Judges 3:7-11: Othniel and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.

Title: Judges 3:7-11: Othniel and the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.         

 

Announcements / opening prayer:

 

 

JDG 3:7 And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.

 

We remember God's conviction of Israel given years later through the prophet Ezekiel while they were in captivity in Babylon in that she played the harlot to other gods and committed adultery against her Husband, but she was not even like other harlots in that she paid money to commit harlotry rather than receiving it.

 

JDG 3:8 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.

 

Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia = all we know about him is recorded here. This is likely his title. Cushan may mean Cush origin (EgyptEthiopia) and "rishathaim" means "double wickedness.

 

The name Cushan corresponds to the ancient Kassites, mentioned in ancient documents, who overran Babylon and ruled for four centuries, until the twelfth century BC.

 

The Hebrew name for Mesopotamia is Aram Naharayim, literally, "Syria of the Two Rivers," and it refers to the very fertile land that lies between the Orontes River and the Euphrates River, east of the Orontes in the land watered by the Habur and Tigris Rivers.

 

 

Prompted by God against a weak Israel, he invaded the promised land and Israel was unable to repel him.

 

"served him eight years" - Israel is made vassal and subject to heavy tribute. This would have weakened and impoverished them further.

 

The fact that it took them eight years to cry out to the Lord indicates that they often cried out to Baal and Ashteroth during this time, offering blood and incense to them and bowing and dancing before them many times. It took them this long to realize that continuing to worship Baal was of no benefit to them and would not free them from the oppression.

 

JDG 3:9 And when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

 

"deliverer" - moshia. In Judges it is used of heroic men who save the nation in time of war. The name is also used of God and the Messiah by Isaiah the prophet.

 

JDG 3:10 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.

 

JDG 3:11 Then the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

 

Othniel finds his power from God the Holy Spirit. This power mobilizes an army that he leads in battle and to ultimate victory.

 

The Holy Spirit is so integral to the life of the believer in the church that we must find the sense in which He empowered men in the Old Testament who were not indwelt by Him and did not enjoy the position in Christ that we now do.

 

We may conclude that when the Spirit of God came upon him that he exhibited the gifts and power of the Spirit, to some extent, in a similar way as our Lord.

 

ISA 11:1 Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,

And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

 

ISA 11:2 And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,

The spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The spirit of counsel and strength,

The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

 

We can see these six characteristics at work in a man who has the Spirit upon him in the OT, but in that dispensation it is always temporary and for a distinct purpose.

 

The Spirit's work upon a man in the OT was always temporary, but during that time He empowered and influenced that person to perform extraordinary feats.

 

We may call it being "filled" with the Spirit, but we must understand that the ministry to the believer in the NT is of a different nature in that He indwell us permanently and also that He reveals to us the way of Christ and our adoption as sons of God, which is something that could not be done to anyone in the old dispensation.

 

Speaking of Bazalel son of Hur:

EXO 31:3

And I have filled [male = to be made full] him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship

 

So it's ok to use the filled as long as we understand that the ministry of the Spirit to the OT believer was of a temporary nature in which He empowered them for a certain task. In the church, the influence of the Spirit in the believer's life is to be perpetual and is based solely on spirituality.

 

The example of King Saul is enlightening. The Spirit comes upon men whose minds are set on killing David.

 

1SA 10:10 When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them.

 

1SA 16:14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him.

 

1SA 19:1 Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to death.

 

Jonathan intervened and Saul no longer sought for David's life and David returned to the palace, but after David had another great victory over the Philistines, the evil spirit upon Saul inflamed his jealousy and he attacked David with his spear, but David escaped. Saul then sought him in order to take him and kill him.

 

1SA 19:11 Then Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, in order to put him to death in the morning.

 

David's wife Michal helped him escape but then David was found with Samuel.

 

1SA 19:18 Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

 

1SA 19:19 And it was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."

 

1SA 19:20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.

 

1SA 19:21 And when it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. So Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied.

 

Do we think it is possible that all three sets of henchmen that Saul sent to Naioth were spiritual men? God the Holy Spirit came upon them so that they would say His words of truth. We are not told if it is against their will or not, but we might assume that some kind of overpowering came upon them that they could not resist saying the words that the Spirit put in their hearts. And after Saul gets the bad news a third time he decides to go to Ramah himself.

 

1SA 19:22 Then he himself went to Ramah, and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."

 

1SA 19:23 And he proceeded there to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God came upon him also, so that he went along prophesying continually until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

 

1SA 19:24 And he also [Hebrew gam: even] stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"