3:1-3 As the Israelites are continuing to grow generation after generation, there becomes a population of people who were not alive during the making of the first covenant. Each individual is invited into a relationship with God... and each individual is presented with a relationship with the world. Every soul has a choice. God offers the covenant to every generation but each individual must sign, accept it, for themselves.
The corrupt nations outside of Israel exist and serve a purpose: their actions and way of life is in direct contrast to God's actions and way of life. The children of Israel therefore, are introduced to several ways of life. The same is true for us: our experiences in the world are often a stark contrast of what spirit teaches us.
Abraham's faith laid the foundation for our covenant with God. Abraham's faith displayed to God that humans were capable of pure, compassionate faith. Because of Abraham we have God's covenant as an option. But Abraham cannot accept the covenant on our behalf, or on the behalf of his posterity, we have to personally join with it.
3:4 The word "test" is used here. This should not be a fearsome concept. If we choose God as our educator, He ensures that we pass every test. God ensures that, as His students, we are not vulnerable or manipulable by opposition forces in our path.
In fact, Psalm 139:23-24 is David's plea and invitation for God to test him. David wanted opportunities to show God that he would continue to choose righteousness. David invited God into his heart because David understood the enormity of the work God could do in there, once brought in.
3:5-6 The children of Israel not only lived among the corrupt nations, they began to intermarry with them. This was detrimental to their faith because instead of having God's principles reinforced, they were diminished by their spouses. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachel... the relationships founded in love for God were the relationships which most graciously propelled humanity. When one would become weak, the other's faith would serve as a pillar. Together, they would remain aligned in God's word and will.
But the children of Israel married with people who did not believe in God. Therefore, when they had a moment of weakness or confusion, instead of looking to God for explanation, they succumbed to weakness. They answered their confusion with untruth.
3:7 This generation of the children of Israel choose evil. They choose not to live within the protection and power of the covenant of God. They become so embroiled with evil that they forget Him and begin to serve fake gods with corrupt intentions.
3:8 Directly subsequent of their actions, the children of Israel find themselves in prickly situations. They find themselves destitute, abused and lost. Finally, they cry out to their true God.
3:9 Out of a depth of grace that only He possess, God comes to the rescue. God places a judge, or deliverer, in the midst of them named Othniel. Othniel is the first example in Judges that proves God will use us a vessel through which His word and will can come into the world and realign it with righteousness.
3:10 The Spirit of the Lord rests on Othniel. God is able to work through Othniel because his faith causes him to be a viable host for the spirit. A corrupt soul cannot host a righteous one. In every day, we have opportunities to be a viable host for the spirit: a vessel through which He has bring alignment to a crooked situation. Othniel is a viable host because he loves and listens to God. He follows and therefore God has reason again to lead.
As He always has, does and will, God prevails over evil. Easily. As soon as He is brought genuinely into a situation, He is able to completely restore that situation.
3:11 For forty years, the remainder of Othniel's life, the land had rest. The children of Israel had peace. But as soon as the viable host has passed on, the children of Israel revert back to evil.
John 20:29 explains that those who follow God without having physically seen him, or had spiritual leadership in the form we reading now, are deeply blessed. The children of Israel only believe when they have solid, physical proof. They are unable to love God's spiritual presence for they do not acknowledge Him until they are desperate. They only follow God when someone is faithful and righteous on their behalf (Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Othniel).
3:12-14 The children of Israel again revert back to evil. As generations pass, the same lessons are required to be learned. Through experience, each population of humans come to realize that the ways of the world are corrupt... and that the way of God is righteous, generous, patient and forgiving. 1 John 2:15 references this concept: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. The world has nothing to offer you but God has everything. The world is focused on material wealth, power, and vanity. God is focused on you, selflessly, eternally.
Our own generation has not escaped this cycle of learning to reject the way of the world through experience in the world. In many ways, we are more consumerist than ever. More vain than ever. More in love with money and power than ever before. Individually, God can realign you with Himself. He offers rescue to you just as surely as He offered rescue to the children of Israel, our ancestors. For the world will fail us but in Him we have victory.
3:15 We are introduced to another judge named Ehud.
3:16-19 Ehud deceives Eglon king of Moab, who has been oppressing the children of Israel. With intentions to kill him, Ehud presents a fake tribute to the king.
3:20-22 When Ehud is alone with the king, he tells Eglon that he has a message from God. And then promptly stabs the king in the belly. Metaphorically, this could mean that opulence led to the corrupt kings downfall. The described girth of his belly might have represented his ostentatious nature of ruling. In the end, then, his love of money confronted him at death.
3:23-26 Ehud leaves the king to die and locks the door. The servants leave the king be, assuming the door is locked for privacy. By the time the servants find the king, Ehud has escaped.
3:27-30 Ehud returns to the children of Israel. He calls them to once again follow God, for God has delivered them from out of the grasp of an evil power. Because they chose righteousness, God empowered them and they subdued evil. They had peace for eighty years.
3:31 Very little is written about the judge, Shamgar. However, his mission as host was the same. He served God as an instrument through which spiritual rescue was provided to the unfaithful, but again repentant, Israelites.
