A Judge - Othniel

Day one hundred ninety-nine

Today I am once again praying with gratitude, but I am also asking that the Lord be with me and family today as we go about our day.  Please protect us from harm and guide us in the right direction.  And please give us the chance to serve another.

Judges 2-3

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

When judgment came, eventually the people would realize that they were to blame. They would repent and seek the Lord. 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.

Israel would follow a Judge until that Judge died, then they would revert to their wicked ways and the cycle would begin again. This continued in Israel for about 400 years, until they got their first king.

As we look at these men and women God used to deliver His people in those days, we should read knowing that He is still looking for men and women He can use in our day. God is no longer looking for judges, but He is looking for leaders. He is looking for people who will rise up and take their stand with God. In that age, God used common, ordinary men and women to accomplish His purpose in Israel, and that is the kind of people He will use in this day as well.

Othniel

When Israel came to their senses, they called to God and He heard them. When they turned back to Him in their hearts, He reached out to them in deliverance. He raised up their first judge, a man by the name of Othniel. Othniel is called “a deliverer”. The word means “a savior”, and that’s just what Othniel was.

Credentials 

We are told that Othniel is “Caleb’s younger brother.” We are also told that he is the son of Kenaz”. Caleb’s father was a man named “Jephunneh” (Num 13:6).  This is not a contradiction. Kenaz was probably Caleb’s brother, and Othniel was probably his son. That would have made him Caleb’s nephew. And, if Kenaz was dead, Othniel would have been elevated to a place of leadership in the family. Thus, he would have been recognized as Caleb’s brother.

At any rate, Othniel was a man of courage and bravery. In Judges 1:12-13, Othniel defeated a Canaanite city to win Caleb’s daughter as his wife.

So, Othniel was a man of great courage with strong ties to a former generation of leaders in Israel. He was an older man, some believe around the age of 75. He was battle tested. He was available and God chose him.

Othniel reminds us that God can use anyone. Regardless of how old we might be. Regardless of our past. Regardless of who we are or what we have against us, God can use us if we will make ourselves available to Him. Othniel did that and the Lord used him in a mighty way. It has been said,  “The greatest ability is availability!”

Companion

Othniel is described as “the Spirit of the Lord came upon him." (Judges 3:11) Othniel did not possess the power to deliver Israel by himself. But, when he allowed the Spirit to control  his life, God was able to use him in great ways. 

The truth is, the best way we can be useful to God is when we are filled with the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 5:18.

Conquest

God enabled Othniel to defeat "Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand ” then He empowered Othniel to judge the nation of Israel for the rest of his life, some 40 years. God gave Othniel victory because Othniel gave himself to the Lord!  What a great example of being a servant of God.

Do you have the qualifications to be a leader among the people?  We are not required to come from a strong religious background, we are just asked to open our hearts to the Lord.  We are asked to allow the Spirit into our lives and to listen and follow the promptings.  We are asked to make ourselves available.  It sounds too easy I know, but He needs leaders, especially now in today's world. So I have given myself something to think about today:  What can I do to be a better leader for the Lord?  This will be an interesting day!

Consequences

Day one hundred ninety-eight

This morning my prayer was focused on gratitude for the fact that my son has chosen to dedicate 2 years of his life to serve the Lord.  I am grateful for the blessings this decision will bring him and his family, the truth is he hasn't even left and we are already receiving blessings!  My testimony of the fact that God keeps His promises has grown tremendously and I can see the testimonies of my family members growing too.  It is also a great example of how one persons decision can change the lives of those around them.  So many lessons to learn and we are just beginning on this adventure!  What a great God!

Joshua 2

Yesterday I talked about the compromises that Israel made, today I would like to discuss the consequences:

Because of their sin, Israel faced the Lord’s judgment.  Notice what happened to Israel:

2:3  They Endured A Divine Sentence – God vowed to remove His protecting hand from Israel.  He would allow the Canaanites they had compromised with to be a thorn in the side of Israel.  He would allow the false gods of Canaan to be a snare to them.

What would a divine sentence look like today?  Here are some things I have been watching:

Militarily being stretched to the limit.  Are we overcoming our enemies or are we being stretched so far that we will become vulnerable?

Economically we are in serious trouble.  We are dealing with this right now! 

Culturally, we are fighting a losing battle.  The divorce rates have quadrupled in the past 30 years. Teen suicide has doubled and violent crime has risen 500%.  One out of every three children is born to a single mother.  In some cities the illegitimacy rates are as high as 80%!

 Morally we are totally bankrupt. See my last post.

Spiritually we are in a deplorable condition.  The Scriptures and prayer have been removed from our schools.  The Ten Commandments continue to be attacked and relegated to the dust bin of history.  They say they might be dangerous to some child who might read them.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather take my chances with someone who had been exposed to the bible, prayer and the Ten Commandments; than someone who had been taught that there is no such thing as right and wrong.

These are but a few of the signs that concern me.

2:4-5  They Expressed Deep Sorrow – That generation called on the Lord because of their sins.  It seems a good example to follow.

 2:6-15  They Evidenced Deepening Sin – The day came when Israel totally walked away from God, (2:11-15).  Their compromise was transformed into wholesale sin and total disregard for the will of God.  For this, Israel paid a terrible price.  Judgment came and they suffered.

2:16  Even in those days the Lord tried to send help to deliver Israel out of this situation.  They did not always listen and often when the judge was gone the people returned to their sins.  The Lord is trying to help us in our difficult times too.  He sends us leaders that teach us what we need to know to get through these tough times. Will we be like Israel or will we listen?  Will we repent or continue to live in sin? Will we turn from the Lord or turn to Him?  I hope we learn from the Israelites and not become like them!

Compromise

Day one hundred ninety-seven

I am just really grateful these days and I really feel like it's important that I let Heavenly Father know it.  Life has been a little crazy, but it is a good crazy filled with great teaching moments and even some joy.  Anyone who knows me knows that I like to keep busy, but I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the family and enjoying seeing some good friends.  It's time to recharge!  So my prayer is one of gratitude for His love and for all the blessings that He has put in my life.  I hope that He considers me a blessing in His life!

Judges 1-2

All did not remain well in Israel.  Notice Judges 2:7, 10.  These verses tell us that the old generation that had seen God move in power and glory died out.  A new generation came of age that forgot their heritage and denied the God that had made them what they were.  Israel began a slow, steady descent down the slope of compromise.

When they entered the land, they had been commanded to utterly destroy the people of Canaan (Num. 33:51-56).  They are warned in those verses that if they fail to drive out the nations, they themselves will be afflicted and that God Himself will turn against them.  This became a reality in Israel.

After some initial success (Judges 1:4-19), Judah came up against some people that they feared (Judges 1:19) They did not drive these people out.

We are told here that many of the tribes did not drive out the people of the land, but merely put them to tribute.  That is, they enslaved the Canaanites and forced them to work for Israel (Judges 1:27-30).

It gets worse!  In these verses we are told that some of the Israelites “dwelt among the Canaanites.”  They became accustomed to the vile and wicked ways of the Canaanites and accepted them for who they were (Judges 1:32-33).

Of course, this same trend can be seen today!  We have already taken many of the same steps down that slippery slope that Israel took all those years ago.  Remember, the key verse of this book is Judges 17:6 which says, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  That means that there was no fixed standard of right and wrong.  People did as they pleased.  They did what they wanted to, without regard for God or what He had to say about the matter.  That is where we as a nation are heading.

In 1960 a poll was taken that showed that 65% of Americans believed that the Bible was the inerrant, inspired Word of God.  Another poll was taken in 1992 and by then only 32% still believed the Bible was the perfect Word of God.  In other words, less than one-third of Americans believe that there is a perfect standard for judging what is right and wrong.  Judges 2:10 is being lived out before our eyes!

Another poll taken in 1992 asked this simple question: Do you believe that there are moral absolutes?  Do you believe that there are some things that are absolutely wrong and some things that are absolutely right?  70% of those who answered that poll said that they did not believe in moral absolutes!  That is scary! Our children are being taught that there are no absolutes.  There are no wrong answers.  Nothing is right and nothing is wrong.  That is frightening if you follow it to its logical end.  It means that abortion, murder, drugs use, alcohol use, pre-marital and extra-marital sex, etc, is all right if you want to do it.  It's no wonder we find ourselves in the mess we are in!

Well, thank goodness we have Christians in the world right?  Not so fast!  A recent survey found that only 57% of professing Christians believed in moral absolutes.  With no clear standard for right and wrong, the door is open for people to do as they please; just as they did in the days when Israel was sliding into the chaos of compromise.  Remember this verse:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! " (Isa. 5:20) This is a verse that speaks to our day very well!

 We have become a nation of compromisers.  We are afraid to take a stand against sin for fear of being labeled “intolerant.”  We are so politically correct that we are afraid we might offend someone with our “religion.” We are already paying a high price because of these compromises, but I fear that we will lose more.  I would like to close with a quote:

"One of the truest tests of integrity is the blunt refusal to be compromised."  ~Chinua Achebe

Something to think about!

The Book of Judges

Day one hundred ninety-six

I've been thinking a lot about the choices we make and how they can have a lasting affect on those around us.  As a teenager I was mostly worried about how things affected me, then as a wife and mother I worried more about my choices and how they affected others, now as I am sending my eldest son out into the world I hope that I made more good choices than bad, so that he will make good choices and leave a positive impression on those he meets.  The power of our choices to go beyond ourselves is intimidating, we literally have the power to change the lives of thousands of people with one choice! 

Feeling the burden of such a responsibility I decided to pray about it this morning.  It was a very personal conversation with my Father in Heaven.  I am grateful He is such a good listener and loving father. I am grateful that He knows me well enough to tell me what I need to hear.  It was a great way to start my day.

The Book of Judges

Before we jump into the Book of Judges I would like to share some background info to set the stage: 

The text of Judges never says who wrote the book, but Jewish tradition names the prophet Samuel as the author.  The book acts as a sequel to the Book of Joshua, continuing the history of the Israelites, and highlights what is called the Cycle of Sin, the Cycle of Apostasy or the Cycle of Misery:

Sin - Consequences of sin - Repentance - Means of Deliverance - Deliverance - Peace

It does not take very long to discover that the book of Judges is not a very pleasant book.  In fact, it is one of the darkest books in the Bible.  It describes a period in Israel’s history when they were without a strong, godly leader.  Perhaps the times and the book are best summed up by Judges 17:6, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”  When man is left to himself, it will not be long before he finds himself in deep trouble.  This was the case in Israel as well.

It is not long before Israel denies the Lord, defiles the land and defies the Law.  As a result, God was forced to judge this people He loved so very much.  When Israel entered Canaan, the sky was the limit!  God had promised them the land and all they had to do was claim it by faith.  They enjoyed providence –  “I have delivered…” (Judges 1:2); protection –  “And the LORD was with Judah and drave out…” (Judges 1:19); power– which says “and the LORD delivered…" (Judges 1:4), and promises for hundreds of years, beginning with Abraham (Gen 12:1). 

Soon Israel's national unity is replaced with tribal loyalty.  They begin to look after themselves and their own resources without giving help or asking for aid from their fellow Israelites.  The nation undergoes political and religious turmoil and the tribes begin to fight among themselves.  The book includes many of the most graphic, violent, and disturbing scenes in the Scriptures -- some in the name of righteousness, others in the name of evil.

On a more positive side, we are introduced to many heroes of faith: Othniel, Gideon, Samson, Deborah, Jephthah, Ehud... flawed individuals who answer God's call to deliver the Israelites in sometimes dramatic form.  We will find important lessons from these individuals on courage, faith, and personal greatness.

For me this book is best read as if I were watching a mini series on television.  It is like a movie running in my head, creating a visual that helps to make it come to life.  I find myself not wanting to stop in certain parts, but wanting to get to the next chapter to find out how it ends!  These are stories that stay with you and cause you to really think about how they relate to us today and to us as individuals.  Can you tell that I am a little excited to get into this book?  I hope you will find it as exciting too!

Final Thoughts

Day one hundred ninety-five

This has been an interesting week filled with some challenges, but mostly blessings. July is filled with changes for our household and we are working on making those changes as painless as possible.  Sometimes we are successful and other times we have to pick ourselves up, re-think ourselves, and move forward.  The important thing is we are working through it together.  That is probably the biggest blessing I have seen in my life lately.  The ability my family has to pull together and support each other is what gets us through it!

It seemed necessary to let Heavenly Father know in my prayer that I am aware of that blessing in my life and how grateful I am for it.  It is one of the ways that we try to keep our home a place that the Spirit can visit, another blessing I am grateful for.  Even though I know that I have needs today, I didn't ask for anything, I just thanked Him and let Him know that I love Him and I know that He loves me.  It was a good prayer.

Joshua

The Book of Joshua ends with three burials:  Joshua, Joseph of Egypt, and Eleazar the son of Aaron.  It seems a little sad to end the book in such a way, but as I researched and pondered on it a little, I think there is something to learn from each of these burials.

Joshua - A Grave of Faithfulness (vv 29-31)
The first grave that is mentioned is that of Joshua himself. His grave speaks of the faithfulness of God to His people. God had used this man Joshua to bring the people in the Promised Land and God had used Joshua to lead the people in the right way. Through the life of Joshua, God had proven Himself to be a faithful God.

Those who serve the Lord will learn the truth that God is faithful. He will keep His Word and He will fulfill His promises to you (Rom. 4:21). If you will walk in His will and serve Him, then He will in turn bless your life beyond measure. God is a faithful God!

Joseph - A Grave of Fulfillment (v 32)
The second grave mentioned belonged to a man who had died many centuries before in the land of Egypt. While Joseph was on his deathbed, he made the following prediction, "And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt." Gen 50:24-26

Now, several hundred years later, a grave is dug, a coffin is lowered and Joseph is placed in the ground that was promised hundreds of years before.

The lesson here is that we serve a God who is able to make that which seems impossible a reality for His children (Eph. 3:20). When He makes a promise to use and bless you, if you will serve Him, then you can count on Him being able to do just what He has promised!

Eleazar - A Grave of Finality (v 33)
The last grave marks the death of Eleazar. He was the son of Aaron the first High Priest. His grave is the grave of finality. The death of Eleazar marks the changing of the guard in Israel. All the old timers are gone! All those who came out of Egypt and out of the wilderness are passing from the scene. All those God used in such a mighty fashion are dead. Now, it is time for a new generation to pick up the mantle of service and do something for the Lord.

It is a shame when old soldiers of God pass from the scene. But, it is an even greater shame when those who are left behind do not lift the mantle and carry on for the Lord. Israel turned to idols after the deaths of their great leaders.

Even in their burials these leaders are teaching us something of the Lord!  It is a great way to end the Book of Joshua, with a reminder of God's faithfulness, an example of Him keeping His promises, and the setting up of the continued history of the Israelites.  I have learned so much from my study of this book that I am a little sad that it is ending, but I am looking forward to the lessons to be found in the Book of Judges next!

The Challenge

Day one hundred ninety-four

I have been working on enjoying the journey more and worrying a little less.  As things come up in my life, both good and bad, I am trying to see the blessings in it and not focus so much on the hardships.  My scripture study has been invaluable in my attempt to see the blessings.  I am learning more about how the Lord works in His peoples lives and how to recognize Him in my life.  I am also learning to recognize what a blessing is and to see it in my own life.  There are many blessings happening everyday that I never realized were blessings before.  I have been missing out on seeing the Lord in my life in so many ways!  My prayer today was filled with gratitude for the blessings I am recognizing and for the learning experience to find them.  My request was that I will have the Spirit with me today so that I might continue to see these blessings.

Joshua 23:9 - 24:24

Joshua's Challenge
In these verses, Joshua challenges the elders and the people to observe certain truths concerning God. His challenge is for them to look at what the Lord has done and is doing in their lives. If they will just remember Lord, they are more likely to live the right kind of lives!

The Challenge to:

Consider the Consequences (23:9-16)
While there are many challenges given here, the primary idea that Joshua is trying to convey is this: If you will serve the Lord, He will bless you. If you disobey Him, He will chastise you! Pay special attention to the challenge in verse 11, how Israel responded to the Lord was a perfect indicator of her love for Him.

This challenge still applies to the people of God today. That admonition is very simple: You play; you pay! As children of God, we have two possible ways of living our lives:  We can either live it within the confines of God's will and be blessed, or we can live it outside the will of God and be chastised (Heb. 12:5-11). The choice is entirely ours to make! And, the choice we make will be determined by our love for Jesus Christ and for our Heavenly Father (John 14:15).

Remember God's Works (24:1-13)
In these verses, Jesus bears His testimony to the people, using Joshua as HIs voice (vv 2-13).  He reminds the nation of all the many great things He has done for them. His challenge is for them to remember all these great works on their behalf. If they will remember His goodness, they will be more likely to serve Him faithfully.

The works of the Lord on our behalf are a great motivator for service. When we stop to think of all He has done, it should challenge us to go deeper in our relationship with Him. Think of: how He died; how He loves us when we are lost; how He atoned for our sins; how He calls us unto Him; how He forgives us all our sins and failures; how He has adopted us into His family; how He has promised us a home in Heaven; how He has met our needs; how He has blessed our lives; how He has never left us nor forsaken us, even though, at times, we have forsaken Him. Think of His greatness and goodness and let those things be your motivator!

Do God's Will (24:14-18) 
Joshua tells the people that it is the Lord's will for them to clean up their lives and to serve Him faithfully. He makes the statement that he and his family will do just that regardless of what the people do, now that is a great example of commitment (v 15)! The people respond by expressing their desire to serve God because of His greatness and His blessings!

What a great challenge for each of us, to seek God's will and understand that when we serve the Lord, it is the will of God for our life! He wants us to search our life and destroy anything in it that hinders our relationship with Him. He wants us to be clean and to make that commitment to serve Him!

Strengthen Our Commitment (24:19-24) 
This is one of the most interesting teaching moments in the scriptures.  Joshua makes a strange statement to the people. He tells them that they cannot serve the Lord! His meaning is clear. He is reminding them that the Lord is holy and desires our exclusive devotion.  The Israelites are on a path that will lead them away from God and Joshua is reminding them  that they can't have things both ways. That is, they cannot serve the Lord on the one hand, and serve false God's on the other! His reminder is that judgment will accompany such an action. Again, the people proclaim their desire to follow the Lord.

We cannot have things both ways! Either we are serving the Lord with absolute commitment, or we are living a life of hypocrisy! That is a hard statement, but true and necessary for us to remember.  There is no walking the fence when it comes to our devotion to God!

Often we feel like there are too many challenges in our lives, but as we look at the challenges that Joshua presented to the Israelites, we realize that these are the really important challenges.  These are the challenges that our efforts should focus on.  These are the challenges that matter the most!  If we accept these challenges and continue to work on them, then we know that we are living the right kind of life.  A life worthy of the Lord's blessings and we can always use more blessings!

Concerns

Day one hundred ninety-three

I am really thankful for all the blessings that are coming my way lately.  It is a little overwhelming and I am having to trust the Lord a lot more, which is a good thing, but something that doesn't always come easy.  So I thanked the Lord for all He is doing in my life and for the lesson I am learning in trusting Him.  I did ask that He would be with me and give me the strength to do all that He is asking me to do right now.  I know I can't do it alone!
Joshua 23:1-8

Israel has acquired the land that God had promised them and their faithful leader, Joshua, is old and is preparing to die (v 14).  Before he leaves them, however, he wants to share with them  some things about serving the Lord. To do this, he calls two meetings. The first, in chapter 23, is held with the elders and leaders of the people. The second, recorded in chapter 24, involves all the people of Israel.

Today I would like to focus on chapter 23. As Joshua, their faithful leader, prepares to leave, he wants to encourage Israel to stay the course for God. He knows that the old guard, that is, those who knew Moses and Joshua are swiftly dying off. He knows that a new generation is coming along that did not see all the miracles and all the wonders of the Lord in their midst. Before he dies, he just wants to remind them of the God they serve.

We live in a day when many have forgotten about the glory and power of God, and those who have known about such things are becoming fewer by the day. God is not placed in high regard, but is being taken away or pushed to the side.  It would appear that Joshua's message to the Israelites is just as pertinent to us today. We need to be reminded of the power and glory of our God and so does the upcoming generations.  Let's start with Joshua's concerns:
  
Joshua's Concerns
As Joshua nears the end of his life, he sees some things beginning to happen in the lives of the people of Israel. He sees things that he does not like. So, like any good leader, he feels duty bound to point out these things to the people before he departs.

Three things Joshua fears:

Complacency (v 6) - Joshua is afraid that the people of Israel might begin to take the Law of God for granted. He fears that they might become complacent in their walk with the Lord and begin to let things slide in their lives. Sadly, he was right, this is exactly what they did!

Compromise (v 7) - Another fear Joshua possesses is that the people of Israel will decide to follow the dead God's of Canaan. He fears that they will compromise their standards and bow down to idols. Again, what he was afraid would happen, did happen!

Commitment (v 8) - It is not that Joshua fears that they will be committed to the Lord. Rather, he fears that their commitment will become slack and that they will not cleave to the Lord as they should. Once again, we see, from the history of the nation of Israel, that Joshua was right to be concerned.

Today's Concerns
Sadly, all three of his concerns are prevalent today. 

Complacency
This is a genuine situation in the lives of many people today. It is considered uncool for people to strive to serve the Lord, instead many are self-satisfied and sure that they have arrived spiritually with little effort. This seems a dangerous condition to be in!

Do you remember the story of the Laodicean attitude?  "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth " (Rev. 3:14-22).  How many people would be characterized as 'lukewarm' in their spiritual endeavors?  The Lord wants you to choose His side and stick with it!

Compromise
What about people today, are they just as guilty as the Israelites? Certainly, many worship the gods of self, success, materialism, career, etc. The truth is, many are guilty of compromise in their lives. They allow themselves to indulge in activities that they know God disproves of and justify it with, "Well, so and so does it!" All the while smiling and singing of how much they love Jesus. It has a hollow ring to it. Oh, how we need to avoid the trap of compromise! 

Commitment
How important is our commitment to the Lord?  "Now is the time to commit yourself to the Lord as to what you will become during this mortal probation."  ~ John B. Dickson

Our commitment to the Lord determines what we will become in this mortal life, which in turn affects where we will spend eternity.  Commitment is important!  It requires doing anything that the Lord asks and having the discipline to do it even when it may be inconvenient or unpleasant.

M Russell Ballard asks the question: "When the time comes for you to sacrifice for that which you believe, will you have the faith to make that sacrifice?"  That is a good question for all of us!

The Lord has given me some important questions and topics to think about today. I have been guilty of all three of these concerns and continue to work on them daily.  It is difficult not to focus on the disappointment in myself or the disappointment that I have caused the Lord, but I don't think that is the message the Lord would want me to focus on.  Instead, I think He wants us to be aware of the issues and commit to doing better.  I think it is an invitation to lean on Him for help and to draw closer to Him to find the strength to overcome such weaknesses.  That is an invitation I plan to accept!