GOD TRAINS HIS PEOPLE

Passage: Judges 3:1-11

Key verse: 4

NIV

3 These are the nations the Lord left to test(A) all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): 3 the five(B) rulers of the Philistines,(C) all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites(D) living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon(E) to Lebo Hamath.(F) 4 They were left to test(G) the Israelites to see whether they would obey the Lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.

5 The Israelites lived(H) among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites,(I) Hivites and Jebusites.(J) 6 They took their daughters(K) in marriage and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods.(L)

Othniel

7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord(M) their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.(N) 8 The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold(O) them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim(P) king of Aram Naharaim,[a](Q) to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 But when they cried out(R) to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer,(S) Othniel(T) son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the Lord came on him,(U) so that he became Israel’s judge[b] and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim(V) king of Aram(W) into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace(X) for forty years,(Y) until Othniel son of Kenaz(Z) died.

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Footnotes
  1. Judges 3:8 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Judges 3:10 Or leader
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

3 (A)Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: (B)the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for (C)the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived (D)among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 (E)And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

Othniel

7 (F)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 (G)the Asheroth. 8 Therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, (H)and he sold them into the hand of (I)Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. 9 But when the people of Israel (J)cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a (K)deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, (L)Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother. 10 (M)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 (N)So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. God trains his people (1-6)

God decided to leave the Canaanites in the land (i) to train the new generation of Israel to fight and (ii) to test them to see if they would obey the Lord's commands. We too live in a real world. We must learn to fight spiritual battles. We must not surrender to the world, or be melted in the melting pot. The Israelites lived among the Canaanites. They forgot the Lord and served Baal, the god of material success and physical pleasure. Marriage is the touchstone of faith. God's people should marry to please God, not to please themselves. They shut God out of their marriages and intermarried with the Canaanites. God removed his protecting hand and they were overrun by the Arameans.

2. The first judge (3:5-11)

When, after eight years of suffering, they cried out to the Lord, he raised up Othniel to deliver them. He was Caleb's son-in-law. The Spirit of the Lord came on him and he defeated the king of Aram. The land had peace for forty years, until Othniel died.

Prayer: Lord, help me to fight the good fight of faith. Raise up faithful shepherds for your people.

One Word: Don't compromise; please God