Othniel and Ehud

The first two Judges begin to describe the Judges "cycle." The people forget God, turn to idols, God sends an oppressor, the people cry out to the Lord, and God raises a deliverer who gives rest for a time. Then the people forget God again.
From Othniel and Ehud, we can learn how we can prevent a similar cycle to happening in our own lives. We also are encouraged that our deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ, brings total deliverance. And unlike the Israelite judges, Jesus lives forever to rescue and preserve his people.
We are challenged by seeing the same kinds of failure in our own lives, but we're encouraged that our deliverer is the Son of God himself.

Judges

In the time of the Judges, there was no king. As a result the people of Israel did what was right in their own eyes. The time of the Judges is a time of chaos and turmoil, the people longed for a king. Our time is full of chaos and turmoil, it should cause us to long for the King—Jesus Christ.

Tim Stephens

Tim Stephens is the senior pastor of Fairview Baptist Church. Tim grew up on a farm in Eastern Ontario and has graduated with a Computer Engineering degree from Queen’s University, a Masters of Divinity degree from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching at the Master’s Seminary. He is happily married to Raquel and they have eight children.