The Great Value of Leadership

Judges 2-3

Joshua’s generation served their God until they all died out.
But their children who followed them sadly were not devout.
The truths their fathers had fought to preserve were tossed away like trash.
Their many afflictions were well deserved and all their hopes were dashed.

God left some nations to test this group so they could learn to fight.
There were five kings of the Philistines along with some Canaanites.
Israel married their pagan daughters, had sons to till the sod.
It wasn’t long before they began to worship their false gods.

Because they accepted so much evil in the eyes of the Lord,
He gave them up to a pagan king with the sin they adored.
Eight years they endured cruel oppression with suffering so unreal.
God was busy preparing their hearts to follow his servant, Othniel.

For forty years Othniel led and Israel learned to obey.
But as soon as he was dead and gone, they quickly fell away.
Once again the cycle occurred. You can see it plain as mud.
So God raised up a fearless leader, a man by the name of Ehud.

Ehud was a left-handed man whose specialty was the knife.
He went to King Eglon with a gift that appeared to be very nice.
Now Eglon was exceedingly fat and as he arose from the chair,
Ehud stuck him so very deep, the sword was covered in there.

Now Ehud locked the doors to the room and headed out for his home.
The servants mistakenly thought their king was on the bathroom throne.
Ehud escaped and rallied the troops, told them to fight for their life.
When it was over they were in charge led by the man with the knife.

These are two of the many judges sent to help Israel survive.
God sends leaders still today to keep our faith alive.
We place our hope not on the man but on the God who leads.
His leaders, who faithfully proclaim God’s Word, help his flock succeed.

Have you thanked your man of God for the leadership he provides?
Does he faithfully point to the Word to be the standard and guide?
In times like these when there is a famine with regard to God’s Word,
Be thankful if you belong to a church where the gospel is clearly heard.