Judges 9 – Avoiding Civil Thornbushes

By David Barton

When Gideon died (Israel’s righteous leader), Abimelech sought to become the new ruler. Through grandiose promises, flattery, and bribes, he secured that position and then promptly filled his administration with “worthless and reckless fellows” (Judges 9:4). One of Gideon’s sons, Jotham, described the situation in a parable, telling the people:

Once, the trees went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, “Reign over us!” But the olive tree said to them, “Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave [rule] over the trees?” Then the trees said to the fig tree, “You come, reign over us!” But the fig tree said to them, “Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?” Then the trees said to the vine, “You come, reign over us!” But the vine said to them, “Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?” Finally all the trees said to the bramble, “You come, reign over us!” The bramble said to the trees, “If in truth you are anointing me as king over you, come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, may fire come out from the bramble and consume the cedars of Lebanon.” (Judges 9:9-15)

There are several important points here.

1. The trees of the forest tried to get the best and most productive among them to be their ruler, asking the olive tree, the fig tree, and the grape-producing vine to fill that position. But in each case, the good trees made excuses for why they didn’t want to serve.
2. With none of the good trees willing to be ruler, the bramble (called “thornbush” in other versions) became ruler. Significantly, if the good ones refuse to rule, the people will be stuck with bad rulers.
3. With the thornbush as ruler, the people had only two options, neither of which was good: (A) “come and take refuge in my shade” (but sitting under a bramble or thornbush in certainly not enjoyable); or (B) if you don’t “come and take refuge in my shade” (i.e., submit to me), I will use punitive measures to punish you.

Significantly, when competent and qualified God-fearing citizens refuse to run for office, the people get corrupt leaders, which causes good people to say, “Politics is corrupt – I want nothing to do with such a wicked system!” But the very reason that politics becomes wicked and corrupt is because good people refuse to run!

So what are the qualifications that make a good candidate for office?  Exodus 18:21 charges us to . . .

select out of all the people able men, who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

First, the candidate must be an “able” person – that is, someone who is competent and qualified for the position. There is not much worse than having an incompetent individual preside over any area of life, and this is especially true in the area of civil government.

Second, he must “fear God” – that is, he should have a personal relationship with God that produces a life of honesty, integrity, purity, and holiness.

Third, he must love the truth, otherwise he will become closed-minded to sound counsel and won’t listen to correction or rebuke. He will therefore become arrogant, stubborn, and hard-headed, frequently barreling down the wrong path.

Fourth, he must “hate dishonest gain,” not only loathing corruption but also despising the various perks that might be offered to him as a result of his position.

Individuals displaying these four character traits are to be chosen for leaders not only at the local level (i.e., ruler over “tens”) but also at the county, state, and federal levels (i.e., over the “fifties,” “hundreds,” and “thousands”). Founding Father Noah Webster explained what would occur if citizens did not insist that these four traits be present in their leaders: [T]he Scriptures teach. . . . that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness [Exodus 18:21]. . . . [I]t is to the neglect of this rule of conduct in our citizens that we must ascribe the multiplied frauds, breaches of trust, peculations [white-collar larceny], and embezzlements of public property which astonish even ourselves. [1]

Where can voters find the type of ruler described in Exodus 18:21? Benjamin Franklin answered that question:

It is observable that God has often called men to places of dignity and honor when they have been busy in the honest employment of their vocation. Saul was seeking his father’s asses, and David keeping his father’s sheep when called to the kingdom. The shepherds were feeding their flocks when they had their glorious revelation. God called the four Apostles from their fishery, and Matthew from the receipt of custom; Amos from among the herdsmen of Tekoah, Moses from keeping Jethro’s sheep, Gideon from the threshing floor, &c. God never encourages idleness and despises not persons in the meanest employments [i.e., simplest vocations]. [2]

In the Bible, God regularly selected for leaders those who were hard-working, common individuals rather than glamorous, credentialed, and pedigreed ones. In fact, recall that the prophet Samuel had looked at the strong and mature Eliab, and based on his appearance and persona thought he would make an excellent civil ruler (1 Samuel 16:6), but God instead chose the ruddy-faced youngster David (1 Samuel 16:12), explaining that “man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). In fact, Eliab, with all of his superficial outward appeal, later turned out to be quick-tempered and cowardly (1 Samuel 17:28-30), while on the other hand, David was described as “a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18). David was a competent “able man” who also “feared God” as required by Exodus 18:21.

Recall from Judges 9 that Abimelech had pushed himself on others and connived to get his public office. The Founding Fathers knew that the best leaders were not those who promoted themselves for a position but rather those who had been recruited by their neighbors – just as the olive, fig, and vine had been recruited by the other trees. As Samuel Adams affirmed:

It bodes very ill to government when men are exalted to places of high trust through their own solicitations [seeking of office]. He only fills a place with dignity who is invited to it by his fellow citizens from the experience they have had of his adequate abilities. . . . The people are certainly the best judges who are most likely to render them substantial service. [3]

Founding Father Noah Webster agreed:

As a general rule, it may be affirmed that the man who never intrigues [plots and schemes] for office may be most safely entrusted with office. . . . Such a man cannot desire promotion unless he received it from the respectable part of the community, for he considers no other promotion to be honorable. [4]

The Founders also believed that if someone was asked to serve, then he was not to refuse that request. As Declaration signer Benjamin Rush explained:

He [a citizen] must love private life, but he must decline no station, however public or responsible it may be, when called to it by the suffrages [votes] of his fellow citizens. [5]

Why was a citizen not to refuse a request from others to serve in office? Because as Rush explained, “none liveth to himself ” (Romans 14:7), and therefore our life “is not our own property; all its fruits of wisdom and experience belong to the public.” [6]

The Founders came to office because their neighbors called them to serve; yet each would have preferred to stay at home with his family enjoying quiet private life and employment. But they wisely understood that if competent God-fearing citizens refused to serve in office when asked to do so, then thornbushes would end up ruling. It is time that God-fearing Christians reembrace this truth and not only recruit Exodus 18:21 individuals for office but also become willing to personally serve in office when asked to do so.

[1] Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education (New Haven: S. Converse, 1823), pp. 18-19, Letter 1.

[2] Benjamin Franklin, The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, Leonard W. Labaree, editor (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1963), Vol. 6, p. 326, “Poor Richard Improved, 1756: July.”

[3] Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1908), Vol. IV, p. 242, to John Pitts on January 17, 1781.

[4] Noah Webster, Letters to a Young Gentleman Commencing His Education (New Haven, Howe & Spalding, 1823) pp. 19-20, Letter 1.

[5] Benjamin Rush, Essays, Literary, Moral & Philosophical (Philadelphia: Thomas & Samuel F. Bradford, 1798), p. 11, “Of the Mode of Education Proper in a Republic.”

[6] Benjamin Rush, Letters of Benjamin Rush, L. H. Butterfield, editor (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1951), Vol. I, p. 478, to John Dickinson on July 15, 1788.

David Barton is the founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes. Known as “America’s historian,” he is also a best-selling author.