Judges

Judges 3: The LORD sends rescue

Begin in prayer

Before we hear Israel cry under the rulers God has strengthened against them, please bring our need to Him. Ask the LORD to show us His saving mercy and teach us to seek Him through Jesus.

Israel, return to Yahweh your God; for you have fallen because of your sin.

Hosea 14:1

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Help us understand why Israel needed rescue. Show us the mercy of Jesus, and bring us to trust Him rather than our own strength. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

Israel lives among the nations left to test its obedience, takes their daughters in marriage, and serves their gods. The LORD gives Israel to Mesopotamia's king, then sends Othniel when the people cry to Him. After forty years of rest and Othniel's death, Israel again does evil, and the LORD strengthens Moab's king Eglon against them. God answers another cry by raising left-handed Ehud, who kills Eglon with a hidden sword and escapes while the servants wait outside. Ehud leads Israel to seize the Jordan crossings and defeat Moab, bringing eighty years of rest. Shamgar also saves Israel, striking six hundred Philistines with an ox goad.

As you read Judges 3, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The LORD hears His people's cries and sends rescuers to save them.

The nations left in Canaan test whether Israel will obey the LORD's commands. Israel instead marries into their families and begins serving their gods. God Himself gives Israel over to rulers who oppress them, then raises rescuers when they cry to Him. A judge here delivers the people as well as leading them. Othniel's power comes from the LORD's Spirit, and the LORD gives him victory. Ehud's left hand and his hidden sword help him reach the king who holds Israel in bondage. The river crossings then prevent the Moabite army from escaping. These rescues bring years of rest, yet the repeated rebellion shows Israel's continuing need for God's mercy.

How does Judges 3 show us that the LORD hears His people's cries and sends rescuers to save them?

The LORD tests Israel and judges its sin.

The remaining nations give a new generation experience of war and test obedience to God's commands (verses 1 to 4). Israel joins their worship instead of keeping God's word. The LORD sells them to Cushan Rishathaim, and later strengthens Eglon against them.

God's Spirit gives Othniel strength to rescue.

When Israel cries to the LORD, He raises Othniel as a savior. The Spirit comes on him, and the LORD delivers Mesopotamia's king into his hand (verses 9 and 10). The land's forty years of rest come through this help from God.

The LORD saves again through Ehud and Shamgar.

Ehud carries tribute, the payment Israel owes to Moab's king under his rule. He is left-handed, so the sword hidden on his right thigh is not expected, and he kills Eglon and escapes. He leads Israel to defeat Moab, and Shamgar later saves Israel with an ox goad, a tool for driving oxen.

Memorise

When the children of Israel cried to Yahweh, Yahweh raised up a savior to the children of Israel, who saved them

Judges 3:9

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, where am I looking for rescue from sin instead of trusting Jesus?

When Israel cries for help, “Yahweh raised up a savior.” Othniel dies, Israel sins again, and another rescue is needed. The mercy belongs to the LORD, who hears His troubled people and acts to save them.

Sin holds us in a bondage deeper than foreign rule. Jesus came to deliver His people by carrying their sin to the cross. He suffered its penalty as their substitute and died for them. Then He rose from the grave, alive forever. The rescue He accomplished is enough to save completely, and His sacrifice never needs repeating.

Turn from your sin and trust this living Savior. Ask Him for mercy with empty hands. Those who believe in Jesus receive forgiveness and freedom to serve God. His death and resurrection answer the need that no human judge could finally meet.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the LORD hears cries for mercy and that Jesus saves from sin. Please explain Ehud's killing of Eglon in your own words, without making the violence a game. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for hearing cries for help and providing rescue, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

1 Timothy 1:16

Merciful Lord, thank You for hearing Israel when the people cried to You. We need rescue from our own sins. Please draw us to Jesus and teach us to trust His death and resurrection. Help us call to You when tempted and obey You throughout this week. Amen.