Called from Comfort to Action

Scripture: When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. Judges 3:9

Observation: Joshua has died, and the next generation has rebelled against the Lord, worshipping other gods. For this, they are punished by violence and looting and poor treatment by the foreign people in their land, culminating by the invasion of the Mesopotamians, and the Lord empowers his first judge ... Othniel.

This is not Othniel's first appearance. He is the nephew of Caleb. When Caleb is granted the city of Hebron, he declares that whomever clears the Anakites from the city will be given his daughter in marriage, and despite the danger of taking on legendary giants, in faith Othniel responds and succeeds. He is given the daughter, and the daughter in turn in given extra land and springs around the city.

From this, it can be presumed that Othniel is very well-off if not rich. He is the favored and successful son-in-law of Caleb, the one man given the choicest of all the allotment of the promised land in the form of one of the greatest cities. Within that city, Othniel has been given the preferred land, and both of the best water sources for the region. By the standards of the day, if Hebron was still a city-state, Othniel would likely be considered the king of the city. His city is tucked away safely in Judah, a southern tribe far away from the north where the Mesopotamians are likely encroaching, and thus is (at least mostly) removed from the dangers of foreign invaders, and Othniel himself enjoys his old age (he is likely >70) in comfort.

It is this rich, successful, safe, elderly, comfortable - and faithful - Othniel who first rises as a judge to restore Israel's safety.

Othniel is a man who answered the call the of the Lord. When it came to seizing the promised land, he showed courage. When it came to responding to the first invasion against Israel, he responded. Especially in the latter case, he did this even though he could have very easily ignored the issue at hand. It truly didn't affect him, as he was old and well-off, and well removed from the situation. Still, Othniel answered, and become the first judge of Israel.

Application: We are in a time when those unaffected by hardship are being asked to make the sacrifices ... and I am growing more and more resentful of this. From moment to moment, I am weary, angry, frustrated, depressed, and rebellious. I want no part of compliance - let alone active support or even proactive service - of this circumstance.

I am as un-Othniel-like as possible. I resent the most basic call to 'do nothing' in the aid of others. I sit in comfort and tell myself it doesn't matter to me. I would likely do well for others, for myself, and for the Lord, if I instead sought the Lord's instruction of what I could sacrifice to help.

Prayer: Lord, as I have said, I am tired of walking through this circumstance. That said, here I am. May I obey your commands and call this day, and every day. Amen.