1. Abimelech, a man who would be king (1-6)

Gideon had refused to be king. He said, 'The Lord will rule over you.' But his son did not think this way. Abimelech was the son of Gideon by a slave woman who was a Shechemite. He persuaded the Shechemites to support him in his bid to be king. He murdered 70 of his brothers and was crowned king by the people of Shechem.

2. Jotham's parable (7-21)

Jotham was Gideon's youngest son. He hid and escaped being killed. He stood on Mt. Gerizim and proclaimed God's judgment on Abimelech in a parable: A truly great man, like an olive tree, wants to be fruitful. It is the useless thorn bush of a man who wants to rule others. Jotham prayed that Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem might destroy each other--and that was just what happened. When treacherous men make an alliance, they will also be treacherous toward each other.

Application: Lord, save me from fruitless ambition, and help me to serve others for Jesus' sake and the gospel's.
One Word: Be fruitful like an olive tree