How can we apply the warning in Judges 9:48 to modern leadership roles? Text for Study “Abimelech and all the people with him went up Mount Zalmon. He took his axe in his hand, cut a branch from the trees, placed it on his shoulder, and said to the men with him, ‘Hurry and do what you have seen me do!’ ” (Judges 9:48) Context in a Snapshot • Abimelech had already murdered his seventy brothers to seize power (Judges 9:5). • Shechem rebelled; Abimelech retaliated by burning the tower where the townspeople sought refuge (vv. 46-49). • Verse 48 captures the moment he models the action that will destroy them. Key Warning Embedded in the Verse • Leadership multiplies influence: one man’s action becomes everyone’s action. • Modeling can be used for righteous or wicked ends; here it paves the way to mass murder. • Speed (“Hurry”) + imitation (“do what you have seen me do”) bypass discernment and conscience. • A leader with selfish ambition can cloak cruelty in decisive, hands-on example. Principles for Modern Leaders • Influence is stewardship, not entitlement. The branch you lift determines what others carry. • Visible example outweighs verbal command; therefore live what you want reproduced (1 Corinthians 11:1). • Urgency must never silence moral evaluation—fast decisions still answer to God (Proverbs 19:2). • Never weaponize unity. Teamwork that dishonors God is collective sin (Acts 5:1-11). • Power exercised for self-preservation eventually collapses (Judges 9:53-57). Heart-Level Checkpoints • Motive: Am I building God’s kingdom or propping up my own (Matthew 20:26-28)? • Method: Does my example echo Christ’s servant leadership (John 13:13-15)? • Outcome: Will my followers be closer to the Lord or scorched by my ambitions (Proverbs 29:2)? Practical Safeguards • Invite accountability—peers with freedom to question your “branch-cutting” moments (Hebrews 13:17). • Slow major decisions until Scripture and prayer confirm the direction (Psalm 27:14). • Teach followers to compare every directive with God’s Word so imitation stays biblical (Acts 17:11). • Keep humility visible: serve in lowly tasks so leadership style remains sacrificial (1 Peter 5:2-3). • Celebrate righteousness, not merely results, to steer the culture toward holiness (Micah 6:8). Supporting Scriptures • Proverbs 29:2 — “When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” • Luke 6:39 — “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” • Titus 1:7 — “An overseer is entrusted with God’s work; he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered...” • James 3:1 — “Not many of you should become teachers... for we who teach will be judged more strictly.” A leader, like Abimelech, can rally people to carry branches that ignite destruction—or, submitted to Christ, can rally them to bear burdens that bless. The warning of Judges 9:48 calls every modern leader to model only what they want multiplied for eternity. |
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