Bible in a Year March 15 - Judges 3 – 5

 

March 15 - Judges 3 – 5

God apparently allowed many Canaanites to stay both to test the Israelites devotion AND to train the new generation to fight. After the Israelites began worshipping other gods and doing evil, God lifted up Caleb’s nephew/son-in-law, Othniel, and filled him with the Spirit. (Side note – the Bible only mentions three other judges who were filled with the Spirit – Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. It doesn’t mean others weren’t, but it is significant that only these names are mentioned). Othniel leads the Israelites in war and the land has peace for 40 years.

Ehud is the next judge, and the fact that he is left-handed is obviously significant.  He was from the tribe of Benjamin, and it seems Benjamites are mostly characterized as being either left-handed or ambidextrous. After Ehud kills Eglon, who caused problems for the Israelites for 18 years, the land had peace for 80 years.

Shagmar is next, and we don’t know much about him except that he killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. This was a pointed rod used for driving cattle. I’m picturing Chuck Norris with a giant stick!

Then one of my favorite stories is that of Deborah and Jael. one of the things I find so fascinating is that Jael’s husband (who was related to Zipporah, Moses’ wife) was on good graces with Jabin the king. Was Jael in disagreement with her husband’s politics (since Sisera was commander of Jabin’s army), or did she have some specific gripe against Sisera himself? Oh, and did you notice that her tent was set up under that ‘great tree’ in Zaanannim that we talked about back in Joshua 19?

After these events the land had peace for another 40 years.

TOMORROW’S TEXT:  Judges 6-7