06. The Work of Othniel 2 - The Committal

The Work of Othniel 2 - The Committal

"Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushan-Rishathaim eight years. And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the Lord delivered Chushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed against Chushan-Rishathaim. And the land had rest forty years." (Judges 3:8-11) The second portion of Othniel’s life reiterates what has already been said that when a leader of the people of God dies a very serious condition can afterwards prevail. This is what happened here, "there arose another generation after them, who knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel" (2:10).

Those who have read Mr. Darby’s letters will remember that he often wrote that he and his companions had to endure great conflict in order to secure the truths that God had so graciously given to them. They sacrificed a lot, they endured a great deal of reproach, but they did secure a large part of the inheritance. What he feared was people coming into the enjoyment of these things, or into the position where they were known, without sufficient spiritual exercise to maintain those truths in power and testimony. This is one of the reasons for the consequent declension of brethren testimony, people took and occupied a position, but without the exercise that belonged to it.

Here, in Judges, a generation arose that did not know the Lord and did not know His works. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses instructed the fathers and mothers of Israel saying, ’When your child asks, What do these things mean, you are to explain them to your children, telling them all the history connected with those different occasions of comings together and the different events connected with the history of Israel’ (6:6-25). The responsibility of conveying to the children the great events connected with the history of Israel and the Lord’s blessings to them lay very definitely on the shoulders of the fathers and mothers. Hence, if a generation arose that knew not the Lord or His works, it infers that there was a lapse in the teaching of the fathers and mothers. There was a generation that was untaught in relation to the Lord or His works, and because they did not know the Lord, and because they did not know His works it was so easy for them to give up. They had nothing to hold onto. They were in a position, but had no living exercise connected with it, and it is so easy to give up something that we are not concerned about. The result of this was that they forsook the Lord and worshipped idols, a very, very sad condition.

However, we cannot do this in our lives and get away with it, it is not that easy. We cannot profess to be a Christian and follow after idols and expect everything to be lovely. It was not so in Israel’s case and it will not be so it our case. There cannot be any spiritual joy, nor any life or power in our lives if all that we are concerned about is idols, and for ourselves this means pleasing ourselves and following our natural desires. There is no joy toward God in Christ, nor any power in testimony in such a life. This is why we are so thankful to turn to a man like Othniel who sought in the power of the Spirit of God to retrieve some of the former fortunes of Israel. When the children of Israel were given over into the hands of their enemies, they felt the burden of this government that was upon them because of their unfaithfulness, and they cried to the Lord, "And when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel, the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war" (v.9). The inference is that he judged Israel for forty years, and as long as he judged Israel there was blessing amongst them (v.11). Here is the committal that comes so soon after the challenge was met and secured. This is the kind of person that God desires to use, who God delights to use; a man who has proved himself in personal conflict in relation to the things of God, an overcomer. This is the kind of person that the Spirit of God will use for blessing amongst the saints.

It is good to see that the children of Israel felt the position, but do we really feel our weakness and poverty at the present moment? Are we really concerned about it before God? Can we look down with vision (if the Lord does not come) as to what the outcome will be in a few years? Those who are able to teach, do we really make it a matter of concern before God that the present generation is taught adequately and correctly in view of the years that are ahead (if the Lord does not come)? The responsibility rests upon those who are older to make sure that the younger generation are correctly taught in view of the continuance of the testimony through grace. These people felt very keenly the prevailing conditions, and they cried to the Lord. Brethren, let us cry to the Lord that he will raise up those who are able to help us in our present weakness that there might be blessing, encouragement and food among the saints of God in these last days before the Lord comes. The Lord always hears genuine cries for help, not selfish cries or the pitiful breathings of casualness, but the real cryings, the concerns of the people of God in relation to need. And where did God turn to? He turned to a proved man, a man who was reliable; He raised up Othniel, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon Him, and Othniel wrought mightily as he had done before at Kiriath-sepher, not to secure something for himself now, but to secure something for the people of God, for God’s interests. This was not now a personal matter, this was a matter concerned with God Himself and His beloved people. He was prepared to accept this committal that had been given to him; that of a deliverer raised up by God.

We should not look on ourselves as deliverers, and think of ourselves as official persons to be recognised by the saints of God, that is not the thought, but each one in our own lives should overcome and provide, in the power of the Spirit, something of benefit for the people of God, whether it is in the Bible readings, or in the ministry meetings, or in our personal contacts with the saints, or in opportunities of visitation, or in any way in which we can help the present prevailing conditions. Othniel was used of God. After eight years his testimony was raised up. Othniel had not lost any of his exercise nor any of his strength in the intervening period, and then for forty years he judged Israel. There was a time of apparent prosperity and blessing. Unfortunately, we know that they were not consolidating what they had secured in the time of blessing, it was apparent strength, it was only revealed as weakness after Othniel died.

Dear brethren, the moments we have that are available to us to consolidate what we have are valuable moments. It is not for us to come to the Lord for strength when we have wasted the intervening moments, when we could have been enjoying something of the things that God has given to us. We need to gather up strength to consolidate what God has given us so that, when the time of pressure and trial comes, we are able to stand. Othniel was faithful in the personal challenge, he was faithful in the committal that God gave to him. May we, in our day, be found in the same way, overcoming in our own individual lives, and ready to help as governed by the Spirit of God.

We should also say that there is a vast difference between the Spirit’s power and activity in the Old Testament and that in the New - the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel and, as long as he required His power, it was there for him. Until the day he died he knew something of the power of the Spirit of the Lord upon him. However, like David, the Spirit might be taken from him (as it was from Saul - 1 Samuel 16:14), but this could never happen at the present moment. We are "sealed [with the Spirit of God] until the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit of God indwells our bodies until the day the Lord comes for us, or until the day we die. It is a very sad thing if we are unfaithful but we cannot lose the Spirit of God, He is always with us. The Lord promised that He would be with us forever (John 14:16). It is sad that in a day marked by glory, blessing and wonderful opportunity, we might fail to take advantage of the power and blessing that is there for us. May the Lord help us to be stimulated by the example of such a man as Othniel.

We find exactly the same story in the book of Joshua; it is repeated almost word for word (Joshua 15:15-19, Jude 1:10-15). Is it something that has just slipped in? No, dear brethren, it means that Othniel, in a day of blessing, prosperity and power, as the book of Joshua shows, is portrayed as a man of courage and faith and as a man who works for God; the same story is seen in Judges, a book which tells of great weakness, great difficulty and great departure, and the moral is obvious - that in days of prosperity and in days of weakness the same opportunity is open to all to be faithful to the Lord. The Lord helps those who are thoroughly committed to His interests and who take up the challenge to be overcomers. Thank God for those who overcome for God in days of prosperity; thank God for those who overcome in days of weakness. May it be our portion for His name’s sake.