Judges Chapter 3

Understanding Christianity

In Judges Chapter Three, we see the first two leaders God raised up to deliver Israel—Othniel and Ehud . Here is the cycle/downward spiral in Judges 1) The people do evil in the sight of the Lord 2) God’s anger kindles against them and they are overtaken or oppressed by a pagan nation for a considerable amount of time 3) The people cry out in desperation to be delivered 4) God raises up a judge or a military leader to deliver the people 5) The people experience victory and considerable years of peace 6) The people get comfortable without a leader and fall back into gross idolatry and do evil in the sight of the Lord and the cycle begins all over again. We also ask two theological questions: What was the role of the Holy Spirit in Old Testament believers? And, how does God’s absolute sovereignty reconcile with human responsibility otherwise known as compatibilism. In the end, Othniel and Ehud were only temporary deliverers who were insufficient to deal with Israel’s bondage to sin. Jesus is the Ultimate Savior who releases us from the bondage to our sin and daily we need to cry to Him for help. We need to daily repent and cast ourselves at His mercy.