Judges 9  Gideon had 71 sons.  70 were legitimate,  but 1 one the son of a concubine from Shechem.  This one, Abimelech, decided to become king.  He went to his mother's family and arranged for their support.  He hired "good-for-nothing thugs" to be his mercenaries.  He went back to his father's home and killed all but one of his brothers.  Jotham survived and challenged the people of Shechem with the truth of what they were doing...

They failed to remember how Gideon had helped them. (v 16)
They were dealing dishonestly. (v19)
God would repay them for their evil deeds. (v20)

And this is what happened.  Abimelech ended up killing the people from Shechem. (v49)
He ended up having a millstone dropped on his head and a sword run through him when he attacked Thebez. (v53)
None of them ended up with what they wanted.

God repaid Abimelech for "the wrong he did to his father in murdering his seventy brothers." 
"God also repaid the men of Shechem for all the wrong they had done;" (v56-57)

Ambition. Greed. Bitterness. Betrayal. Evil.
Sounds a bit like our world, doesn't it?
We have forgotten those who have fought for our country. Men of truth and integrity.  Soldiers, police officers.. and yes, even presidents..   Many want to tear down statues and rewrite history books.  Like Abimelech, there are some politically ambitious and bitter men and women who want to remake our country in their own image and they will do anything to make that happen.

But, we have a God who is the same today as He was in the days of Jotham.  He will punish sin and repay those who do evil.  Over and over the Word of God reminds us that "The Lord keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy." ( Psalm 145:21)

No matter what voices we are listening to in today's political and social debates.. there is only One voice that truly matters, and that is our Lord's.  May we hear the words of Jotham, to deal in "truth and integrity".  May we honor those who are worthy of respect for what they have done.  And, may we acknowledge that God is sovereign and He will raise up leaders who will do what He desires. And most of all... "I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. " ( 1 Timothy 2:1-3)

Father in heaven,  we desire to honor You and to obey Your Word.  Nothing else in this world has any worth "in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [our] Lord" ( Phil. 3:8)   Help us to realize this truth, perhaps more than ever before.  We are heartbroken at the state of our country today and we cry out to You for healing of hearts and bodies.  We seek Your face, coming to the Mercy seat in this time of need.  Let Truth and Righteousness arise, Sovereign God!  Let Your Name be lifted up and all other false altars be torn down forever!  Grant wisdom to Your people today, the wisdom from above that is " pure  then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. " ( James 3:17)   May all we do be done in Truth and with integrity.  We ask this in the name of Jesus who is the Way and the Truth and the Life.. amen.