Othniel, The Lion Of God

Judges 3:1-11

Israel refused to walk with the Lord like He commanded them to.

God refused to drive out all their enemies in the land of Canaan.

Thus, Israel was forced to live alongside the very people they had been sent to destroy.

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Judges 1: 1-4 told us the reasons why God left the people in the land:

• He left them there to test the people of Israel.
  
  The people of Israel were tested to see how they would live when surrounded by the wicked.
  
  The people of Israel were tested to see if they would keep God's commandments or not.
  
  They failed the test!

• He left them there to teach the new generations about spiritual warfare.
  
  God wanted them to learn the lessons of battle their fathers had known.
  
  God wanted them to be strong and to know how to fight the enemy when he came around.
  
  They failed this test too!
  

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It wasn't long until this caused some serious problems among the people of Israel.

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Israel proved that they could not be trusted to stand up against the enemy.

They proved that they would rather join the enemy than fight them.

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God delivered Israel from a time of cruel bondage by raising up Othniel.

His name means "The Lion Of God".

He was a man who lived up to his name.

Othniel was the first Judge in Israel!

Israel Failed To Obey God

Judges 1:19-34

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Israel had their instructions.

But they failed to fully carry out the Lord’s command.

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The record of their failure was chronicled in Judges 1:19-34:

Judah failed (1:19-20); Benjamin failed (1:21); Joseph failed (1:22-26); Manasseh failed (1:27-28); Ephraim failed (1:29); Zebulon failed (1:30); Asher failed (1:31-32); Naphtali failed (1:33); and Dan failed (1:34).

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh even refused to enter Canaan, choosing to remain on the other side of Jordan.

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Israel’s failure to defeat their enemies resulted in them living among their enemies.

After a while, they became like their enemies, adopting the wicked ways of the various Canaanite tribes around them.

Eventually, Israel began to worship the false gods of the Canaanites.

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When they followed this downward path, God allowed them to know His displeasure and His judgment.

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When judgment came, eventually the people would realize that they were to blame.

They would repent and seek the Lord.

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When they did, God forgave them and raised up a deliverer, called a Judge.

These men and women helped Israel throw off the yoke of their oppressors.

They also helped them to live for God.

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Israel would follow a Judge until that Judge died.

Then they would revert to their wicked ways.

The cycle would begin again.

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This continued in Israel for about 400 years, until they got their first king.

Confronting A National Disaster

The book of Judges describes a period in Israel’s history when they were without a strong and godly leader.

“In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”(Judges 17:6)

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God had delivered them from the horrible slavery in Egypt.

He had led them through the wilderness.

They were a favored people. They were the chosen ones of the Lord God Almighty. He led them; fed them and protected them.

Eventually, He led them into the land of Canaan.

This was their Promised Land. It was a land flowing with milk and honey.

It was given to them by the sovereign will of God. All they had to do was to enter the land, destroy the people who were living there and take up residence.

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God had given Israel Himself.

He had led them into Canaan.

He had handed to them His commandments.

But Israel denied the Lord, defiled the land, and defied the Law.

As a result, God was forced to judge this people He loved so very much.

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Many nations also had a great beginning.

They had achieved tremendous success, only to suffer a horrible fall and a tragic end.

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This is an important lesson for us to learn.

We are to honor the Lord, extend His kingdom, and keep His Law if we are to prosper in His Land.