AM Bible Study Group; March 18, 2015 from Judges 3:7-11
Theme: The story of Israel’s deliverance under Othniel shows us the pattern of Judges in brief form.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
With this morning’s passage, we begin our study of the second main section of the Book of Judges—the section from Chapters 3-16 that deals with the individual histories of the judges themselves. And even though story of the first judge may not seem very exciting (certainly not in comparison to the ones that come almost immediately afterward!), it is nevertheless very important to our understanding of the whole book. It shows us the first example of the sad pattern that was told to us in 2:11-19—and that is repeated throughout the history of the judges.
There are lessons for us to learn in each step of this first story. Notice how . . .
I. THE PEOPLE FORGOT THE LORD THEIR GOD (v. 7).
A. The story begins with the simple statement, “So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” The conjunction, here translated “so”, connects passage with the previous one as the consequence of their having failed to completely drive out the Canaanites from the land as God had told them. We were told in 2:22-3:4, however, that God sovereignly was behind this failure—allowing it so that He might test their obedience to Him.
B. Sadly, as verse 5-6 tell us, they did not pass the test. We’re told that the people dwelt with the pagan nations of the land. In time, they began to intermarry with them; and, as it tells us in verse 6, “they served their gods”. That brings us to the tragic words at the end of verse 7; “They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.” The “forgetting” that was involved wasn’t just simply a matter of not calling something to memory. It was a choice to no longer remember the Lord. And when they forgot God in this way, they didn’t simply become irreligious. Human beings, made as they are in the image of God, can never simply remain irreligious. We were made by God for worship; and if we choose not to worship Him, we soon begin to worship false gods. And so they degenerated into the worship of the horrifically debase and obscene gods of the Canaanite peoples—the Baals and the Asherahs. What a dreadful downward slide we take when we deliberately make it our choice not remember and honor God!
II. THE LORD SOLD THEM INTO THE HAND OF THEIR ENEMIES (v. 8).
A. The Bible tells us that our God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5)—and that is with a righteous jealousy that is devoted to those who belong exclusively to Him. And so, we’re told, “Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel . . .” Just as God had warned them in the passionate song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32, God said, “They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; they have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation” (Deuteronomy 32:21).
B. We’re told, “and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.” The name Cushan-Rishathaim may not be the real name of this pagan oppressor. The name here given means “Cushan of double-wickedness”; and there may be a play on words involved; because the name in the Hebrew text that is given for Mesopotamia is the similar sounding name; “Aram Naharaim” (that is Aram of double-rivers). If this is a play on words, then it is intended to show how much God willingly sold His people out to the kind of wickedness they pursued apart from Him—into the hands of Cushan-of-double-wickedness, the king of Aram-of-double-rivers. They wanted wickedness; and God allowed them to have it–double!
III. WHEN HIS PEOPLE CRIED OUT, GOD RAISED A DELIVERER FOR THEM (v. 9).
A. God is just in giving His people what they wanted—and in allowing them to suffer for it. But He is also a greatly compassionate God who cannot long bear the suffering of His people—even when they rebel against Him. We’re told, “When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them . . .” It’s important to note that the word used here for “cry out” (za’aq) speaks of a cry that springs from anguish and suffering in the midst of dire circumstance; but not necessarily as a cry from out of deep-hearted repentance. God provided a deliverer—but it may not be that it was because they proved themselves worthy. As Deuteronomy 32:36 puts it, “For the Lord will judge His people and have compassion on His servants, when He sees that their power is gone, and there is no one remaining, bond or free.” He does this because He is a compassionate and promise-keeping God of great mercy.
B. And note who it was that God raised up to be their deliverer; “Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.” We already read of him in Judges 1:12-13. It could be that his outstanding qualifications as a leader and a hero didn’t begin immediately after Israel began to cry out under Cushan-Rishathaim; because he had already distinguished himself as a powerful fighter and potential leader in the days of Joshua (see Joshua 15:16-17). But whatever he may have been in times past, he was specifically provided to the people by God for that particular time of distress. In the providence of God, He often prepares and trains one of His servants in times past for a call in times yet to come—just waiting for His people to suffer enough in their sins to call out to Him.
IV. THE LORD DELIVERED THEIR ENEMIES INTO THE JUDGE’S HAND (v. 10).
A. The first century historian Josephus wrote this about Othniel; that he was “an active man and of great courage. He had an admonition from God not to overlook the Israelites in such a distress as they were now in, but to endeavor boldly to gain them their liberty; so when he had procured some to assist him in this dangerous undertaking, (and few they were, who, either out of shame at their present circumstances, or out of a desire of changing them, could be prevailed on to assist him) he first of all destroyed that garrison which Chushan had set over them; but when it was perceived that he had not failed in his first attempt, more of the people came to his assistance; so they joined battle with the Assyrians, and drove them entirely before them, and compelled them to pass over Euphrates. Hereupon Othniel, who had given such proofs of his valor, received from the multitude authority to judge the people . . .” (Josephus, Antiquities, V. iii., 3).
B. But it wasn’t merely Othniel’s natural heroism that won the day. The story of his exploits in earlier times certainly attest to the fact that he was a remarkable man; but we’re told in Scripture, “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim” (v. 10). It was by the gracious work of God that Othniel was empowered by the Spirit to deliver his people in their times of distress. He was a remarkable man who was made remarkable by God for the times. It was ultimately God’s doing; for it was the Lord who fought the battle.
V. THERE WAS REST FOR THE LAND—FOR A WHILE (v. 11).
A. We’re told that Othniel was used by God to impact his generation. The Scriptures tell us, “So the land had rest for forty years.” Perhaps that generation never forgot the way God delivered them. Perhaps it impacted them for the rest of their lives. It may even be that Othniel was used by God to bring about a great revival obedience and devotion for his people; and that, to some degree, the people repented of their worship of the wicked false gods of the Canaanites, and returned to faithfulness to the God of their fathers.
B. But sadly, it did not last. We’re told, “Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.” And following His death, we’re told “And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD” (v. 12). Once again, God sold a wicked and rebellious generation into the hands of their enemies; and the baneful pattern repeated itself.
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After such a deliverance, it was a serious thing to revert to the old ways again. The rebelliousness in the heart of the people worsened. Judges 1:19 says that “they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers . . .” We don’t simply plateau when we return to our sin. We decline and harden and deepen in it. May God show us mercy, and keep us from ever falling into such a pattern at all!