Othniel

June 28

Read: Judges 3:7-11

Othniel

“But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them…” (v.9)

Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a “cycle”? That the same struggles and downfalls beset you again and again? This is not something new for the people of God. The story of Othniel marks the first of many where we will see a common “cycle” unfold, namely: the people of God “do what is evil” in the sight of the Lord, they “cry out”, and God sends a rescuer.

One of the first things you may notice in this narrative is that “the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.” (v.8) How shocking is this? It took them EIGHT YEARS before they finally turned to the Lord. You will never break out of bondage or any cycle on your own apart from the Lord. For eight solid years the people of Israel tried and got nowhere. It was only in desperation that they called out to the Lord. (v.9) Do not wait 8 years to call out to the Lord. Do not wait 8 weeks, 8 days, or even 8 hours! It will never work taking matters into your own hands… turn QUICKLY to the Lord and draw near to him. Do you see how he responds even after 8 years of consistently “doing evil”?

“But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel…” (v.9) This is God’s consistent response to his people - when we call out for help he answers… he sends a rescuer… a “deliverer”. Christ is the ULTIMATE deliverer. The one who God sent. But God doesn’t stop there. He has given us to each other… the body of Christ. God has given us his Spirit the same way he gave it to Othniel: “The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel.” (v.10) We have been empowered to care for one another. God sends his people to one another to bring help, encouragement, and rescue. When we feel stuck in a cycle, we must not wait to come to the Lord and we should expect his response by not only sending Christ but also brothers and sisters in Christ to restore us and reuse us.

One more thing I want you to take note of is how the people of God should act. Do you remember Othniel from before in Judges? Did you recognize who his older brother is? Othniel had Caleb as his older brother - a strong example of a man of faith who trusted the Lord to provide and protect. Even more so, what we see is that Othniel is a MAN OF ACTION. We met him before in Judges 1:13 when Caleb called out for someone to go to battle. Othniel was the first one to raise his hand and was successful in the battle - the Lord granted him victory. Do you see this correlation? The people of God are called to be men and women of ACTION. Willing to step up… willing to go to battle for others. Othniel was already familiar with fighting on behalf of someone else… so it makes sense that God broadens his scope to include all of Israel! Are you willing to go to battle for others? Are you a person of action? God uses men and women of action. What is the result?

“So the land had rested for forty years.” (v.11) That is an entire generation in the scriptures. God’s blessing is disproportionate! He not only rescues them but “gives them rest” for an entire generation. This is the character of our Lord. Men and women of action are used by the Lord to bring rest for entire generations through their faithfulness, courage, and willingness to be used by the Lord. This is what it looks like to “snap out of it” and break the cycle. Look for opportunities today to be a person of action for the sake of the Kingdom of God! Love you guys. - JDP