A surprising look at our own times through the lens of biblical history.An exciting epic story in its own right. Why OTHNIEL?
The Book of Judges has a reputation as a product of the dark ages in Israel's history-a gloomy recital of genocide and fratricide, wrath and revenge that portrays God as having little in common with the New Testament's God of love.
This impression falls short, however. As a part of the Bible's single continuous story, the Book of Judges is a sermon in history. It covers the founding years of Israel and traces its civic and spiritual decline between its conquest of the Promised Land and its first king. Its account of those violent centuries has parallels with our new century that already threatens to match the Twentieth Century's record of violence.
Everyone knows the story of Samson, the most flamboyant but least effective of the deliverers, and many remember Gideon and even Deborah and Jael, but who has ever heard of Othniel? Even Bible scholars need their memories jogged.
Othniel, the son-in-law of Caleb, Joshua's right-hand man, became Caleb's successor as a leader in the southern part of Judah. We read that Israel enjoyed forty years of rest because of his leadership-a record never to be matched after Deborah's time. The biblical record twice gives us a glimpse of the woman he married, Acsah, a woman of character and foresight. No other leader named in the Book of Judges had such a worthy partner. Reading between the lines, we may suspect that Othniel owed no small part of his success to her influence.
The story of Othniel and Acsah, therefore, represents an unblemished episode in Israel's tawdry history. In this hidden treasure you will find the hand of God at work in an inspiring story full of adventure and romance, loyalty and daring-as well as their opposites. Surely it has as useful a place in God's plan as the more lurid tales.