Where is Now Your Mouth? - Judges 9:38

In the book of Judges we learned how, “Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies. And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city: and Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from lying in wait. And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains. And Zebul said unto him, You see the shadow of the mountains as if they were men. And Gaal spoke again and said, See there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim”, and in chapter nine and verse thirty-eight of Judges, we learn, “then said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth?” where we read,

Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.

The verse reads, “Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now your mouth, wherewith you said, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?” The writer began with the words, “then said Zebul unto him” which means “at that time uttered, declared and proclaimed Zebul whose name means ‘exalted’ and was the chief man of the city of Shechem at the time of the contest between Abimelech and the native Canaanites, “where is now your mouth” which means “in what place or location exists at this time your, Gaal’s, orifice in the face used for eating, drinking and speaking”, “wherewith you said” or “with what you, Gaal, uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “who is Abimelech” which means “what person is Abimelech whose name means ‘Melek is father" or "my father is king’ and was the son of Gideon by his concubine”, “that we should serve him” or “that we, the people of Shechem and Gaal ought to work and labor for him, Abimelech”? The writer shared how “Zebul” questioned in what place the “mouth” of “Gaal” was at that time who previously asked what person “Abimelech” was that he and the people of “Shechem” ought to labor and work on his behalf. 

The verse continues, “is not this the people that you have despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them.” The writer added the words, “is not this the people” which means “does this not exist as the human beings” “that you have despised” or “whom you, Gaal, have rejected, refused and disdained”? “Go out, I pray now” which means “depart, proceed and bear forward, I, Zebul, plead, entreat and exhort at this time” “and fight with them” or “and do battle and war with them, the people of Shechem”. The writer shared how “Zebul” challenged “Gaal” to proceed forward and do battle with the people whom he previously rejected and disdained. 

When we meditate upon the words in this verse, we discover how the “Zebul” confronted “Gaal” with his previously spoken words and treatment of the people of “Shechem”. Now it was time for him to act upon his thoughts and declarations. Step by step the will of Jehovah God was being fulfilled, and in like manner, when we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and give us the wisdom to know when He is working His plan behind the scenes and fulfilling it according to His will. (See John 3:16; Philippians 1:6; 2:13)

Next time we learn how, “Gaal went out before the men of Shechem", so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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