The parable of Jotham – Preaching
Preaching Outline on Judges 9:7-15 – And when he had told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of the hill of Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them: Hear me, ye men of Shechem, and God will hear you. Once the trees anointed a king for themselves and said to the olive tree, “You shall reign over us.
But the olive tree said to them, “Shall I leave my fatness, which God and man prize in me, and go to toil on the trees?
Introduction to Judges 9:7-15
Imagine an ancient time when people lived in tribes and had no king to rule over them. It was the time of the judges, like Gideon, whom God used to deliver his people. Gideon had many sons, and after he died, one of them, called Abimelech, wanted to be king. He was ambitious and did terrible things to get what he wanted. He killed his own brothers so that no one could get in the way of his plans!
But one of Gideon’s sons, Jotham, escaped. He went up on a hill and told the people a story, a story about trees that wanted to choose a king. This story was a warning about the danger of choosing the wrong person to lead. Abimelech was like the bad character in the story, and Jotham wanted the people to understand that.
Jotham’s story is important for us today too. Even though we no longer live at that time, we still need to choose leaders for our cities, our country and even our churches. The Bible teaches us to choose wisely, and the story of Jotham helps us understand how to do that.
Just like the trees in the story, we too can be fooled by appearances. We might think that someone strong and powerful is the best choice, but that person could end up hurting us. Jotham teaches us to look beyond appearances and look for important qualities in a leader, such as kindness, justice and wisdom.
So let’s learn from Jotham’s story and understand how to choose good leaders so that they take good care of us and help us live better lives.
Development
Oliveira
“The trees went and anointed a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us. (Judges 9:8)
The olive tree is a special tree. From it comes olive oil, used to make food, heal wounds and even anoint kings! When the other trees invited the olive tree to be king, it said: “I already have an important job, which is to give my oil to God and to people. I don’t want to leave that behind!”
The olive tree teaches us that a good leader is like it: someone who serves with joy, who uses their gifts to help others. Jesus taught us that the greatest leader is the one who serves, not the one who commands (Matthew 20:28).
In our lives, we need to look for leaders who are like the olive tree: people who care about us, who use their talents for the good of all and who don’t just want power.
May we learn from the olive tree to serve with joy and to use our gifts to help others, just as Jesus taught us.
The Fig Tree
“And the trees said unto the fig tree, Come thou, reign over us.” (Judges 9:9)
The fig tree bears sweet and delicious figs, which nourish and give energy. When asked to be king, the fig tree replied: “I already help people with my delicious fruit. I don’t want to stop doing that!”
The fig tree teaches us that a good leader is like it: someone who feeds people with the truth, with good teachings that help them live better lives. The Bible says that the Word of God is like food for our soul (Matthew 4:4).
We need leaders who help us to know God, understand the Bible and live according to his will. Leaders who show us the right path and help us grow in faith.
May we learn from the fig tree to seek the truth and feed on the Word of God, so that we can grow and be strong in faith.
The Vine
“And the trees said unto the vine, Come thou, reign over us.” (Judges 9:10)
The vine produces grapes, which turn into tasty juice and make people happy. When invited to be king, the vine said: “I already make people happy with my grapes. I don’t want to stop doing that!”
The vine teaches us that a good leader is like it: someone who unites people, who promotes peace and friendship. Jesus prayed that his followers would be united, as he and the Father are one (John 17:21).
We need leaders who help us to live in harmony, who teach us to love one another and to forgive. Leaders who inspire us to work together for the good of all.
May we learn from the vine to be united, to love one another and to build a world of peace.
The Hedgehog
“And all the trees said unto the thornbush, Come thou, reign over us.” (Judges 9:14)
Hawthorn is a plant that hurts, full of thorns. It doesn’t produce anything good, it only causes pain. Yet the trees chose it to be king! The hawthorn represents bad leaders, who only think of themselves and don’t care about people.
These leaders are like Abimelech, who killed his brothers to become king. They use power to oppress, to do evil and cause suffering. The Bible warns us to beware of false leaders, who look like sheep but are wolves inside (Matthew 7:15).
We need to be careful not to choose leaders who are like a thorn bush. We must look for those who are like the olive tree, the fig tree and the vine: who serve, nourish and unite.
May God give us the wisdom to choose good leaders and never be deceived by those who only want power and to cause us harm.
Conclusion of Judges 9:7-15
The story of Jotham and the trees teaches us important lessons about choosing leaders. We learn not to be fooled by appearances, but to look for qualities such as kindness, wisdom, justice and love of neighbor.
Preaching Outline on Judges 9:7-15 – And when he had told Jotham, he went and stood on the top of the hill of Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said to them: Hear me, ye men of Shechem, and God will hear you. Once the trees anointed a king for themselves and said to the olive tree, “You shall reign over us.
More Preaching Outlines
- Judges 9 – Cultivate the Olive Tree, the Fig Tree and the Vine
- Genesis 14:18-23 – The Lord reigns in our lives
- Like trees that walk – Mark 8:24
