Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years. Sermons
I. AS FAITH STRENGTHENS, SUPERSTITION DESTROYS, MORAL POWER. In all these punishments the external and physical disadvantage appears to be the first perceived. But the real loss was sustained beforehand, when faith in the one God was lost. The whole moral life which this dogma encouraged and sustained was thereby undermined. Monotheism was the foundation of the moral life, correcting and purifying it; idolatry pandered to the worst passions, and chained the spirit of man to the outward and sensuous. II. MORAL ENTHUSIASM IS THE ESSENCE AND INSPIRATION OF HEROISM AND THE RULING QUALITIES. The reverence of Israel in the worship of Jehovah was called forth towards qualities that were truly noble and admirable. The sustaining force of an Israelite's piety was absolutely righteous and super-sensuous; and it had appeared superior to all that the arm of flesh could bring against it. The Israelite was taught, therefore, to despise the material, the outward, and the merely human. His faith, therefore, became heroic. And as the influence of the Divine Being repressed the passions and developed the spiritual power, it enabled him to restrain himself, to pursue after distant and vast aims; and, in making him heedless of the attractions of sense and penalties which only affected the outward man, it made him influential over others. Hence the religion of Israel marked it out for political superiority and power. III. THE "SERVICE" THAT IS WASTED ON WORTHLESS OBJECTS IS AVENGED BY A "SERVICE" THAT IS SEVERE AND INVOLUNTARY. This was the result of a special appointment, and also of a Divine law. The people that had become effeminate by idolatrous indulgence were an easy prey to any military and ambitious power; and so that which had been a weak yielding, or a choice, became binding and imperative. National liberty was lost; the purest and noblest traits of national character were repressed. What a special political power did in this instance evil habit itself may do; and there are other influences whose yoke waits upon the loss of moral power. - M.
Sold them into the hand of Chushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. 1. This was the first servitude of the Israelites ever since they came out of their house of bondage in Egypt; for now such detestable apostasy was found in Israel as heaven and earth had caused to be ashamed of (Jeremiah 2:12, 13); therefore is he made a slave and servant (ver. 14). They that would not serve the Lord in the abundance of all things with gladness shall serve their enemies in the want of all things with sadness (Deuteronomy 28:47, 48); therefore God forsook them, that they might know the worth of His service by the want of it under woful miseries (2 Chronicles 12:8).2. As this was the first oppression that Israel met with after their coming out of Egypt, so this king of Syria was their oppressor. This king had God's commission to oppress Israel, for God sold them into this king's hands, and yet was he but a lessee; his possession was by virtue of a lease, and that only a lease limited to eight years. It surely seemed very long for those "children of light" to walk in such a place of darkness for eight years together; if so, the time of their suffering bears a due proportion to the time of their sinning. 3. The marvellous proportion God observed in proportioning Israel's suffering to the proportion of their sinning. As Israel's sinning increased in magnitude so their suffering increased in multitude, every term of their slavery rising higher and higher. They served this Chushan eight years, and, because not bettered thereby, they served Eglon eighteen years (ver. 14) and afterwards Jabin twenty years (Judges 4:3, etc.). With the froward God will deal frowardly (Psalm 18:26). When lesser corrections could not restrain them from sin, God laid heavier punishments upon them, and punishes them seven times more; yea, and seven times more, and yet seven times more to that, as He had threatened (Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28). God will not give over punishing until men give over sinning. 4. The redeemer that the Lord raised up to redeem Israel out of their first slavery was Othniel (ver. 9), which God would not yet do for them until they humbled themselves, when God, they saw, would get the better of them. And this deliverer, whom God sent to redeem Israel, when sold into the hands of this terrible tyrant, was a type of our Redeemer the Lord Jesus, who was sent of God to redeem us, and thus all the other judges be types of Christ, though some more eminently than others. Here the Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel, gave him prudence, prowess, and magnanimity to make war against this tyrannical oppressor, and having vanquished him in battle, he restored rest to God's Israel, governing his people in peace and in the profession and practice of God's true religion according to His law. (C. Ness.) People Amalek, Amalekites, Ammonites, Amorites, Anath, Aram, Canaanites, Chushanrishathaim, Chushan-rishathaim, Eglon, Ehud, Gera, Hittites, Hivite, Hivites, Israelites, Jebusites, Kenaz, Moabites, Othniel, Perizzites, Shamgar, Sidonians, ZidoniansPlaces Canaan, Gilgal, Jordan River, Lebanon, Lebo-hamath, Mesopotamia, Moab, Mount Baal-hermon, SeirahTopics Anger, Aram, Aram-naharaim, Burned, Burneth, Burning, Chushanrishathaim, Chushan-rishathaim, Cushan, Cushan-rishathaim, Cu'shan-rishatha'im, Eight, Hands, Hot, Israelites, Kindled, Mesopotamia, Mesopota'mia, Naharaim, Rishathaim, Selleth, Servants, Serve, Served, Sold, Sons, Subject, WrathOutline 1. The nations which were left to prove Israel5. By communion with them they commit idolatry 8. Othniel delivered them from Chushan-Rishathaim 12. Ehud from Eglon 31. and Shamgar from the Philistines Dictionary of Bible Themes Judges 3:88728 enemies, of Israel and Judah 5607 warfare, examples Library Use what You HaveFew people really are and do their best. Nature has blessed a few with great talents and abilities. These persons often become proud, self-centered, and feel themselves to be superior, and for that reason many times they fail to make the proper use of their abilities. How often are they used in a bad or foolish way, so that what might be a blessing to the world fails to be such! There are many others who realize they do not possess these natural gifts. They look upon those who have them, and envy … Charles Wesley Naylor—Heart Talks Gifts and Talents. Whether Baptism Should Take Away the Penalties of Sin that Belong to this Life? "This Then is the Message which we have Heard of Him, and Declare unto You, that God is Light," Whether the Old Law Enjoined Fitting Precepts Concerning Rulers? The Country of Jericho, and the Situation of the City. The Prophecy of Obadiah. The Doctrine of Angels. Judges Links Judges 3:8 NIVJudges 3:8 NLT Judges 3:8 ESV Judges 3:8 NASB Judges 3:8 KJV Judges 3:8 Bible Apps Judges 3:8 Parallel Judges 3:8 Biblia Paralela Judges 3:8 Chinese Bible Judges 3:8 French Bible Judges 3:8 German Bible Judges 3:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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