Judges: Othniel
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week i was reading an article on anosmia (uh-naaz-mee-uh).
Ansomia is to lose your ability to smell. Its a lost of that sense all together.
Ansomia is often associated with depression, a lack of personal relationships and connections.
Those who suffer from it often feel as if they are cut off from the world.
Smell is one of the strongest senses in the human body. It directly affects both emotions and memory.
The fact that smell has the power to affect emotions and alter the way we feel, is amazing.
The perfume and cologne industries are built upon this fact.
smell can evoke emotions of desire, power, relaxation, attentiveness and so on.
It also has the power to affect memory. Subconsciously we associate memories with smell.
Some smells bring back good memories and other smells can cause you to, in part, relive a traumatic memory.
for me… The smell of fresh snow and exhaust fumes brings me back to my childhood.
I still remember the way my dad smelled when he got home from working at an airplane hanger
There are certain smells that will bring us back to summer camps, cabins, vacations, farms or your grandparents house.
The sense of smell can bring something from the past and cause you to experience it again the present.
so to lose your sense of smell is to lose one of the main ways we engage with the world, and one of the main ways we remember our past.
The power smell provides a really good illustration of how we are to read the bible.
The aroma of the gospel of Jesus Christ is found all throughout the scriptures.
When we read the writings of Moses we should pick up the sent of Jesus the great of High Priest
When we read about David’s life, we should pick up the scent of Jesus the King of kings
And likewise, when we read the books of Judges our we should pick up the potent fragrance of the gospel.
And when we look at the the story of Othniel, the aroma of Christ is so strong its like the smell of Thanksgiving dinner cooking in the kitchen.
Introduce Othniel
Introduce Othniel
The story of Othniel is found in to different passages in Judges, one in chapter one, and the other in chapter three.
Othniel names means, Lion of God.
Othniel was from the tribe of Judah, so he was the first lion of Judah, and his story points forward to the greater lion of Judah, Jesus Christ.
Othniel is well connected in the tribe of Judah, Caleb, one of the two faithful spies is his uncle.
Caleb has an important role to play in the story of Othniel, but we will get to that later.
Othniel was the first judge in Israel, and judged Israel for 40 years.
remember: To be a judge is to be the leader of the people, both in matters of war and civil disputes as well as to be the spiritual leader of the people.
The first part of his story is found in chapter 1, and the second part of his story is found in chapter three.
We are going to look at the second part first.
Othniel’s story in chapter three provides a clear movement through the cycle of the judges
1. Israel does evil in the sight of YHWH and worships the Baals.
2. God becomes angry and hands Israel over to an enemy nation.
3. Israel cries for help.
4. God raises up judges who deliver Israel from the enemy.
5. The land is at rest
Turn with me to Judges 3
7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
Step 1. Israel does evil in the sight of YHWH
What led them to do evil in the sight of the Lord? They forgot YHWH and Served the Baals and the Asheroth.
How could they possibly forget YHWH?
Perhaps they got so busy with their jobs, they were occupied by kids and the sports they wanted to play.
We must remember what Christ has done for us.
Maybe the got so engulfed in their hobbies, or social media that the lives God called them to live were pushed to the side.
We must never forget our story
perhaps it was easy to forget YHWH, because his ways seemed close minded and archaic compared to the Baals and Asheroth.
We look down on Israel for forgetting YHWH, all the while we so often find ourselves suffering from the same spiritual amnesia.
So how does God respond to their forgetting Him and worshiping Baal? look with me at v.8
Who is Baal?
Who is Asheroth?
8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
Step 2: God becomes angry and hands Israel over to an enemy nation.
The name Cushan-rishathaim means the “place of double wickedness”
The people served Cushan-rishathaim eight years
Verse 9 gives us steps three and four
Ehud delivers them from 18 years of bondage
Judges & Ruth Structure
before Ehud, it will be for eighteen, and before Deborah, it will be for twenty.
before Ehud, it will be for eighteen, and before Deborah, it will be for twenty.
before Ehud, it will be for eighteen, and before Deborah, it will be for twenty.
And Deborah delivers them from 20 years of bondage
The cycle of sin get harder and harder to break
This is true in our lives as well.
9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
Judges
Step 3: Israel cried out to the Lord
I often wonder how many different strategies Israel tried to resolve their situation before crying out to God for help.
I wonder if they resolved within themselves to stop worshipping the Baals and the Asheroth.
They pledged not to go to the orgies or feasts of Baal, but instead to stay home and to remain faithful to their spouses
I wonder if they tried to muster up the strength to develop good habits that they thought would please God.
When we are in the cycle of sin, of depression, of weakness, when we feel like we are far away fro God - we so often look for self-helps or wordly wisdom to resolve the situation before we cry out to God.
We try and fix the dilemma ourselves before calling on the only one who can redeem us.
There is no amount of work we can do, there is no amount good deeds or good habits that will break the cycle of sin in our lives.
We need the one who trampled over sin on the cross to come and break the power of sin in our lives.
We need a savior
We must humble ourselves and cling to Christ who is the only one who has the power to save
So Israel finally cries out to God, they repent of their sins and ask God to save them.
Step 4: God raises up judges who deliver Israel from the enemy.
“the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.”
The
The Lord, full of mercy and grace, heard the cry of Israel and delivered them from the hand of Cushan-rishathaim
v.9b “the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.”
As God raised up Moses and sent him into Egypt to deliver Israel out of the hand of Pharaoh, now God raises up Othniel to deliver and save Israel out of the hand of Cushan-rishathaim
We see Judges tells us about Othniel’s father and uncle, and we’ll come back to that in a few minutes
God is faithful to save his people by sending them a Deliverer.
This is one of the key themes of the the Judges, they are delievers
The Judges are Deliverers - yasha
The Judges are Deliverers - yasha
Yasha is the Hebrew word for deliverer, or savior.
Yasha is a powerful word in the Hebrew scriptures - God calls himself Israel’s yasha - savior, in
Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior (yasha), and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
English Standard Version Chapter 49
Then all flesh shall know
that I am the LORD your Savior,
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”
In fact, what we see is that Joshua’s name is built upon the word yasha, and so is the name Jesus, which in hebrew is Joshua - Yeshua - meaning, YHWH saves
This is one of the great clues that each Judge God raises up is a type of Christ. They are men and women who point us toward the ultimate deliverer, the ultimate Yasha, the ultimate savior.
So when God raises up a judge he raises up little saviors, little yasha’s, that act as his representatives on earth.
This is the same thing that happens with the word “christian”
those who follow Jesus are called “Christians” in acts 11.26, and the word comes from the greek word christos (Christ) and essentially means, little Christs.
Like the judges who bear the name Yasha, we as followers of Christ and bear his name as Christian.
So we see that God raises up Othniel to be a yasha (a savior or deliverer) for Israel.
And of this savior verse 10 says...
10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. 11 So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
The Spirit of the Lord was upon him
The New American Commentary: Judges, Ruth (4) God’s Agent of Deliverance (3:9b–10a)
rûaḥ yhwh
The spirit of God was upon Othniel
As the spirit of God was upon Christ, our great savior, so it was also upon Othniel.
as we read through the book of judges we may often think that Spirit of God comes upon the judges to give them power in war.
We see the spirit of God rush upon Samson to give him power to kill a lion barehanded, or to break his bonds and kill 1000 people with a jawbone.
However, when the spirit of God comes upon someone it comes fully and holistically.
Isaiah says of the coming Messiah and Judge,
2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
This is the same spirit who comes upon Othniel. And he comes giving wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
We should not think that the spirit of God comes only to give strength in war, but not wisdom or understanding.
LIke for us today, when we receive the holy spirit we receive the whole spirit.
We never have to wonder if there is part of the Spirit God has yet to give us, NO! He has fully blessed us with every blessing that comes from the Spirit.
He has not withheld himself from us in any form.
And so it was with the Judges,
So looking back at verse 10 it says he judged Israel (don’t read verse again)
10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
He Judged Israel
Othniel became Israel’s Judge, the one who fought for them, the one who handled disputes, the one who led and guided Israel both civically and spiritually.
He Judges Israel
He went to war
He went to war against Cushan-rishathaim and God gave him victory over the evil king.
As God gave Jesus, The lion of Judah, victory of the king of darkness, so he gave Othniel, the lion of Judah, victory of the evil King of Mesopotamia
So here we see Othniel as:
7 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.
9 But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.
10 The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.
11 So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
7-
Here we
The first lion of Judah, as his name means lion of God and he comes from the tribe of Judah. This obviously points us toward the greater lion of Judah - Jesus Christ
Rasied up to be a yasha, a savior for Israel
This Lion of Judah was raised up to be a yasha, a savior for Israel
anointed with his spirit,
LIkewise, Jesus, Yeshua, was the savior (the yasha) of the world.
He was anointed with the Holy spirit to fight for and lead God’s people.
Just as Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit to fight for and lead God’s people.
We can clearly see how Othniel points us to Christ, however, there is yet another way in which Othniel’s story has the aroma of the gospel.
We saw in verse 9 that Othniel is Caleb’s nephew.
This relationship between Othniel and Caleb has a story connected to it. And this story is found in Judges chapter 1.11-15 (its also told in the book of Joshua)
11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher.
12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.”
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”
15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
This story has all the pieces to be one of the most beautiful love stories in the bible.
11 From there they went against the inhabitants of Debir. The name of Debir was formerly Kiriath-sepher.
To understand this story we first have to understand Caleb’s Revenge
Caleb’s Revenge
Caleb’s Revenge
As we saw last week Judges chapter 1 tells of Judah going into the land driving out the canaanites.
In we see Judah fight against Canaanites in Jerusalem, Negeb, and then Hebron. (1.8-10)
They burn Jersualem to the ground
Hebron is one of the cities of the promised land that the spies went to scout back when Moses was still alive.
And Caleb, Othniel’s uncle, was one of those spies
records that when spies came back with a report that the sons of Anak were in the land of Hebron, all of Israel was afraid to go and fight because the sons of Anak were Giants.
From there Judah goes to to fight the Canaanites in the Negeb
tells us that the people of Anak came from the Nephilim who were giants.
The only spy to speak out and tell the people that they would be able to take on the sons of Anak was Caleb.
Then
Caleb was a fierce warrior and was not afraid of anyone or anything.
He tried to convince the other tribes that they would be victorious because they had YHWH on their side.
However, the tribes of Israel would not listen.
And because of their faithlessness God sent them to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
Could you image Caleb’s frustration with the people?
Caleb actually believes the promises of God, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if Israel would have gone up against the sons of Anak and the people in the land, they would have been victorious.
for 40 years this would have been gnawing on Caleb.
For 40 years he was salivating to get his hands on the sons of Anak,
for 40 years he has been waiting for the day when he would be able to fight and conquer those giants.
Caleb is thinking,
“the bigger they are, the harder they fall”
“Israel was afraid of the giants, just wait until i get my hands on them!”
So when that 40 years of wandering in the wilderness finally came to to an end, what do you think Caleb wanted to do?
Caleb wanted to take on the sons of Anak, he wanted to fight the giants everyone else was afraid of.
So in when Joshua is splitting up the land for the different tribes to take, Caleb makes a special request, that he, the leader of Judah, would be allowed to take Hebron.
6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
6-13
So Joshua gives Hebron into the hands of Caleb, even though he is 85 years old, he goes and fights against the giants with his men.
finally, after 45 years of waiting, Caleb got his hands on those sons of Anak and brought them down.
However, Hebron was not the final battle for Caleb and the tribe of Judah.
After Hebron they went a few miles south to Debir - which according to , was also a home of the Anakim, the sons of Anak.
This time, instead of Caleb leading the charge, he wants to find a man who is brave enough, worthy enough, to fight the giants.
And if this man has the character and faith in God to fight the giants, than Caleb will also give his daughter’s hand in marriage to him.
so he says in 2
12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.”
Now this is a really good move for Caleb
he knows from experience what it looks like when a coward sees the giants
he knows from experience what sort of faith, fortitude, and trust in YHWH is needed to fight against the sons of Anak.
And a man who has the faith in God to fight the giants, is a man worthy to marry his daughter.
And who steps forward to take upon himself the challenge?
Othniel, the Lion of Judah. The Yesha (savior)
13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.
So Othniel kills the giants and is given a bride.
Just as the greater Lion of Judah kills the giant that is satan, sin and death, in order to receive his bride.
However, the story does not end there
14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?”
Caleb then asks her what she wants...
15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
I love this verse.
The new bride of the savior (yasha) asks her father for a blessing. And since he is sending her into a land to establish the kingdom, she also asks for springs of water.
Church, Can you smell the aroma of the gospel here? what a beautiful picture this is.
Our Yasha, Jesus Christ has conquered the giants of satan, sin and death in order to claim us as his bride.
As the bride of Christ the father has indeed blessed us with every spiritual blessing
and as the bride of Christ he has also given us streams of living water, that is he has given us his holy spirit to nourish us, to encourage us, to keep us as we seek to establish God’s kingdom here on earth.
Othniel was a judge and savior of the people of God - yet his greatest purpose was to point forward to the greater judge and the greater Savior, Jesus Christ.
Church we are indeed the bride who was given as a love gift from the father to his son.
We have received the blessing of God in Christ, and we have been given the full spirit of God who is the springs of living water that gives us life.
Now may we go forth confident in Christ, filled with his spirit, and take dominion of the land by building for the kingdom of God.
Lets pray.