had been destroyed Abimelech and his army went to Thebez. When the people of that city heard he was coming they sought refuge in the city tower. After Abimelech was inside the city he standing by the tower. Above an old women noticed him and dropped a mill stone on top of his head. Abimelech then ask his body guard to strike him with a sword so it would not be said, "Abimelech was killed by an old women."
After Abimelech’s death, God called a man by the name of Tola to be Israel’s Judge. And peace was restored for twenty years.
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