Life And Living Part Fifty-One
Telling a Story a Different Way
Life and living
Part Fifty – One
Children grow up having stories and fables read to them. So when we were children, we had these read to us also. A fable is a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or other inanimate objects as characters. These can be interesting if we can "get the point." Sometimes the point is directed at one particular person.
The Bible has two fables, both in the Old Testament. In Judges 9:7-15, Jotham related the fable of the bramble tree to the mad dog ruler Abimelech to ridicule him.
The fable is below here for reading. Judges 9:7-15 NIV
7 When Jotham was told about this, {that Abimelech had killed his 70 brothers}, he climbed up on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted to them, Listen to me, citizens of Shechem, so that God may listen to you. 8 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king.'
9 But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and humans are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’
10 Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’
11 But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’
12 Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’
13 But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and humans, to hold sway over the trees?’
14 Finally, all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king.'
15 The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to anoint me king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, then let fire come out of the a thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’
This fable was a judgment against both the citizens of Shechem and the man they chose as their king, Abimelech.
When something begins with evil, how might it end?
To find out, read the rest of the story in Judges 9:42-57.
8/5/2020
Larry E. Whittington
Thank you for reading. Comments requested, thanks.