Othniel, Ehud, and Shamgar: Expect The Unexpected

Introduction

What can the history about a righteous man, a handicapped left handed man who assassinates a very large king, and an outsider who becomes an insider teach us?

Judges Chapters 1-3:6, function as 2 introductions, One about Joshua and his generations failure to complete the conquest. The second is introduction is a theological description of the cycle of compromise, sin, God’s discipline and judgement, the people cry out for help, God raises a saviour, and there is deliverance and sometimes rest. We now come to case studies or individual stories of deliverance, through specific people, who the Bible describes as Judges.

What we will find in the history of Israel, the people of God turn to insufficient savors and god’s to fulfill their needs, which lead to bondage in the end. The people of God cry out for help and the Lord raises up Judges. These Judges are raised up to deliver and save Israel, but what we will discover, even these Judges are insufficient saviours who point us to the Sufficient Savior, who is Jesus.

We will discover in the nation of Israel Complacency leads to compromise and compromise leads to disobedience and disobedience leads to idolatry. In our disobedience we are saying to God I found something more trustworthy than you and your word.

What we will discover in chapter 3 is that the Israelites have a problem

The Problem of Heart Forgetfulness

God’s Disciplines Heart Forgetfulness

The Proper Response to Heart Forgetfulness

The insufficient saviours who point to a Sufficient Saviour

I. The Problem of Heart Forgetfulness (vs. 7;12)

Judges 3:7 ESV

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.

Judges 3:12 ESV

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

A. What was evil in the sight of the Lord?

1. What does it mean to forget the Lord?

a) Forgetfulness doesn’t mean they they didn’t remember the facts of Yahweh,

b) Forgetfulness means Yahweh’s covenant, laws and the Words of God were no longer important to them, they were no longer the guiding principles of there lives.

The Israelites knew who God was and what he required of them but those things were not real to them anymore. So what they did is blend idol worship with the worship of yahweh. They picked what they liked about the law of God, the Word of God and mixed it with the worship of the nations that surrounded them. They want to rule their lives, They wanted to do what seemed right in their own lives.

Is that a problem today?

Do we know the words of Jesus but at times refuse to listen to them and choose what seems right in our own eyes? Or do we pick and choose what we want to obey and what we want disobey?

Is what we know as true and real not reality in our heart and they way we live our lives?

2. Forgetfulness leads to idolatry

When God created us, he created us to worship and glorify him. The Westminster Catechism says the ultimate purpose of humanity is “to glorify God and enjoy him forever”

The problem is that sin entered the world, Adam and Eve forgot about the goodness of God and believed the words of the serpent and their own desires, they chose to do what is right in their own eyes. As a result, sin entered and fractured the world. Now we are born into a world corrupt with sin, which includes the human heart.

Here is the problem because humans were created to worship and glorify God and we are fractured because of sin our sinful hearts lead us to craft idols that please our own desires. John Calvin said “the human heart is and idol factory”, we continue to produce idols that please ourselves.

The Lord says forgetting me and turning to love and worship idols, mini gods, this is evil in the Lord’s sight. Certainly a very different definition of doing evil than what we use.

II. God Disciplines Heart Forgetfulness (vs. 8; 12)

Judges 3:8 ESV

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.

Judges 3:12 ESV

And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord.

A. God’s response to heart forgetfulness and idolatry, anger.

1. God was angry, hot in the nose. So angry his nose flared up.

2. What did the Lord do?

3. When you read this passage something that pops out to me is “the Lord” is mentioned 15 times

When something is repeated in the scriptures there is a reason. The Lord is letting us know he is Sovereign over all. Notice what God does, he arranges for nations and kings to discipline the people of God.

The Lord is sovereign and he will do what he pleases. He will even use His enemies for his purposes.

The Lord is letting us know who is really in charge of all things. When the people cry out, God raises a deliverer to save the people. Again showing who is the mero mero.

B. God Usually Uses What Attracts your Heart to stray from him to Discipline You

1. Look who God raises up to discipline them?

The very nations they didn’t drive, who they becam complacent with, the nations that began to worship with. It was those very nations which cam and subjected them to slavery. If you are a child of God them you cannot be friends with the world.

2. In the life of Israel he was using the surrounding nations of whose gods they were worshipping. What did the Lord tell them?

a) 3 So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.”

b) 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did, or not.”

3. What are you sacrificing on the altar for your idol?

C. God’s Discipline is his Grace To Draw You Back To Him, Grow in Righteousness and Holiness

Hebrews 12:3–11 ESV

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God disciplines those he loves (Heb. 12) and his discipline isn’t for punishment. If you are a believer Christ has taken your punishmnet on the cross, God’s wrath is poured out on Jesus, not on you. So then why does God discipline us? To bring us back into a right relationship with him.

III. The Proper Response to God’s Discipline (vs. 9;15)

Judges 3:9 ESV

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 3:15 ESV

Then the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, and the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Ehud, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed man. The people of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

A. Turn Back to the Lord.

1. Cry out to the Lord

The nation of Israel cried out to the Lord and the Lord was attuned to the cries of his people. Do you remember in Exodus, the people groaned and cried out to God for help and we are told God heard.

2. God Hears the cries of his people.

God hears the cries of his people, he identifies with them and as we seen in Judges God responds to the cries of his people, for he cares for us. His love and grace towards us is deep and wide and at just the right time he delivers his people.

B. How do we reverse heart forgetfulness? Remember!

2 Peter 1:5–12 ESV

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

This is a very powerful passage, what Peter is saying is that if we say we trust in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sin and the salvation of our lives, then these qualities will characterize your life. We need these truths to work in our heart as well as our head

Peter even says if we practice these qualities “you will never fall” that is saying a lot coming from Peter, who rebuked Jesus, denied Jesus, went back to being a fisherman after Jesus died.

Peter knows that our problem is we are nearsighted people, forgetful people, just like the Israelites.

Which is why Peter says “I intend always to remind you of these qualities” We need to latch onto the Gospel of Jesus as our only hope.

How can we make sure we remember?

Church

Home Groups

D-Groups

The Lord’s supper

Daily Bible reading and meditation

IV. The insufficient saviors which point to the Sufficient Savior

A. Othniel - The most righteous judge

The Bible tells us The Lord raised up Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. We should not be surprised the Lord raised up Othniel, nor should we be surprised by his courage and faithfulness because he had someone who displayed it for him, Caleb who would take on the giants, take this mountain, remained courageous and faithful throughout his life.

The Spirit of the Lord was upon him and empowered him and gave him victory over. The land had rest for 40 years and Othniel died and rest died with him.

As honorable and faithful as Othniel was, he was insufficient to provide lasting rest and leaves us longing for the one who will give us eternal freedom and rest, he leaves us longing for Jesus.

Jesus says,

Matthew 11:28–29 ESV

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Come to me… and the writer of Hebrews tells us

Hebrews 4:7–16 ESV

again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

B. Ehud

Ehud, the left handed man, most likely because his right hand was deformed in some way. A man no one would pick to deliver Israel. Yet through deception and slight of hand, assainated a king and led his people to freedom.

Ehud points us to Jesus, one who was not regarded by men, one who came from the lowliest of places, born in manger, raised in the town of Nazareth, someone the world would not believe to be God’s chosen rescuer. Paul tells us;

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 ESV

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Unlike Ehud, the Triumph of Jesus did not come by assassinating a king, but the king of kings would be killed in what would appear to be a crushing defeat but was the most glorious victory ever.

C. Shamgar

Judges 3:31 ESV

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed 600 of the Philistines with an oxgoad, and he also saved Israel.

What about Shamgar, the one sentence judge who uses an ox goad to deliver Israel. Shamgar is an outsider, his name is not Hebrew but Gentile, yet he is regarded as a deliver of Israel. He is the outsider that became an insider, like Rahab and Ruth.

Jesus is the insider who was treated as an outsider. Jesus being God himself was taken outside the camp, were the lepers, the unclean and the leftovers of the OT animal sacrifices were taken, taken outside camp to be crucified in our place by his own people.

So today church

Hebrews 13:12–14 ESV

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.