Rescuing Judges

Joshua and his generation had passed and with them, faithfulness to God. In their comfort and peace, the people of Israel abandoned God. So God gave them over to the consequences of their sinful lifestyle and they found themselves under the oppressive rule of Cushan. As they cried out under their burden God sent rescuers, the first of which was named Othniel. But after they were free from their burden they went back to their life of sin. Let’s learn the valuable lesson of faithfulness and of God’s power and heart to rescue as we listen.

In yesterday’s reading we concluded the story of Job and learned how God restored Job to health and wealth, giving him more even than he had lost. Today we return again to Israel, to the time after Joshua, a whole generation later. The hearts of God’s people had turned again to other gods. Rather than influencing the culture around them, they were letting the pagan cultures shape and corrupt them. Soon they find themselves enslaved again. It’s the result of their unfaithfulness and forgetful hearts. But as we’ll learn today, God is not going to abandon His children. He’ll hear their cries and come to their rescue once more.