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Judges Chapter Three（ESV）

Othniel

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.

REFLECTION

1. God intended for our lives to be an unbroken walk of fellowship with the Lord. Our experience is distorted because of sin.  God’s promise is to restore us whenever we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness.  However, repentance is not simply a turning from our sins but also a turning to God and the purposes He has for our lives.  When we forget God’s forgiveness and grace, and return to the same sins again and again, our hearts can become hardened against God.
2. This chapter briefly outlines the story-cycle of two early judges.

3. We can break cycles like this in our lives only by obedience to God and resisting the temptation to sin.

PRAYER

Lord, the cycles in the book of Judges illustrate the monotony of sin and the creativity of Your saving works on behalf of Your people.  May I not linger under sin’s dominion, but quickly return to You when I fall into disobedience.