Othniel: Beginnings and Endings

Main Point - When our Foundation isn’t according to God’s plan we will not create a lasting Legacy

What do you think things will be like in 40 years?

Study of Judges - Thinking about what our families…Our church…our world will look like in 40 years is an interesting question.

Possible outcomes

Bring Fear

Bring Hope

I was to ask if things look different today then 40 years ago you would probably say yes, and could give me lots of examples. Probably some Good and some bad.

The Book of Judges is a collection of snippets of the history of Israel. Most of the judges experienced this transition of 40 years…some less and some more…of God being there and not…of war and peace.

Judges 1:1–2 NIV

1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” 2 The Lord answered, “Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.”

Judges opens just like the book of Joshua opens with the death of the Godly leader and the Lord God speaking.

But there is a big difference between the two. Joshua had been trained and was ready when God called him to lead the people.

Judges we find a confusion, “Who will go first?”

This is important, because this projects the whole book and a large part of Isreal’s history into a cycle of wickedness and repentance.

Deuteronomy 6:1–9 NIV

1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. 4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Numbers 2:9 NIV

9 All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to their divisions, number 186,400. They will set out first.

Judges 3:7–11 NIV

7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 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. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

Matthew 7:24–27 NIV

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Psalm 118:22 NIV

22 The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NIV

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Legacy - Endings

Joshua 15:16–19 NIV

16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. 18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” 19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Megan is in the nursery

How...

Foundations

Start by building your life on the Word. Get into it often and surround yourself with other believers to help you be built up.

build those foundations in your children and everyone around you.

Legacies

Be intentional to find people who you can build up. When the storms of life come, many people have built on the sand, but if you are willing to take the time to dig out the sand and begin building the foundation with them; you will leave a legacy even when we are gone.

Joshua neglected to have someone he was pouring into like Moses poured into him.