//Election year is nearly over, so I may be able to get away with toting out this verse. Somehow, it always hits me in the funny bone.

Abimelech is mounting what may be the first ever political campaign (hey, it could be!) in his election race against the “sons of Jerubbaal.” His campaign platform seems to be, “wouldn’t it be nicer to have one big boss, rather than having a whole bunch of people lording it over you?”

So Abimelech takes his message to Shechem, and their “hearts are inclined to follow” him. They gather seventy pieces of silver out of the temple of Baal-berith (the evil Canaanite god) to fund the campaign. Abimelech promptly uses the money to hire some “worthless and reckless men,” who set about eliminating his competition.

Ah, how I miss the election race.