March 6, 2014 - Thursday

Start Time: 5:11 A.M.

End Time: 6:09 A.M.

Title: Othniel; Ehud; Shamgar

Scripture: Judges 3:1 – 31

God’s Message / God’s Promise / God’s Commands:

→These are the nations the Lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience):  the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath. They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.  The Israelites lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.They took their daughters in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

NOTES:

Ø God has a purpose for every problems or trials that come our way!  God decided to leave some of the nations behind to test the Israelites after conquering the Promised land; the testing is not to let them suffer but to mold them and make them become better people.  The same is true for the trials or problems we face every day.  God allows them to come to us because it is to build us up and shape us to become a better version of us or to mold us one step higher to the being that we should be in preparation for our wedding with the Lord.  So when problem arises, take it as a challenge and overcome it!  Because you know that winning it brings your closer to home.

→The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim,^[a] to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.  The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge^[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

NOTES:

Ø Even in God’s anger, He provides us a way to appease His wrath!  God hates sin and when His people starts to sin, instead of fully giving just what His people deserves, He ensures that they are provided with a way out of His wrath.  If He needs to rise up leaders to unite His people and bring them together against sin, He does and so Othniel, Caleb’s young brother, was the chosen leader.  God’s Spirit came upon him and he became His people’s judge and with his leadership he brought down their enemies.  At times, during our weakness, God will bring forth people in our lives that will lead us out of our misery.  We need to listen and obey.

→Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel.  Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms.^[c]  The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years. Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer—Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a cubit^[d] long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing.  He presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left.  Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace^[e] and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, Ehud reached with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly.  Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. Then Ehud went out to the porch^[f]; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them.  After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.   While they waited, Ehud got away. He passed by the stone images and escaped to Seirah.  When he arrived there, he blew a trumpet in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them.   “Follow me,” he ordered, “for the Lord has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.” So they followed him down and took possession of the fords of the Jordan that led to Moab; they allowed no one to cross over. At that time they struck down about ten thousand Moabites, all vigorous and strong; not one escaped.  That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years.  After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel.

NOTES:

Ø God continues to deliver us even from His own wrath!  God’s love is so much stronger that even in times when we deserve complete punishment, even to the point of death, God controls Himself because of His everlasting and undying love for us!  Time and time again, when the Israelites sin, the Lord allows their enemies to win over them yet He ensures that a deliverer is brought out at the right time to save His people.  This is our Lord!  Hallelujah!  His love for us is so great that He protects us from His own anger.  Thank You Jesus!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, blessed is Your Name!  You are truly worthy to be praised and worship!  We bow down in humility, recognizing Your sovereignty but most of all, embracing Your undying love for us that brings us out of our miseries time and time again.  Lord, thank You because You have a purpose in every problem or trials we face in our lives.  Thank You because we can always be assured that the troubles we are experiencing today has a bigger purpose in our lives than what our eyes can see.  Lord open my mind and vision that I may always put my hope in You even in times of difficulty.  Lord thank You that Your love is so great that even in times when we deserves to be punished or judged, Your mercy and grace continues to overflow and covers us, delivering us from becoming a total wreck.  Forgive me Lord and continue to purify and cleanse me so I may be led to the right way of thinking and believing.  Thank You Jesus because of Your death and resurrection, I can be assured that You have provided a way out for me in times of difficult circumstances.  When there seems to be no hope, all the hope is in You.  Thank You Jesus.  I love You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!