Othiel the first judge

This morning our Bible study was on Judges 3: 1-11 on Othiel the first judge.

'Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord." This statement is used each time when the cycle of sin begins throughout the Book of Judges which we have been studying.
When they cried to the Lord, The Lord raised up a deliverer. This was after eight years of captivity and slavery to the King of Amram. The people had reached the point of desperation and in answer to their pleas, God moved in. God always does. I always remember the phrase in one of our hymns -"My need and His great fullness meet." God looks at our hearts, He is near to those who cry out in sincerity to Him.

Othniel, filled with the Spirit went out to battle with the enemy and won a great victory. And the land had rest for the next 40 years.

Obviously, Othniel was a courageous always willing to undertake difficult tasks given him. Earlier on he volunteered to to fight the Anakim near Debir. These were the descendants of giants who had caused great fear among the ten spies sent out to spy the land earlier on at Kadesh-barnea as recorded in Numbers 13: 32- 33.

We are engaged in spiritual warfare. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6: 12

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.

Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,
Lean, and His mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its Life, and Christ its Love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee
John Samuel Bewley Monsell