“And Adoni-bezek said, ‘Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.’ And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died there.” (Jdg 1:7)
Adoni-bezek was the chief strongman that Judah and Simeon defeated as they took possession of their inheritance. They took him to Jerusalem and he died there.
Likewise we read what David after he had defeated Goliath. He took his head to Jerusalem.
“So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. … And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem.” (1 Sa 17:50,54)
Goliath, as well as Adoni-bezek, are pictures of the prince of demons, “that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world”. (Rev 12:9) The LORD prophesied over him already in the Garden of Eden: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Ge 3:15)
We read last Shabbat about Mount Moriah: “So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The LORD will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.’” (Ge 22:14)
Jerusalem is the mount of the LORD where He provided the victory over the enemy through the death of Messiah at “Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull)”. (Mt 27:33) Jerusalem is where satan’s head was bruised and where he will receive his final defeat at the return of Messiah.
“Adoni-bezek fled, but they pursued him and caught him and cut off his thumbs and his big toes.” (Jdg 1:6)
Why were Judah and Simeon so cruel to Adoni-bezek? What was the reason behind behind their behavior? The next verse explains that this evil king only received measure for measure for what he himself had done. “And Adoni-bezek said, ‘Seventy kings with their thumbs and their big toes cut off used to pick up scraps under my table. As I have done, so God has repaid me.’” (v. 7)
It will be the same when Messiah comes to judge the world in righteousness and defeat those who have turned against Israel. Ezekiel prophesied about the enemies of Israel:
“Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword at the time of their calamity, at the time of their final punishment, therefore, as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you.” (Ez 35:5-6)
Right now the nations of the world, including the USA, is standing idly by as demon possessed people are killing Jews in the streets of Israel. They are literally giving the people of Israel over to the power of the sword. But God is also today calling out a remnant from the nations that stands with Israel and these people will one day also share in Israel’s reward. The Song of Moses prophesied about this remnant:
“Rejoice, you nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.” (De 32:43 NIV)
Paul quoted this verse from the Song of Moses in Romans 15:10 about Gentile believers in Messiah and the Song of Moses is the song that all the overcomers will sing in the end times before God’s throne when He judges the world.
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished. And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingled with fire—and also those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name, standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.’” (Rev 15:1-4)
