Jotham's trees expose the bramble king

Olive, fig, and vine refuse to abandon fruit for a crown

Jotham stands in the top of mount Gerizim and cries, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you. The trees go to anoint a king. The olive will not leave its fatness, wherewith they honor God and man, to be promoted over the trees. The fig will not leave its sweetness and good fruit. The vine will not leave its wine, which cheers God and man. Useful trees refuse domination that would cost their actual yield.

The fable does not say every civil office is worthless. It says productive service is being abandoned for waving over others. Read the images first through Jotham's own application, not as a modern class chart unless the text forces one.

The bramble offers shade it cannot give, and threatens fire

The trees say to the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. The bramble answers, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon. A thornbush cannot shade cedars. It can burn them.

Jotham applies the fable: if Shechem has dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and his house, remembering that he fought for them, adventured his life, and delivered them from Midian, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him rejoice in you. If not, if they have risen against his house and slain his sons, seventy persons, upon one stone, and made the son of his maidservant king because he is their brother, then let fire come out from Abimelech and devour Shechem and Millo, and fire from them devour Abimelech. Jotham runs to Beer and dwells there for fear. A survivor's curse is public moral testimony, not a warrant for private revenge, and Shechem's guilt cannot be transferred to later ethnic or religious communities.