Othniel's Example of Christ

Othniel – The First Judge

Judges 3:5-11

You know, throughout the Bible there are those who really stand out in their walk with the Lord. And one of the books that shows some of these individuals is found in the book of Judges.

A book where we find God calling men and women to stand up and do the right thing. To be an example to others and lead them back to a right relationship with God.

That is the same calling that the Lord puts on each of us. To stand up and lead others to the Lord. And in this book, we find that God can use anyone to accomplish his will, and that also applies to us as well.

That even though you may think you are insignificant, or not well known, doesn’t mean that God can’t do something great through your life.

Tonight we are introduced to the first judge, a man named Othniel. A man who isn’t recognized as someone who stands out in scripture, but a man who stood out for God.

Now God called this man to do a great work at a dark time in Israel’s life. And that is what God is doing with us as well. He is calling us to a great work in a dark time.

Israel does not have a king at this time, and they are living each day doing what is right in their eyes. But here is the problem we can’t see in darkness. And what we need is the light of the Lord to show us the way. So, the passage we are about to read speaks of man who God used in a dark time to return the children of Israel into a right relationship with the Lord.

(Read Scripture)

Now this passage has a lot for us to digest, but there are four main areas that we are going to look at. And the first area I want you to see is…

The Great Compromise (vs 5-7)

(Explanation)

· Now the children of Israel are the chosen nation of God. They are to be different, they are to be separate, to be an example of what God can do with a people that follow him.

· But what are they doing? They are dwelling with ungodly people. They are living with the enemy. Now God did not call them to live with the enemy he told them to drive the enemy out.

· Each one of these nations of people are an example of the Devil and his temptations that he throws at us and allures us with.

· Now God did not want his people dwelling with this evil, and he wanted them to drive them out.

· In essence he was teaching them to live by the verse found in Ephesians 4:27 “Neither give place to the devil.”

(Illustration)

· Now today many homes are filled with the Canaanites, Hittites and Amorites and maybe that is you, you have the enemy living in the house.

· It is like the old saying keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Well there are some they said lets live together.

· Well friend when you let the devil live in the house with you, soon you are going to compromise on your walk with God.

· Say you let ungodly language, ungodly television shows be aired, you let your pantries be filled with embalming fluid, you know what is going to happen, you are going to compromise your walk with Christ.

(Application)

· Friends if we aren’t careful we can follow the same path that Israel took here. When we allow the enemy to dwell with us, we will begin to compromise our walk.

· Now God doesn’t want us to settle with the world, he wants us to be apart from the world.

· 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”

· Friend when you let the world stay in your life, the great compromise will come upon you.

The Godly Condemnation (vs 8)

Now there was a great compromise but here is the second thing we find and that is the godly condemnation. Look at verse 8.

(Explanation)

· Now the Lord was angry that his people disobeyed him, he was angry that they had failed to do as he command.

· The scripture says that he was hot. They knew they were to be different, but they ignored God and what did this do?

· It made God upset. Their disobedience and failure to act, and instead accept the evil lifestyle, made God mad.

· Don’t think that God likes for his people to dwell in the midst of sin. Because what God is going to do is bring condemnation, bring punishment on the people.

(Illustration)

· I remember as a child, that my mom didn’t want me to hang around what she said was the bad crowd.

· She knew that they were trouble, and she wanted me to separate myself from them.

· You know when I hung around them, her fear was rightly placed. I would give in and follow them around, started acting like them, and getting in more trouble because of it.

· But no matter what trouble I got in outside of the home, the real fear I had was the anger I would receive from my mother.

· Because I had disobeyed and didn’t regard her judgment.

(Application)

· Friends, God is telling us today, to be separate from the world. And what is happening? People are disregarding his words, disregarding our relationship, and we are doing what we want.

· And how does God feel about it? Well God is mad!

· Can we make God mad as his children? Yep! And God is ready to bring punishment on us.

· He allowed the Israelites to go into slavery for 8 years.

· I look at the government that we are under right now, and it kinda makes me see this moment, 8 years of hard work, 8 years of living under a foreign rule.

· Brethren, if we are not careful, and if we compromise, we are going to see that same anger poured out on us.

The Genuine Conviction (vs 9a)

Now we have seen the Great Compromise and the Godly Condemnation, but there is a third thing that we find from this passage and it is in the first part of verse 9.

(Explanation)

· Now the children of Israel, they begin to recognize their wrong, they see where they have sin, and they know that the only one who can help them is God.

· Why does it take such extreme things for us to turn to Christ? These people living under the bondage of the king of Mesopotamia, they begin to realize that this life is horrible.

· And so they begin to cry. Now the word here for cry is not just shedding tears. I mean it is a wailing cry, almost like screeching. They are suffering and they cry out for God.

· What they have here is conviction. Conviction for the way they have lived. For their lack of commitment, and they just turn to the only one who can save them.

· They had lived among the enemy and because of that, the enemy takes them into bondage.

· And here is where the old expression becomes true. The grass is not greener on the other side.

· So, these people get down on their knees, they begin to seek the Lord, they cry out for his help.

(Illustration)

· I have seen people who have been in the bondage of drugs, who have been enslaved to alcohol, who have been chained to anger and anxiety, who have been bound to depression and fear.

· And you know the only one who can help them, the only one who can free them, is Jesus.

(Application)

· Now understand, there was no one who could free them from their bondage but God. And they got convicted by the way they had been living.

· And they begin to cry out to the Lord. And if you are here, and you have been in bondage, what you must do is exactly the same. Cry out to Jesus.

· Understand that none of those enemies came to help them get free. They didn’t love Israel. But you know who did? God.

· And friends I want you to know that God loves you as well. And he will hear you if you cry out with a repentant heart.

· When you call out his name, Jesus Jesus Jesus. There is something about that name.

· Friend when you call out to him and are sincere, do you know that is a prayer that Jesus will here.

· Jeremiah 29:13 “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

· Friend when you have genuine conviction and you call out for Jesus he will be there to save you.

The Given Comfort (vs 9b-11)

Now God is beginning to move in Israel’s situation and we see the final area of this text and this is the given comfort. Look at verse 9-11 again.

(Explanation)

· Now the Lord heard their cry, it reminds me of Psalm 34:4 “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

· God heard their cry, and what does he do? He raises up a deliverer.

· You see God is using a man to deliver his people from the hands of the enemy.

· And here it is Othniel. The first judge of Israel. He comes and he is standing on the words of the Lord. He is the nephew of Caleb, the same Caleb who had a mountain of giants.

· He goes to deliver the people, but in his own strength he is unable. But what does God do? The spirit of the Lord comes upon him.

· Those people that had held the children of Israel down, friends were no match for the Lord.

· With one man who stood for God, a mighty king fell. God brought a deliverance to the nation, and friend God can do the same for us here today.

(Illustration)

· I think of the one who has been oppressed by drugs now free from its grip. I think about those who were oppressed by the enemy, now serving in the church.

· How is that possible? I will tell you, because God sent a deliverer. Othniel is an example of Christ here.

· He illustrates what Christ did for all of us here in this room.

(Application)

· You see we all have oppressing sins that want to come and keep us in chains, but we have a God who has heard our cries, and he sent us Jesus to deliver us.

· Othniel didn’t fail because God was with him, and Jesus will not fail because he is God.

· Friend, what we must do is allow the deliverer to come into our lives and take out the little king, and replace it with the King of Kings.

· Othniel went on the judge the nation and he led them forty years. Friends I want to tell you, that with Jesus, his reign never ends.

· In life, the adversary is trying to take the land, he is trying to take over your life. And if you allow him to remain, you will be led into bondage. But if you would just turn to Jesus, you can have a life of peace.

Where are you at in the text? Are you living in a land surrounded by enemies? Don’t compromise with them. Because when you do, your life will go into the pits. Oh it may not seem like it first, but it will continually get worse. A point where you might be crying out for help. If you need help, I tell you, just call out to Jesus. With a genuine heart, and find the deliverance you are looking for.