Daily Bible Reading - July 24th, 2022 | American Bible Society

Daily Bible Reading - July 24th, 2022 | American Bible Society: Judges 9:1-21: As noted in the conclusion of yesterday’s reading, Gideon’s concubine in Shechem bore him a son, and Gideon named him Abimelech. After Abimelech kills his brothers, the people of Shechem make him king. He is the first Israelite to take this title. (Ironically, his name means “my father is king.”) Yet Gideon himself had declared that neither he nor his son would rule over Israel and that only the LORD would be Israel’s ruler (Judges 8:23). Gideon’s youngest son, Jotham, survived Abimelech’s murderous plot and denounces Abimelech’s actions. In satirical fashion, he tells the men of Shechem a parable that warns against selecting someone to be king who has not been chosen by God.