Let us pray, and when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othnil, the son of Canaz, Caleb's younger brother, Judges three nine. Dear God, as I meditate on to day's reading of Judges two to three, I ask Lord that you make me like the mighty men and women of Judges who were used to deliver your children from the hands of the enemy. Quicken my heart and strengthen my hands so that I can take on the honor of being used to bring freedom and break through to those who are hurting and in bondage. Raise me up like Othnil. Let your spirit come upon me as I continue to win battles and take territory for your kingdom. Next, I thank you that you are giving me the boldness of Ehud, so that I can face my oppressor head on and without fear. Give me divine strategy to day so that I know where my enemy's weak points are. Thank you for inside information that will insure the victory for me and for all of your children. Shout out loud and declare that you have given us complete victory over all of our enemies. Thank you for rest and restoration in Jesus name. Amen, thank you for making prayer a priority in your day. To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story, brought to you by Bible in a Year dot Com.

Let us pray, and when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othnil, the son of Canaz, Caleb's younger brother, Judges three nine. Dear God, as I meditate on to day's reading of Judges two to three, I ask Lord that you make me like the mighty men and women of Judges who were used to deliver your children from the hands of the enemy. Quicken my heart and strengthen my hands so that I can take on the honor of being used to bring freedom and break through to those who are hurting and in bondage. Raise me up like Othnil. Let your spirit come upon me as I continue to win battles and take territory for your kingdom. Next, I thank you that you are giving me the boldness of Ehud, so that I can face my oppressor head on and without fear. Give me divine strategy to day so that I know where my enemy's weak points are. Thank you for inside information that will insure the victory for me and for all of your children. Shout out loud and declare that you have given us complete victory over all of our enemies. Thank you for rest and restoration in Jesus name. Amen, thank you for making prayer a priority in your day. To learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story, brought to you by Bible in a Year dot Com.

Rescuing Judges. The generation of Joshua had passed and Israel made a home for themselves in their new land. The gods of the other kingdoms surrounding Israel made their way into their hearts, and they turned their backs on God. In this story, we will learn how God heard the cries of Israel as he did once in Egypt, only now instead of sending Moses, he sent his judges, mighty heroes of great courage. Inspired by the Book of Judges.

Rescuing Judges. The generation of Joshua had passed and Israel made a home for themselves in their new land. The gods of the other kingdoms surrounding Israel made their way into their hearts, and they turned their backs on God. In this story, we will learn how God heard the cries of Israel as he did once in Egypt, only now instead of sending Moses, he sent his judges, mighty heroes of great courage. Inspired by the Book of Judges.

Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. In today's reading, we concluded the story of Job and learned how God restored Job to health and wealth, giving him more than even he had lost. Today we returned to the story of Israel. The hearts of God's people have turned to other gods, and rather than influencing the culture around them, they were letting the pagan co the unbelieving cultures shape and corrupt them. Soon they find themselves enslaved again. It is the result of their unfaithfulness to God and their forgetful hearts. But as we'll learn again today, God is not about to abandon his children. He will hear their cries and come to their rescue just in time. So let's listen now to today's reading.

Hello, I'm Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible in a Year podcast. In today's reading, we concluded the story of Job and learned how God restored Job to health and wealth, giving him more than even he had lost. Today we returned to the story of Israel. The hearts of God's people have turned to other gods, and rather than influencing the culture around them, they were letting the pagan co the unbelieving cultures shape and corrupt them. Soon they find themselves enslaved again. It is the result of their unfaithfulness to God and their forgetful hearts. But as we'll learn again today, God is not about to abandon his children. He will hear their cries and come to their rescue just in time. So let's listen now to today's reading.

Truth had been forsaken, The generation that fought for the Promised Land had passed away. God's mighty acts had been buried and forgotten with the past. Now Israel lived in comfort, sinning on the graves of those who bled before them. Israel abandoned the Lord and adopted the gods of the natives. Since they forsook God, all their military exploits went without victory. In vain, they marched to conquer new lands, but they were left with heartache and bloodshed. Israel rail spiraled into a whirlpool of defeat. They had forgotten that Israel's strength was not in their military might, but in the sovereignty of God. Weakened and distressed, Israel was vulnerable to outside attacks. Other nations would descend upon the people and plunder them. Women and children were stolen in the dead of night. Homes were set ablaze, and their food and livestock was taken. So God raised up mighty men and women of valor, those who would save them and bring them out of oppression. Yet Israel would not bow to them. They hoared themselves to other gods and did only what seemed right in their own eyes. Yet God would not relent in his compassion over his people. When Israel descended into destruction and slavery, God would send his heroes to save them. After delving deep into the worship of other gods, Israel found themselves overcome by Kushan, the king of Mesopotamia. Kushan's army took Israel by force, and God's people found themselves once again in slaves. For eight years, they sat under the cruel reign of Mesopotamia. The people of Israel cried out to God, begging him to save them, as he had thousands of times before. God did not ignore their cries. He raised up his first judge, Othnil, the nephew of Caleb. The spirit of God was with Othnil the same burning intensity Joshua once had came upon him. Othnil gathered men from all over Israel to raise a resistance. For weeks, he plotted, schemed, and strategized. Othnil was a man a few words. He was a man of the sword and exactly what Israel needed. Othnil stood at the top of a valley in front of Kushan's army. Weeks of preparing had led him to this moment. The air was cold, and the piercing wind of win winter blew from the north. Othnil was silent as lightning. With thousands of Israelite soldiers behind him, Othnil stormed the city of their oppressors. Blood scattered across the sky above them. Israel had its first taste of true victory in years. They were free. God had gone before them, and Othnil was judge over Israel for forty years until he died. After forty years of peace. Under Othnil's leadership, the people of Israel fell prey to their old devices. Slowly and gradually, their old idolatry crept back into their lives and hearts. They let their guard down and became complacent while Israel rested, feasted among idols, and enjoyed their new found freedom. King Eglon from Moab gathered the Ammonites and the Amalekites to overtake Israel. He succeeded, and for eighteen years, his cruelty and greed plagued the Hebrew people like a sickness. The people of Israel cried out again to God, not knowing that he was already raising up a young man named Ahud from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a left handed man, which was uncommon and looked down upon in his time. Yet his skill as a warrior and master of deception were exactly what the people of Israel needed, so God provided. It was tradition for the people of Israel to pay a tribute to King Eglon in his palace. These tributes were large platters of food, filled with meats, cheeses, and grains. For Egglon was a large and slothful man. He gorged on Israel's offerings and grew fat in both mass and confidence. The people sent a hood to pay the tribute. With a double edged sword strapped to his right thigh, a Hood brought in the tribute. Hail the king, he said, I have brought you your tribute. A Hood then leaned over to the King's and whispered, I have secret news from some spies.

Truth had been forsaken, The generation that fought for the Promised Land had passed away. God's mighty acts had been buried and forgotten with the past. Now Israel lived in comfort, sinning on the graves of those who bled before them. Israel abandoned the Lord and adopted the gods of the natives. Since they forsook God, all their military exploits went without victory. In vain, they marched to conquer new lands, but they were left with heartache and bloodshed. Israel rail spiraled into a whirlpool of defeat. They had forgotten that Israel's strength was not in their military might, but in the sovereignty of God. Weakened and distressed, Israel was vulnerable to outside attacks. Other nations would descend upon the people and plunder them. Women and children were stolen in the dead of night. Homes were set ablaze, and their food and livestock was taken. So God raised up mighty men and women of valor, those who would save them and bring them out of oppression. Yet Israel would not bow to them. They hoared themselves to other gods and did only what seemed right in their own eyes. Yet God would not relent in his compassion over his people. When Israel descended into destruction and slavery, God would send his heroes to save them. After delving deep into the worship of other gods, Israel found themselves overcome by Kushan, the king of Mesopotamia. Kushan's army took Israel by force, and God's people found themselves once again in slaves. For eight years, they sat under the cruel reign of Mesopotamia. The people of Israel cried out to God, begging him to save them, as he had thousands of times before. God did not ignore their cries. He raised up his first judge, Othnil, the nephew of Caleb. The spirit of God was with Othnil the same burning intensity Joshua once had came upon him. Othnil gathered men from all over Israel to raise a resistance. For weeks, he plotted, schemed, and strategized. Othnil was a man a few words. He was a man of the sword and exactly what Israel needed. Othnil stood at the top of a valley in front of Kushan's army. Weeks of preparing had led him to this moment. The air was cold, and the piercing wind of win winter blew from the north. Othnil was silent as lightning. With thousands of Israelite soldiers behind him, Othnil stormed the city of their oppressors. Blood scattered across the sky above them. Israel had its first taste of true victory in years. They were free. God had gone before them, and Othnil was judge over Israel for forty years until he died. After forty years of peace. Under Othnil's leadership, the people of Israel fell prey to their old devices. Slowly and gradually, their old idolatry crept back into their lives and hearts. They let their guard down and became complacent while Israel rested, feasted among idols, and enjoyed their new found freedom. King Eglon from Moab gathered the Ammonites and the Amalekites to overtake Israel. He succeeded, and for eighteen years, his cruelty and greed plagued the Hebrew people like a sickness. The people of Israel cried out again to God, not knowing that he was already raising up a young man named Ahud from the tribe of Benjamin. He was a left handed man, which was uncommon and looked down upon in his time. Yet his skill as a warrior and master of deception were exactly what the people of Israel needed, so God provided. It was tradition for the people of Israel to pay a tribute to King Eglon in his palace. These tributes were large platters of food, filled with meats, cheeses, and grains. For Egglon was a large and slothful man. He gorged on Israel's offerings and grew fat in both mass and confidence. The people sent a hood to pay the tribute. With a double edged sword strapped to his right thigh, a Hood brought in the tribute. Hail the king, he said, I have brought you your tribute. A Hood then leaned over to the King's and whispered, I have secret news from some spies.

In Israel.

In Israel.

My King Eglon's interest and concern rose. He shewed away his guards and rose from his seat to speak with a heard. As Eglon rose from his seat, Eyhard unstrapped the sword from his thigh and lodged it into Eglon's gigantic stomach. In one motion, Eglon's fat wrapped around the blade and closed it into his belly. Entrails and dung came spewing out of Eglon as he fell to the floor and died. They had drug the king's massive body into his restroom. The guards heard a noise and entered into the king's chambers. They heard a stirring in the lavatory and did not want to bother the king while he was relieving himself. While they delayed, Ehd escaped through the hole where the excrement was released and crawled to safety. Moments later, the guards opened the doors to see the king dead on the floor. Ayhard ran past the temples to sarrive. When he arrived at the right spot, he sounded a trumpet that echoed throughout the entire hill country as one wave. The Israelite army emerged from the horizon and ran behind Ahud. They followed him, and he had let out a battle cry, saying, follow me, for the Lord has given them into our hand. Aherd's left handed swings tore apart the flesh of the Moabite army. One by one they fell, and hope in God was restored. Ten thousand Moabites fell that day, all of them strong and able bodied soldiers. No one escaped. For eight years, Ay had protected the people of Israel, and there was peace in the land. Yet danger and temptation lurked around every corner. Ah had understood, just as well as God that the peace would not last. Soon Israel would haul itself to other idols again, and God, as a faithful group, would do anything to protect them.

My King Eglon's interest and concern rose. He shewed away his guards and rose from his seat to speak with a heard. As Eglon rose from his seat, Eyhard unstrapped the sword from his thigh and lodged it into Eglon's gigantic stomach. In one motion, Eglon's fat wrapped around the blade and closed it into his belly. Entrails and dung came spewing out of Eglon as he fell to the floor and died. They had drug the king's massive body into his restroom. The guards heard a noise and entered into the king's chambers. They heard a stirring in the lavatory and did not want to bother the king while he was relieving himself. While they delayed, Ehd escaped through the hole where the excrement was released and crawled to safety. Moments later, the guards opened the doors to see the king dead on the floor. Ayhard ran past the temples to sarrive. When he arrived at the right spot, he sounded a trumpet that echoed throughout the entire hill country as one wave. The Israelite army emerged from the horizon and ran behind Ahud. They followed him, and he had let out a battle cry, saying, follow me, for the Lord has given them into our hand. Aherd's left handed swings tore apart the flesh of the Moabite army. One by one they fell, and hope in God was restored. Ten thousand Moabites fell that day, all of them strong and able bodied soldiers. No one escaped. For eight years, Ay had protected the people of Israel, and there was peace in the land. Yet danger and temptation lurked around every corner. Ah had understood, just as well as God that the peace would not last. Soon Israel would haul itself to other idols again, and God, as a faithful group, would do anything to protect them.

In today's reading, in God's Word, we begin with a new generation of Israelites. This generation is different from those who followed Joshua. Joshua's people were gone, But now the people who have been living in comfort became complacent. They turned to false God's idols. They allowed the world around them to infiltrate their daily lives. And the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses and Joshua. These were a distant memory. As always, rebellion and unbelief have consequences. God had warned them that if they turned from him, they would not experience victory, but only the bitterness and the brokenness of defeat. And that's exactly what they experienced. In loss after loss after loss, they became weaker and weaker as a nation. Even though God sent them a godly leader, the Israelites persisted in their rebellion until they were overcome by the king of Mesopotamia, Khushan, and then the people were once again under the rule of another. They were slaves in a pagan nation. This was the price to be paid for their sins against God. But God would not abandon his people, and when they cried out to him, he brought a mighty warrior, a judge named Athonil. He was the nephew of Caleb, and he burned with zeal, a zeal for God and a zeal for the people of God. And so God began the time of the Judges. Athoniel raised up an army, and under God's protection, he led them to victory over Khushan's army. They were once again free, and for the next generation, this man led the people as God's appointed judge. But as it happened after Joshua died, once Athonil was gone, the people rebelled against God again and so began a tragic pattern of turning from God facing defeat, turning back to God for help and God helping. The words in Judges three twelve signal the refrain that will repeat itself too many times in the years to come. And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Rescue, rebellion, repentance, and return. Before we too quickly judge the Israelites for their unfaithfulness, let's consider how often we do the same thing. When we allow other gods to take over our hearts and our minds idols of the heart, we get caught up in the world and rebel against God. But here's what we know. Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross and by the power of his resurrection, God can redeem us, renew us, and restore us. When we repent of our sin and return to him, God will respond and receive us. Because of what Christ has done for us, we do need to remember that there are consequences to our sins, and so when the people once again turned against God again, and again they were conquered by another nation. They cried out to God and God brought them a new judge, Ehud. Ehud courageously faced the king of Moab and put him to the sword before leading an army against ten thousand Moabite men, killing them all. Once again, faith in God and hope for the future was restored, But once again this would be only temporary, as the people would turn away. They would often lose their faith and their faithfulness. But God was faithful to his people and he wouldn't not abandoned them. And it's a wonderful promise to know that God loves you, that his plans for your life, even when you fail, when you are fickle, and when you fall, If you will return to Him and receive Him through his son Jesus Christ, you can be forgiven and God will lift you up. Dear God, thank you for your patience with us. When our hearts fall away and stray, and our attentions drifts to the gods of this world. Help us to come back to you and to cry out to You for your undending mercy and grace. We know this grace, this mercy is available because of your son Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again that we may have eternal life. It is at his name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot com app and make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know, someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can make a big difference in someone's life. In Jesus' name. And if you want more resources on how to tap into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.

In today's reading, in God's Word, we begin with a new generation of Israelites. This generation is different from those who followed Joshua. Joshua's people were gone, But now the people who have been living in comfort became complacent. They turned to false God's idols. They allowed the world around them to infiltrate their daily lives. And the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of Moses and Joshua. These were a distant memory. As always, rebellion and unbelief have consequences. God had warned them that if they turned from him, they would not experience victory, but only the bitterness and the brokenness of defeat. And that's exactly what they experienced. In loss after loss after loss, they became weaker and weaker as a nation. Even though God sent them a godly leader, the Israelites persisted in their rebellion until they were overcome by the king of Mesopotamia, Khushan, and then the people were once again under the rule of another. They were slaves in a pagan nation. This was the price to be paid for their sins against God. But God would not abandon his people, and when they cried out to him, he brought a mighty warrior, a judge named Athonil. He was the nephew of Caleb, and he burned with zeal, a zeal for God and a zeal for the people of God. And so God began the time of the Judges. Athoniel raised up an army, and under God's protection, he led them to victory over Khushan's army. They were once again free, and for the next generation, this man led the people as God's appointed judge. But as it happened after Joshua died, once Athonil was gone, the people rebelled against God again and so began a tragic pattern of turning from God facing defeat, turning back to God for help and God helping. The words in Judges three twelve signal the refrain that will repeat itself too many times in the years to come. And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Rescue, rebellion, repentance, and return. Before we too quickly judge the Israelites for their unfaithfulness, let's consider how often we do the same thing. When we allow other gods to take over our hearts and our minds idols of the heart, we get caught up in the world and rebel against God. But here's what we know. Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross and by the power of his resurrection, God can redeem us, renew us, and restore us. When we repent of our sin and return to him, God will respond and receive us. Because of what Christ has done for us, we do need to remember that there are consequences to our sins, and so when the people once again turned against God again, and again they were conquered by another nation. They cried out to God and God brought them a new judge, Ehud. Ehud courageously faced the king of Moab and put him to the sword before leading an army against ten thousand Moabite men, killing them all. Once again, faith in God and hope for the future was restored, But once again this would be only temporary, as the people would turn away. They would often lose their faith and their faithfulness. But God was faithful to his people and he wouldn't not abandoned them. And it's a wonderful promise to know that God loves you, that his plans for your life, even when you fail, when you are fickle, and when you fall, If you will return to Him and receive Him through his son Jesus Christ, you can be forgiven and God will lift you up. Dear God, thank you for your patience with us. When our hearts fall away and stray, and our attentions drifts to the gods of this world. Help us to come back to you and to cry out to You for your undending mercy and grace. We know this grace, this mercy is available because of your son Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again that we may have eternal life. It is at his name that we pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download thepray dot com app and make prayer a priority in your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with someone you know, someone you love, because by sharing this podcast, you can make a big difference in someone's life. In Jesus' name. And if you want more resources on how to tap into God's life, God's power, God's strength for successful Christian living, be sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless you.