The age-old conflict between the so-called forces of personal domination and the recognition of divine Principle as the only true source of power was probably never more simply illustrated than in the case of Jotham's parable. As the story unfolds in the book of Judges, Gideon, acting under divine guidance, had won a great victory over the marauding Midianites. On his return, the people were determined to make Gideon their king. Since their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites had known no government but the law of Moses, and the judges who administered the law were the recognized agents for the dispensation of justice. Gideon's reply to the popular demand for a king was emphatic. He said, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you."
When Gideon died, he was survived by many sons. The mother of one of these sons was a Canaanitish woman, a worshiper of Baal. This son, whose name was Abimelech, at once set out to revive the popular demand for a king. He thereupon organized a plot to kill all the other sons of Gideon, that he himself might be king. The plan succeeded in all but one particular, for the youngest son, Jotham, managed to escape. When Jotham heard that his half-brother Abimelech had made himself king, he suddenly appeared one day on a' rocky ledge on the slope of Mount Gerizim, overlooking the Vale of Shechem, which to this day is known as "Jotham's pulpit." There he upbraided the Shechemites for their infidelity, saying, "My father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: and ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons."
In characteristic Oriental fashion, Jotham illustrated his case with a metaphor. He told the Shechemites that the trees had once gone forth to anoint a king. When the olive tree was asked to reign over them, it said, "Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?" Next, the fig tree was nominated, and then the grapevine, but each gave a similar answer. Finally, the choice fell upon the bramble, and it accepted with alacrity. The bramble made one condition, however, and that was that all the trees should come and put their trust under its shadow.
