The Law of Requital: The Rise and Fall of Adoni-Bezek
In the opening chapter of the Book of Judges, we find a brief but haunting account of a Canaanite king named Adoni-Bezek. His story is a vivid illustration of a spiritual principle that echoes throughout Scripture: we reap what we sow.
The old clipping pictured above provides a perfect four-part outline for understanding this king’s encounter with divine justice.
1. Found (Judges 1:5)
"And they found Adoni-bezek in Bezek..."
Adoni-Bezek felt secure in his stronghold. He was a conqueror who had humiliated seventy other kings. However, no amount of earthly power can hide a man when it is God’s time for an accounting. The tribe of Judah, leading the charge into the Promised Land, found him exactly where he thought he was safest.
Lesson: We cannot outrun or out-hide the eyes of the Lord.
2. Fought (Judges 1:5)
"...and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites."
The battle was not merely between men; it was the execution of God’s judgment against a culture of extreme cruelty. Adoni-Bezek’s power was stripped away in the heat of conflict. When we rely on our own strength and pride, we eventually find ourselves in a battle we cannot win.
3. Fled (Judges 1:6)
"But Adoni-bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him..."
Fear is the natural companion of a guilty conscience. When the tide turned, the "Lord of Bezek" became a fugitive. He tried to escape the consequences of his actions, but the pursuit of justice was relentless. He was eventually captured and subjected to the same mutilation he had inflicted on others—having his thumbs and big toes cut off.
4. Fared: "Requited" (Judges 1:7)
"And Adoni-bezek said... 'as I have done, so God hath requited me.'"
This is the most striking part of the narrative. Even this pagan king recognized the hand of God in his downfall. To requite means to make appropriate return for a favor, service, or wrongdoing.
Adoni-Bezek’s confession is a sobering reminder:
The measure we use is the measure we receive.
Our sins eventually find us out.
God’s justice is precise.
A Word for Today
While we live under a covenant of grace, the principle of "requital" remains a moral reality. Adoni-Bezek’s story isn’t just a historical footnote; it is a call to examine how we treat others. Are we sowing mercy, or are we sowing "thumbs and toes"?
As we walk with Christ, let us be mindful that the seeds we plant today determine the harvest we will reap tomorrow.
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." — Galatians 6:7