Tag: Leadership in Little, Leadership in Much - Judges 1-5

Judges 3:7-11

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. 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. 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. 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. So the land had rest forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

Tag:   God Gives Leadership to the Faithful.

In the above passage we have the story of the book of Judges.  The book is a story of a cycle.   Israel falls into sin; Israel calls out to God; God sends a “judge” to deliver them; the judge delivers them; they forget God; they repeat the cycle.   When this cycle begins and they call out to God for deliverance, God looks among the people to find someone to be the “judge” - the leader who will rescue them.   In the above story (the first of the cycle) we have the judge “Othniel, the son of Kenaz.”   Othniel was mentioned earlier in the book of Judges.  We read about Othniel in relationships to Caleb.  Caleb is one of the strongest men in the Bible and, along with Joshua, the only one to come from the deliverance of Egypt to the promise land.   Caleb makes the offer to anyone who can take a certain city, that he will give the man his daughter to be his wife.  Othniel steps up and takes the city.   This was a man who joined a courageous family and who would, become, his own man, and take more for God by conquering the king of Mesopotamia.   Othneil was already faithful in little and would be faithful as a judge, as well.   God picks leaders who are faithful in little to become leaders of much!!